The Policeman of Secrets

Chapter 11 Part 2

As always, Lord Stone’s quarters at Parliament were bathed in light. Beautifully intricate steam lanterns illuminated the hall that once led to the rooms of five different MPs.

Now all were dead, either through the power of the Subjugation Assembly or at the hands of Colonel Wolf’s killers. Only Stone, his servants, and his guests wandered this remote corner of the Palace of Westminster.

The lamps hissed like living things as Elizabeta walked past, steps behind Stone’s aged retainer, Carrefour. The man had served Stone’s family since time immemorial and Elizabeta could only trust that he was loyal, if not an active member of the Arcanum. Despite being in his sixties, he had played the hero during an early attempt by the Workshop of Light to assassinate his master. Lunging in front of the one called Ferdinando as he opened fire cost Carrefour a bullet in his knee for his trouble. Stone had rewarded him with a fortune in gold sovereigns. The old man habitually ran one across his knuckles as he walked, as if to demonstrate his wealth. Elizabeta found it annoying but she had to admire his dedication; she had absolutely no inclination to jump in front of any bullet aimed at Lord Stone.

“...Milord is with company,” Carrefour was saying, “but he told me you were to be taken to him as soon as you arrived. Of course, we did expect you earlier.”

Resisting the urge to ram a blade into his back for his insolence, Elizabeta bit her tongue and merely followed him along the corridor. High windows to her left would have revealed a truly magnificent view of the city at night, if Stone had not insisted on the lamps being turned to their brightest. It was almost as if he hated the dark. Even his bedroom would be constantly illuminated; God only knew how he ever slept. Stone’s few attempts to entice her into his bed had been easily rebuffed, although she carefully offered the ever-present promise that she might one day concede. She had managed to pay a solitary visit to his rooms one evening, avoiding the staff long enough to discover that he kept numerous weapons beside his pillow—along with a number of instruments of pleasure, the cruelty of which impressed even her.

They stopped at the only door. Standing close behind Carrefour, Elizabeta noticed that he smelt faintly of perfume. An expensive brand. He had never shown a sign of having any kind of private life; could it be that Stone was passing some of his cast-off bedmates on to his retainer?

Before Elizabeta could ponder the value of such information and whether it represented a weakness she might exploit, Carrefour knocked once then pushed the door open.

As expected, each lamp in the room before them was at full power, banishing every shadow from the office where Stone did most of his work. It was exquisitely decorated and quite enormous. Shelves piled high with books ran along three walls, and the value of the library was beyond Elizabeta’s imagining. A heavy desk at the center of the room was devoid of paper, notes, or anything else left out for the casual observer—Stone did not trust his servant that much.

The only sign that the room was recently used was a table that hosted two empty bottles of wine and a number of glasses on a silver salver.

Carrefour gave the smallest possible nod, and waved an arm towards the room’s other door. “Ma’am,” he said to Elizabeta, “Lord Stone explained you were to go straight in. Regardless.”

A trace of a smile ran across his thin lips then disappeared as he busied himself removing the bottles and salver. Barely glancing at Elizabeta, he backed from the room and pulled the main door closed.

Basking in the solitude for a moment, she knew it was fruitless and quite dangerous to seek any information from Stone’s books or to try and pick the locks of his desk drawers. As much as he clearly appreciated her talents, he had no time for traitors and only one punishment: become a subject of one of Flair’s experiments. She would rather kill herself than give the doctor the pleasure of putting his hands on her body. Still, she continued to feel a powerful urge to discover what secrets she could among Stone’s papers. Knowledge was most definitely power where the Arcanum was concerned. It could also mean a longer life.