Word of Honour

This time, Aubrey was left alone. He was happy George had such a kindred spirit to enjoy the exhibition with. They were a fine couple and he wished them happiness.

A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. 'I saw Craddock and Tallis in the exhibition. What on earth are they doing here?'

Caroline was wearing something vaguely oriental, high-waisted, in a combination of shimmering silver and crimson. She had a small hat with a feather in it.

Aubrey swallowed, tried to hide it, nearly choked.

Caroline sighed. 'If you're going to keep reacting like that, I'm going to stop dressing up.'

Red-faced, Aubrey waved a hand frantically. 'No, no, don't do that. Last thing I want. Something just got caught in my throat. A fly. Beetle. Something.'

She crossed her arms. 'So tell me about Craddock and Tallis.'

When he'd finished, Caroline glanced toward the exhibition area. 'They don't suspect that you gave the Rashid Stone to Professor Mansfield?'

'I think Craddock might. But he didn't press the point. The Sultan may have more friends than he realises.'

'It's a pity that Mr Ravi didn't have a chance to investigate the stone. From what you've told me, his insights could have been vital.'

Aubrey – and the entire university – had been shocked at the news of Lanka Ravi's death. The brilliant theoretician had abruptly sailed for home, but died on the voyage, of an unspecified disease. It was a loss that would be felt for years, but many were already clamouring to be allowed access to the numerous notebooks Ravi had left behind. Rumours were abounding about the contents of the notebooks – brilliant, difficult insights that would need much close attention. Aubrey hoped that he'd be allowed to see them some day.

'And with all that's happened, where does that leave us?' Caroline said and Aubrey was nearly lost in the heady import of her words.

Where indeed? A thousand scenarios played out in his mind.

'Sorry,' he said when he realised Caroline was staring at him. 'It's getting a touch stuffy in here.'

'I agree. You need some fresh air.'

'I haven't seen the exhibition.'

'I've seen it. I'll tell you about it while we walk.'

'We? Walk? We?'

'If you're just going to mumble nonsense rhymes, I'm going alone.'

THEY WALKED IN SILENCE FOR SOME TIME, TOWARD Whitsun College. They crossed the lawn of the courtyard, out the Bannister Gate and along the well-populated river bank. In the early evening, the luncheon picnics that had become afternoon teas were well on their way to becoming supper, with groups of languid students enjoying the last vestiges of the day.

Aubrey, as always, sought for things to say that wouldn't make him sound stupid, or crass, or anything else she wouldn't like. After some internal struggle, he decided on a novel approach: he chose to remain silent.

They passed tennis courts. The sound of tennis balls on racquets reminded Aubrey of a chain of bubbles bursting, very slowly.

Eventually, it was Caroline who broke the silence, as they rounded the last of the courts and headed towards the town. 'Are you unwell?'

Aubrey considered this. 'You mean, apart from my condition?'

'I'll get to that. It's just that you're unusually quiet.'

'Ah. I was being mysterious.'

'Is that what it was? I thought you might have indigestion.'

So much for mysterious, he thought. 'You're back into your studies?'

A tennis ball came sailing over the fence. Caroline caught it in one hand and lobbed it back. 'Of course. I have some catching up to do.'

'It gets like that, sometimes.'

'What does?'

'This adventuring business. Exciting stuff, but eventually day-to-day life has to be taken care of. It's lucky you're a quick study.'

'Yes.' She wrinkled her brow. 'You've managed it, adventuring then catching up?'

'Not without some late nights and close squeaks.

Sometimes the adventure is the easy part, and catching up the hard part.'

They wandered by the Botanic Garden, where cactuses and succulents seemed to be making a determined bid to take over the perennials bed.

'Speaking of your condition,' Caroline said. 'How is it?'

'Precarious. Unstable. Fragile.' He sighed. 'No change, in other words.'

'And what are you doing about it?'

Aubrey would have appreciated some sympathy, but Caroline's matter-of-fact confidence that he would have matters in hand – or at least have some sort of plan – was oddly cheering. 'Well, the Rashid Stone and the Roman fragment look promising. I'm hoping that when Professor Mansfield gets back we can really start to crack that ancient script. It might hold some clues.'

'Or it might not.'

Aubrey glanced sharply at her, but she touched him on the arm. 'I don't mean to be harsh. But your state is too serious not to have an alternative plan, just in case your first is fruitless.'

'I'm in the right place for research. An answer could be waiting for me in a book, on a parchment, something.

I just have to find it.'

'If it's there at all,' Caroline said and once again she touched his arm to remove the sting from her words.

Aubrey didn't mind. The balm was worth the hurt.

'Or there is Dr Tremaine,' Aubrey said cautiously.

'He might know something.'

Caroline's face set hard. They walked in silence past the red brick of the Music Faculty and turned a corner toward the centre of town.

'Then you want to find Tremaine as much as I do,' she said eventually.

'Oh yes. As well as his knowledge, there is a matter of the Brayshire Ruby. I haven't told Father yet . . .'

'As you thought you'd get it back before he noticed it was gone.'

'Yes.' Aubrey shrugged. 'He's dangerous, Tremaine.'

'Which is why he should be found.'

'And brought to justice.'

'Anything to stop him.'

Aubrey bought ice-cream for them from a roadside vendor, even though he wasn't hungry. It dripped, and he imagined someone following his vanilla trail along the street.

He hadn't yet made a fool of himself so, according to precedent, he was about to. Rather than leave it to happen haphazardly, he decided to take matters into his own hands. 'And what about us, then?'

Caroline's face clouded. 'I don't know.'

'That's unusual. You're usually quite certain about things.'

'Yes. It's important to be certain.'

She finished her ice-cream, thoughtfully. To Aubrey, she looked unbearably sweet and impossible. At that moment, with her as perfectly charming, wise, fascinating and lovely as she was, he realised how things were, and how things had to be.

He cleared his throat and gave the last of his ice-cream to a hungry-looking dog that was waiting outside a pub.