12 February 1875 of the 6th Era, Quillivian Branch of the Adventurers’ Guild, Commercial District, Quillivia, Enua

  “Dorian, if you care not about the parquet, at least have mercy on my ears.”

  “Am I really that distracting?”

  “That was a rhetorical question, wasn’t it?”

  Antony looked up from the cornucopia of documents in front of him, giving Dorian Holmes his most sarcastic stare, then went back to reading. Dorian sighed and walked over to his desk, trying to make as little noise as possible.

  It wasn’t often that he got this nervous. Throughout his entire career, the three hundred odd years working as the head of the Adventurers’ Guild branch in Quillivia, he could recall maybe two or three cases that truly got him riled up. The thankfully failed summoning of a Living Swarm some seventy years ago. An assassination attempt on the Queen around the same time. And maybe the attack on Lord Blumendorf, though the latter had less to do with the severity of the case and more so with the character of the client. Any dealings he was forced to have with him always left a bad taste in his mouth. And there were a lot of those, as Lord Blumendorf was one of the largest steel suppliers in the entire country, owned a number of factories, and had his hands deep in golem manufacturing.

  The client he was dealing with right now was similar to Lord Blumendorf in influence, but, for a blessing, a much more pleasant character. If anything, Dorian’s nervousness in this case was due to the sincere desire to help Mr Perkins, for he was a good friend of his grandfather’s. And, as it so happened, someone who Dorian looked up to when he was starting out with the reform of the Guild.

  However, for the first time in many decades, his wide network of contacts and connections was failing him. No word of mouth. Nothing in the streets. Not even a whisper in the darkest corners of this kingdom.

  Anyone else would have probably claimed that no rumours meant no case. Called it a day, telling Mr Perkins that he had no reason for worries. Not Dorian, though. Something about this situation rubbed him the wrong way, and he was used to following that inner compass.

  Just as he was getting truly desperate, he received a Sending spell from Antony informing him of plans to visit Quillivia. So serendipitous was this that Dorian almost believed that the Lady of Magic herself blessed him, only to quickly remember that Antony did indeed work for her. Or was “served her” the correct phrase to use here? If he really was here on her behalf, it was definitely not in answer to Dorian’s prayers. Either way, Antony agreed to look into what was troubling him, and it was more than enough. If he were to agree to help him… Of that, Dorian could only dream.

  For Antony, he knew very well, was firmly attached – one could even say glued – to the Royal Alchemy Society, and to Ledavia in general. Exceptions were only made when he had to accompany Lord Blackwater somewhere. Therefore, this sudden visit was the more mysterious, given that his employer was thousands of miles away, on the Western Continent.

  Maybe it was indeed the Lady of Magic who sent him. She did owe him a favour, didn’t she?

  “I understand why you’re worried,” Antony finally finished examining the pages. “From my end, I can say that the Secret Service isn’t aware of anything like this brewing, but that means nothing.

  “What did your people bring back?”

  “Not much. No rumours, no hires, no weird purchases made in the recent weeks. Still, just in case The Iron Giant was inspected before leaving Lindau, and during several stops. The passengers were handpicked by Mr Perkins, but we ran additional background checks on them just in case. So far nothing.”

  “And what did Lundhaven say?”

  “They’ve not heard of anything, either.”

  “Frankly, I’m almost inclined to believe that this is nothing more than someone’s ill-timed prank,” Antony looked at the papers again and read aloud, “I would like to bring to your attention the fact that an ill fate might befall one of the passengers during The Iron Giant’s first voyage. Please act accordingly. Every letter cut out from a newspaper, too. No names, no explanation as to how or when the attempt might be carried out. No demands to cancel the journey or pay settlement money… This doesn’t even read like a threat. For all we know, someone has a grudge against the cook and doesn’t want others to suffer from an upset stomach.”

  “I sincerely hope that’s the case,” Dorian’s laugh was humourless, “but we can’t risk it. You do know who boarded that train, don’t you?”

  “Lord Dawntreader, among other people, yes,” Antony took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “If something befalls him, this will be the end of… a lot of people and relations. Was he informed of the threats?”

  “Yes. Seeing that he has direct ties to Lundhaven’s Network, it would have reached him sooner or later,” Dorian stood up and resumed pacing from one corner of his office to the other. “He answered that he fully believed in progress and in the competence of the Royal Knights, Enua’s Secret Service, and the Adventurers’ Guild. Or, rather, its Quillivian branch.”

  “Suffering from success, I see,” Antony’s attempt to cheer Dorian up achieved the opposite effect. He thought for a minute, then continued, “Don’t misunderstand, I’m not taking any of this lightly. I’m just not certain what you want from me, seeing that I’m not really fit to play a bodyguard.”

  “I guess I’m just looking for reassurance,” Dorian said finally, “and you came at the right time. Quite surprisingly so.”

  “Alex wanted me to have a look at a few things of his. Did you know that he, too, is invited on this trip?”

  “Really? He never mentioned it,” it was hard to read Antony’s body language, but that reply sounded truthful. No, Antony would not have come up with such a blatant lie. He of all people would have expected Dorian to do some fact checking, if only out of habit. And that was very easy to do, as Professor Alex O’Neill wasn’t just Antony’s friend, but also Dorian’s. However, was it truly the entire answer or just part of it?

  “You said you conducted background checks. Wasn’t his name on the list?”

  “My clerks did most of the work,” he confessed. “I might have seen it, just never put two and two together.”

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  “You really are stressed beyond measure,” Antony said with slight concern. “From what I understood, Mr Perkins hired a number of people to entertain the more important guests. Singers, actors, writers, and university lecturers, to provide a balanced program. Sadly, Sir Fleming isn’t among the invitees. Too busy writing his collection of short stories, going by the rumours,” he shifted slightly, curiously observing Dorian.

  Are you trying to gauge if I bought into this?

  “In a way, he’s killing two birds with one stone,” Antony continued, “although perhaps that’s not the best idiom for the occasion. Providing entertainment for the upper class, but also creating a favourable buzz among the intellectual elite who, too, can easily afford second class tickets.”

  Dorian shook his head at that remark, “So that’s how it is.”

  “So…”

  “I know I’m asking a lot, but what do you say to remembering the old times? Board that train with me. Watch the passengers. See if you can spot anyone acting out of line. Unless, of course, you need to go back to the RAS first thing in the morning.”

  “As a matter of fact, I’m on vacation.”

  “You actually get those?” This was a genuine question.

  “Twice a year. Andrew also makes sure I take them in full following an incident around a century ago. Says he’d prefer his secretary well and alive, not as a pile of ashes.”

  Antony stood up and walked up to the window, though if he were hoping to get inspiration by watching the streets below, it was a lost endeavour. The world was swallowed by a raging blizzard. The snow swirled in front of the window, hitting the glass and demanding to be let in, but the sturdy building held steadfast. Even without the snow though, the view right now probably wouldn’t have been very exciting, as it was a late evening of a Friday. With most offices in the Commercial District closing at five sharp, all he could hope to see would be a late worker rushing home or maybe a carriage or two driving by, hurrying to get their passengers to whatever party was happening in the Emerald Borough.

  Then came a quiet sigh, which made Dorian quizzically raise his eyebrow. Was it the case that so upset Antony, or his request?

  “Did Blackwater really leave you alone or did you receive a pile of work the size of Mount Orchid just before his departure?” he finally ventured.

  “None of that, and he’s too preoccupied with whatever dealings he has on the Western Continent. I’ve not received a single Sending spell from him since Monday.”

  “Are you… Are you sure he’s alive?”

  “Fairly. He answered one of mine on Wednesday, but in such an annoyed fashion that I dare not bother him further.”

  “What is it then?”

  “I feel like I’m betraying your trust right now, despite the request coming from you without any input on my side.”

  “Now this is intriguing.”

  “You’re not the first one who asked me for help with this,” he confessed. “A few days ago, I received a Sending spell from a very good acquaintance of mine asking me for the same favour. She was a friend of a very close friend of mine. Ethan Goshawk, if you remember the name,” Dorian indicated with a nod that he did, indeed, remember it, “and… well, happens to be Lord Dawntreader’s daughter.”

  Ha. So this visit wasn’t by chance at all. Only that instead of a goddess, I have a mortal woman to thank for it, it seems.

  “Is she presently on that same train?”

  “Yes.”

  “Apart from being a good acquaintance, she doesn’t happen to be a colleague of yours by any chance?”

  “What? Oh, no,” Antony heartily laughed. “Only in the sense that she’s been trained to spot us. Or, rather, spot the inconsistencies, given her line of work. You’re not the first who had that idea, though. Two hundred years ago, when she was visiting Enua, I was assigned to write a report on her.

  “No, she’s an exorcist of the Church of the Dead Moon and quite a brilliant detective. Used to be an astronomer many years ago, and continues to participate in research here and there, whenever time allows. Although… You’ll probably see that there’s much more to her.”

  “You’re being exceptionally cryptic.”

  “You’ll understand when you meet her. I would very much appreciate it if you respect her privacy and give her space,” Antony placed his hands behind his back. “As to your initial question... Just to confirm it, I am all for it. However, I won’t be boarding the train as Mr Levy, but as Mr Simon Dahl, a private detective from a small town on the Western Coast of Lundhaven.”

  “That’s not a pseudonym I am familiar with.”

  “Same goes for most people on that train, apart from Lord Dawntreader and Lady Dawntreader, though only Lady Dawntreader would be aware of who I really am,” Antony thought for a moment, then continued, “I’m certain that Lord Dawntreader and Lady Josephine Dawntreader, too, are aware of my true identity, given that they have met me on a number of occasions when having dealings with Andrew. Leopold did make a few interesting remarks, but never pressed me about it. I hope you can play along.”

  “And Lord Dawntreader truly doesn’t mind? Surely if he knows your true identity, he probably also knows that your connections might run much deeper,” the fact that Antony used Lord Dawntreader’s first name so frivolously did not escape Dorian’s notice. You’re not one to drop your guard like this and let such things slip through. What are you hinting at, Antony?

  “He is well informed, but not that well informed, Dorian. If he were to find out, the entire Secret Service would have to be purged and rebuilt from the ground up. Frankly, outside of the Service, there are only three people who know about my involvement in matters of national security,” Antony’s voice became cold.

  “I don’t quite understand why you would want to do that, but I have no objections,” another thought suddenly crossed his mind. Three people? He, Lord Andrew Blackwater, obviously, but who would be the third? Alex was blissfully unaware of the fact that Antony led a double life, and no one else, from what Dorian knew about the man in front of him, was close enough for Antony to trust them this much. Unless…

  “Simply put, I’m just as well known as Andrew, in no small part thanks to his efforts. Surely you’ve heard the rumours that I am the one pulling the strings at the RAS,” Antony couldn’t hold back a wide grin.

  “I dare you to tell me you aren’t.”

  “See? My sudden unannounced appearance would raise a fair few questions. I don’t want to contact Andrew over this, and I don’t feel like we need to involve Ian… Or Mr Clockwell. Actually, I’d rather both of them remain in the dark about the fact that I’m looking into this.”

  “Alright,” Dorian gave him a most quizzical look, but knew that pressing him for more information was pointless. “I’ll deal with the ticket. Shouldn’t be too much of a hassle, especially if Lord Dawntreader, too, can vouch for your integrity. The Iron Giant is arriving tomorrow at 10:00 A.M.”

  “Then until tomorrow,” Antony walked up to the door, then suddenly paused, his hand on the handle. “Dorian, are you going to arrange for a ticket or change the name on that ticket? I cannot imagine there being a spare room on that train, given the importance of the trip and how everyone was scrutinised.”

  “Ha. It doesn’t have a name on it yet. Lord Dawntreader said he was looking into recruiting someone, I said the same. Two weeks ago, he decided to leave it to me, but we agreed to leave the name blank in case his contact responded. With what you’ve told me this is starting to make sense,” was it worth asking it now or should he wait and watch? No, probably now was better, if only to avoid possible embarrassment. “On a slightly related topic. Antony, is she really just an acquaintance? The way Lord Dawntreader talked about his mysterious contact, and the way your tone immediately changed the moment you mentioned her just now–”

  “I was beginning to fear that I was a bit too obscure here,” he laughed. “Just… Not a word about it to anyone else. Once you meet her, you will hopefully understand why.”