both Madam’s recovery and her passing, and the uncertainty only caused him further turmoil. He stood up then and moved to the window, opening it to allow the cool evening air to come in.
In the distance he saw a bright yellow automobile turnoff the road and begin to make its way down the gravel drive. Behind him Theo said, “The earl is coming.”
“Should we go down to meet him?” Ian asked without turning around.
“No,” said Theo. “He’ll come to us.”
Theo was correct, because a short time later the door below opened, and up the stairs came the earl. He looked rather surprised to find them all seated quietly, and his expression was even more surprised when he took in Argos. “Good evening,” he said to the soldier. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of an introduction.”
Ian and Carl both stood and began to tell the earl who the soldier was and, more importantly, where he’d come from.
“The portal?” the earl said, blinking at the revelation. “So the prophecy has begun,” he said, sitting down heavily on a nearby stool.
“It has,” Theo said definitively. “The first few lines of the prophecy clearly talk about Argos’s arrival.”
The earl sighed. “It has been an eventful day,” he said, his eyes pinched and tired as he looked at a yellow bit of paper in his hand.
Theo pointed to it and said, “Is there news, my lord?”
The earl nodded dully. “Yes, although I’m afraid it’s some rather troubling news.”
“About the war?” asked Carl.
The earl closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, then let the air out slowly before folding the paper back into a neat little square. “In a way, Carl,” he said. “I’ve received a telegramfrom my associates in British intelligence. As you know, I have been assisting with the intelligence gathering from my sources overseas. Some of my dear friends from abroad have been risking their lives to gather useful information through their connections in Berlin.
“A fortnight ago, one of my associates traveled to Antwerp, attempting to sway the Belgium forces loyal to King Leopold to give up their vow of neutrality and declare war against the Germans—”
“But Belgium is all but lost!” Ian exclaimed, interrupting the earl. Rumors abounded that King Leopold was about to declare a surrender to the Germans, and most of the soldiers flooding their port the past few days were from Belgium. In fact, nearly all the injured in the schoolroom below had fought along the Belgium-France border.
The earl regarded Ian soberly. “Yes, Ian, and my associates at British intelligence suggest that King Leopold will declare his surrender the day after tomorrow.”
“But what about your friend?” Jaaved asked.
Ian glanced at him and noticed the worry creasing the young Moroccan’s face. Theo stared intently at the floor for a moment before letting out a small gasp, and immediately she began to cry. “Monsieur Lafitte!” she whispered, and covered her face with her hands.
Ian hardly knew what to do. He didn’t know what Monsieur Lafitte had to do with this tale … and then it struck him like another blow to the chest. He looked up at the earl and asked, “Your friend in Antwerp. It’s Monsieur Lafitte?”
The earl nodded gravely. “Yes,” he said. “I’m afraid so.”
Carl pointed to the yellow telegram still clutched in the earl’s hand. “But you’ve had word from him, right, my lord? He’s hiding somewhere, I’d wager, and he wanted you to know he’s safe. Is that right?”
The earl considered the folded piece of paper in his hand. “No, Carl, I’m afraid not. This telegram was sent by Leopold’s most trusted aide, a man named Antoine, who traveled with Monsieur Lafitte to Belgium. Antoine has escaped the German guard by way of a fishing vessel, which took him to Norway. He was able to wire me from there. My dear friend Leo was betrayed by the very men he hoped to trust in the Belgium royal court, and was turned over as
In the distance he saw a bright yellow automobile turnoff the road and begin to make its way down the gravel drive. Behind him Theo said, “The earl is coming.”
“Should we go down to meet him?” Ian asked without turning around.
“No,” said Theo. “He’ll come to us.”
Theo was correct, because a short time later the door below opened, and up the stairs came the earl. He looked rather surprised to find them all seated quietly, and his expression was even more surprised when he took in Argos. “Good evening,” he said to the soldier. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of an introduction.”
Ian and Carl both stood and began to tell the earl who the soldier was and, more importantly, where he’d come from.
“The portal?” the earl said, blinking at the revelation. “So the prophecy has begun,” he said, sitting down heavily on a nearby stool.
“It has,” Theo said definitively. “The first few lines of the prophecy clearly talk about Argos’s arrival.”
The earl sighed. “It has been an eventful day,” he said, his eyes pinched and tired as he looked at a yellow bit of paper in his hand.
Theo pointed to it and said, “Is there news, my lord?”
The earl nodded dully. “Yes, although I’m afraid it’s some rather troubling news.”
“About the war?” asked Carl.
The earl closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, then let the air out slowly before folding the paper back into a neat little square. “In a way, Carl,” he said. “I’ve received a telegramfrom my associates in British intelligence. As you know, I have been assisting with the intelligence gathering from my sources overseas. Some of my dear friends from abroad have been risking their lives to gather useful information through their connections in Berlin.
“A fortnight ago, one of my associates traveled to Antwerp, attempting to sway the Belgium forces loyal to King Leopold to give up their vow of neutrality and declare war against the Germans—”
“But Belgium is all but lost!” Ian exclaimed, interrupting the earl. Rumors abounded that King Leopold was about to declare a surrender to the Germans, and most of the soldiers flooding their port the past few days were from Belgium. In fact, nearly all the injured in the schoolroom below had fought along the Belgium-France border.
The earl regarded Ian soberly. “Yes, Ian, and my associates at British intelligence suggest that King Leopold will declare his surrender the day after tomorrow.”
“But what about your friend?” Jaaved asked.
Ian glanced at him and noticed the worry creasing the young Moroccan’s face. Theo stared intently at the floor for a moment before letting out a small gasp, and immediately she began to cry. “Monsieur Lafitte!” she whispered, and covered her face with her hands.
Ian hardly knew what to do. He didn’t know what Monsieur Lafitte had to do with this tale … and then it struck him like another blow to the chest. He looked up at the earl and asked, “Your friend in Antwerp. It’s Monsieur Lafitte?”
The earl nodded gravely. “Yes,” he said. “I’m afraid so.”
Carl pointed to the yellow telegram still clutched in the earl’s hand. “But you’ve had word from him, right, my lord? He’s hiding somewhere, I’d wager, and he wanted you to know he’s safe. Is that right?”
The earl considered the folded piece of paper in his hand. “No, Carl, I’m afraid not. This telegram was sent by Leopold’s most trusted aide, a man named Antoine, who traveled with Monsieur Lafitte to Belgium. Antoine has escaped the German guard by way of a fishing vessel, which took him to Norway. He was able to wire me from there. My dear friend Leo was betrayed by the very men he hoped to trust in the Belgium royal court, and was turned over as
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