driver, who declined; then she lit her own and said, “How much would your patron pay for this information?”
Beside Ian, Theo sucked in a small breath, and Ian held a finger over his lips.
“She would be willing to pay handsomely,” the man assured the cook, and he then reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out a few bills.
Carmina snatched the money right out of the driver’s hand and said, “They come here to pay a visit to the widow Castillo. The old man is interested in some diary kept by the widow’s brother, who died many years ago. I am told the English intend to stay a week or so to sort through the journal.”
The taxi driver nodded enthusiastically. “I believe my patron would like to see this diary. Do you think you might be able to secure it for me?”
Carmina looked about nervously, and both Theo and Ian pulled their heads in from the window, lest either one of the pair below look up. “I believe that can be arranged,”they heard her say. “For double what you have just given me.”
“Of course,” the driver said easily.
“The visitors are taking a siesta right now, and later tonight, after I have cooked them a nice hearty meal, they will surely wish to turn in immediately. I can also ensure that their sleep is sound enough that they will not overhear my securing the diary and delivering it to you. Where should I meet you?”
“I will have my lorry parked on the road behind those woods,” said the driver. Ian inched his nose above the sill to peek out at the woods set behind the back garden.
“Make sure you have the money,” Carmina reminded him curtly. “Now go before the widow wakes and sees you.”
A moment later they heard the closing of the back door, followed by the quick footfalls of the driver hurrying down the dirt path to the woods.
Ian’s heart was racing and he and Theo stared at each other with stunned expressions. “This is terrible!” Theo whispered.
Ian nodded dully, too surprised to speak for a long moment. He thought back to the woman from the train who’d been quick to turn away the moment he’d looked at her, and how later he’d seen her hand some bills to their taxi driver but hadn’t got into the taxicab. He was convinced that she was a spy for one of the sorcerers, but what her true identity was, he had no idea. He also had the thought again that she and the man with the bronze cuffs could be working together.
“We’ve got to alert the earl,” Ian finally said, getting up to move quickly to the door, but as he walked across the wood planks, they creaked loudly and he stopped, afraid Carmina might hear him and realize they were awake.
Theo seemed to be reading his mind, because she whispered, “We’ll have to wait.”
Ian turned back and tiptoed to the bed. “Yes,” he agreed.
Much later that evening, after supper, when Señora Castillo had finally retired to bed, Ian whispered to the earl that he had a most urgent matter to discuss with all of them. They made their way to the widow’s library, where Carl—who’d been told all about the treachery the moment he’d awakened from his afternoon nap—stood guard at the door, keeping a watchful eye out for Carmina.
“This is most distressing,” said the professor after Ian recounted what he and Theo had overheard. “Most distressing indeed!”
“Professor,” the earl asked, “has Señora Castillo given you her brother’s journal yet?”
The professor nodded. “Yes,” he said, pulling a singed leather-bound book from his blazer pocket. “She gave it to me just before dinner. But, my lord, I’ve only had a brief moment to look through it. Barnaby was a meticulous scribe, you see, and he made an exact replica of the last of the Oracle’s scroll. There’s a fair degree of smoke damage to the text. My eyes aren’t what they once were; deciphering his scribbles will be rather slow going, I’m afraid.”
“How long would it take you to translate the prophecy?” the earl
Beside Ian, Theo sucked in a small breath, and Ian held a finger over his lips.
“She would be willing to pay handsomely,” the man assured the cook, and he then reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out a few bills.
Carmina snatched the money right out of the driver’s hand and said, “They come here to pay a visit to the widow Castillo. The old man is interested in some diary kept by the widow’s brother, who died many years ago. I am told the English intend to stay a week or so to sort through the journal.”
The taxi driver nodded enthusiastically. “I believe my patron would like to see this diary. Do you think you might be able to secure it for me?”
Carmina looked about nervously, and both Theo and Ian pulled their heads in from the window, lest either one of the pair below look up. “I believe that can be arranged,”they heard her say. “For double what you have just given me.”
“Of course,” the driver said easily.
“The visitors are taking a siesta right now, and later tonight, after I have cooked them a nice hearty meal, they will surely wish to turn in immediately. I can also ensure that their sleep is sound enough that they will not overhear my securing the diary and delivering it to you. Where should I meet you?”
“I will have my lorry parked on the road behind those woods,” said the driver. Ian inched his nose above the sill to peek out at the woods set behind the back garden.
“Make sure you have the money,” Carmina reminded him curtly. “Now go before the widow wakes and sees you.”
A moment later they heard the closing of the back door, followed by the quick footfalls of the driver hurrying down the dirt path to the woods.
Ian’s heart was racing and he and Theo stared at each other with stunned expressions. “This is terrible!” Theo whispered.
Ian nodded dully, too surprised to speak for a long moment. He thought back to the woman from the train who’d been quick to turn away the moment he’d looked at her, and how later he’d seen her hand some bills to their taxi driver but hadn’t got into the taxicab. He was convinced that she was a spy for one of the sorcerers, but what her true identity was, he had no idea. He also had the thought again that she and the man with the bronze cuffs could be working together.
“We’ve got to alert the earl,” Ian finally said, getting up to move quickly to the door, but as he walked across the wood planks, they creaked loudly and he stopped, afraid Carmina might hear him and realize they were awake.
Theo seemed to be reading his mind, because she whispered, “We’ll have to wait.”
Ian turned back and tiptoed to the bed. “Yes,” he agreed.
Much later that evening, after supper, when Señora Castillo had finally retired to bed, Ian whispered to the earl that he had a most urgent matter to discuss with all of them. They made their way to the widow’s library, where Carl—who’d been told all about the treachery the moment he’d awakened from his afternoon nap—stood guard at the door, keeping a watchful eye out for Carmina.
“This is most distressing,” said the professor after Ian recounted what he and Theo had overheard. “Most distressing indeed!”
“Professor,” the earl asked, “has Señora Castillo given you her brother’s journal yet?”
The professor nodded. “Yes,” he said, pulling a singed leather-bound book from his blazer pocket. “She gave it to me just before dinner. But, my lord, I’ve only had a brief moment to look through it. Barnaby was a meticulous scribe, you see, and he made an exact replica of the last of the Oracle’s scroll. There’s a fair degree of smoke damage to the text. My eyes aren’t what they once were; deciphering his scribbles will be rather slow going, I’m afraid.”
“How long would it take you to translate the prophecy?” the earl
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