Rook(99)

She stood still for a moment, thinking. She’d set the firelighter for highmoon, and now LeBlanc had set an execution for that time. That meant there would be people gathering in the prison yard. Would René, or someone else, be coming to find the firelighter and turn it off? If she reset it for a later time, did it just give them more of an opportunity to make sure it did not go off at all? But it was a long way down to the storage hole, and she had to find Tom.

Gerard whimpered beneath her sword.

“Quiet, Gerard,” she ordered. “I have to think.”



“Quiet,” said Benoit, and the arguing in the gold bedroom instantly ceased. Even Spear fell silent, though mostly from surprise. Benoit sat on the edge of the bed.

“You are fighting over what you should do, when you have not considered what the Red Rook is going to do. These are the things we know. We know that she is not going to follow the plan she told Hammond, because she is not going to give up freeing LeBlanc’s prisoners, correct? And she is not going to follow the plan she told René, because she believes René has betrayed her and told all to LeBlanc.”

René and Spear exchanged dirty looks.

“But because she thinks this, she will also know that LeBlanc knows her identity, even if her reason is false. She will not be walking into the Tombs blind.”

“That is true,” René said slowly.

“So,” said Benoit, a mere shadow of a person next to the larger-than-life Madame, “other than emptying the Tombs, what is the one thing we know that Sophia Bellamy is going to do?”

“She is going to set that firelighter,” said Madame Hasard.

“Yes,” said Spear, “I think you’re right.”

“I told you this was a decent young man, René,” said Madame, making Enzo chuckle.

“She told me to set it for dawn,” said René thoughtfully, “but she will not do that now …” He was on his feet, pacing like a wild dog in a cage.

“So she will have set it for highmoon,” said Enzo, “to keep you from unsetting it. It would have been the only safe time. Unless she heard the execution bells first.”

“No,” Spear said. “She’ll know the prison yard will be full at highmoon. If she set it for that time, she’ll turn it off.”

“Unless she is already gone,” said René. Spear turned to face him.

“Or maybe she never got to set it in the first place.”

“Or perhaps she did, and can’t turn it off because she is caught,” said Madame. There was a small silence in the bedroom. If that was so, then Sophia was going to die.

René looked to Benoit. “So I will go and make certain she is away, and turn off the firelighter, if it is set at all. She will think it a betrayal again, that I am preserving LeBlanc and his prison. But she will not forgive herself if the people in the prison yard …”

“No,” said Spear. “I built the firelighter. I should go.”

René’s grin was not a look of humor. “Oh, no, you should not.”

“You’re going to stop me?”

“I know where the Bellamy fire is.”

“You will tell me where it is, then,” Spear said, eyes narrowed.

“No, I will not.”

“I promised Tom …”

“I care nothing for what you promised her brother! I will honor my promise to her.”

Benoit cleared his throat. “Take Hammond with you, René.”

“No!” they both yelled.

“And which of you is willing to stay behind?” asked Madame Hasard. There was no reply. “Then I have made my point.”

“Maman!” René yelled at the same time that Enzo said, “Well, I’m not going …”

“Enough,” said Benoit. “Your mother is right, René. It is foolish to go alone when you do not know what you will face. Have you forgotten that the gate has opened? The mob is coming.”

“The passes,” Spear said suddenly. “They won’t get out of the gates …”

“Are we not in a flat full of smugglers, Monsieur?” Madame Hasard leaned back on one arm. “We will get the passes to the gates.” Spear looked around the room, dubious.

“I do not think he trusts us,” said Enzo cheerfully. “And if you want to say something, Hammond, say it aloud.”

Spear opened his mouth to say something very aloud, but Benoit held up a hand.

“Hammond, set your grievances aside. There is no one in this family who would wish to see LeBlanc or Allemande win this round. We would prefer they did not live through the night. Can you believe that?”

Spear hesitated, then he nodded once.

“Then we will keep LeBlanc here as long as possible. Andre has stolen his pendant clock to set back the time, and émile is attempting to drug him again. It was difficult to know how much of the powder in Mademoiselle Bellamy’s ring was appropriate. If we would not have all of Allemande’s troops come down on our heads, I would make sure it was poison.”

René looked to Benoit. “What does Uncle émile think he is doing?”

“Keeping LeBlanc busy while we get back the signet ring. There has not been time to enlighten him further. He has been busy questioning Fate. We will give you as much time as we can, but in any case, I think LeBlanc will miss his scheduled highmoon execution. Madame and I will take care of the gates. Are we agreed?”