She Who Waits (Low Town 3) (44 page)

‘No,’ I agreed. ‘But her location would be.’

Egmont’s composure shed like dead skin. ‘What does that mean?’

I turned my attention towards him. ‘You should have been more careful when you went to see her.’

‘Bullshit.’ It was the first time I’d ever heard Egmont swear. More evidence, if it was needed, that he was losing it. ‘You don’t know anything.’

I rattled off her address, enjoyed the effect hearing it had on the Director. His face went red, an unattractive contrast with his outfit.

‘I’m hearing a lot of talk about secrets,’ Egmont said, coming on heavy to make up for his moment of weakness. ‘It occurs to me that if you weren’t around anymore, this would cease to be a concern of ours.’

‘If you were thinking of offing me, you should have done it before I was in a room with you and your boss.’

‘I’ve got four very large men stationed outside this room.’

‘If they were inside, that might even worry me.’

‘We searched you before you came in.’

I dropped the blade in my sleeve out into my hand, made a little flourish. ‘Not well enough.’

Egmont recoiled about three inches. Not so far, but then again we had a desk between us.

Monck didn’t move, though – didn’t so much as blink. ‘There’s no need for threats between friends,’ he said finally, nodding towards Egmont but keeping his eyes on me.

‘Friends, exactly.’ The knife went back into its sheath. ‘And as your friend, let me give you a piece of advice. This game you’re playing with Black House – you aren’t going to win it.’

‘No?’

‘No. The Old Man’s slowed some, but your crew is only half-professional at best. Egmont bungled his play with Albertine. If the Old Man knew what I know, he could move on you this very moment, crush you beneath his boot heel, all under the full color of law.’

‘And why doesn’t he?’

‘I’d assumed that much was obvious. It’s because I’m not on the Old Man’s side.’

‘You’re on ours?’

‘I’m very much not on his.’

Monck took an ashtray out of his desk, then passed it over. ‘You seem to be working yourself up to a suggestion.’

I rubbed out what little was left of my smoke. ‘I assume you have a plan in case they move against you. An uprising within the city, a strike on Black House and whatever ministers you think will back it. Probably an attempt to, shall we say, safeguard the King? Perhaps even spirit him away to a location in which a careful watch can be kept on his well-being?’

‘We have contingencies for every eventuality.’

‘Good. Activate it tonight.’

Egmont bristled. ‘Madness – our strength grows daily. We’ve got the votes in parliament, and thanks to your recent activities, Black House is short its top heavy.’

‘I admit – the board seems weighted in your favor. But you’re missing the critical point.’

‘Which is?’

‘You aren’t as smart as the Old Man – you aren’t nearly. And you don’t have his resources, and it’s always easier to hold on to something than it is to take it outright. You think your success is the result of your own abilities – I think it’s a fluke, that he’ll find a way to even it out if you give him the time.’

‘That’s an … interesting assessment,’ Monck said, in a way that almost made me think he didn’t really believe it.

‘Thank you.’

‘However, I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree with the Director. To move on Black House at this stage would be … premature.’

‘But I haven’t dropped my trump yet.’

Monck shot me a smile somewhere between mocking and placating. ‘By all means, continue.’

‘I can give him to you. Wrapped up in a pretty little bow. Without the Old Man to lead the resistance, you might even have a shot at pulling it off. Assuming you don’t dally your way to the gallows.’

‘What do you mean, you can give him to us?’

‘I mean that I can arrange to have the Old Man arrive at a time and place of my choosing, and I can arrange to have him unguarded when he does.’

Suddenly the room got very serious. Monck and Egmont spent a while staring at each other as if trying to transmit information through their eyeballs.

‘Also, I can ensure his second-in-command becomes yours.’

Egmont bristled.

‘Or your third, if you’re really so attached to the Director. Or, hell, you can put an ax in the back of his head, if you’re that thick with blood lust. I wouldn’t recommend it, though. Co-opting Guiscard might save you from outright war with the remainder of Black House.’ But I didn’t actually think that. Guiscard wasn’t really the Old Man’s number two, not in the sense that he could order anyone else in the shop around. The Old Man was not one to share the reins.

‘And why would you do this for us?’ Monck asked. ‘Is it simply hate?’

‘Don’t underestimate hate – it’s kept me going for half my lifetime. But no, that’s not the only reason. You’re going to do something for me, Lord Monck.’

‘And what is that exactly?’

‘Albertine,’ I said. ‘You’re going to give me Albertine.’

Egmont didn’t say anything, but then Egmont was no longer really a factor, hadn’t been since midway through the conversation. Monck seemed to think so too, which is why before saying anything to me he turned towards his Director of Security and said, ‘If you would give us a moment.’

No one likes being sent to the kiddies’ table, though I think Egmont minded less than he might have. When the door had closed Monck looked at me for a while. I could feel the weight of the man’s pupils on me. They would have held down a sheet of paper.

‘You know,’ he began finally. ‘I’ve been hoping we’d meet for a while now.’

‘It’s a bit late in the day for flattery.’

‘Not flattery. Albertine filled us in on the backstory. That you’d risen from street urchin to become the Old Man’s number two. That if things had gone a different way, I’d be playing this chess game against you, instead of him.’

‘You’re playing it against me right now – or hadn’t you noticed?’

‘All that work, and you end up right back where you started.’ He shook his head slowly, as if in sympathy. ‘And all because of a woman. You must hate her very much.’

‘I hate a lot of people,’ I said. ‘It gets hard to keep track. As it happens, there’s something I’d like to ask you as well.’

He made a friendly sort of gesture with his hand. ‘By all means.’

‘Are you a fanatic, or a hypocrite?’

‘Those are my only two options?’

‘A hypocrite, then.’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘A fanatic would have gotten angry.’

His smile reminded me of the Old Man’s. It had no meaning, it was just something to do with his face. ‘I believe in the fundamental tenets upheld by the Sons of
Ś
akra.’

‘Not like Hume believes them, though.’

‘It isn’t required of Brother Hume that he gaze upon the larger picture. Brother Hume is lucky that way, I am not. But don’t think my convictions false – the country requires a moral regeneration.’

‘That’s the task you’ve set yourself? The moral regeneration of the Empire? You’ll have an easier time grasping the scepter.’

‘Gaining power is only the first step.’

‘Power isn’t something you sit on, it’s something you chase after. And it moves fast – if you want to hold onto it, you’d better not burden yourself with anything as heavy as decency.’

‘I would think that a man with your background would appreciate what’s required of someone, if they hope to make a change.’

‘What is it with you would-be tyrants – it’s not enough to rule the world, you want to be coddled for your megalomania?’ I shook my head. ‘I reserve my pity for the people that get caught beneath your tread.’

‘No grand enterprise ever succeeded without sacrifice.’

‘Not yours, though. Never yours.’

‘Someone needs to be in charge.’

‘Seeking the position ought to disqualify you from holding it.’ I found myself wanting a hit of breath very badly, but didn’t think it would go down well with Lord Monck, however tarnished his ethics had become. ‘You don’t need to sell me on anything – I don’t care why you want what you want, don’t even care what you’ll do once you get it. You’re a tool to me, like I am to you.’

‘And what will you use me for?’

‘To make sure the Old Man suffers, before he dies.’

‘And Albertine? What do you want with her?’

‘I’d like to take her to tea. I’d like to string her up by her thumbs and let the hounds loose on her. I’d like to hear her thoughts on a tapestry I’ve recently acquired. What does it matter to you, Lord Monck? I’m giving you the world in exchange for one member of it. A fair price, I think we can both agree.’

‘Albertine has … done us good service. The Sons are unused to betraying our allies.’

‘No grand enterprise ever succeeded without sacrifice.’

He didn’t flinch, but he blinked in a flinch-like fashion.

‘I’m not interested in debating morality. You’ve heard my proposal – we both know you’ll accept it. There’s moves to be made. Feigning righteousness is a waste of everyone’s time.’

He folded his fingers together, gazed up at the ceiling, gave every impression of being deep in thought. ‘Where should I send her?’

‘Low Town,’ I told him. ‘Low Town is where it ends.’

T
he first thing I’d done after coming into the house was to shut all the lanterns save the one nearest the entrance. The second thing I’d done was take a seat in the darkness, light a cigarette and get to waiting. There was no point in being antsy, not this late in the game.

And yet, as I watched the door swing open I felt a moment of terror so exquisite that I had to stop myself from screaming. I’d been seeing her face in my head for ten years. In sweet repose, in mocking laughter, in reconciliation and crushed beneath my boot heel. The genuine article was something of a shock.

‘Hello, Albertine.’

I wasn’t sure if she recognized my voice, but she at least recognized it wasn’t Monck’s.

I flicked open the shutter on the lantern next to me. ‘Don’t try and run,’ I said. ‘I can’t guarantee the men outside will be gentle in subduing you.’

I was obviously not who she was expecting. But she was a professional, and the first thing a professional learns is that they will, at some point, die in the service of their country. She took a long, deep breath, and closed her eyes. They were dry when she opened them.

‘Hello, Sunshine. It’s been a while.’

Something wrenched up inside my stomach. I hoped it didn’t show on my face.

‘Take a seat,’ I said, gesturing at the other end of the table.

She tucked in the folds of her dress and set herself gracefully onto the chair. I stared at her for a long while, noting the lines across her face like a broken pane of glass, and the streaks of gray in her once golden hair.

‘You’ve gotten old,’ I said, but not unkindly.

‘So have you.’

‘But I was always ugly, so it’s no great loss.’

‘You aren’t so ugly.’

I let that lie go unanswered.

‘Does Monck know about this?’ she asked. ‘Or is he not a factor anymore?’

‘Let’s just say you no longer have a protector.’

She took that with something approaching equanimity. ‘How did you find out about me?’

‘I had someone watching Egmont.’

‘Fucking child. I told him there was nothing to Coronet, and still you managed to frighten him enough to blow my cover.’

‘I can be very convincing.’

Albertine reached across and pulled my cigarette out from between my fingers. ‘I believe that convention allows the condemned a last smoke?’

I told myself I didn’t feel anything when her skin had brushed up against mine, though I couldn’t quite make myself believe it. I rolled another.

‘You have it all figured out then?’ she asked.

‘Most of it. When I got a chance to look at the whole thing, it was easy enough to put together. Our past history aside, I’m actually quite good at this. Though I admit, the fundamental crux is still a bit mystifying.’

‘How so?’

‘Why involve me at all? I understand, after ten years you don’t have so many pieces left on the board, but still – best-case scenario, you put another shiv into Black House, skew the Old Man’s vision. Seems like small reward, given the risk of setting me loose.’

‘Perhaps I just wanted to see you again.’

My laugh was long, and bitter, and meant to cover how much I wished that was true.

‘You’re worth more than you like to pretend – the Old Man is a hard person to get to, he doesn’t have much in the way of soft spots.’

‘Soft spot? The Old Man hates me like a rabid dog does a frightened cat.’

‘In our business, emotion of any kind is a weakness. Hate obscures the vision near as much as love.’

‘Not quite so much,’ I said.

She winced. I supposed it was a cheap shot, though I can’t say she didn’t deserve it.

Our conversation was interrupted by three loud knocks at the front door. I got up from my seat, one eye caught on Albertine, making sure she didn’t try anything foolish.

Gusicard was outside, more nervous than I’d have liked. ‘He’s on his way.’

‘Everything as planned?’

Guiscard nodded.

I closed the door and went back to the table. ‘We don’t have lots of time. There are a few things I’d like to ask you, before we get to what comes next.’

She raised her hands palms up, then brought them back together again. ‘It seems I’m a captive audience.’

‘Was any of what you told me about yourself true? Or did you just gin it up as cover? The brothers lost during the war, your little sister a student back in Nestria?’

‘Some,’ she said. ‘I suppose not much.’

‘And that house on the coast that you said your family owned. The one we were going to visit one day, that backed out onto the beach. Anything to that?’

She shook her head.

‘Too bad,’ I said. ‘That sounded nice.’

I watched her smoke my cigarette, like I’d watched her smoke a thousand before.

‘You had me picked out that first night I suppose, as an up-and-comer in Black House it would be wise to get your hooks into.’

‘Yes.’

‘Was I the only one? Or were you building a stable?’