Into the Ether (14 page)

****

The next morning I woke in my room with a start.
Someone, probably Adele, had removed my clothing and corset and I lay in my own bed.
Broken furniture still leaned against one wall, but a dressing table and chair had been brought in
, a vase of flowers gracing
the tabletop.

The place was beginning to look more and more like home.

I got up,
pulled on
a long robe draped over the chair
—another
new item
–and
checked
the pocket watch that lay on the desk.
It was in the early hours of the morning.
No one else would be awake.
I slipped into my shoes and left
the
room, heading for the gallery.

The artifacts seemed pleased to see me again.
They whispered greetings as I passed.
I headed toward the storeroom entrance, but stopped short when a rotund figure came around the corner.

“So, you're back, eh?”

“I am.”
I clutched the top of the dressing gown closed at my throat.
Something about meeting Walter here in the early hours of the morning
made him threatening.

He fisted his hands on his hips and watched me.
“I would suggest that you get your priorities straight, my dear.
Three days isn't a long time, and I'd hate to see anything happen to any of our friends.”

Cold fingers of alarm brushed over my spine.
The hair on my arms stood at attention.
I doubt the curator or Phillip had to
ld him about my deadline.

“What do you mean?”
I backed up a step.
While I didn't want him to think I was scared, I also wanted room to run if I had to.
Walter and I had never gotten along, but I hadn't thought he would be this bad.

He cocked his head to the side.
“I mean you need to be careful.
If anything happens to Worthington or Phillip, I'll hold you responsible.”

The danger drain
ed
away from him like water from a gutter.
He
still made me anxious, but he
sensed my discomfort and softened his tone.
But under it all, a thread of menace slithered through his words.

“I would hold myself responsible.”

His brow rose.
“You intend to go through with it?”

B
ack
ing
away another step
, my lips pulled into a frown
.
“What other choice do I have?”

He stroked his chin and stared.
“Well, then.”

Without another word he pivoted and went back the way he'd come.
I blew out hard, willing my nerves back where they belonged.
Around me, the
statues, which
had fallen silent
,
now whispered furiously.
I turned and asked one to explain, but their answer was a garbled mix of English and Spanish.
I didn't try to understand.
I rubbed a palm over my face.

Things just kept getting more complicated.

****

Colonel Worthington
found me deep in
conversation with a set of
pearl-
handled pistols.
I'd come
down
to the storeroom
after
going
to my room and getting dressed for the day.
After the encounter with Walter, I knew returning to sleep would
have
be
en
impossible.

“I thought we'd find you here.”
He stroked one pistol with a calloused fingertip when I set it down.

“Couldn't sleep any longer
,
”
I mumbled.

He stared at me from under those furry eyebrows for a moment, but didn't comment further.

“I've got a mis
sion for you, if you don't mind,
”
h
e said.

“Certainly.”
Brushing off my skirt, I came around the table and walked back to his room with him.
A lunch tray
was
set up and c
overed with a tea towel, resting
on the side table near the door.
The curator flipped a hand at it as we came in.

“I'd like you to take Phillip some lunch.
He's been at work on the replica since early this morning.”

Guilt began to gather in the pit of my stomach.
“I'd be happy to.”
I picked up the tray, and stopped when Colonel Worthington's hand covered mine.

“Listen, Genevieve, before you go, there's one more thing.”
He waited until I put the tray down.
“Just in case something should happen to me, I need you to promise me something.”

“N
othing's going to happen to you,
” I told him, the words thick in my throat.

He smiled and squeeze
d
my fingers.
“All the same, I'd like to ask you a favor.”

“Anything.”

“The box you seek is something I
'
ve been guarding.
I'd like you to take my place as its guardian.”

 

“You what?”
I shouted.
He couldn't be serious.

“You said you'd do whatever I asked.
This is what I want.
If something should happen to me, it becomes your responsibility.
When you touch it, you will understand better what you protect.”
He chuckled.
“Perhaps better than I do.
What you decide to do with it then is your choice.
I believe you
'
ll make the right one.”

If I'd been a girl prone to fainting, I'd have done so.
“You can't give it to me.
I'm…I'm nobody.”

He shook his head.
“You're Genevieve Bond, and that is no small matter.
You'll be fine.
Now, come with me and I'll show you where
it's
hidden.”

H
e
tugged me into the small room where he slept and showed me how to open the false panel on the side.
Even as I felt the catch under my fingertips, my entire body shuddered with emotion.
I didn't want this responsibility.
It was too much for me.
Too much like Colonel Worthington was saying goodbye.

I flipped open the panel and saw a dark, worn rucksack before replacing it again and following the curator back into the living room.

“Now, remember, only in case of emergency.”

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
I couldn't decide whether to be afraid or flattered.

Colonel Worthington gave me a gentle push towards the door.
“Go on, then.
Phillip is waiting for lunch.
You'll see I'm right in the end.”

I picked up the tray
again and let my feet lead me
to Phillip's lair, but I wasn't really there.
My mind still crouched next to
the
false panel, anxiety curling through my throat and disbelief making my body tremble.

It was just so final.
As if Colonel Worthington were already saying goodbye because he knew something bad was coming.
I didn't want to be responsible for the stupid box.
People's lives were more important than a hunk of hollow metal.
Nothing inside could be worth so much
trouble
, could it?

I made my way down the stairs into Phillip's boiler room and forced my mind to the task of balancing the tray with most of the weight on one hand.
The staircase was narrow, and I didn't want to knock Phillip's lunch to the floor.

“Ah, my heroine approaches.”
Phillip called, dropping something into a large bucket of water and wiping his hands on a rag tucked into the front pocket of the leather apron he wore.
His face was drenched in sweat and rosy from standing at the forge all day.
He looked thrilled.

“How's it going?”

His teeth glowed against his ruddy face.
“Fantastic.
I love this kind of work, but I don't get to do it as often as I
'd
like.
The box should be ready when you need it.”

“Thanks, Phillip.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help.”

He shrugged and took a huge bite of the sandwich I'd brought.
“Listen, any time you need help, I'm here.
You'd do the same for me.”

Staring into the glowing embers of Phillip's forge, I couldn't suppress a small niggle of curiosity.
“What does it have in it, anyway?”

“You're asking the wrong person.
I know it
'
s important, but I don't even think the
colonel
knows what it is.
It hasn't been opened in years.”

My brow furrowed.
“Why would he put his life on the line if he doesn't even know what it is?”

Phillip wiped his mouth with the back of one hand.
“That's his job.
He's been in the service since he was old enough to have a commission.
He'll do it because Queen and country said so.
And to be honest
.” He
leaned forward as if he were sharing a dark secret.
“He was quite high in the pecking order when he retired.
They only ask him to do things now if it
'
s something extremely important.
So you can bet if he's guarding it, there's a good reason.”

It shouldn't have surprised me, I suppose.
The Colonel had never said much about his military career, but I gathered that it was mostly in intelligence.
He would have many contacts.
And I knew him
.
Phillip was right.
He wouldn't be guarding something he didn't believe was important.

Phillip polished off the last of the sandwich, took a swig from the ale bottle
,
and then patted my shoulder.
“Don't worry so much.
It'll give you wrinkles.”

He moved back to the forge, pulling the metal from the bucket of water with a pair of iron tongs.
The hunk of metal didn't look like much.

Phillip saw me looking and winked.
“Trust me, it gets better.”

“I certainly hope so.”
The cheerfulness was forced, but Phillip didn't notice.
He was whistling to himself as he stoked the fire and wiggled the metal into the glowing coals.

Turning to leave the rising heat, I almost r
an into Thomason.
How the auto
maton had managed to get behind me without making noise I
'
ll never know.
But there he stood, watching me as usual.

“Phillip
,
I think Thomason needs you.”

Phillip spared a cursory glance over his shoulder as he flipped the metal, which was beginning to glow.
“No.
He's here for you.”

“What?”

“Colonel Worthington decided you might need someone looking after you for the next couple of days.
He told Thomason to stay by your side.”

I wiped damp palms on my skirt and turned back to stare into those strange
,
yellow eyes.
Thomason cocked his head.

“You have to follow me around, huh?”

I came about four inches off the floor when Thomason nodded.

“
He
doesn't bite, Gennie
,”
Phillip said.

I glared over my shoulder.

He winked.
“Can't bite
,
no teeth.”

“Ha ha.
Very funny.”

Nibbling on my thumbnail, I stared at Thomason.
This was a development I had
n'
t expected.

“What will I do when I go to meet Spiros.
He can't come with me then.”

“That's a different matter.
Thomason doesn't walk outside the museum.
Ever.
He'll stay here for that.

“You taking note of all this?”
I muttered to the offending robot.

He nodded once, and I almost thought he looked sad for a moment.

“Go easy on him, Gennie.
Thomason's a little bit like you
,
lost and looking for something.”

I couldn't question his statement, because he began pounding away at the metal he'd put on the anvil.
With a frown, I headed for the door.
I needed to get a handle on myself.
There was no reason to feel the panic rising from the base of my spine.
No reason for me to wish that Colonel Worthington and Phillip were anywhere but here.

No reason at all.