They looked back toward Baron von Grolman’s factory. The administration wing was still on fire, and it was spreading to the factory. The tiger was butting up against the train on one side, while the zebra had rebounded from it and was making toward the gatehouse. It was gathering the most attention, as a crushed and breached gatehouse was not what a secure facility needed. The gorilla had managed to climb the radio mast, but it had toppled under the weight of the concrete ape, which had plummeted right through the roof of the old building.
‘Where’s the crocodile?’ Aubrey asked.
‘Over there,’ Caroline pointed, ‘on the west. It’s making for the town.’
‘It will probably fall in the river first,’ said Sophie and Aubrey was saddened by this, but he brightened when he thought of the concrete animal, gamely ploughing along at the bottom of the river, not needing to breathe, making headway for as long as the spell lasted.
The other animals were wreaking havoc, in a way that Aubrey could only have dreamed of. Both wings of the original buildings were ablaze. Half of the barracks were demolished. The factory and warehouse, however, were battered but not damaged in any significant way.
Without warning, the original building exploded.
Aubrey threw an arm up in front of his face, but was still blinded for an instant. George let out an oath. Behind them, the elephant rocked a little but then resumed its inexorable progress toward the woods.
All the original buildings were now on fire, and a patter of debris fell about them, testimony to the force of the explosion. ‘A fuel tank?’ Caroline wondered aloud.
‘Perhaps a store of the enhanced coal,’ Aubrey suggested.
‘Maybe the gorilla fell on it,’ George said.
They reached the trees. Aubrey squinted. Dark figures were flitting through the trees. ‘Company,’ he muttered.
‘Welcome company?’ George peered at the woods.
Aubrey smiled. ‘It’s Katya and her crew.’
Thirty-five
They gathered in the shade of the woods while Théo recovered.
When he woke, he was pale and red-eyed, but quickly took in his surroundings – and was shocked to find his sister there. ‘Sophie?’
‘Théo.’ Kneeling beside him, she was on the verge of tears, but took his hand and gathered herself. ‘I came for you.’
He stared about him. ‘Who are these people?’
Sophie made the introductions. ‘They helped rescue you from that place.’
‘But I am now a deserter.’ Théo frowned. ‘Who gave you the right to do this? I made up my mind and you think you know better?’
‘Théo,’ Sophie said wearily and Aubrey knew that he was seeing the latest in a long history of sibling arguments.
‘Holmland is the future.’ Théo sat up and his voice grew shrill. ‘The Holmland army has none of your aristocratic preferment! It is one of opportunity.’
‘Steady on, fellow,’ George said. ‘You were just about to have the opportunity of having your brain scooped out and popped into a clankenmonster.’
Théo stared. ‘What are you saying?’
It took the rest of the hour under the watchful eye of Katya before Théo was convinced, and it was only Aubrey’s revelation of Dr Tremaine’s actions in sending Elspeth to lead Théo astray that tipped the balance. Along the way he went through denial and then sullenness before a dawning realisation of the fate he’d narrowly avoided came home to him.
‘Yvette,’ he cried, his head in his hands. ‘Yvette.’
Aubrey couldn’t help it. He had to probe to satisfy the gnawing curiosity he had. ‘Yvette was the young woman who introduced you to politics? And suggested your joining the Holmlanders?’
‘I loved her,’ he sobbed. ‘She loved me.’
‘I’m sure,’ Aubrey murmured. Elspeth Mattingly – if that was her name – had done a fine job on Théo. Aubrey marked her down as a dangerous operative. He flinched a little, understanding only too well how Théo would have been attracted to her.
Théo wasn’t an unintelligent lad, Aubrey decided as he watched this slow dawning. Somewhat petulant, perhaps, and unwilling to accept that his sister loved him dearly, risking her own life to save his, but Aubrey thought he detected the frustration of thwarted ambition in the young man’s arguing.
He turned away and watched the elephant trundling off to the north. Aubrey waved, not without regrets. ‘Goodbye, noble beast, you served us well.’
‘It’s concrete, Aubrey,’ Caroline said.
Aubrey affected a downcast face. ‘I know. That’s why it’s so hard.’ He paused. ‘Saying goodbye, I mean.’
‘Hmm.’
After Théo had lapsed into sombre reflection, Katya affirmed that they had been responsible for the final explosion in the complex. A few of the more active Enlightened Ones had infiltrated the drains weeks ago – the Enlightened Ones having considerable experience with drains – and laid caches of high explosive.
‘You won’t let Madame Zelinka know?’ she said. ‘She holds to the code of neutrality.’
‘But you don’t?’ Aubrey asked.
‘Some of us have long memories. Rodolfo always said never forget.’
‘Rodolfo?’ Aubrey smiled. ‘You do know Rodolfo!’
‘Rodolfo is my cousin. He is in hiding. It was his brother who assassinated Duke Josef.’
‘Oh.’ The murky world of Goltan politics was almost impossible to fathom. ‘But wasn’t Rodolfo against assassination? Wasn’t he trying to stop such actions?’
‘He is his brother’s brother. That is enough for the authorities.’
‘Who are now mostly pro-Holmland, since the invasion,’ Sophie pointed out.
The discussion on the way to the farmhouse didn’t make the Goltan situation much clearer to Aubrey, and he only half-listened as it bounced about him. He had other matters on his mind.
Madame Zelinka and von Stralick were sitting at the kitchen table. The Holmlander jumped to his feet when he saw them. While the other Enlightened Ones crowded around cheering – and after Théo had been introduced – von Stralick stood with his hands on his hips and shook his head. ‘I do not believe it. You are all alive.’
Chairs were provided for Aubrey and the others. Mugs of tea were thrust on them. Aubrey savoured the aroma for a moment with closed eyes.
‘Hugo was sure he had seen the last of you,’ Madame Zelinka said. ‘He wanted to go after you but I persuaded him to wait.’ She paused. ‘Then I wanted to leave, but he persuaded me to stay.’
‘But now...’ Von Stralick spread his hands.
‘Now we need to get back to Albion and report,’ Caroline said.
‘We have plenty to tell them,’ George said. Then he blinked. ‘Sophie. I suppose you’ll take Théo home?’
Sophie, anguished, looked at her brother. ‘Théo?’
Théo studied the floor for a moment, his hands behind his back, before answering. ‘I think I would like that.’
‘We can cross the border together,’ Caroline said, ‘but then we must go on without you. We need to get to Albion.’
‘George?’ Sophie’s voice and gaze were steady.
George looked at her, then at Aubrey, then at Caroline, before looking at Sophie again. ‘Can you bring your family to Trinovant? They may be safer there if Holmland crashes through.’
Sophie brightened, and her hand stole out and took her brother’s.
‘I will do that,’ Théo said firmly. ‘They must not stay in Gallia. If Holmland invades, Father will be in great danger.’
George scowled. ‘Perhaps I should go with you...’
Aubrey interrupted. He put a hand to his chest and rubbed it. ‘Dr Tremaine is heading west. Further into Holmland.’