"From the air!" said Finn.
"That's right. I'll have two agents equipped with Airborne issue floater paks doing recon for you."
"That should work just fine so long as nobody looks up," said Finn.
"The risk is negligible. Suppose one of the musketeers does spot them? So what? You think anyone is going to take them seriously if they come back with stories about flying people? They're not exactly known for their sobriety. Our primary concern is to prevent the split. Everything else is of secondary importance. You'll be equipped with miniature comsets that will enable you to keep in contact with the recon party. Our man in London is prepared for your arrival there, so if Taylor doesn't make his move before then, he'll be picking you up and giving you your instructions. You will also be issued lasers. It should be a piece of cake."
"Except for just one little thing," said Finn. "Taylor still has that chronoplate."
Mongoose grinned. "Well, you didn't want it too easy, did you?"
"I was just wondering what you intended to do in case Taylor and company decided that they'd reached the point of diminishing returns and skipped out to another time period," said Lucas. "You've never quite answered that to my satisfaction."
"There's always that risk, of course," said Mongoose. "But from what I know of Taylor, I'm willing to bet that he'll take it right down to the wire. He'll exhaust every possibility before he gives up on his operation. He'll use that chronoplate to try and outmaneuver us in this time period before he attempts to escape to another one."
"Suppose he does?" said Lucas.
"If he does, he'll find it very difficult to mount another operation," Mongoose said. "He'll need more financing and more manpower." Mongoose smiled. "A short while ago tonight, one of my men clocked out with a recorded testimony, in Jack Bennett's own words, proving conclusively that there has been and continues to be a link between the underground, the Timekeepers and the Temporal Preservation League. That, added to the other evidence we've gathered, will constitute all the proof the Referee Corps needs to order the arrest and interrogation of every known member of the Temporal Preservation League. The interrogation sessions will result in all the others being rounded up, as well. It will break the back of the anti-war effort."
"And result in the arrest, interrogation… what is that term you people use? Oh, yes. Interrogation with extreme prejudice," said Finn. "It will mean the arrest, re-education and forcible induction of a lot of innocent people whose only crime was in disagreeing with temporal policy. That will make things very convenient for the Referee Corps, won't it? They'll be able to draft all their political enemies."
"That shouldn't bother you, Delaney," Mongoose said. "After all, you're already in the service, aren't you?"
The door opened and an agent entered, very out of breath.
"She got away," he said.
"What? What happened?"
"She got Zebra with that damn laser," said the agent. "I hit the dirt when she fired and when I got up, she was gone."
"You idiot," said Mongoose. "Get out there and find her! I want her wasted, you understand?"
"Seems like you've thought of everything, Mongoose," said Delaney. "Now all you've got to worry about is a displaced person on the loose in Paris with a laser."
"She won't be on the loose for long," the agent said, grimly.
"I wouldn't know about that," Lucas said. "We ran into her on our last mission in 12th-century England and she struck me as being extremely capable. Jack Bennett was the only friend she had in this time period. How do you think she feels about the people who killed him?"
"Are you seriously suggesting that she'd try to take us on?" said Mongoose. He laughed. "In that case, she's as good as dead. We haven't got anything to worry about."
"Just the same," said Lucas, "I'd watch my back if I were you."
"I'm telling you, we have to get out now," said Jimmy Darcy. "They got Tonio. They must know everything by now! It's over, Adrian!"
"Don't be silly, Jimmy," said Milady, smiling faintly. "Nothing is over. Adrian knows what he's doing."
"Stop it! Stop it! Christ, Adrian, you're losing it! You're not Milady, for God's sake!"
"Jimmy, settle down. This is a most unfortunate display. There's nothing to be served by your losing control and panicking."
Darcy glanced at Freytag in exasperation. "Bruno, for God's sake, don't just sit there!"
Freytag smoked a cigarette, regarding him silently. Darcy went up to him and took him by the shoulders.
"Bruno, listen to me. There's no way we can succeed, not here, not now. They've got us hopelessly outnumbered. We've lost. They know the plan!"
"They know nothing of the sort," Milady said.
"What are you talking about?" said Darcy, spinning to face Taylor. "They know we're going to try to prevent the musketeers from bringing back the diamond studs! They'll have all their manpower focused on-"
"Who said that was the plan?" said Milady, softly.
Jimmy stared at Taylor. He looked back at Freytag, then at Taylor once again.
"What are you talking about? Of course that was the plan! We worked it all out! You said-"
"I never said any such thing," said Milady. "Adrian might have mentioned something of the sort, but that was only for your benefit."
Darcy looked bewildered. "What? I don't understand."
Milady got up and crossed the room, moving gracefully to the window. She looked out at the sun rising over Paris.
"The opposition has greater resources than we have," she said, without turning around. "Adrian always knew and understood that. He knew that the only way we could succeed was by using misdirection." She turned around to look at Darcy and smiled. "For security reasons, only Adrian and Bruno, and of course, myself, knew what the real plan was. And now you'll be able to appreciate why that was necessary.
"In a short while, D'Artagnan and the musketeers will be departing for London in order to see Lord Buckingham and get back the diamond studs in time for the queen to wear them to the ball. Unbeknownst to the musketeers, they will be supported in their efforts by the entire might of the Temporal Intelligence Agency team. I've made certain that Cardinal Richelieu knows all about the mission of the musketeers and he will have his men attempt to intercept them at several points along their route. All of this works in our favor. Mongoose will have no way of knowing if the men who will be attacking the musketeers are Richelieu's people or Timekeepers. In fact, we won't be involved at all. They will all be off on a fool's errand, a wild goose chase.
"When they reach London, should they get that far-and with the help of the TIA, I have no doubt that they will-they will collect the studs from Buckingham and start back, only to face further attempts to stop them on their return trip. Mongoose will be handicapped by history. He will be forced to use a certain amount of restraint in protecting the musketeers, since the historical progression of events must be preserved. The tension will build. They won't know when they can expect us to strike. They won't know exactly what to expect."
"What can they expect?" said Darcy, hesitantly.
"They can expect a crushing defeat when they return," said Milady. "Oh, I have no doubt that they will return safely with the diamond studs. I'm certain that, after that, it won't take them long to guess my plan. By that time, Richelieu, Queen Anne, and King Louis will have been assassinated."
"Assassinated!" Darcy's voice was little more than a whisper. "My God, Adrian, you can't do that! Don't you realize what that would mean? It would cause a timestream split!"
"A rather massive one, I should think. With all three of them dead, France will be forced to abandon the siege of La Rochelle in the face of much greater problems. It will, without a doubt, affect France's participation in The Thirty Years' War and, of course, it would prevent the birth of Louis XIV. I should think it would be an absolute disaster, well beyond the hope of any effort at historical adjustment. And with Mongoose and his agents running about like chickens with their heads cut off, it shouldn't be too difficult to isolate him and settle an old and outstanding score. Brilliant, don't you think?"