"There are entire books filled with symbols, the sole purpose of which is to get their readers to contemplate what they might mean. They were meant to provoke and inspire, to get people thinking about eternity and their place in it. They were not meant to be interpreted as literal truth."
"You were an academic, though. You know how to research things in books, don't you?"
"You mistake my meaning. You're not talking about a needle in a haystack now, so much as a piece of hay in a haystack, among other haystacks, when you don't even know what field it's in."
"But if I could prove that Angela's prophesy was worth something, that it gave us a vital clue to what is happening, then maybe Teoth would accept her into the courts. At the moment he's dismissing her out of hand."
"The problem is not the prophecy but whether you can change the attitude of the courts. At the moment they want their cake and eat it — bring in the part-fey humans, but reject them when they're not fully fey. They can't have it both ways," she said.
"How long do you think she's got?"
"Angela? You can't save everyone, Niall."
"I brought her here."
"And you think that makes you responsible? The responsibility lies with those taking the decisions. You've said your piece. You can't blame yourself if they overrule you."
"She wouldn't be here but for me."
"Garvin would have sent someone else, and how that would be better?" she asked.
"Maybe I wouldn't feel so responsible?"
"It wouldn't prevent it from happening. You need to learn to accept what you not going to be able to change."
"Perhaps, or maybe I need to stop being part of something that I think is wrong," I said. "You said yourself that this all comes with strings. You said we should leave."
"I did, but think about this. You and I are the only ones challenging the status quo. If we leave, there's no one to gainsay them. They will continue as they always have. Maybe we are here for a reason, and maybe that reason is to be the thorn in their thumb."
"I think Garvin would say pain in the arse."
"Now that," she smiled, "is a noble cause in itself."
THIRTEEN
Alex leaned over the wall and looked down on the people walking below. "It's pretty busy," she said. "I've never seen so many tourists."
"They'll thin out towards the end of the day," said Eve. "They have coaches and trains to catch. The guards will stay, though."
"It's not the police we're dealing with here, is it? These guys are military," said Alex, looking at the soldiers in red uniforms and flat black hats posted around the courtyard and in front of the White Tower.
Eve sat on the edge of the wall and conversationally pointed out the guards posted at the gates and those leading gaggles of tourists around. "They're military," she said, "but at the end of their careers. This is a cushy number for them. They just have to stop tourists from poking their noses where they're not wanted and there's almost no chance of getting shot. It's a better gig than Afghanistan."
"Beefeaters, aren't they?" said Alex.
"They're called Yeomen Warders. Beefeaters is a nickname."
"My dad's a Warder," Alex spoke before she meant to, eliciting an inquiring look from Eve. "He's in security," she said dismissively, "he spends all his time looking after people with too much money."
"Interesting," said Eve. "You must get to meet lots of famous people."
"Nah," said Alex. "This is old money. They keep it amongst themselves and they're totally stuck up. They don't mix with normal mortals."
"Sounds horrendous," said Eve.
"You don't know the half of it," said Alex. "So what are we after? The crown jewels?"
Eve glanced reprovingly at Alex. "The crown jewels are the obvious target. They're very heavily guarded. It's all just glitter, though."
"Some glitter."
"Chipper and Sparky are going for those, but there's too many alarms — heat sensors, pressure pads — this place is state of the art. Even we can't get in and out without anyone noticing," said Eve.
"So how are we going to steal them?"
"We're not. They're a distraction, not the main event. The idea is that Chipper and Sparky keep the guards busy while we focus on the main targets."
"Like what?" Alex stared around.
"One of those." Eve nodded towards an enclosure at the far end of the courtyard.
"A crow? What are you going to do with a crow?"
"They're not crows, stupid. They're ravens. As in Nevermore?" said Eve.
"'Quoth the raven, nevermore'. Yeah we did that in English. He was a funny guy, Poe," said Alex.
"The ravens are symbolic. It's said that when the ravens leave the Tower of London, the monarch and the country will fall."
"Is that what you're planning?" asked Alex
"No, that's just superstition. Besides, we don't want a whole raven, just a feather. A pinion of the raven's wing."
"This gets better with every moment," said Alex. "Have you seen the beaks on those things?"
"We need a feather Alex. And once this goes off, security here is going to go berserk. We won't be able to attempt it again this year."
"Why don't you go and get it?"
"It's time for you to earn your keep," said Eve. "We looked after you. We found you new clothes and sorted you out after you got in a mess. You wanted in, Alex. Either you can get me a feather, or you can't."
"Yeah, well you hold onto the bird while I get the feather out. How's that for a plan?" Alex's chin was up.
"I'll be otherwise engaged."
"Doing what?" challenged Alex.
"It's all a matter of timing. We could take a crack at the jewels now, and the feather is easy — you'll be fine. The other thing we've come for is harder. It's only exposed for a limited window, and we need to get in and out before the place is locked down."
"What are you after?"
"A key," said Eve.
"What's so special about a key?"
"This key opens more than just locks. It's kept in the wardroom near those houses just near the main gate. Every night they have a ceremony where they lock up the tower and set all the security up."
"So we're coming back tonight?" said Alex.
"No. We're not leaving. That's why we sneaked in in here in the first place. They count all the tourists in and then out again to make sure they all leave, except we weren't counted."
"So they won't know we're here," smiled Alex. "If it's all locked up, how do we get out?"
"We wait until the sun goes down. Most of the guards will change out of their Yeoman Warder gear into military uniforms. As soon as that happens it gets serious. There's a group of guards who will go up to the gate to escort the tourists through the ceremony of the keys."
"I thought you said the tourists went home?"
"There's a small party led through the ceremony. I checked and there are no spare places for tonight. We should have a full party. They're led through to the tower, it all gets locked up, and then they're escorted out."
"What about us?"
"We hit them just as they start to lock up. Sparky sets the alarm off at the jewels, you get the feather, and for a brief few moments the key will be unattended. I grab the key, we meet down there by the gate. They'll want the tourists off site as fast as possible. We just merge in with the party as it leaves. In the confusion, they'll never know they escorted us out as well."
"You make it sound easy."
"No magic until after the alarms are triggered and then only glamour so they don't notice us. We don't know what they have set up. They may have infrared, night-vision, all sorts of stuff. I told you, it's state of the art. They may look like toy soldiers but they have real weapons with real bullets."
"What if we get caught?" asked Alex.
"Don't. It's not theft, it's treason."