"True. Well, if you think you'll be of help—"
"I do," I said firmly. Besides, the uneasy feeling in my stomach was growing stronger. There was only one day left to meet Sopcoate's demands, and with his recent threats to Grandmother's person, I did not think this incident was a coincidence.
We arrived at Grandmother's house to find the constables just leaving. Father stopped to ask them some questions while I went in search of Grandmother. I found her in the drawing room, drinking a glass of sherry. It was only one o'clock in the afternoon, but I suppose if one is burgled, one makes allowances for that sort of thing. I hesitated at the door. "Grandmother?"
"Oh, Theodosia! Is your father with you?"
"Yes, ma'am. He's speaking with the constable in the entryway."
"Oh, the horror of it all. That someone would break into my home and perpetrate such an assault on my personage!" Even though she was distraught, I noticed she still sat ramrod straight in the chair.
"Assault? Did they strike you?" I asked.
"Not me, but poor Beadles. They cracked him on the head. He's got quite a goose egg. Cook's tending to him in the kitchen."
Just then Father came into the room. He went over to Grandmother and gave her a kiss on each cheek. "Thank heavens you're all right," he said.
"All right? I'm not all right! My privacy has been violated, my home invaded!"
"Yes, but at least you aren't sporting a goose egg," Father gently pointed out.
Grandmother sniffed and took a deep drink of her sherry.
"The constable said they didn't get much. Only a necklace of yours?"
"Yes, that's the oddest thing! They came in through the servants' quarters, beaned poor Beadles when he came to see why Cook and Rose were screaming, then went straight to my bedroom and rifled through my jewelry. After all that effort, they only took one thing."
"And what was that?" I asked, holding my breath.
"My emerald necklace," she said. "That is all."
"Well, that doesn't make any sense," Father said.
It did if you were trying to send a message, I thought.
I left Father to comfort Grandmother and went in search of Beadles to see if he could give a description of the intruders. I found him in the kitchen holding a slab of beefsteak to his head. Cook and Rose fussed over him like two hens. Cook saw me first. "Oh, miss! Did ye hear the news? Come to comfort your gran, have you?"
"Er, yes." I came into the kitchen tentatively. "H-how are you, Beadles? I'm terribly sorry you got hurt." I was uncertain how he would react to any sympathy from me, as he and I were not on the best of terms. I had not yet realized how the sheer novelty of being attacked lowers normal social barriers.
"Why, thank you, Miss Theodosia. I suppose one needs to be grateful it wasn't worse," he said, not sounding the least bit grateful and in fact sounding just the tiniest bit bitter.
"Do you mind if I ask how many there were?"
"There were two of them. At least," he added for good measure. "Big blokes too. Big as oxen, they were."
"Did either of them have a white beard, by chance? Or an eye patch?"
He looked startled. "Why, yes, miss. They did! How did you know?"
Bother. I'd managed that poorly. "I was just guessing. It seems like those who act like blackguards should look like blackguards."
"Quite right, miss," he said, and then returned to his tale. He'd been jumped by two, no, maybe three ox-sized men with fists as big as hams. By the time he was done with his tale, it was impossible to locate the small knot of truth at its center. I could only confirm that Sopcoate in his currently favored disguise had been one of them. With this important confirmation, I went back to the drawing room.
Once Grandmother had been properly fussed over and calmed down, Father and I returned to the museum. Nearly frantic over the lost time, he returned to his exhibit with renewed focus, allowing me to slip out unobserved.
For I had made up my mind. Clearly, Sopcoate and Chaos would stop at nothing to get the tablet. However, I couldn't simply hand over an artifact that pointed the way to objects with as much power as the Staff of Osiris held. The world would never be safe again.
If Wigmere had been available to me, I could have asked his advice, but according to Boythorpe, I was persona non grata. Stilton was being pressured by the Black Sunners, and I had no idea where his true loyalties lay. That left me only one person to turn to.
Awi Bubu and the wedjadeen. Or the Eyes of Horus, as he called them. I was dreadfully unsettled about all this, but deep down it seemed like the only thing to do. Even though, if I thought about it too long, there were so many reasons not to. How did I know he was telling the truth? Not only about the wedjadeen, but about the tablet itself? On the other hand, if he was telling the truth, the consequences were too grim to bear thinking about.
Plus Wigmere and Trawley and scholars in general didn't seem to view the tablet as all that important on its own, so even if I had made a grave miscalculation, we'd only be out one occult artifact.
Of course, the trick was how to keep the tablet out of the hands of Chaos while also keeping my grandmother—not to mention myself—safe. I planned to dump that dilemma in Awi Bubu's lap. If he was truly a member of one of the world's oldest and most secret organizations, then he should have plenty of ideas.
As I let myself into the back door of the Alcazar Theater, I couldn't help but wonder if Awi Bubu lived in his dressing room. And if so, did the theater manager know?
The dressing room door opened immediately to reveal a looming Kimosiri. He nodded his head and gestured me inside. Awi Bubu stepped toward me and bowed. "So Little Miss has made up her mind." It was not a question. He knew.
I nodded. "Only if you can devise a plan that will keep my grandmother and the rest of my family safe."
"No one is absolutely guaranteed safe," he said. "Little Miss, for example, could be struck by a motorcar on her way home. But I will do everything in my power to be sure that our actions do not bring danger to your family's doorstep."
I guessed that would have to do. "Very well," I said. "I'm hoping you have a plan?"
"I have many, as I have done nothing but plot and plan since I first learned the tablet was here in London."
"Yes, well, whichever of them you choose, it has to happen tomorrow, because that is the deadline Sopcoate has given me."
"This I know, Little Miss."
"Very well, then. What's your plan?"
"Little Miss's parents have their grand opening tomorrow, is this correct?"
"Yes," I said. "A huge event, with lots of uppity-ups and the museum board and important members of society coming to view their newest exhibits."
"So it would be very easy for Little Miss to slip out unobserved."
"Very easy," I agreed. "That's why Sopcoate chose that time to meet."
Awi Bubu nodded, then thought for a moment. "You are no doubt being followed by one of Sopcoate's men, and one of the Bald One's as well."
"Do you think I've led them here? I'm sorry, I didn't notice anyone..."
Awi Bubu waved his hand. "It is of no matter. Kimosiri and I will be gone by Saturday. I have made arrangements on a ship bound for Marseille. As soon as I have the tablet in my hands I will depart for that ship and return to my homeland." The longing in his voice was palpable. "Anyway, as I said, we will assume you are being followed, so tomorrow, during the height of the grand opening, you will bring the tablet to the meeting place that Sopcoate has arranged, as if you plan to hand the tablet over to him. This way, you will appear to be cooperating, and whatever else happens after that will not be your fault."