Word of Honour

Aubrey wanted to squirm, but resisted the impulse. 'I did. Not any more.'

'As you say. Forgive me if I harbour reservations about that resolution.'

His face fell. 'I shall miss you, you know.'

'There you go again, getting ahead of yourself. What I'm trying to say is that despite all that, I still want to see you.'

'You do? Why? I mean, that would be wonderful. If you're happy, that is. And if you're not, then I'm sure something can be done.'

'You're babbling again, Aubrey.'

'Sorry. Go on.'

Caroline was silent for a moment. A cab trotted past. The driver tipped his hat to them. 'It's exciting, you know.'

'Exciting?'

'This world you've introduced me to. The plots. The spies. The subterfuge. The adventures. It's thrilling.'

'Oh yes. Makes the blood race.'

'When Commander Tallis offered me a position, I thought he was joking. But after the Lutetian affair, I was elated.'

'Me too.'

'We stopped the world going to war, Aubrey. We skirted death, we foiled plots, we rode magical towers, we nearly had our souls stolen.'

'And we danced at the embassy ball.'

'Yes. That too.' Caroline looked up at the evening sky. 'You see, for years I'd had my head down with one goal in mind: I wanted to be a scientist. You've shown me that there is more, and it's tempting.'

'I've always been torn,' he said. 'Magic. The army. Politics.'

'Exactly. My efforts for women's suffrage have suffered of late. I need to do more. Seeing how you've worked for your father – and how he has worked – has shown me the sort of thing that needs to be done.'

'You aim to be the first female member of parliament.'

'If I can.'

'If you can manage it with all the other goals that are calling you.' He pursed his lips. 'I have one word of advice for you: wax.'

'Wax?'

'Do you remember the classical story of Odysseus and the sirens? He had his crew tie him to the mast as they sailed past, so he could hear the sirens' tempting song and not plunge over the side to join them and be eaten.'

'And the wax, Aubrey?'

'That's the point. All his men, working at the oars, had their ears stuffed with wax so they couldn't hear the siren song. That's what you need.' And that's what I need, too. 'Special wax so that you won't hear the siren songs you don't want to. Wax will help you avoid the temptations that the world has to offer. Wax will allow you to ignore distractions. Metaphorically, of course.'

'Then I will offer you a metaphor in return: juggling.'

'I know this one. A juggler is perfectly fine as long as all the balls are kept in the air, kept moving, kept in balance.'

'I was thinking more along the lines of those mixed jugglers: balls, knives, plates, indian clubs, kittens.'

Aubrey was intrigued. 'You've seen a kitten juggler?'

'Once. A long time ago, a friend of my father's. They didn't look happy, but they weren't harmed.'

'Amazing.' He nodded. 'Yes, it's like juggling futures, isn't it?'

'Juggling futures. A neat way to put it, Aubrey.'

'And the immediate future?'

'We have to do something about Dr Tremaine. If it is him.'

'It is.'

'And he may have plans to rob the Bank of Albion.' Caroline shook her head impatiently. 'I must go back to the university tomorrow. I have studies to attend to. Another item to add to the juggle.'

'Of course. As do I.' Aubrey stopped and hummed a little. Bloch's hinting at an attempt to rob the bank was a bombshell. But how trustworthy was it? 'I think I'll drop in and see Jack Figg before I go.'

'Tonight?'

'Jack is always happy to see me. Besides, I have a notion that could be helpful in our investigating Dr Tremaine's plans, something that might help us gather more information.'

Caroline nodded, then mounted the stairs where she stopped and turned. 'You'll catch the morning train?'

'Bright and early. I'll see you at Greythorn?'

'We'll have to meet regularly. To share information and suchlike.'

'Of course. Entirely proper.'

Caroline paused with her hand on the brass door knob. 'Aubrey, I realise that I'm being difficult.'

'Not at all.' Puzzling, maybe. Difficult had too many negative connotations for Aubrey's liking.

'I don't want you to get the wrong idea. It's just that I'm having trouble knowing what the right idea is.'

'That's a predicament I know well.'

'I want everything, you see. The future is there in front of me. A thousand futures – more. I want all of them. I suppose that sounds greedy.'

'It sounds exciting.'

And it sounds like me.

Twelve

JACK'S HOVEL WAS ONE OF THE CLEANEST HOVELS Aubrey had ever seen. Two cats were waiting outside – one on a dustbin, the other sitting on the step like a miniature sphinx.

'Hello, puss,' he said, more out of politeness than friendliness. He'd never warmed to cats. The one on the dustbin eyed him as if it knew exactly that and would take the first opportunity to trip him up when it presented itself.

The door opened. 'Oh, it's you, Aubrey. Come in.'

'You looked surprised, Jack. Who were you expecting?'

'No-one, no-one. Sit anywhere.'

Aubrey looked around the tiny room that opened directly onto the street. Apart from the desk, it was full of boxes, some piled three high. 'On one of these boxes?'

'That's all there is, I'm afraid. Tea?'

'Thank you. More pamphlets in here, Jack?'

'Of course. The struggle for justice and equality can't get enough pamphlets.'

Aubrey worked his hand under a lid. 'Ah. "Votes for Women". I didn't know you were a suffragist, Jack.'

Jack stood there with a brown teapot in his hand and a vacant expression on his face. 'What? Of course I am. Only an idiot would be against votes for women. It's a struggle, and I'm on the side of justice here. Speaking of such, what's your father doing about it?'

'What he can. The party is undecided. Lost something?'

'The kettle. It was here a minute ago.'

'It's on top of that pile of boxes. It has a kitten in it, I think.'

Jack found the kettle, tipped two kittens out of it, and disappeared through one of the doors that opened onto the room. Some clattering, clinking and shuffling later, he reappeared. 'That won't take long to heat up. Now, what's brought you here?'

'I need your help, Jack.'

'Again.'

'Again. It's the Holmlanders.'

'Our foreign friends.' Jack sat on the desk and sucked his teeth for a moment. 'I had a feeling you were going to ask about them.'