She returned something with the vague meaning of hungry and obvious about it, and before Jack could say anything turned the flick of her fingers into beckoning for the platter of boiled vegetables, which the cook had mercifully smothered in a cheese sauce.
Conversation was light until dinner was over, but the atmosphere was tense. Everyone knew tonight’s business. Before an offensive strike came the planning stage. Jack was no military historian, but he had enough practical experience to know that an hour of strategy could go into every key minute on a battlefield.
And a second of unexpected chaos could throw hours’ worth of strategy out the window in an instant. But that wouldn’t win him many smiles if he mentioned it.
Finally, Robin tapped his glass and cleared his throat. The dessert course had been removed and the table now contained only drinking glasses, stained napkins, and everyone’s guidelights. The guidekeepers were cunningly blown glass orbs frothing with caught air bubbles, tinged subtly green, which gave the room an underwater look.
The servants had melted discreetly away. All of Spinet House’s staff knew that something was afoot—the many nocturnal break-in attempts rather gave that away—and Maud had refused to lie to them, but too much information would still be endangering. So Violet had simply said that there was something valuable of Lady Enid’s in the house that many people wanted to steal, and she wasn’t going to let it happen.
“Stand for speeches, Robin,” said Adelaide.
Robin smiled at her and pushed to his feet. “There’s no point speechmaking to thank you all for coming, or to compliment the food. Let’s be frank. We’re here to discuss—”
“High theft,” said Maud delightedly.
Edwin stood too. “Well. Yes. We think that Lady Enid visited the Lockroom at some point and made a switch, removing someone’s hair box and substituting the knife of the Last Contract.”
“She made the Assembly do the hiding for her,” said Violet. “I adore it.”
“Ironic, then,” said Jack, “if the Assembly has been ripping up carpets and killing people in order to find something that’s been under their noses all along. It seems risky, as hiding places go.”
“The Barrel is a crossing point for ley lines,” said Edwin. “Even more so than Sutton Cottage, and in fact they have a line in common. Think of it like Underground stations. I suspect that’s why that site in London was chosen for the Barrel in the first place. I’m not certain that the knife is there,” he warned. “Mrs. Sutton said that a piece of the contract would create a heavier footprint on the ley lines, if hidden in a place of power, and that’s how Bastoke’s people suspected she had the coin in the first place. I would have thought they’d have found the knife even more easily if it was somewhere as magic-dense as the Barrel. But it’s still the best lead we have.”
“Edwin went to see Kitty Kaur today,” said Robin. “She knows the Barrel better than any of us. We aren’t telling her everything, Addy. I don’t want her and Singh put in a difficult position if things go wrong.”
“If we’re caught stealing from the Barrel, after what happened at Violet’s hearing? Yes, that would qualify as going wrong,” said Jack.
“Then we don’t get caught.” Maud reached out an absent hand and took Violet’s. “Edwin, Robin? Do you have a plan?”
“So far what we have is a list of problems,” said Robin. “But thanks to Kitty, it’s at least an accurate list.”
He and Edwin took them through it, Edwin with the help of a notebook in which he’d written everything that Mrs. Kaur had told them.
Every visit made to the Lockroom to register a new magician—or to use one’s hair to locate them, though this was much rarer—was entered in the record book. Full name of requester, full name of the magician whose box was added or fetched. The same enormous ledger had been in use since the Barrel was built. It should therefore be possible to see if Lady Enid had made a visit to the Lockroom, and whose box she requested in order to make a switch.
“It could have been her own, her son’s, her husband’s—anyone’s,” said Edwin.
“Edwin has a charm which can search the record for Lady Enid’s full name,” said Robin.
“Possibly,” said Edwin. “I’m still working on it.”
Robin’s face was as good as a shout of adoring support from the sidelines during a rugby match. Edwin gave a tiny eye roll in return, but also stood straighter.
They moved on to the next page of Edwin’s notes, which appeared to be a depressing list of reasons why this was a doomed folly. Not everyone had permission to access the Lockroom, even if they knew the rune that defined it. Most of those who could were attached to the Coopers. Who worked under George Bastoke. And Mrs. Kaur’s own permission had been revoked ever since she was “threatened” into helping Robin access the room.
And even if they managed to make it into the Lockroom, any request they made to view and retrieve a box would be permanently logged with someone’s full name. The records were only reviewed weekly, but it was near-impossible to falsify them.
“Stop looking like you’ve all washed your faces in mud. We must have some things going for us,” said Violet. “I’m getting very handy with illusion disguises, for one thing.”
“Robin and Edwin and I could come up with a reason to visit almost any department in the Barrel, with the liaison work,” said Adelaide. “Robin and I have pass-tokens, and we know that Hawthorn can enter. In fact, most of us can get past the warding against non-magicians. It’s only … Maud and Mr. Ross who can’t?”
“A firm hand can get anyone in if necessary,” said Robin, grinning at Adelaide. “You had to drag me over the threshold the first time.”
“Am I likely to be necessary?” It was the first time Alan had spoken since dinner ended.
“We know Violet’s illusions don’t work on you,” said Edwin. “And I don’t imagine we’ll need a perturbator for this. Especially as the effect you have is unpredictable.”
“Fine by me.” Alan’s eyes flicked to Jack, then away. “The only other relevant skill I have is lock-picking, and it doesn’t sound like that’s what you need for those magical doors.”
“I can help!” said Maud. “What can I do?”
“You should be chained to a bedpost and made to stay home,” said Violet, “after that stunt you pulled in the cemetery.”