Mirrorscape (15 page)

Missing Persons

‘How many of them were there?' asked Wren.

‘I counted twenty-six, including Green and Blue. Green said there were a few others. And they've got a spy up here in Vlam.'

‘Oh, if they've got twenty-six
and
a spy, then that makes
all
the difference,' said Ludo.

‘So who is this spy?' asked Wren. ‘The master?'

‘No,' said Mel. ‘I think the master's on their side but he's not the spy. Green said the spy's conspicuous.'

‘How about Dirk Tot,' said Ludo. ‘You can't get more conspicuous than him.'

‘It
can't
be him,' said Mel. ‘I know what I saw on the road to Vlam. It's got to be someone who hates the Mysteries.'

‘That narrows the field a bit,' said Wren. ‘
Everyone
hates the Mysteries.'

‘Everyone hates the Mysteries for good reason. You've seen at first hand what they're capable of, Mel – and that was just because of a single Pleasure.'
Ludo took another mouthful of porridge. ‘Imagine what they would do if they caught someone who was helping the rebels. Better still, don't. Did they
really
eat cat?'

‘Keep your voice down.' Mel gazed around the empty refectory. ‘I promised I would help. It wasn't cat, it was
rat
.' He looked at the remains of his breakfast and pushed it aside. ‘What about you? What do you suppose Groot's going to do? And what are you going to do about losing the key to the service passages?'

‘Nobody knew I had it,' said Wren. ‘I'll have to try and get another. And Groot was probably too drunk to remember he caught us.' Wren cleared away a few breakfast plates.

‘Don't count on it,' said Ludo. ‘When it comes to being spiteful, he's got a memory like an elephant. Aren't you going to eat that?'

Mel pushed his bowl across the table to Ludo.

‘We'll cross that bridge when we come to it,' said Wren. ‘Now, eat up and get a move on, you two. You're already late. All the other 'prentices went up to the studio ages ago.'

‘Yeah, I can hardly wait,' said Mel.

Later in the day, Ludo went into the storeroom for some varnish. As he was searching the shelves for what he needed, he heard the door close quietly and Groot's voice say, ‘Here, you dropped this, Ludo.'

‘I didn't drop anything.' He turned and saw the head apprentice holding a small paper parcel. He knew at once what it contained.

‘You know what happens to snivelling little apprentices who steal pigment from the master, don't you? It'll be a shame to see you go. I've so enjoyed tormenting you.'

‘Everyone knows who's been doing the stealing around here, Groot. I'm surprised you've not been rumbled before now.'

‘Rumbled? Me? Oh, I'm much too careful for that, Ludo. I learnt from the best. You're forgetting who my family are.'

‘A bunch of thieves?' said Ludo bravely.

‘Why, you little scut …. You know, I think we'll go to old Half-Face now. We'll see who he believes.'

‘He's not the fool you take him for.'

‘You think so? Can you be absolutely certain that you won't be packing your bags and heading home before the day's out? And, you know what: I think I'll ask my uncle Adolfus to open an investigation into the Cleefs. See if they can account for every single Pleasure they consume. And they do consume an awful lot of Pleasures, don't they? Shall I do that?'

‘Leave my family out of this.'

‘It's you who brought up families, Ludo, not me. What do you imagine a thorough audit might turn up?'

Ludo felt sick. His family, like many others, often bought additional Pleasures on the black market. ‘You wouldn't.'

‘Oh yes, I would. Just think how much your family would enjoy a stay in the dungeon at the House of Mysteries. I think I'll go and mention it to my uncle this evening.' Groot paused for effect. ‘Unless, that is, you were to tell me how he did it.'

‘What?'

‘Come on, Ludo. You know what I'm talking about. How did Smell manage to vanish like that?'

That evening the office of the High-Bailiff of the Fifth Mystery was a happy place.

‘Well done, Groot, my boy, well done! You are to be congratulated. This is a triumph!' The High-Bailiff held up Mel's sketch of the mirrormark. ‘Look, he's even signed it for us. How did you manage it?'

‘It was nothing, Uncle. After all, I learned from the best.'

Adolfus Spute treated his nephew to one of his repulsive smiles. Mumchance was happy too. With his master in such a good mood there was little chance of his receiving a kicking.

‘Now, are you sure you've got this right? There's another world inside Blenk's paintings? And he uses this … this thingamajig to go there? And we can use it too? And those infernal rebels you say, under the House of Thrones?'

‘Yes, Uncle.'

‘You know, dear boy, this is the opportunity I've been waiting a long, long time for. Blenk has always been a thorn in the side of the Mysteries. With his wealth and influential friends, he's always been able to
buy Half-Face out of trouble before now. I think we'll arrange a little surprise for him inside this Mirrorscape, something to lure him in and keep him there. As soon as Blenk is removed from the scene, that repulsive giant will be mine for the taking. Once he's in my hands I'll make him pay for all the humiliation he's heaped on me over the years.' Adolfus Spute's eyes glowed. ‘This is everything I could have wished for. Well, almost everything. You searched the Fegish runt's possessions thoroughly, I take it?'

‘Yes, Uncle. Including his hidey-hole.'

‘And there was nothing else there? Nothing of mine?'

‘Only his scribble.'

Adolfus Spute's brow darkened for a moment. ‘You won't go unrewarded. We'll soon see if Half-Face has indeed been fabricating counterfeit pigments, as I've long suspected. There's always been too much blue in that household for my liking. Even Blenk would have been stretched to afford that much. Then the monster and his silver hand will be packed away to end his days on Kig, and I will sit at the head of the Council table. Lord Spute!
Everyone will be so grateful. There are great times ahead for you and me, dear boy, great times.'

‘And Smell, Uncle?'

‘After I retrieve my property, you can have him. You can do whatever you please with him. My gift. The first of many once I'm Lord-High-Master. The time is ripe for us to pay a little visit to Ambrosius, high-and-mighty, Blenk's mansion, don't you think? This is wonderful, simply
wonderful
!'

The following day, Mel returned to scrubbing a floor that had acquired a great many more stains overnight. Groot caught his eye and smiled a triumphant smile.

Mel edged towards Ludo. ‘He's up to something.'

‘Not now. Can't you see I'm busy?'

What's got into him?
wondered Mel.

Ludo said nothing else to Mel all day.

Normally, the master would have visited the studio in the morning to inspect and comment on the work in progress, but he failed to show up. By the afternoon, the household rumour-mill was again in full swing.

‘The master's unwell.'

‘
Rubbish!
He's never had a day's illness in his life.'

‘A friend of a friend saw him going into the House of Thrones. They said one of his pictures is falling to pieces.'

‘
Piffle!
There are no paintings better made than the master's.'

‘He's locked in his studio, working on a secret commission.'

‘
Nonsense!
In that case, why are the mistress and Dirk Tot also looking for him?'

He still had not shown up by bedtime.

Something's wrong
, thought Mel.
Very wrong
.

Late that night, there came a fearful noise of pounding. ‘Open up! Open up in the name of the Fifth Mystery!'

The commotion filled the courtyard and penetrated the dormitory, waking Mel. He got up and opened the window near his bed. The other apprentices crowded the windows that ran the length of the dormitory. He saw that Groot, Bunt and Jurgis were not among them. Ludo remained in his bed.

‘Ludo, wake up! There's something going on down there.'

Ludo appeared to sleep on.

Mel watched from his window as two score men-at-arms carrying lanterns burst into the courtyard and surged towards the main door. Then Adolfus Spute, with Mumchance in tow, strode out of the tunnel.

Minch, still in his nightshirt, emerged from the mansion and confronted the High-Bailiff. He attempted to block his way.

Mel watched as Mumchance crept behind Minch and got down on all fours.

‘How
dare
you! You bucket of lard,' screamed Adolfus Spute. ‘No one stands in the way of the Fifth Mystery. Especially not a flabby, offal-brained privy-licker. He pushed Minch, who fell over the crouching dwarf. Adolfus Spute strode into the mansion laughing.

‘Mel.
Mel
.'

Mel looked round for the whispered voice.

‘Over here.'

Wren's hand was beckoning him from the crack of the door to the service passage. Mel looked at
the other apprentices but they were too engrossed in the scene below to pay any attention. He crossed to the passage and briskly stepped inside, closing the door after him.

‘What's going on?'

‘I don't know. They're ransacking the place,' said Wren.

‘They've got a nerve. Is the master back yet? He'll give them what for.'

‘No. No one's seen him since yesterday. Dirk Tot will throw them out.'

‘You really think so?' Mel chewed his fingernail. ‘What's up with Ludo? He won't talk to me.'

‘Perhaps he's unwell.'

‘Perhaps.'

‘I think you'd better stay out of sight, Mel, till the High-Bailiff's gone.'

‘You don't need to tell me. I'll hide in the clock.'

‘The sooner, the better. Come on, follow me.' When they reached the door opposite the clock, Wren opened it a crack and quickly closed it again.

‘What?' said Mel.

‘They've got Dirk Tot. He's in chains. They're taking him away.'

‘
What!
' Mel stole a look. ‘Trying to, more like.' Six burly men-at-arms had to restrain the giant as they bundled him down the stairs. Several more followed, carting away laboratory equipment and boxes full of illicit pigment. ‘Looks like they knew exactly where to go.'

‘Still think he's one of them?' asked Wren.

‘Yeah.'

‘You don't sound so certain.'

That night, Mel slept in the clock, waking on the hour, every hour.

In the morning the men of the Fifth Mystery had gone. Mel ventured from the clock, dressed and made his way up to the studio. Without anyone to tell them what to do, the apprentices stood around idle. All of them that is except for Mel, who was ordered to continue scrubbing, and Ludo, who said he was ill. He had taken to his bed and refused to talk to anyone.

Soon the skylarking began as balls of paper were
flung about the studio. This quickly escalated into dollops of paint. When this paint fight was in full sway, and Mel's hopes of ever getting the floor clean were rapidly disappearing into infinity, Minch entered the studio, receiving a large glob of cadmium yellow full in the face. He wiped this from his eyes and pointed a fat finger at Mel. ‘You. To the mistress.
Now!
' he ordered.

Mel followed the angry, paint-stained servant up to the top of the mansion.
It's the monkey
.
I know it's the monkey. I'm going to be punished for what happened to Albinus
.

Minch knocked on the door to the master's private studio.

‘Yes?'

Minch opened the door and ushered Mel in before departing. The mistress was sitting in a large upholstered chair with Albinus in her lap and her lady-in-waiting standing at her side. She was dressed in much more sober clothes than the last time he had seen her and she looked less frivolous and more noble, almost a different woman. Mel noticed that the master's canvas had its face turned to the wall.

‘Mistress, if it's about Albinus, I'm really sorry,' gushed Mel.

‘What? No, it's not about that. In fact, now that I've got used to him, I really rather like it. My husband made me a gift of some more. They've become quite the rage among my friends.' Turning to her companion she said, ‘Thank you, Gerta. That will be all. You may leave us now.'

When they were alone, the mistress sat studying the apprentice before she spoke. ‘My husband and Dirk Tot have been watching you for some time, Womper. They tell me that there's more to you than meets the eye. Is that true?'

Mel did not know what to answer.

‘They even think that you might know a secret. A secret that you shouldn't know.'

‘I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Mistress.'