Seven Dreams

by English, Charlotte E.

  She waited in breathless anticipation, but to her disappointment, neither party spoke. The Desperate Character merely glanced about into the shadows in a disappointingly cursory fashion, and then handed something to Dame Halavere. What it was Serena could not, in the darkness, determine, but it seemed to satisfy the lady; she nodded, tucked the thing into a pocket of her gown without looking at it, and immediately withdrew. Serena feared for an instant that she would pass by them on her way back to the house, but she disappeared into the darkness on the other side of the hedge. The Desperate Character returned the way he had come, leaving Serena and Fabian alone.

  Fabian stuck his hands into his pockets and stood for a moment in thought. ‘Worth pursuing?’ he eventually enquired.

  Serena shrugged. ‘Could’ve been anything.’

  ‘A grocery list,’ Fabian agreed.

  ‘A recipe for hair pomade.’

  ‘The name of his tailor.’

  ‘A love note.’

  ‘Mm,’ Fabian said appreciatively. ‘Scandalous.’

  ‘We had better find out,’ Serena decided. ‘All that skulking has to indicate something juicy.’

  ‘Has to.’

  ‘But how to retrieve it? The pockets of a lady’s ball gown are closely guarded.’

  ‘Egg could do it,’ Fabian suggested. ‘Or Jispie.’

  ‘True, but where are they? I don’t want Halavere to have time to use or destroy whatever it is, before we can get to it.’

  A hint of wariness crept into Fabian’s tone. ‘What exactly do you have in mind?’

  Serena directed at him her most winning smile. ‘Dearest Fabe, seeing as you are quite the handsomest of brothers—’

  ‘Oh, no,’ he said firmly, cutting her off. ‘I am not seducing a woman again just so you can go rummaging in her pockets.’

  ‘Actually, I thought that you would do the pocket-rummaging.’ She paused. ‘That came out a little wrong.’

  Fabian gave one of his snorts of laughter, but he still shook his head. ‘Absolutely not. Besides, if we don’t have time to find Egg, what makes you think we have time for that?’

  ‘All you have to do is dance with her. Come on!’

  Fabian began to say something else, but Serena had already darted away in the direction Halavere had taken. She had learned the trick long ago of moving quickly and quietly on any terrain, gravel included, and she soon caught up with Halavere. Their hostess appeared to be making her way back to the ballroom, but slowly, and by a circuitous route. Serena and Fabian followed a cautious distance behind, keeping a close eye on her, but she met no one else nor did her hand ever stray to the pocket in which she’d secreted whatever her associate had given her. At last she disappeared back into the swelling music and welcoming lights of the ballroom.

  ‘Go!’ Serena hissed.

  ‘Egg’s probably already on it,’ he protested.

  ‘Egg could be doing a million other things right now.’

  Fabian thought about that for a second. ‘I don’t really think that’s possible, no.’

  Serena gave him an inelegant shove in the direction of the ballroom. He gave a deep, long-suffering sigh, but he went. Serena trailed inside soon afterwards and observed, to her satisfaction, that Fabian had succeeded in securing Dame Halavere for a dance, and was whirling her around the floor. He was clearly exerting all his considerable powers to please, and not without success, for the lady’s attention was fully focused upon him.

  Serena drifted back to the punch bowls. She could rely on Fabe to get the goods; though he was not nearly so talented a pickpocket as Egg, he was certainly equal to this challenge. She was soon solicited for a dance herself, an invitation which she accepted, and a pleasant half-hour or so passed happily away. Fabian danced all the while with Halavere.

  They met by the buffet table soon afterwards, and under cover of handing her a laden plate with all possible brotherly solicitude, Fabian hissed, ‘Piece of paper. Blank.’

  Serena almost dropped the plate. ‘What?’

  ‘Nothing on it,’ he clarified.

  Serena suppressed a sigh. ‘I know what blank means. How can it be blank? Surely it is some kind of invisible message.’

  ‘It’s blank,’ Fabian repeated.

  Serena drooped over her plate of sweets, disappointed and puzzled. Had Halavere’s contact deceived her somehow? Or did she know, or suspect, that she was under observation and had acted out the whole charade in order to deceive? Perhaps the real meeting was taking place somewhere else, or perhaps it was already over. What if she knew who was here to watch her? Serena thought not, but couldn’t be sure.

  ‘I think we’d better behave ourselves for the next while,’ Serena said sadly.

  Fabian sighed. ‘How boring.’

  On the other side of the garden, Teyo and Egg were particularly well-concealed. Teyo’s draykon heritage granted him more than passable skill at sorcery, arts which had long been familiar and widely practiced across the Seven — even if their source had only recently come to be understood. He had cloaked them both in a patch of shadow, making them indistinguishable from the darkness around them. As such, it had been possible for them to creep up very close to Halavere and her contact without being seen.

  They watched the exchange in silence, and a touch of disappointment. Halavere didn’t even look at the piece of paper; she merely stuffed it into her pocket and walked off. Teyo had been hoping to see some kind of altercation, which might have revealed more about the purpose of the meeting and the extent of Halavere’s involvement in Unspeakable business. He was obliged to content himself with the knowledge that her evening would grow somewhat complicated as soon as she realised the paper was blank.

  ‘I’m going to follow him,’ Teyo whispered to Egg, who agreed with a silent nod. They tailed the Unspeakable Gentleman all the way around the edges of the extensive gardens and up to the edge of the wide lawn that surrounded the house. It would be much harder to follow him across all that, and he suspected there would be little point; the man’s purpose had apparently been fulfilled, he had no one further to meet and no other tasks to accomplish, and he was leaving. Teyo thought he could be left to return to whichever rat-hole he was crouching in tonight, and turned back to Egg.

  ‘Thoughts?’ she said.

  ‘Think anything else is likely to happen tonight?’

  ‘Her Dameship is due to throw a fit at some point, but I’m not sure we’ll be able to catch that show.’ This last was spoken with some regret.

  Teyo nodded. ‘We’ve got what we came for. Let’s find Rena and Fabe and get out of here.’

  Their associates were summoned by the simple means of sending Jisp into the ball room and up the legs of either Serena or Fabian, whichever she encountered first. This errand complete, Teyo and Egg retired to the gates to await the arrival of the stupendous Chartre/Bastavere carriage, which soon drew up. They piled inside, and Teyo sank gratefully down onto the seat opposite Serena.

  ‘I had no idea the life of a footman was so exhausting,’ he muttered, sagging. ‘Two hundred cloaks later, and my arms hurt like—’

  ‘Whiner,’ muttered Egg.

  ‘Only tell me you have something fabulous to report, and it will all be worth it,’ Serena said. ‘Fabe and I failed. We saw Halavere meet someone, but he apparently gave her a blank piece of paper. Maybe a decoy?’

  Egg rolled her eyes and groaned. ‘We’ve been working together how long? Four years, isn’t it?’

  Serena turned a hopeful gaze upon Egg. ‘You found something?’

  Egg gave a snort. ‘What do you think I was doing while you were tearing up the ballroom? Knitting?’

  Teyo gave her a reproachful glance, and she patted his knee in brief apology. ‘Sorry, Teyo. I don’t mean to imply that knitting isn’t an exceptionally worthy pastime.’

  Teyo nodded cool acceptance of this concession.

  ‘You switched the paper!’ Serena guessed.

  ‘Of course I switched the paper,’ Egg utt
ered with infinite weariness. She took the real paper out of her pocket and thrust it at Fabian, who was sitting opposite. Serena immediately craned her neck to look at it too.

  ‘I caught Halavere’s contact before the meeting ever took place,’ Egg continued. ‘He stuck out like a sore thumb, did you notice? Anyway, I got the paper off him after I tied him up and chucked him over a brandy barrel.’

  Serena and Fabian were too busy consulting over the contents of the note to pay any heed to Egg’s announcement, and she turned a piteous stare upon Teyo.

  ‘There, there,’ he said soothingly. ‘I know you were brilliant.’

  ‘I need a pay rise,’ Egg muttered.

  ‘So, this place,’ Serena said. ‘You two know who it belongs to, right?’ She displayed the note, upon which was written the name Bellaster Park.

  Teyo and Egg both shook their heads. ‘High society is your field,’ Egg said tartly.

  ‘It belongs,’ said Serena with a great sigh, ‘to Baron Anserval.’

  ‘Who?’ said Teyo.

  ‘Baron Farran Anserval!’ Serena elaborated in a grand voice. ‘The King of Pomposity! He’s fabulously wealthy. He purchased his barony a few years ago and settled down in southern Irbel, at the incredibly ostentatious Bellaster Park. Since then he’s devoted himself to buying basically everything of any value that comes in his way. The house is stuffed with rubbish by now.’

  ‘What does Halavere want with any of that?’ Teyo enquired.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Serena said with a small frown. ‘I might guess that he is an associate of the Unspeakables as well, but probably not? It looks more like he’s a target. In which case, perhaps he’s acquired something that Halavere wants — and, perhaps, that the Unspeakables want too.’

  ‘A robbery!’ said Egg in delight.

  ‘Maybe.’

  Teyo frowned. ‘Private houses are difficult to infiltrate, especially these grand places. Any chance he’ll be giving a ball soon?’

  Serena said nothing, only sighed. Fabian answered instead, with a particularly fiendish grin.

  ‘That won’t be a problem,’ he said.

  Egg kicked him in the shins. ‘Don’t be mysterious. Tell us why it won’t be a problem.’

  ‘Because,’ he said with relish, ‘The good Baron Anserval happens to be horribly in love with Serena.’

  ‘He is not,’ protested Serena, sitting abruptly upright with bristling indignation. ‘He is in love with Lady Fenella.’

  ‘You’re right,’ Fabian apologised. ‘A most vital distinction.’

  Serena nodded gravely. ‘I can’t deny that it is a useful happenstance, but it is most tiresome. He really is the most dreadful bore.’

  Fabian made a soothing noise. ‘Perhaps Oliver won’t wish us to pursue it.’

  Teyo raised his brows. Oliver Tullen, their boss, was typically in favour of their pursuing everything that came up in connection with the Unspeakables; he would certainly send them after this little mystery. Serena knew it, too, for she turned upon Fabian a withering look and made no reply.

  ‘Yes, I suppose you’re right,’ Fabian said, nodding wisely. ‘You’ll just have to steel yourself, sis, and put up with an hour or two of fervent admiration.’

  ‘Which hour or two?’ Egg demanded. ‘We have only a place. No date or time, or anything to tell us what’s happening there or when. And we haven’t got much time to figure it out. Switching the paper won’t slow Halavere down for long. She’ll wring the information out of somebody soon enough.’

  ‘Stake-out,’ said Teyo.

  Egg sighed. ‘I suppose.’

  ‘No matter,’ said Serena with a brilliant smile. ‘There are more of us, now, after all! Many hands make light work, and all that.’

  Teyo blinked. ‘What?’

  Serena beamed at him. ‘It’s time to go and pick up our new recruit.’

  Chapter Three

  When the carriage arrived at the site of the ill-fated holdup, Wendle slowed it to a near-crawl, as per Serena’s instructions. She waited expectantly, but nobody hailed the carriage, and it did not stop to collect anybody. She unfastened the window and stuck out her head, hoping to catch sight of a dark figure lurking in the moonlight.

  The road was empty.

  ‘Has he fled?’ said Fabian, with too evident satisfaction.

  ‘She,’ Serena corrected. ‘And yes, it looks like she did.’ She sat back, disappointed.

  ‘You mean we’re not getting an inept highway robber on the team?’ Egg said, with awful sarcasm. ‘How shall I bear my disappointment?’

  ‘We’re not getting a second shapeshifter on the team,’ Serena corrected.

  Egg shrugged. ‘We have Teyo.’

  ‘Who may appreciate some help in that area, from time to time.’

  ‘So? Ask Oliver to find us someone. You can’t just pick people up off the road.’

  ‘I really don’t see why not,’ Serena murmured. She glanced at Teyo, hoping for some support, but he only gazed back at her thoughtfully, and said nothing.

  Fabian thumped the roof of the carriage in the signal to drive on, but at that moment something caught Serena’s eye outside the window, and she threw open the door. ‘Wait!’ she called, though whether to Wendle or to her new recruit, she couldn’t say.

  Both obeyed her. Wendle drew the carriage to a complete stop, and Serena jumped down to find a slight, dark figure a few feet away. The person in question looked Serena’s way, hesitated, and then turned and ran.

  Serena swore. She couldn’t give chase, not in her voluminous ball gown.

  ‘I’ll get her,’ said Teyo behind her. Serena heard the thump of his feet as he jumped out of the carriage and he passed her, running at full tilt. He soon caught up to the fugitive. Serena watched with a little anxiety; she had seen that Teyo’s quarry could use a blade. Would she attack him? She couldn’t tell, in the darkness, whether the girl had tried, but Teyo soon reappeared, leading the girl with her hands secured behind her back.

  ‘Don’t take it amiss,’ he was saying in his low, calming voice. ‘No one’s going to hurt you.’

  ‘Oh? Then why am I restrained?’ growled the girl, though she made no attempt to escape. ‘Doesn’t look like I have any choice here.’

  ‘You do,’ Teyo replied. ‘Hear the lady out. If you want no part of it after, then off you go.’

  The girl squinted suspiciously at Serena, who smiled reassuringly. ‘Come into the carriage,’ she said, ‘and I’ll tell you what this is about.’

  ‘Oh, no,’ said the girl, shaking her head. ‘You’re not getting me in there.’

  ‘Then we’ll talk out here,’ said Serena easily. She found a light-globe in one of her pockets and let it go. It immediately floated up a couple of feet and began to shine nicely, allowing the girl to see Serena’s face. And vice versa, she’d hoped, but the girl still wore a mask and a hood.

  ‘You waited for us,’ Serena said. ‘Why?’

  ‘I need work,’ the girl replied bluntly. ‘But when I seen that carriage again, I changed my mind. What do the likes of the aristocracy want with me? Nothing good, can’t be.’

  ‘We aren’t aristocrats,’ Serena said. ‘It’s just an act. We were out on a job tonight, and it was a useful cover.’

  ‘What job?’

  ‘Espionage,’ Serena said with a broad smile.

  ‘You aren’t spies,’ said the girl. ‘That’s ridiculous.’

  ‘No, true. We aren’t, precisely,’ Serena agreed. ‘We do espionage sometimes. We also do breaking and entering; retrieval of valuable objects (which some lesser-minded persons sometimes call “theft”); interception and restraint of dangerous persons (which is sometimes known as “abduction”); and, umm... there’s more.’

  ‘Thrilling heroics,’ said Teyo.

  ‘Oh, yes! Plenty of that.’

  ‘So you’re crooks,’ said the girl.

  ‘No!’ said Serena with a laugh. ‘Goodness, no. Or... I mean, some of our methods aren’t always wholly l
egal, but we aren’t crooks. We catch the crooks.’ This pronouncement produced an immediate increase of alarm in her reluctant audience, and Serena added hastily, ‘We aren’t the authorities either! We help them. Sort of.’

  ‘You’re making a complete mull of this, Ren,’ came Egg’s voice from inside the carriage.

  Serena sighed. ‘It’s always so hard to explain.’

  ‘Well, you’ve caught me,’ sighed the girl, sagging in Teyo’s grip. ‘What happens now?’

  ‘We weren’t trying to catch you,’ Serena hastened to clarify. ‘We’re trying to recruit you.’

  ‘You’re trying to recruit her,’ muttered Egg. ‘Or him, or whatever.’

  ‘Fine. I’m trying to recruit you,’ said Serena. ‘You’ve got some skills we can use.’

  ‘Yeah? And my current occupation as a robbing thief doesn’t bother you?’

  ‘Half of us have similar backgrounds.’

  ‘You?’ said the girl with obvious scepticism.

  ‘No, not me. Some of the others.’

  The girl twisted her head to regard Teyo with what was probably a questioning look. He remained impassive, however, and said nothing. Teyo wouldn’t readily talk about his past even with his friends, let alone a stranger.

  ‘Will there be food?’ the girl said abruptly.

  Serena blinked. ‘Why, yes. Yes, of course we’ll feed you.’

  ‘Every day?’

  ‘Three times a day. More, if you like.’

  The girl considered this. ‘Somewhere to sleep?’ she added.

  ‘Somewhere to sleep. Your own room, most of the time. Food, shelter, clothes. Pay.’

  The girl’s eyes widened at this. ‘All that and you’re going to pay me?’