down,’ Madame Zelinka said. ‘My Enlightened Ones insisted that I would be more comfortable driving than walking, so they took it.’
Von Stralick chuckled, rounded the sofa and sat by her side. ‘And the guards who were in this lorry?’
‘They are out there, in the woods. Under the watch of my people.’
‘What did you do to them, old man?’ George asked Aubrey. ‘They were terrified.’
‘I threw a scare into them. A magical scare.’
‘They panicked when they thought we were going to drag them back to this place. Quite happy, they were, to be tied up to trees.’
‘No doubt.’ Aubrey remembered their terror. ‘Now, George, what on earth are you doing here?’
George surrendered. ‘You win, Madame Z.’
‘If you insist. One of these Albionish wagering games,’ she said to a puzzled von Stralick. ‘Doyle wagered that he knew what question Fitzwilliam would ask first, and I had to guess another.’
Von Stralick was perplexed. ‘Your winnings?’
Madame Zelinka shrugged. Her face, usually grave, had a hint of a smile. ‘He owes me a favour. I shall call on it some time.’
George blinked. ‘Er … Not when it’s too inconvenient, if you don’t mind.’
‘What is inconvenient for you may be convenient for me. We shall see.’
Aubrey could never resist a sidetrack. ‘And what was the question you thought I’d ask first, George?’
‘I thought you’d ask about Caroline, old man.’ George grinned.
‘Ah.’
‘Remarkable strength of character, your forbearance. Before we get to her, though, you need to know that Madame Z and her pals have come over to our side.’
Madame Zelinka made a face. ‘We have not come over to your side, Doyle. How many times have I told you this?’
‘Probably a few dozen,’ George said. ‘All the way from Trinovant to here, if I recall correctly.’
‘We have ways and means to cross borders,’ Madame Zelinka said, responding to Aubrey’s naked curiosity. ‘The Enlightened Ones always have.’
‘Which is why the Directorate contacted them, apparently,’ George said. ‘Commander Craddock was hoping that they might be able to do something.’
‘This is only the third time in our history that we have abandoned our neutrality,’ Madame Zelinka said. ‘It is not done lightly, but Dr Tremaine …’
Aubrey jumped in. ‘Your people see the threat that Dr Tremaine is posing to the world?’
‘It is greater than you imagine, perhaps.’
‘Greater than destroying nations?’ George said. ‘Greater than killing hundreds of thousands of people?’
Madame Zelinka shook her head. ‘The wisest magicians in our order think that he aims to control magic himself.’ She looked at Aubrey. ‘Have you heard that he has been abducting magicians from all over the world?’
‘After seeing unwilling magicians being delivered here, I’d put two and two together.’
‘They are here?’
‘They’re gone now.’
She hissed through her teeth for a moment. ‘The magicians are part of his plan.’
‘How? What?’
‘We think that he has found a way to use their magical ability, whether they are willing or not.’
‘As if we needed another reason to stop him,’ George said gruffly.
‘Tell me about Albion,’ Aubrey said abruptly. ‘What about Mother and Father?’
George crossed his arms. ‘You’ll be pleased to know that your father did exactly as you wanted. You’ve been declared a traitor and you’ve been vilified the length and breadth of the land.’
‘Ah. That’s good.’
‘Well, I wouldn’t say that it was good, but it was enough to save your father and the Progressive government, as you’d hoped. In fact, having been betrayed by a blackhearted villain of a son has actually gained Sir Darius a great deal of public sympathy.’
‘Splendid,’ Aubrey muttered.
George went on. ‘An ungrateful son, one who shunned his father’s example and spurned all that Albion had to offer.’
‘I think I understand the picture,
Von Stralick chuckled, rounded the sofa and sat by her side. ‘And the guards who were in this lorry?’
‘They are out there, in the woods. Under the watch of my people.’
‘What did you do to them, old man?’ George asked Aubrey. ‘They were terrified.’
‘I threw a scare into them. A magical scare.’
‘They panicked when they thought we were going to drag them back to this place. Quite happy, they were, to be tied up to trees.’
‘No doubt.’ Aubrey remembered their terror. ‘Now, George, what on earth are you doing here?’
George surrendered. ‘You win, Madame Z.’
‘If you insist. One of these Albionish wagering games,’ she said to a puzzled von Stralick. ‘Doyle wagered that he knew what question Fitzwilliam would ask first, and I had to guess another.’
Von Stralick was perplexed. ‘Your winnings?’
Madame Zelinka shrugged. Her face, usually grave, had a hint of a smile. ‘He owes me a favour. I shall call on it some time.’
George blinked. ‘Er … Not when it’s too inconvenient, if you don’t mind.’
‘What is inconvenient for you may be convenient for me. We shall see.’
Aubrey could never resist a sidetrack. ‘And what was the question you thought I’d ask first, George?’
‘I thought you’d ask about Caroline, old man.’ George grinned.
‘Ah.’
‘Remarkable strength of character, your forbearance. Before we get to her, though, you need to know that Madame Z and her pals have come over to our side.’
Madame Zelinka made a face. ‘We have not come over to your side, Doyle. How many times have I told you this?’
‘Probably a few dozen,’ George said. ‘All the way from Trinovant to here, if I recall correctly.’
‘We have ways and means to cross borders,’ Madame Zelinka said, responding to Aubrey’s naked curiosity. ‘The Enlightened Ones always have.’
‘Which is why the Directorate contacted them, apparently,’ George said. ‘Commander Craddock was hoping that they might be able to do something.’
‘This is only the third time in our history that we have abandoned our neutrality,’ Madame Zelinka said. ‘It is not done lightly, but Dr Tremaine …’
Aubrey jumped in. ‘Your people see the threat that Dr Tremaine is posing to the world?’
‘It is greater than you imagine, perhaps.’
‘Greater than destroying nations?’ George said. ‘Greater than killing hundreds of thousands of people?’
Madame Zelinka shook her head. ‘The wisest magicians in our order think that he aims to control magic himself.’ She looked at Aubrey. ‘Have you heard that he has been abducting magicians from all over the world?’
‘After seeing unwilling magicians being delivered here, I’d put two and two together.’
‘They are here?’
‘They’re gone now.’
She hissed through her teeth for a moment. ‘The magicians are part of his plan.’
‘How? What?’
‘We think that he has found a way to use their magical ability, whether they are willing or not.’
‘As if we needed another reason to stop him,’ George said gruffly.
‘Tell me about Albion,’ Aubrey said abruptly. ‘What about Mother and Father?’
George crossed his arms. ‘You’ll be pleased to know that your father did exactly as you wanted. You’ve been declared a traitor and you’ve been vilified the length and breadth of the land.’
‘Ah. That’s good.’
‘Well, I wouldn’t say that it was good, but it was enough to save your father and the Progressive government, as you’d hoped. In fact, having been betrayed by a blackhearted villain of a son has actually gained Sir Darius a great deal of public sympathy.’
‘Splendid,’ Aubrey muttered.
George went on. ‘An ungrateful son, one who shunned his father’s example and spurned all that Albion had to offer.’
‘I think I understand the picture,
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