‘And that’s how you feel about our adventures?’ he said eventually.
‘Mostly.’
He glanced at her. Caroline’s expression was thoughtful. A hint of a frown touched her brow.
‘And you’re willing to endure our misunderstandings?’
‘ Our misunderstandings?’
‘Ah.’ He rethought. ‘You’re willing to endure my misunderstandings then?’
‘Aubrey, you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t misunderstand some things.’
‘That may be true. What sort of things?’
She considered this. ‘Your comprehension is astonishing when it comes to magic, or politics, or espionage. You show a truly devious mind at times.’
‘It’s a gift. I’ve learned to live with it.’
She glanced at him.
‘I’m joking,’ he said.
‘I know. Such a mind indicates that you understand how subtle people can be.’
And here comes the ‘but’, he thought gloomily.
‘On the other hand,’ she said, charming him by confounding him, ‘you have an enormous blind spot when it comes to matters of the heart.’
‘It’s not a blind spot,’ he protested. ‘It’s just a complete and utter failure to understand you at all.’
‘Are we talking about me?’ she said as they rounded a corner in the cloisters. ‘I thought we were talking about you.’
‘I think it might be us I’m talking about.’ He stopped walking. ‘Wait a moment. Act naturally.’
‘Instead of acting unnaturally? Whatever do you mean?’
He resisted the temptation to look around for an alternative route. It was too late. Several of the people ahead had noticed them. ‘Follow my lead.’
They’d come to one of the more outlying parts of the Academy. The lecture theatres, display halls and demonstration laboratories had given way to workshops and storage rooms. Just inside a pair of open double doors was a knot of people arguing. The argument, however, looked significantly different from those they’d wandered past in the central parts of the Academy. Aubrey recognised one of the participants, and while the rebel leader had done his best to look inconspicuous in the city, his long hair and moustache made him stand out from all but the most eccentric academics.
Rodolfo was talking, earnestly, to two men who clearly weren’t scholars. They were businessmen. Everything about them, from their restrained neckties around high, starched collars to their highly polished shoes to the identical briefcases they clutched, announced that they were from the world of commerce rather than the world of academia.
They were standing in front of a large crate.
He picked up his pace. ‘Rodolfo!’ he called. ‘You disappoint me. You couldn’t wait for my people to get in touch?’
Rodolfo blinked, rubbed his face with one hand, squinted at the businessmen – who had turned their bland countenances on Aubrey so that he could see them already trying to work out how to make money from him – then he scowled. ‘Mr Black. Good. We’d rather buy our necessities from you anyway.’
From the corner of his eye, Aubrey had the great pleasure of seeing how alarm made itself evident on the faces of the business negotiators. It was a tiny tightening around the eyes and an infinitesimal shift in stance that probably came from a slight clenching of the buttocks. For a moment, Aubrey thought about turning his hand to professional gambling and using such observations to gain immense amounts of money.
‘Allow me to do the introductions,’ one of the businessmen said. ‘I’m Mr Shaw. My colleague is Mr Treece.’
Aubrey was glad to have the names, even if they were bound to be aliases. He added them to the notes he was preparing for Tallis. The men were interchangeable to a great extent. Middle-aged, round faces, red cheeks, dark hair parted on one side.
And they were Albionites.
‘My name,’ Aubrey said, ‘is Black. And this is my colleague, Miss Brown.’
Caroline rose to the occasion. She regarded the businessmen impassively. ‘Don’t we have anything better to do, Mr Black?’
Aubrey smiled. ‘Miss Brown is impatient. Please forgive her, but she is the one who controls the money in our organisation.’
Rodolfo rolled a melancholy eye in Caroline’s direction and brightened a little. He bowed. ‘You, my dear, are very beautiful, and very young for such an important position.’
Caroline turned a frosty gaze on him. ‘It suits us to look young. Surely Mr Black told you that.’
Aubrey was impressed. In one swoop Caroline had justified their young appearance and also hinted at mysterious magic. It was nicely done. ‘I didn’t feel it was important.’ He sighed. ‘Now, Rodolfo, what is this about? You’re not reneging on our deal, are you?’
‘We have many irons in the fire, as you say. We had a message that someone wanted to talk to us about our cause.’ He shook his head. ‘An insult, it was. He wanted to hire us as if we were mercenaries.’
‘Oh?’
‘He wanted us to fight overseas, far from our cause, to secure a supply of guano.’
Aubrey’s uninterest suddenly did a handstand and he became very interested indeed. ‘Guano?’
‘Bird dung,’ Rodolfo said with disgust. ‘I cursed him and sent him on his way. But the trip has not been wasted. Shortly afterward, I met these gentlemen, who offered to help me.’
Shaw and Treece smiled with bland confidence. ‘We represent a significant supplier of sought-after merchandise,’ Shaw said.
Caroline tsked. ‘That may be one of the vaguest statements I’ve ever heard. What’s your measure of significance? Who’s seeking it? What sort of merchandise?’
‘That’s between our client and ourselves,’ Treece said. He glanced at the crate looming over him. ‘Unfortunately, he has ordered it, now he doesn’t want to pay for it.’
Rodolfo shook his head as if the businessmen had just informed him of a family tragedy. ‘That’s not it. You want me to take it now, so I feel it’s right to take our transportation costs into account.’
Shaw smiled. ‘I don’t think so. If you’re not willing to pay, we won’t hand it over.’
‘I’m relieved to hear that.’
An expression of mild surprise crossed Shaw’s face. ‘You don’t want our merchandise?’
Rodolfo extended a languid hand in Aubrey’s direction. ‘Not now that Mr Black is here. I’m sure his firm can help us.’
Aubrey found himself the centre of both Shaw and Treece’s attention. ‘Really?’ Treece said. ‘And who do you represent, Mr Black? I didn’t catch the name.’
‘Names mean nothing,’ Aubrey said smoothly. ‘Our firm is new, with none of the old-fashioned processes of the more established suppliers in the area.’
‘And his firm is cheaper.’ Rodolfo knew a bargaining lever when he saw one. ‘Much cheaper.’
Shaw and Treece were impassive. Then Shaw nodded. ‘My colleague and I will need to discuss this for a moment.’
‘Discuss away,’ Rodolfo said. ‘Take your time.’
Shaw and Treece withdrew to the far end of the workshop, where Aubrey saw a large metal door standing open and the street outside. The businessmen stood with their backs to them, but to judge from the handwaving and finger pointing, the discussion was a lively one.
‘Right, Rodolfo,’ Aubrey said, ‘what is it exactly that you’re trying to buy from these people?’
Rodolfo crossed his arms and gazed longingly at the crate. ‘I don’t really expect you to be able to sell us one. These men represent the only firm in the world who makes them. But if you play your part here, and they take something off their price, I’m sure I’ll have more business for you soon. Consider this taking care of a customer.’