'Ah,' said Glanville.
'Ah,' said Grayling.
'What?' Brimstone demanded. 'What? It's simple, isn't it? We send some bully-boys into the Analogue World and drag him back by the scruff of the neck. Not even illegal, from what you tell me – our laws don't extend there.'
'An admirable strategy,' said Glanville. 'But flawed.'
'Fatally flawed,' said Grayling. 'We have no way of knowing where to find him – in the Analogue World that is.'
'Unlike other portals, the portal of House Iris is multi-directional. They could have sent him anywhere they wished.'
'Can't we force them to reveal his destination?' Brimstone asked.
Glanville looked at Grayling. Grayling looked at Glanville. They turned together and looked at Brimstone. 'Possibly,' Grayling said. 'But if they resist, it could take some time. And time, we know, is of the essence.'
'House Iris has excellent lawyers,' Glanville said. He glanced down at the floor. They elected not to contest our warrant since they knew we could not execute it.'
'I've got spies in the palace,' Brimstone said. 'So has Chalkhill. Between us we should be able to find out his translation coordinates.'
'Possibly,' said Grayling. 'But even if we do find out, we cannot follow. House Iris owns the only multidirectional portal in existence.'
'Perhaps not quite the only one,' said Brimstone thoughtfully.
Even with Chalkhill's help, it took him days to get an appointment and then it was only with a lackey. Lord Hairstreak's representative was a big, unsmiling man named Harold Dingy. He wore a silver-grey suit and was accompanied by a bloodshot endolg. For some reason he'd insisted they meet at the zoo.
'It's nice to see you,' Brimstone said untruthfully, holding out his hand.
'The pleasure's all yours,' Dingy said, ignoring it.
His endolg rolled several times around Brimstone's legs before remarking, 'He's clean, boss. No weapons and just the routine spells and charms.' It spread itself out like a mangy rug and watched them both.
'Did Mr Chalkhill tell you what it was I wanted?' Brimstone asked, shouting above the noise of the parrots.
Chalkhill had long claimed to be Lord Hairstreak's friend, but if Dingy was impressed by the mention of his name he didn't show it. 'No.' He looked as if he didn't care.
This was the tricky part and Brimstone didn't really feel like shouting it out at the top of his voice. 'Can we get away from these damn parrots?' he asked.
'I like parrots,' Dingy said.
'He likes parrots,' said a parrot clinging to the wire mesh of its cage.
'So do I,' lied Brimstone, 'but what I have to say is confidential.'
'Doesn't want us to repeat it,' said the parrot smugly.
'All right,' Dingy said. 'We'll talk in the Reptile House.'
The Reptile House was hot and dry and played hell with Brimstone's sinuses. But at least it was quiet and lizards didn't play back what you'd said. The endolg climbed up one of the glass-fronted cages and embarked on a staring match with a cobra. Dingy glared at Brimstone.
Brimstone glanced around to make sure they weren't being overheard, then lowered his voice. 'I wanted to talk to you about-'
'Can't hear you,' Dingy interrupted.
'This is confidentia', l Brimstone hissed. He gestured Dingy closer and, when the man took a reluctant step forward, stretched to whisper in his ear. 'I wanted to talk to you about Black Hairstreak's portal.'
'What about Lord Hairstreak's portal?' Dingy asked suspiciously.
Brimstone looked around him again. 'I understand Lord Hairstreak may have a multi-directional portal,' he whispered.
'Who told you that?' Dingy sniffed.
Brimstone laid a finger along the side of his nose and tried to look knowing. 'I have my sources,' he said. His source was actually his partner Chalkhill, who'd once let the information slip while drunk. The trouble was Chalkhill let a lot of things slip when drunk that simply weren't true. Brimstone was praying this wasn't one of them.
'Somebody's been tickling your ferret,' Dingy said.
'You mean he doesn't?' Brimstone asked, then added slyly, 'It's just that if he did have a multi-directional portal, I should be prepared to pay a great deal of money for its use. A great deal of money.'
'Pity he doesn't have one then,' said Dingy. The endolg began to detach itself from the glass. It looked as if the interview was over.
'Just a minute,' said Brimstone hurriedly. 'When I said a great deal of money, I meant a million gold pieces.' He'd have to mortgage the business to raise that sort of cash, but if he didn't find Pyrgus he was dead and if he did, he'd have all the money in the realm.
Dingy stared down at him impassively. The endolg was tugging at his trouser-leg as if anxious to be going.
'For Lord Hairstreak,' Brimstone said. 'And a quarter of a million more for you.'
'You must need a multi-portal very, very bad,' Dingy said. 'Mind telling me why?'
Brimstone weighed up the pros and cons. He'd expected the question, but assumed he'd be talking to Black Hairstreak himself, not one of his stooges. All the same, this clown was probably more shrewd than he looked – Hairstreak would hardly employ him otherwise – so he might spot a lie. Besides, he had the endolg with him. They were supposed to be able to sniff out anything fishy from a hundred yards. Which was, of course, the reason Hairstreak used them. Not much trust left in the realm these days.
As against that, it was well enough known Lord Hairstreak had little love for the Purple Emperor, so he might actually welcome the death of his son. Brimstone decided to tell the truth. It was such an odd feeling he thought he'd make that part of the truth. Enough to squeeze past the endolg. 'I need to find Crown Prince Pyrgus,' he said.
'Why?' asked Dingy innocently. 'Is he lost?'
'He's in the Analogue World. I need a multi-portal to reach him.'
'Why would you want to reach him?'
'I have business with him,' Brimstone said with dignity.
'What sort of business would that be then?'
Oh, bog it, Brimstone thought. 'I want to kill him.'
The endolg trilled excitedly. 'What about that, boss?' it said. 'He wants to slaughter the Crown Prince.'
Harold Dingy leaned forward soberly and suddenly he seemed very menacing indeed. 'I'm going to do you a favour, Mr Brimstone. I'm going to tell you something that will save you a great deal of money. Are you listening, Mr Brimstone?'
Brimstone took a step backwards. 'Yes.'
'I'm going to tell you there's no need for you to kill Prince Pyrgus. Want to know why, Mr Brimstone?'
'Yes,' Brimstone repeated in a small voice.
To his astonishment, Dingy smiled abruptly. 'Because Prince Pyrgus is already dead!'
'As a coffin nail,' confirmed the endolg. 'Or at least as good as.'
Brimstone felt as if the sky had fallen in. He thought he might have gone pale, but fought to keep his voice steady. He swallowed. 'Are you sure?'
Dingy was positively beaming. 'You just heard it from the endolg.'
Even with a floater spell, the gold was heavy. Brimstone tried to lift the case and felt his back creak. It was no good. He'd have to get somebody to help him. Kill him afterwards, of course – a little something in his soup or, better yet, a knife across the throat. Only way to make sure he kept quiet. Only way to make sure no one knew where Silas Brimstone went.
The trick was to go quickly. Now, in fact. Beleth was back in his own dimension now and wouldn't start to look for him before the contract expired. By then he'd be long gone. That was definitely the way to do it. Cut his losses and go. But what losses. The factory, the other businesses, his home, most of his books. It wasn't weight with the books, it was bulk. He could take a few – the more important ones. Enough so he could start again. And he'd have his gold, which was something.
Unless Beleth somehow caught up with him. Unless Beleth somehow tracked him down!