Scotland Hard (Book 2 in the Tom & Laura Series) (2 page)

2.
  
Taken

The Seven Branches of Military Magic

The principles of magic established by Sir Isaac Newton state that individuals may only possess one of these magical abilities.

- from A Short History of Military Magics by Sir Anthony Barrett

Laura and Tom spent an enjoyable day with the Prince of Wales as their train wound its circuitous route from the training school for spies at Hobsgate back to
London
and Paddington Station. They spent much of that time, relating their recent adventures to a captivated Albert Edward Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prince of Wales, Heir to the throne of the British Empire and universally known as Bertie.

They started their story from the day Tom sought Laura’s help after being transformed into a dog. They finished the story with the defeat of the Captain and his crew, who had been hell bent on capturing or killing the Prime Minister and the Prince.

“And don’t forget that Hungarian assassin when we boarded the train,” Bertie reminded them. “He seemed a little irate with you too.”

Laura smiled. “I am beginning to regard Bruno as one of our oldest friends, or at the least, the easiest of our enemies to defeat.”

Tom sighed. “I’m hoping he will turn out to be the last of our enemies. Do you think the
United States
will leave us alone in the future?”

Bertie unconsciously touched his jacket pocket where Trelawney’s letter to his mother rested in the inside pocket.

“I don’t think the Captain was working for the
United States
government and neither does Sir Ernest.”

Tom slapped his hand down on the chair, startling Laura. “That’s the trouble with all this spying nonsense; nobody is who they say they are. We still don’t know who Snood was working for when he tried to kill Laura.”

“I think that attack was aimed at you, Thomas,” Bertie said soberly. “But you will not have to worry about that enemy in the future. I shall resolve the matter personally.”

Tom stared at Bertie in astonishment. There was a touch of steel in the young man’s eye that suggested the Saxe-Coburg line had not become the most powerful royal family in the world by being nice to everybody.

Laura smiled in satisfaction. If the Prince could take care of Tom’s enemy that was one less of them they had to worry about. She was pleased how effortlessly they had edited out their secrets while telling the Prince of their adventures. Their limited stay at Hobsgate must have taught them something.

They had made no mention of the two Spellbinder drawings hidden at Laura’s home. Those unique binds somehow enhanced the magical powers the two of them possessed. They had glossed over Tom’s extraordinary use of healing powers and avoided any mention of Laura refusal to use her binds to kill. Class A Spellbinders were vital weapons in the Empire and such an admission would have put Laura at considerable risk of imprisonment or worse.

“I wonder if we shall see Cam and Daisy when they come to
London
.” Laura said when silence dragged on for a little too long.

“I hope so,” Tom replied. He already missed their friends and even Arnold.

“You must all come and visit me at Buck House,” Bertie said. “Mother and Father will most certainly want to meet you and it’s the least I can do.”

“
Buckingham
Palace
? I don’t have a thing to wear.” Laura countered. “I can’t go to an audience with the Queen in these clothes.”

Bertie grinned. “Those boy’s clothes suited you perfectly, though Mother would certainly not approve.”

Laura blushed. She had disguised herself as a cabin boy at the end of their encounter with the Captain. The shirt had been particularly tight and far too revealing; though she was pleased with the effect it had on Tom.

Bertie reached for his pipe. “Since you have seen fit to tell me of your extraordinary adventures it is only fair I should tell you some of mine.”

For the rest of the journey, Bertie regaled them with stories of the important people he had met and the things he had seen. The heir to the throne of the
British Empire
displayed an extraordinary ability as a raconteur and many times Tom and Laura were reduced to tears of laughter.

It was a couple of hours past midnight when the train finally hissed to a halt. It came to rest a few yards from the end of the track on platform one inside Isambard Kingdom Brunel engineering masterpiece, Paddington Station.

A considerable number of burly men in ill-fitting suits were waiting on the platform. They surrounded the Prince as soon as he stepped off the train. Tom saw their hands twitch towards barely concealed weapons at every unexpected sound.

The men had no interest in Tom or Laura. They ignored them as they hurried the Prince off the platform and into the middle coach of three. The convoy pulled away from the platform at high speed and clattered to the station exit and up the road.

Tom gave Laura a weak grin and then gave her an exaggerated bow.

“Welcome back to
London
, Miss Young. Congratulations on foiling the actions of an uncountable numbers of spies and assassins while you were away; saving the Prime Minister and the heir to the throne’s life, not to mention that of the Director General of MM3.”

Laura smiled and curtseyed in response.

“Why thank you kindly, young man. You may kiss my feet if you wish, but pray, pay particular attention to my big toes as they are a little dirty.”

“I would be delighted to kiss them without a moment’s hesitation,” Tom replied straight-faced. “Were it not for my concern that my tongue might prove to be too rough on your delicate and fragrant skin.”

The two burst out laughing on the deserted platform. When they sobered up they looked around and considered their next move.

“I was sure Sir Ernest would send someone to pick us up,” Laura mused. The taxi rank was empty and there would be no buses or trams running at this time of night.

“It is strange. Perhaps he sent a telegram to MM3, but it didn’t get through.”

Laura shivered. She wasn’t dressed for the coldness of the night and knew they couldn’t wait for long on the platform.

Tom stared across the expanse of the station. “There’s a Hotel at the top of the street. I vote we go and get rooms for the night.”

“Do you have enough money? I have no more than sixpence to my name.”

Tom had only a couple of shillings on him, but he grinned. “We can try charging the rooms to MM3. If nothing else, that might get them to notice that we have returned.”

Tom began to walk briskly towards the hotel. Laura ran to him and put her arm in his. He slowed down to match her pace

“Do you think we should ask Sir Ernest for a salary?” Laura enquired. “Presumably spies get paid and I thought we did all right in the end. I would settle for either a proper salary or a suitable reward. What do you think saving the life of the Prime Minister might be worth?”

“Not much, I should think. After all, Lord Palmerston is very old. I think he’s nearly eighty,” Tom mused.

“That is beyond dispute, Thomas. Well then, shall I offer my body to passing strangers in order to obtain the price of our room?”

Tom looked around the deserted station and the similarly empty road leading up to the hotel. He squeezed Laura’s arm.

“Well, you are a lady and it is most certainly the night. Do you have any experience in such matters?”

Laura lowered her eyes to stare at the cobbles in the street. “No, sir, sadly I do not. I would ask if that lowers the price of a close encounter, or does it raise it? I must admit that I am far too naïve in such matters to be certain.”

“In your case, I am sure that no man abroad on the streets of
London
could possibly meet your price,” Tom said gallantly.

“Oh I’m sure you could meet it, Tom. In fact I know you could.” Laura smiled warmly and squeezed Tom’s arm.

In the time they were talking they had walked out of the station and reached the street beyond.
London
’s infamous smog drifted across the road, reducing visibility to only a few yards. In the distance, they heard the distinctive sound of a cab approaching.

The cab seemed to materialize out of nowhere, blinkered horse whinnying as it pulled to a halt alongside them. A cabby, wearing a greatcoat and hat with a broad scarf covering his face, scowled down at them.

“Young and Carter for MM3? I’ve been sent for yer.” The voice sounded course and uneducated, but Laura wasn’t fooled. There was a layer of arrogance beneath the fake accent that she recognized at once.

“Is that you, Mr. Saunders?” she asked, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice. “Mr. James Saunders? It is you. I recognize you. How nice of you to come and pick us up in person.”

Saunders did not seem pleased by Laura’s skills at recognition. He pulled down the scarf revealing his red face in the amber glow of the street lamp.

“Come on, get into the cab. We are already late and have a fair distance to travel.”

“We’re coming, Mr. Saunders,” Tom said, eager to please and glad they wouldn’t have to worry about getting a room for the night. He helped Laura to climb into the cab before bounding up after her. Before the door fully closed, Saunders flicked his whip at the horse and they were flung back into their seats as the cab set off at a fast trot.

“We are coming, Mr. Saunders,” Laura said repeating Tom words back at him in a high pitched voice. “What a toady you are, Tom. I think Saunders was annoyed when I saw through his disguise. I wonder why?”

Tom flopped back in his seat and yawned.

“I could not care less, Laura. I am thoroughly tired and any bed he takes me to will be most gratefully received. You are far too suspicious, my girl. You have let your recent experiences give you a bad dose of paranoia. Saunders is the Director of Operations at MM3 and maybe he doesn’t like having to run errands for Trelawney.”

“You’re probably right, Tom, and must admit that I’m tired too. I am sure the world will look less hostile in the morning.”

They fell asleep as the coach made its way through the night.

When they awoke, they had no idea how long they had been travelling. Saunders had stopped the cab in what appeared to be a dark country lane. It was hard to tell anything much about their surroundings by what little starlight the clouds let slip through.

“Wake up you two. You can sleep all you want when you are safe inside.” Saunders poked at Tom and shook Laura.

“Where are we?” Laura asked sleepily.

“Safe house. That’s all you need to know. Now get a move on.”

Saunders bundled them out of the coach, down a dark drive surrounded by tall bushes and up to the door of a large country house. He knocked impatiently.