Witchfinder is capable of such things in the north, with no schools or teachers or books. How can he do it?â
âThereâs only one way to find out,â Greyfriar replied. âIâll go to the Continent and visit Bruges.â
â Weâll visit Bruges.â
âItâs inside enemy territory, Adele.â Greyfriar crossed his arms with a stance of defiance. âGeneral Anhalt wonât like it.â
âNo. I suppose he wonât. Fortunately heâs in Alexandria. Would you care to cable him and tell him how you canât keep me under control?â
Greyfriar paused, staring down into Adeleâs expectant face. âNo. Letâs not tell him until weâre back.â
âCoward.â
Greyfriar snorted. âI prefer tactician .â
Laughing, she headed toward the door. âCome on, letâs finish searching this place so we can deliver our friend there to the army.â
C HAPTER 5
Adeleâs rooms in the old Montagu House overlooked the Thames River. Despite the many coal grates throughout the large mansion, kept glowing hot, the house was damp and cold. After more than a century of misuse and neglect, it was remarkable that it was as livable as it was. Still, it was a suitable abode for the empress-in-Âresidence, close enough to the seat of the government at the old windy parliament building.
London was something of an armed camp, with Equatorian troops patrolling the streets. For nearly a year, Britain had been a de facto province of Equatoria, thanks to two events. General Anhalt and the American senator Miles Clark led the bold attack on London in the great American steamnaught USS Bolivar . The airship had crashed into Buckingham Palace, killing nearly everyone aboard, but wiping out several vampire clan lords who had gathered for Cesareâs coronation. At the same time, Mamoru forced Adele to trigger the event that swept the vampires away. She had since brought several regiments of her soldiers to control an island full of humans who had lived generations under vampire terror and tyranny. Britain would become an important test case to show how the territories ripped from vampire rule would be re-integrated into free human society. At the moment, it was still an open question.
Adele walked the dim corridors, clanking with each step because of her photography equipment and several lanterns she carried. The door to Garethâs private chamber was open, as always. He sat in a chair near the window staring out into the winter bleakness, his long legs propped against the sill. He shifted enough to let her know he had heard her; there was no way she could take him unaware. She stood watching him. He still wore the accouterments of the Greyfriar, riflemanâs jacket and trousers with high boots, but his scarf was pulled down, lying loose about his shoulders. His dark glasses were set aside.
âGareth,â she said, her breath misting the air. âAm I disturbing you?â
âOf course not.â He glanced over his shoulder at her, eyeing the camera and tripod in her hands.
Adele saw the pile of paper on the ancient desk across the room. She silently chided herself for interrupting him at work. Sitting atop the ream was his heavy leather gunbelt with twin pistols. âI just donât want to interrupt you if youâre trying to make progress before we leave for Bruges tomorrow.â
âNo. Iâm not making much progress as Gareth.â He sat up, placing his feet heavily on the floor. With a tug on his riflemanâs tunic, he said, âPerhaps the other fellow will have more luck.â
Adele laughed nervously. âI wouldnât mind reading what youâve written. At some point.â
âShouldnât take you long.â Gareth raised his hand toward the papers. âHave a look.â
Adele went to his desk, barely containing her excitement. She had flown reams of stationary up from Equatoria
Donald Luskin, Andrew Greta