Let them look, said Molly. They won t find anything. The fog wiped all its traces away as it retreated. A built-in clean-up factor is the mark of a real magician.
Crow Lee didn t get where he is today by leaving evidence behind to reveal his presence, I agreed. Come back here in a few years and all of this will be just another urban legend. A story to tell visitors in an enjoyable and not-to-be believed way. They ll probably be selling the tourists Fog in a Can.
So, said Molly. Let us adjourn to pastures new before the boys in blue come knocking on our window, inviting us to answer some pointed questions. Which I have no intention of answering. Where are we going next?
Back to my old stomping grounds, I said. London. They call it the Smoke, and everyone knows there s no smoke without fire. Street by street and block by block, London s still the most magical city in the world. And not always in a good way.
I suppose you intend to drive all the way there? said Molly, just a bit sullenly.
No, I said. We don t have the time, and I don t think I trust the car s shields to hide us for much longer. Crow Lee found us here quickly enough. And don t look at me like that, Molly. In situations like this, paranoia becomes a survival skill. No, I think we d better use the Merlin Glass.
And risk attracting attention?
Crow Lee already knows where we are, I pointed out.
So we re leaving the car here? said Molly.
Hardly, I said. I d have to hit the self-destruct button to keep it out of official hands, and Uncle Jack would have my scalp if I lost another of his favourite cars.
I already had the Merlin Glass in my hand, and I hefted the silver-backed hand mirror thoughtfully. Like its predecessor, the Glass always seemed so small and innocent in its dormant state, like a vampire hiding its sharp teeth behind a polite smile. I fed the Merlin Glass the correct coordinates through my torc, and the Glass shot out of my hand and passed right through the windscreen without affecting it in the least, to hover on the air in front of the car. It grew quickly in size, becoming a great doorway through which I could see a familiar London street. I sent the Phantom rolling smoothly forward and we left Brighton behind, in search of fresh prey.
The Glass shut itself down behind us, ghosted through the back window, and nestled into the hand I put up to catch it. I put the Glass away, and tried to concentrate on my driving. This new Merlin Glass seemed to take a delight in demonstrating all the many tricks at its disposal. It seemed to have a lot more character than the one I was used to. I wasn t sure whether that was a good thing or not. We d appeared on a deserted side street, as I d requested, and the few people walking up and down paid us no attention. I eased the Phantom V down the street and out into the main flow of traffic.
I know this is London, said Molly, but surely even the most blas Londoner should have been a bit startled by a bloody big car appearing right in front of him.
It s all down to the Armourer, I said.
Uncle Jack built some serious blending-in tech into the car s shields.
But the Phantom must have been identified by now, said Molly. And you can bet Crow Lee will have put out its description to everyone who answers to him. Or owes him favours, of which there are no doubt many. Why not just drop the car off somewhere safe and we ll take the Tube? Who s going to notice just another couple of tourists in London?
Because I m not ready to give up the car just yet, I said stubbornly. It contains many useful items, courtesy of my uncle Jack. And a whole armoury of heavy-duty weapons that I want close at hand, ready for when I need them.
I m not entirely helpless, said Molly.
I still have a few charms left on my ankle bracelet.
I glanced at her carefully. Just how low are your magic levels at the moment?
Low, said Molly. I might be able to manage some impressive fireworks and whizbangs, but that s about it.
Then we need the car, I said.
Don t be smug, said Molly. Or I ll hit you with my pony.
We drove steadily on through the early-evening London traffic. Cars and taxis and bendy buses flowed past, and the pavements were packed with people hurrying about their everyday business. No one paid the Phantom any undue attention, thanks to Uncle Jack. Droods aren t supposed to be noticed. At least half our job is to keep people from noticing the very threats we protect them from. Droods are trained from an early age to deal with all the wonders and horrors of the hidden world, but even we have problems dealing sometimes. Humanity isn t ready to learn who and what they share this world with. Of course, if I couldn t find a way to bring my family safely home, Humanity might start finding out the hard way. There are all kinds of things out there who only play nice with everyone else because they know we re watching.
It didn t take long to get where we needed to be. The Merlin Glass had followed my instructions to the letter, and we were soon easing up the Mall, with Buckingham Palace straight ahead. I smiled complacently at all the other cars, obediently paying London s exorbitant congestion charge. Droods are exempt. In fact, we re exempt from all the annoying intrusions of the Establishment s bean counters. Perk of the job.
You do know where you re going this time? said Molly.
London is my territory, I said grandly. I was a field agent here for years before I even met you. Now, admittedly, I don t know the city as well as I once did. My old armour had the equivalent of a sat nav built in. Complete maps of London and all its environs programmed into the torc, ready to be downloaded directly into my mind, as and when required. The rogue armour doesn t have that. So I m having to work from my own personal memories.
So, what happens when we get lost? Molly said sweetly.
You get to ask for directions. But I don t think that s going to be necessary. Look up ahead. See the big palacey thing at the end of the Mall? Buck House, in all her glory.
Yes, I can see the palace, Eddie; I m just not sure why we need it. Madame O said we needed the Department of the Uncanny.
So she did. She also said we d find it at Big Ben. And how likely is that? Something that obvious, that public? How much do you know about the D of U?
I know the name, said Molly.
Then you re ahead of most people, I said.
It s one of those very old, very secret, secret organisations that the government won t even admit exists. Originally founded by Dr. Dee, Queen Elizabeth I s unofficial spymaster and magician general, alongside the more specialised Carnacki Institute. The Department of the Uncanny s remit is to defend the Realm from supernatural attacks, from within as well as without. More by gathering information and organising other people than by getting involved themselves. Mostly. It is possible they were originally put in place as an answer to the Droods, if we should ever get out of hand. On the grounds that the Department could always be relied on to put England s interests first.
It strikes me that there s so many of these secret organisations, it s a wonder they don t end up tripping all over each other, said Molly.
They have a lot of ground to cover, I said.
And they re all very jealous when it comes to guarding their own territory. The last thing anyone wants is a civil war in the hidden world over who s in charge of what. The Department of the Uncanny exists to defend the nation. The Carnacki Institute deals with ghosts and other mortally challenged incursions. The London Knights deal with otherworldly and other-dimensional threats. And MI-13 used to deal with supernatural intelligence; our spies versus their spies. The Droods deal with Major League Weird Shit. Worldwide threats.