by Two days later, the internet was teeming with references to the spectacular “new find”. Val and I had concocted a whole story for it. It was found among boxes of junk in some deceased person’s attic, if you didn’t know, and came to light during the preparations for an estate sale. Some discerning soul recognised its unique qualities, sent it for further analysis, and here we are. One priceless artefact bursting forth upon an astonished world.
And if you think no one would believe such a tale, just consider how many times some old master has been dug up out of somebody’s boxes of junk, having vanished out of all knowledge generations before. These things happen.
Also, people believe what they want to believe, and some people really want to believe in Merlin.
Hurrah for tech, too, for the photos of the Wand (only slightly touched up, ahem) made the thing look even more spectacular than it did in the flesh.
But we soon ran into a problem.
‘We can’t hold the auction online,’ Val said.
‘Why not? It’s perfect. We remain totally anonymous, and we barely have to deal with anyone. We just collect the information, cancel it, and move on.’
Val, hunched over her laptop doing who-knew-what, looked up at me at that. ‘Ves. You’ve encountered the internet before?’
‘Yes…?’
‘And you still think everyone’s going to give us their real names and contact details?’
I blinked. ‘Um?’
‘I could call that charmingly naïve,’ she muttered, returning to her screen. ‘Were I feeling generous.’
I coughed. ‘Surely there are obligations to do so, with a legal and above-board auction—’
‘Internet,’ said Val, thundering away at something on her keyboard. ‘If we can remain anonymous, so can everyone else. And they will. Especially anybody shady enough to have already stolen one major artefact, and in case you’d forgotten that’s exactly who we are hoping to find.’
‘But—’
‘Besides, any collector worth their salt will be suspicious of hoaxes exactly like this one. It’s not like it hasn’t been tried before, albeit with different goals. They’ll want to see the Wand. Satisfy themselves that it’s legitimate. Without that, the serious collectors aren’t going to show up.’
‘Isn’t that a bigger problem?’ I said, slightly appalled. ‘I mean, they can’t satisfy themselves as to its legitimacy when it… isn’t.’
‘I know, but Orlando’s work is virtually perfect. If you didn’t know it was a fake, tell me you wouldn’t be convinced. Go on.’
‘Well, I—’
‘You would. Because it is an artefact of great power. That’s its secret. The only things it isn’t are antiquated and belonging to Merlin. Well, it will pass for the former because the materials they used are ancient, even if the craftsmanship is fresh. And as for the latter, if someone’s got a way to prove beyond doubt that an item belonged to someone who lived many hundreds of years ago — if he ever lived at all — I’d love to hear about it.’
‘It’s actually Indira’s work,’ I said.
‘No,’ she said, looking sharply up. ‘Surely not.’
‘With Orlando’s guidance, no doubt, but yes. She made it.’
Val looked at me for a long moment, then returned to her typing. ‘We probably aren’t paying her enough.’
‘So we need to hold a real auction?’ I said, backtracking a bit. ‘In a real place?’
‘Probably.’
‘Isn’t that risky? Won’t the collectors be angry if they show up expecting to bid, and the auction’s cancelled?’
‘Ves complaining about risks,’ Val muttered. ‘That’s a first.’
‘I’m not totally devoid of a sense of responsibility.’
Val snorted.
‘I’m surprised Jay hasn’t been saying the same things,’ I persevered.
‘He might have, if it wasn’t for the fact that our plan was far riskier. As the best of two risky options—’
‘Did we announce yet that there’s going to be an auction?’
‘Not yet. That’s tomorrow.’
‘Okay. Why does it have to change hands?’
‘Dear Ves, if you could please get around to making sense? I am rather busy this morning.’
‘I might be about to override Jay’s brilliant plan.’
‘You mean the same way he overrode yours? Revenge is sweet.’
‘Especially when it’s also practical. Can’t we just have an exhibition?’
‘We…’ Val sat, blinking. ‘Actually, we could.’
‘It gets better.’ I admit to some feelings of smugness.
One eyebrow went up. ‘Better? Or worse?’
‘We’re trying to lure a thief,’ I said, letting that pass. ‘How about we put it on display somewhere — strictly limited time, showing it off to the world before it vanishes into some private collection, etc — and then we put a tracker on it.’
Val said nothing.
‘You know, like the ones we have on Jay’s stuff.’
‘I know what a tracker is.’
‘Right. Well, anyone so desperate to own Merlin’s grimoire as to steal it would probably want to make off with this, too. No?’
‘Maybe.’
‘And if they didn’t just try to buy the grimoire — and they didn’t, Mr. Elvyng said no one ever approached him with an offer — maybe that means they don’t have that kind of money. In which case, an auction would be no good anyway.’
‘You’re just in love with the idea of master thieves pulling off spectacular artefact heists.’
‘I… might be.’
‘Mm. And what were the chances of your having become just such a thief, if the Society hadn’t recruited you?’
‘I believe you are casting aspersions upon my morals.’
‘Grave ones.’
‘I resent that.’
‘So it isn’t true?’
I thought it over. ‘It would’ve been that or a great detective.’
‘Two sides of the same coin.’
‘So we’re doing it?’
‘What? The latest new and brilliant plan?’
‘Exhibition! Come on!’
‘I’m not sure I’m loving this pick-and-mix, trial-and-error approach to planning. Can we please stick with this one now?’
‘We’re going with it,’ I promised.
‘You still have to get it past Jay,’ Val said.
‘Right.’
‘And Milady,’ she added as an afterthought.
To my surprise, and secret satisfaction, Jay took the overthrow of his plan with grace.
Actually, more than that. Enthusiasm.
‘That actually works far better,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t quite work out how to handle the auction structure without making a mess.’
‘It was a better plan than my other idea,’ I allowed, generous in victory.
‘Milady will be happier with it, too. She frowned a lot when I told her about mine.’
‘Frowned? Jay, she’s a disembodied voice.’
‘I know, but sometimes you can hear the frown.’
‘I’ll tell her,’ I promised.
‘You do that. I’ll go find an exhibition venue.’
‘Not too close to Home,’ I warned. ‘We don’t want anyone making any connection with us.’
‘Right.’ He stood up, and retrieved his jacket. ‘I’d better tell Indira to build a tracker into the Wand. Sticking one on isn’t going to cut it. Any thief worth their salt would be ready for that.’
‘Good point.’ I saluted.
‘What’s that for?’
‘I’m saluting your practical turn of mind.’
‘Literally saluting? I feel honoured.’
I bowed.
‘Let’s not overdo it.’
‘Right.’
‘It is a clever scheme,’ said Milady a little later, after I’d presented myself at the door of her tower-top room and awaited admittance. She’d been busy. I’d had to wait nearly half an hour. ‘I trust all proper precautions will be taken?’
‘Er, no doubt,’ I said.
‘Such as?’ Milady prompted.
‘Um, we’ll hold the exhibition well away from Home.’
‘Yes, that would be wise.’
‘And…’ I stopped, empty of ideas.
‘Trust Indira’s tracker, rather than lying in wait for the thieves ourselves?’ said Milady.
I was silent with dismay.
‘Ves?’
‘How did you know?’ I said in a small voice.
‘I have known you for a considerable period.’
‘And you still employ me!’
‘I have great faith in your abilities, but that does not mean that I wish for you to needlessly endanger yourself in the pursuit of this grimoire.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Or Jay, or Valerie, or Indira either.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ I almost saluted again, but thought better of it.
‘Have you considered the probable consequences of failure?’
‘You mean nobody steals the Wand?’
‘That is one possibility.’
‘If that doesn’t happen, well, we’ll still have attracted the notice of a lot of people who are interested in putative Merlin artefacts. We can investigate anyone who shows a particular preoccupation with it.’
‘Good. What else?’
‘Um.’ I thought. ‘If someone does steal it but the tracker doesn’t work?’
‘Also a possibility.’
‘I have faith in Indira’s craftsmanship.’
‘So do I, but if we are dealing with an experienced thief — and we hope that we are — it is very possible they will be prepared for such things. It is not an unusual way of protecting artefacts of great value.’
‘We’ll have to be quick. Get after them the moment it’s gone. All we need is a lead.’
‘So you’ll watch it day and night?’
‘Yes…’
‘And who among my Society is to be involved in apprehending these thieves?’
‘Are we apprehending them? We only want to know where they take the Wand. Presumably it will be the same place they took the grimoire.’
‘And if it isn’t?’
‘Um.’
‘If, for example, the Wand is taken by someone else altogether, with no connection to the theft of the grimoire?’
I thought rapidly. ‘That could happen, but it would be a huge coincidence. Too big, surely? How many obsessed Merlin collectors with inadequate moral fibre can there be?’
‘There might be those whose interest is not in its provenance but in its value,’ Milady pursued.
‘Grab it and flog it? That’s true.’
Milady relented. ‘There have been no such thefts reported in some time, however, so I should think it unlikely.’
‘Right!’
‘It is a good scheme, Ves, but it is also a long shot. I hope you have other avenues of investigation in progress?’
‘There’s Sally.’
‘Very well, tell me about Sally.’
I hesitated, struck by sudden doubt. Milady did know about Val’s adventures in the bookish black market? What if she didn’t, and took exception to Val’s underworld connections?
But I banished the thought. Valerie would never try to deceive Milady upon such a point. Nor would she succeed. Milady, somehow, knew everything that happened at Home.
So I told her all about Sally, and her shock at such a theft’s having occurred without her knowledge.
Milady seemed more interested in that fact than I had been. ‘That is curious,’ said she. ‘It suggests, does it not, that perhaps we are not dealing with a team of career thieves? Surely those are precisely the kinds of people Sally would deal with. Or at least have some awareness of.’
‘You mean maybe there was no heist?’
‘Not as we have imagined it. I think perhaps a previous notion might prove correct: the thief and the new owner of the grimoire are the same person. Sally heard of no sale because there was no sale.’
‘Then that person must be formidable indeed. The security at that manor is top-notch, and to get past the charms on the case — to take on the Elvyngs —’ I remembered what Val had said, when we’d first entreated her help. I rather fear we’re dealing with a considerable power.
‘Going back to what I said about reasonable precautions,’ said Milady.
‘Yes. We’ll be careful.’
‘I shall send Rob with you.’
‘Scary Rob. Yes, please.’
Our business complete, I bowed myself out and began my noisy clattering back down the stairs. I was halfway down when I felt a strong tug upon my heart. A strong, urgent tug, with a shade of panic to it.
Addie.
This new familiar-bond of ours had produced all kinds of effects I hadn’t anticipated. I was in tune with Adeline’s feelings and well-being in ways I had never been before; not all the time, but I received odd pulses of awareness at intervals, some of them rather strong.
I hadn’t felt anything like this from her before.
Throwing dignity to the winds, I thundered down the rest of the stairs, and took off for Addie’s glade at a dead run.
