The Masked City (The Invisible Library 2)

Irene was becoming impatient with Silver’s dramatics. Kai was in real and serious danger. She would gladly stand around and trade insults with Silver later, but not now. At least if he was willing to give his sworn word, then he was sincere. Fae might stretch their formally given oaths, but they wouldn’t break them. ‘Explain your plan, Lord Silver. How else are we to judge it?’

Silver sighed. ‘Here it is, then. Lord Guantes has the power to cross between spheres while taking with him one of your friend’s nature. My own power is less than his - I could only carry humans at best, or others of my kind - and Lady Guantes is weaker still. Lord Guantes has made bargains to ensure that anyone who wants to witness his triumph can travel to this alternate Venice. He has summoned the Horse and the Rider, who are among the great ones of my kind, so they can carry as many passengers as they wish. They will appear as a train in this world. Yes, that form should provoke the least comment.’ He paused to consider. ‘I will be travelling on that train with several servants, and shall take the lady along in disguise. She will then pretend to have boarded at a different transit point, posing as another of my kind. When we reach Venice, she may rescue the dragon and escape in whatever way best pleases her.’

‘You consider that to be a plan?’ Vale demanded.

‘I am not aware of the Librarian’s full capabilities,’ Silver said loftily. ‘No doubt she has many strange powers that are unknown to me.’

‘So I am to go alone,’ Irene said, checking to make sure she had this absolutely correct, ‘to a world at your end of reality, surrounded by your kind, and will have to rescue Kai with no assistance - I take it you won’t be able to assist me?’

Silver shrugged. ‘Only if I can do so without being observed, my little mouse. And of course Johnson will be able to provide you with the usual services: coffee, tea, your boots blacked, your mask polished, your revolver loaded, and so on.’

Irene nodded. There was a sort of relief in knowing the worst. She very nearly felt light-headed with it. After all, the plan was utterly ludicrous. And if this was Silver’s idea of developing a story-form, she didn’t like his taste in adventure fiction. But it was still a chance to get Kai back. She smiled. ‘And then I will have to escape that place, possibly with Kai in less than perfect condition.’

‘I’d keep him drugged, if it were me keeping him hostage there,’ Silver commented helpfully, ‘though of course the atmosphere of that sphere will be highly uncongenial to his nature, so he might be unconscious anyhow.’

Definitely the worst. There was really nothing Irene could do but try not to laugh. When the course of events became quite so impossibly dangerous, the best thing to do was to ride with it. ‘And then finally I must restore Kai to his family. Or at least to a safe place.’

‘I would have said that this world is safe enough,’ Vale said. He looked around him, his face weary. He already seemed to have given up. ‘But events suggest otherwise.’

‘Well.’ Irene took a deep breath. ‘When does the train go?’

‘Winters,’ Vale began, ‘you cannot be serious about going alone—’

‘Vale,’ Irene cut in. He hadn’t believed her when she’d tried to explain the danger to his world. It had taken Silver to convince him. But she had to be the one to convince Vale now, to stop him from getting himself killed. He didn’t know, couldn’t accept, just how dangerous a high-chaos world actually was. People who had no protection would be swept along in any current narrative that a Fae was managing, their personalities rewritten to suit the needs of the Fae. And they didn’t have time for debates. ‘You can see yourself that Lord Silver is desperate.’ That drew an angry twitch from Silver. ‘But even despite that, he’s said it would be too dangerous for you. He has every motivation to send you along with me, if there’s the slightest chance of preserving his own existence.’ ‘Well, yes, obviously,’ Silver said, as though it was too plain to need pointing out. ‘But please don’t think I’m trying to save you out of any misguided notions of charity. You’re simply too entertaining an adversary to waste.’

‘There you have it,’ Irene said drily. ‘Straight from the horse’s - forgive me, straight from the Fae’s - mouth.’ She folded her arms, feeling her anger rising. ‘Look what he’s doing to me. Why should he lie to you? I would …’ Her next words unexpectedly caught in her throat. ‘I would have appreciated your help. But I don’t want you to destroy yourself, and Kai wouldn’t thank me for it.’

Vale looked at her for a moment as if he wanted to say something, then turned sharply away from her. ‘Pray spare me your excuses, Winters. Your decision is quite clear. I have no wish to hinder your expertise, or to impede your path. I will merely be sure of the details from Lord Silver here, before I leave you to your little games. I can only hope that an innocent such as Strongrock will survive it.’

Irene felt the colour flare in her cheeks. Something in her heart shuddered at his words. That hurt. It really, genuinely hurt. She’d hoped that he’d accept her decision, but to have it thrown at her like that … She turned back to Silver, choosing to convert her anger into focus. ‘It seems Mr Vale is clear on the subject. When is this train? And what sort of disguise will I require?’

Silver touched his fingers to his lips, failing to conceal a smile at Irene’s capitulation. ‘We will leave within the hour, and Lady Guantes will also be waiting at the station. I will take care to have other retainers who are also cloaked, so that we can smuggle you on board amongst them. As to costume - you must dress as a traveller from some other sphere. I will look in my cupboards.’

Irene didn’t bother answering. She merely drew her cloak open to reveal her anachronistic business suit.

‘Yes,’ Silver said, his eyes stroking up from her ankles to her knees. ‘That will do very nicely. I will give you a small token of my power - not enough to damage you, my little Librarian, but simply to allow you to pass for Fae. We cannot tell from a mere glance that you are of the Library, and my token will ensure that nobody thinks you are to be played with like a toy. Johnson wears one. Show Miss Winters, Johnson.’

Irene turned, and saw Johnson slip a large brass watch out of his pocket. Its design was surprisingly intricate, traced over with a pattern that slipped away from the eye. He nodded to Irene.

‘And perhaps some minor alterations to the hair, the eyes …’ Silver went on. ‘It is a pity that we’re taking you rather than dear Vale, my Librarian. He would be so much better at changing his appearance.’ He rose to his feet and strode over to one of the high cupboards in the corner, opening it to reveal an array of low-cut dresses and hooded cloaks. He seemed to have flipped from despair to manic enthusiasm. ‘I’ll let one of the maids handle it. Blue? Perhaps if I could find a blonde wig? No, perhaps if we dressed you as a maid to start with … ‘

Irene was beginning to suspect why the Guantes’ plans worked and Silver’s didn’t, as he fussed over the clothing. ‘Where does the train leave from?’ she asked.

‘From Paddington.’

‘Why Paddington?’ Irene asked.

‘We must travel towards water, therefore westwards. And that means the Great Western line, which leaves from there.’ Silver tossed off the answer as though it made sense. Perhaps it did, from the Fae viewpoint.

Vale took a deep breath, then set his shoulders. ‘I will see you later, Winters - assuming you come out of this escapade in one piece. You know my thoughts on the matter. I will not trouble myself to repeat them. I can only hope that your concern for Strongrock is somewhat greater than your fascination with these politics.’

Irene met his dark gaze, feeling furious. She truly had not expected this snideness from Vale. He was behaving as pettily as Silver might have done. ‘You know perfectly well why I’m doing this. This has nothing to do with politics or the threat of war. Sometimes I do things simply because I don’t want to see someone die. Or worse—’

He cut her off with a gesture. ‘Spare me your histrionics, madam. I suggest that you save them for your play-acting. A good night to you both.’ He turned, raising the hood of his cloak once again, and swept out before Irene could say anything.

‘Johnson,’ Silver said smoothly, ‘see Mr Vale out. Ensure that he comes to no harm.’

Johnson sidled past her, as quiet as a shadow. The door opened and shut again in a breath of air.