knowing what it means to you Albionites.’
‘In a land of understatement, there is no higher praise than being called decent.’
Von Stralick put a finger to his lips. ‘I have an idea.’ He strode from the operations room.
Aubrey decided to continue investigating the operations room. He began rummaging through the nearest Out tray, looking for incriminating invoices or delivery dockets, something to give concrete evidence of the comings and goings, but all he found were internal documents. It was as if the outside world didn’t exist.
This room had been the centre of Dr Tremaine’s activities for over a month. It was inconceivable that he could leave no trace of what he’d been up to. If Aubrey had time he was sure he could find something, but admiring a piece of undeniably handsome stone had meant little time was left before the lorry would arrive.
‘We have to go,’ von Stralick snapped as he rushed back into the operations room.
‘Did you find anything useful?’
‘I found the switchboard. Three operators, it had, if each required a chair. No documents, but as I hoped, one of them had used a pencil on the counter to list frequently called exchanges. I have them. They may be of some use.’
He handed Aubrey a scrap of paper. ‘Many of the numbers are in Fisherberg, but more are in Bardenford.’
‘That’s only natural. Bardenford is the nearest major city to the estate. The others?’
‘Scattered around Holmland, the important cities and ports, Stalsfrieden on the border with Gallia.’ Von Stralick tapped the list with a finger. ‘The only oddity is the exchange listing for Korsur.’
Aubrey frowned. Why was a Holmland village, the home of Green Johannes, featuring in Dr Tremaine’s schemes? ‘I may have an idea.’
Von Stralick stopped. ‘You have no shortage of ideas. Tell me, though: is it a good one?’
Aubrey answered a question with a question. ‘What’s your experience with interrogation, Hugo?’
‘I’ve been on both sides. I prefer to be the one asking the questions.’
‘You can do it humanely?’
‘Ah, now there’s a question.’ Von Stralick took his time before answering. ‘In my view, torture is a most unreliable way of obtaining information. People will tell you anything to make it stop, so how do you know what to believe?’
‘You’ve done this?’
‘I’ve seen it done by stupid people and by people who thought they were clever. It is distasteful.’
‘But the other way. You can get information from people without using torture?’
‘I have my methods.’
‘Good. When these guards come back, what do you say to capturing them and getting information out of them?’
Von Stralick nodded sharply and, together, they ran from the operations room – but just before Aubrey left, he snatched a handful of rubber bands from one of the desks.
A UBREY AND VON S TRALICK POSITIONED THEMSELVES IN the bushes on either side of the stairs that led from the doors of the main house. From there, they could see the gates; soon, the lorry, after complaining its way up the steepest part of the ascent, lumbered through the entrance to the estate.
Aubrey had one hand in the pocket of his jacket as the lorry crunched its way along the gravel of the driveway, white in the night-time. He was prepared. He’d put together a spell using the Law of Amplification, the Law of Action at a Distance and the Law of Propensity and he was confident. The guards would be in the one place at the one time and he was sure he could bind them with the ensorcelled rubber bands.
The headlights of the lorry flashed across the bushes as it followed the curve to the main entrance. Aubrey couldn’t help but duck, even though he was well hidden.
With a screech of brakes, the lorry pulled up. One of the guards alighted, followed by the broad-shouldered driver. They stood inspecting the main house as if they’d never seen it before and Aubrey waited, frustrated, for the others to climb down from
‘In a land of understatement, there is no higher praise than being called decent.’
Von Stralick put a finger to his lips. ‘I have an idea.’ He strode from the operations room.
Aubrey decided to continue investigating the operations room. He began rummaging through the nearest Out tray, looking for incriminating invoices or delivery dockets, something to give concrete evidence of the comings and goings, but all he found were internal documents. It was as if the outside world didn’t exist.
This room had been the centre of Dr Tremaine’s activities for over a month. It was inconceivable that he could leave no trace of what he’d been up to. If Aubrey had time he was sure he could find something, but admiring a piece of undeniably handsome stone had meant little time was left before the lorry would arrive.
‘We have to go,’ von Stralick snapped as he rushed back into the operations room.
‘Did you find anything useful?’
‘I found the switchboard. Three operators, it had, if each required a chair. No documents, but as I hoped, one of them had used a pencil on the counter to list frequently called exchanges. I have them. They may be of some use.’
He handed Aubrey a scrap of paper. ‘Many of the numbers are in Fisherberg, but more are in Bardenford.’
‘That’s only natural. Bardenford is the nearest major city to the estate. The others?’
‘Scattered around Holmland, the important cities and ports, Stalsfrieden on the border with Gallia.’ Von Stralick tapped the list with a finger. ‘The only oddity is the exchange listing for Korsur.’
Aubrey frowned. Why was a Holmland village, the home of Green Johannes, featuring in Dr Tremaine’s schemes? ‘I may have an idea.’
Von Stralick stopped. ‘You have no shortage of ideas. Tell me, though: is it a good one?’
Aubrey answered a question with a question. ‘What’s your experience with interrogation, Hugo?’
‘I’ve been on both sides. I prefer to be the one asking the questions.’
‘You can do it humanely?’
‘Ah, now there’s a question.’ Von Stralick took his time before answering. ‘In my view, torture is a most unreliable way of obtaining information. People will tell you anything to make it stop, so how do you know what to believe?’
‘You’ve done this?’
‘I’ve seen it done by stupid people and by people who thought they were clever. It is distasteful.’
‘But the other way. You can get information from people without using torture?’
‘I have my methods.’
‘Good. When these guards come back, what do you say to capturing them and getting information out of them?’
Von Stralick nodded sharply and, together, they ran from the operations room – but just before Aubrey left, he snatched a handful of rubber bands from one of the desks.
A UBREY AND VON S TRALICK POSITIONED THEMSELVES IN the bushes on either side of the stairs that led from the doors of the main house. From there, they could see the gates; soon, the lorry, after complaining its way up the steepest part of the ascent, lumbered through the entrance to the estate.
Aubrey had one hand in the pocket of his jacket as the lorry crunched its way along the gravel of the driveway, white in the night-time. He was prepared. He’d put together a spell using the Law of Amplification, the Law of Action at a Distance and the Law of Propensity and he was confident. The guards would be in the one place at the one time and he was sure he could bind them with the ensorcelled rubber bands.
The headlights of the lorry flashed across the bushes as it followed the curve to the main entrance. Aubrey couldn’t help but duck, even though he was well hidden.
With a screech of brakes, the lorry pulled up. One of the guards alighted, followed by the broad-shouldered driver. They stood inspecting the main house as if they’d never seen it before and Aubrey waited, frustrated, for the others to climb down from
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