Read Tom Swan and the Head of St George Part Three: Constantinople for Free Online Page B

and so much as twisted an ankle, his entire enterprise would fail.
    He kept walking.
    I don’t’ need to do this , he told himself again.
    But he kept walking.
    He thought it must be midnight when he arrived at the ladder, just where he had left it. It took him some minutes to raise it alone, and he made considerable noise. Eventually, he got the base firmly seated on the walkway and the top inside the wellhead.
    Khatun Bengül’s wellhead.
    Then he paused, one foot on a rung of the ladder.
    So – I made it here. I have the ladder up. I can walk away. This is . . . insane .
    He found that he was climbing the ladder.
    He shook his head. At himself.
    Two rungs from the top, he rested his back against the well’s wall – probably just where his shoulder had struck in falling, he thought. Shook his head.
    Insane .
    He took the coil of rope off his shoulder and secured the grapnel.
    I’m sure I swore yesterday never to do this again .
    What if there are people in the kitchen?
    Smiling at his own foolishness, he tossed the grapnel straight up.
    He did cover his head.
    Which was good, as it fell back with a lot of noise.
    He sighed. Paid out one more coil of rope, took the grapnel by the stock, and threw.
    He heard it hit. Outside the well. He pulled, and it came quite easily – he pulled it in very slowly, dragging it across the stones of her kitchen. And it caught. He pulled again, and it stayed tight.
    Caught on some tiny projection? Or on the cross-beam?
    He went up, putting as little weight on the grapnel as possible – his back against one wall of the well, feet against the opposite wall, walking up as he’d seen the acrobat girl do earlier.
    She was nice. She was pretty. Why am I doing this?
    Up and up.
    At the top, he stopped to listen. The cover still wasn’t on the well. His back and sides hurt, and his neck . . .
    He went over the edge.
    Screaming eunuchs didn’t kill him, so he decided after a few moments that he was still safe.
    He paused at the curtain to the stairwell.
    Now, I can slip down the rope and go. I did it. I entered her apartment undetected. No need to go any farther .
    His soft leather boots made no sound on the steps as he climbed.
    He paused at the curtained doorway to the slave quarters, and listened. Her slaves were silent. Several were snoring.
    He stopped outside the cedar and silver door. It was just as he remembered it.
    If she screams, I’m dead .
    This is foolish .
    In fact, this gives foolish a whole new perspective .
    He put a hand on her door. It was locked.
    A German lock.
    England had German locks.
    It took him longer than he expected to open it. He had to find the tool in his belt purse, and it took him far too long to realise that the local workmen had installed the lock upside down.
    Click .
    I could just let this go .
    Don’t try for revenge on Omar Reis .
    He opened the door, very, very slowly.
    He had to fight the sudden feeling that it was all a trap. The wave of paranoia came, and went, and he could smell the fear he had exuded.
    He slid into the room. Closed the door with infinite patience.
    He could hear her breathing. It was soft, and regular.
    He went to her bedside.
    And put a hand on her mouth, thinking, It is now officially too late to back out .
    ‘Hello,’ he said. ‘Remember me?’
    She hesitated – and then threw her arms around his neck.
    Then he put his mouth over her mouth.
    ‘No!’ she said, and pinned his legs with her own. She was very strong.
    There was one lamp lit, and she was magnificent.
    ‘No,’ she said. She smiled. ‘Don’t be angry. It is . . . a matter of life and death.’ She leaned over him and licked his lips. ‘Listen, I’ve read books. There are a thousand other things we can do.’
    Apparently, there were.
    He kissed her at the wellhead, and the whole process began again. He’d meant it to be a kiss goodbye. It didn’t have that effect.
    But eventually, she let him go down the rope Or rather, he forced himself out of her