A Scandal in Battersea (Elemental Masters #12)(25)

The fire popped and crackled as Nan and Sarah both considered that. The birds stopped eating for a moment, then flew up to the back of the sofa and sat watching and listening.

“And you don’t think this is just her mind supplying her with a metaphor for the reality of the dark side of the city,” Sarah stated.

“No, I don’t,” Memsa’b replied. “I think it’s a warning. I’m just not sure how literal a warning it is. I would have thought that if London were likely to be taken over by monsters, more clairvoyants than just Amelia would be sounding the alarm. I’d like to consult with Alderscroft about this as soon as possible; this seems more of a task for a magician than one of us, if what she saw is any indication.” She sipped her tea. “The trouble is, I would think that if there were a magician working in London who was powerful enough to make that come to pass, Alderscroft would already know about him.”

“If these visions are anything to go by, perhaps it’s a case of someone who is all right now, but who is going to go to the bad, or himself go insane, or something of the sort,” Nan said after a moment. She frowned. “I don’t know how we would identify someone like that. Not without knowing who it might be. . . .”

“I don’t know how we would stop someone like that,” Memsa’b said frankly. “Although if it came to that, psychical talents might be more effective than magical ones. The miscreant would not know we had them, would not be prepared for them, and would not know how to defend against them.”

“But we wouldn’t know how to defend against magic, either,” Nan pointed out.

“True. And yet . . . so far, you girls have done very well in dealing with magicians.” Memsa’b gave them approving smiles, then sobered again. “Well, the first thing to do is contact Alderscroft and consult with him directly. I never thought I would say I find Christmas tiresome, but it is tiresome that he is tied down with all the to-do of the season and can’t come when I call!” Memsa’b sniffed theatrically, and Nan laughed.

“So I suppose you’re not concerned this is an imminent danger?” Sarah asked.

“I think if we were, the two precognitive students I have would be having nightmares.” Memsa’b put down her teacup. “Although . . . Nan, do you think you and Sarah might be able to stir up your old friend by going out in the conservatory and calling him? I won’t ask you to trudge out into the grounds in this weather, and the conservatory is as good as any place outdoors, only near at hand.”

“I think we’d be fools not to try,” Nan replied, setting her cup aside, and rising. “He was the only thing that stood between England and disaster when Alderscroft himself was corrupted by that wretched woman; I should at least warn him there may be something in the wind, if he doesn’t already know.” She made a face. “That’s the disadvantage of living in the city; it’s very difficult to contact him.”

“I have my talisman,” Sarah said, and looked at the birds as she rose. “You two keep Memsa’b company, and don’t get into mischief while we’re gone.”

Neville looked affronted; Grey laughed.

“I’ll take that as saying that you’ll be good, so don’t start poking your beaks into things you shouldn’t get into,” Sarah replied, then fished Puck’s talisman out of her reticule, and she and Nan headed across the manor to the conservatory.

There were two parts to the conservatory, as there were in many manor houses that could afford to keep such things heated in the winter. The larger part supplied some flowers and out-of-season fruits to the kitchen; once the School took over, the flowers had been replaced by herbs, and the fruits had been joined by vegetables. The smaller part, in this case, had been designed as a sort of pocket wilderness; short of going out into the wilder parts of the grounds—which was impractical without saddling up a couple of the working horses and riding there—this would be the best place to try and summon Puck.

They held hands with the talisman between them, and began reciting lines from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which seemed to be the most reliable way to get his attention.

This time, however, he was either involved with something elsewhere, didn’t want to venture so close to a human habitation, or was not inclined to answer. They waited a good fifteen minutes after speaking the line that gave Puck his cue to enter, and nothing happened.

They looked at each other. “Well...bother,” Sarah sighed.

Nan shrugged. “There’s another way, you know. We can ask John or Mary to pass on word that we’d like to speak to him via their Elementals. We can always meet him at Hampton Court Palace.”

“Or possibly Kensington Garden or Kew Garden. That might be wild enough.” Sarah sighed. “I would like to have talked to him now, though. If there is something in the wind . . . something bad enough to ruin London . . . I don’t know how we’d ever be able to do anything about it.”

“You and I wouldn’t, not alone, because we don’t have to do this alone,” Nan reminded her. “We have Alderscroft’s White Lodge. We have Memsa’b’s circle of psychical friends and students. And we have—oh!” She made a fist and struck her forehead with it. “I am a complete idiot. Beatrice!”

“Beatrice Leek?” Sarah looked puzzled. “But she’s not a Master—”