I shivered. ‘If he is not safe, Bealknap and Lady Honor may not be either.’
Cromwell sat down again, shaking his head. ‘They’ve been one step ahead of you all the time, haven’t they?’ he said in the same quiet tone. ‘Whoever is behind this is the most cunning, clever rogue I’ve ever encountered and I’ve met many.’ A smile flickered across his granite face. ‘In another context I could admire him. Or her.’ Then, to my relief, he shrugged his heavy shoulders. ‘You’ve done your best. The game’s almost done. There are only three days till the demonstration and we’re no further forward in finding the formula, or the apparatus. Where in Jesu’s name have they hidden that?’ He turned to Barak. ‘Jack, try once again to trace Toky and Wright. Tell your contacts I’ll pay the pair anything if they’ll come over to me.’
‘I will, my lord. But even if I trace them, I doubt they’d risk changing sides at this stage.’
‘Well, try again. I think I must tell the king tomorrow, Wednesday at the latest. Matthew, Barak reported the prostitute who died said the whole thing was a plot against me from the beginning.’
‘Yes, my lord.’
‘Well, there have been enough of those. Don’t give up yet. Put your mind to it.’ There was desperation in his voice. ‘And go to Lincoln’s Inn. They’ll maybe tell you things they won’t tell my men. Search Marchamount’s rooms.’
‘Give me until Wednesday, my lord. I will do what I can. Do not tell the king till then.’
‘Have you some lead?’ His eyes bored into mine. I swallowed.
‘I - no. But I will think, as you ask.’
He looked at me hard for another long moment, then turned back to his desk. ‘Go then,’ he said. ‘God’s death, Grey will bury me in papers.’
His resigned, almost gentle manner so surprised me that I stood there a moment, fighting a sudden urge to tell him I had found some Greek Fire and given it to Guy. I realized that my old loyalty to him was not quite dead, after all. Barak motioned to the door and, to my surprise, I heard footsteps scurrying away as he opened it. We stepped out to see Grey sitting down at his desk, his face flustered.
Barak grinned. ‘Been eavesdropping, master secretary?’
He did not reply, but reddened.
‘Leave him, Barak,’ I said. I thought: Grey is terrified of what may be about to happen. He is right to be. And I have found some Greek Fire and hidden it from Cromwell. For a moment I felt faint again.
BARAK AND I SAT on the steps of Westminster Hall, each deep in gloomy thought.
‘I expected he’d be furious,’ I said, ‘but he seems - almost resigned.’
‘He knows what will happen if he has to tell the king Greek Fire is lost,’ he said quietly.
‘What in God’s name has happened to Marchamount? Is he villain or victim?’
Barak shrugged despairingly. ‘Jesu knows. I’ll try again for news of Toky and Wright, but I fear I’ll find nothing. I think some of my contacts are being paid to keep their mouths shut.’
‘Isn’t it strange how, every time we approach the truth, the person we seek is killed? Almost as though someone was telling the enemy of our movements. And who took those books from Lincoln’s Inn, and frightened the librarian?’
He frowned. ‘I don’t see that. It was Madam Neller that betrayed Bathsheba and her brother. The founder disappeared long before we got there. And Marchamount may have fled of his own accord.’
I nodded. ‘That would mean he was the one behind it all. It starts to look that way.’
‘It does. But we need more evidence.’
‘We could go through his rooms.’
‘I must look for Toky first. I’ll come with you later.’
I stood up. ‘Very well.’ I looked at him. ‘Be careful. It could be dangerous for you.’
‘I can look after myself.’ He stood and dusted himself down. ‘It’s letting my master down, that’s what’s hard.’
‘There’s still time,’ I said. ‘I’ll meet you at home later.’ I took a deep breath. ‘My arm hurts.’
‘My shoulder’s better. He knows a few things, that old Moor.’ He stood looking out over the river a moment. I followed his gaze. Something bright and fiery on the water made me start for a moment, then I saw it was only a ray of sunlight falling through the light cloud, flecking the little waves tossed up by the wind a flickering bright yellow.
I COULD SEE NOBODY through the window of Guy’s shop and feared he had gone out, but when I knocked footsteps sounded in the furthest reaches of the building and he appeared. He looked tired.
‘You got my message, Matthew?’
‘Yes.’ I slipped inside and he closed the door.
‘How is Elizabeth?’ he asked. ‘I am going to visit her later.’
‘Better. In body at least.’ Briefly, I told him what we had found down the well and of my conversation with her. He gave me a penetrating look.
‘And you intend to confront the family?’
‘Yes. And it must be very soon. Elizabeth is back before Forbizer on Thursday.’