Heart of Gold

Aubrey digested this. 'Are you suggesting that the Marchmainers stole the Heart of Gold?'

Von Stralick licked his lips and didn't look at Aubrey for a moment. 'No, we stole it, but they are after it.'

A thousand questions sprang into Aubrey's mind, but he took the opportunity to probe von Stralick's sources. 'How do you know this?'

'When the police let me go, I contacted my superiors. They were dismayed at what has happened in Lutetia. The theft was an unauthorised action and has caused uproar in the highest circles. To make matters worse, I was told that a cell of fanatics within the Marchmaine movement is plotting to steal the object from our rogue operatives. They call themselves "The Sons of Victor".'

'"The Sons of Victor"? Rather a gaudy title.'

'Named after their founder, Martin Victor. A very powerful man, last century. Chrétien, the capital of Marchmaine province, was virtually his fiefdom.' Von Stralick stared at his cup of coffee. 'He was a skilled politician and he made powerful connections all over the Continent, hoping to find support for a free Marchmaine.' Von Stralick looked sour. 'It never happened, of course. The Gallian government did its best to discredit him. It said his overseas support was a delusion and that he was a crank. He died a broken man.'

'But he left a legacy. He had followers.'

'Indeed he did. The Sons of Victor are fanatics, you know, dedicated to a Marchmaine homeland, at whatever cost.'

'And they want to steal this object from your colleagues, who stole it in the first place.'

'You don't understand,' von Stralick said, urgently. 'The consequences are dire if the object is not returned.' He wiped his forehead with a silk handkerchief. 'The only positive thing is that the thieves are trapped in Lutetia. The blockade around the city has been remarkably effective.'

'You look as if you don't believe all of this. Don't you trust your superiors?'

Von Stralick snorted. 'My superiors told me, long ago, to trust no-one. So I trust them least of all. I am a good student.'

It was simple enough for Aubrey to see why a band of Holmlanders would steal the Heart of Gold. If Gallia collapsed, Holmland would be the undisputed power on the Continent. But the Sons of Victor were another thing altogether.

'These fanatics are hoping to destabilise the Giraud government, to make their breakaway easier?' he suggested.

'Or to bargain. An independent Marchmaine in return for the object. 'Von Stralick sighed. 'But they are not just political fanatics, they are religious fanatics. They think that the object belongs in Chrétien, not in Lutetia. They believe that once it's returned to its rightful place, its magic will ensure that Marchmaine will become an independent, magical state.'

'Save us from zealots,' Aubrey muttered. 'This doesn't make sense to me. Why wouldn't Holmland be happy about a pro-Holmland state in the north of Gallia?'

'An unstable state with irrational leaders is not what we need.'

'Another unstable state.'

'One too many, let us say. 'Von Stralick grinned, but it seemed forced. 'Holmland can deal with a few unstable states, but not so many at once.'

'Too busy with the Goltans, are we?'

'I couldn't say.'

Aubrey tapped his water glass and watched the ripples. 'So Holmland doesn't want the Sons of Victor to get their hands on this object, as you call it.'

Von Stralick leaned across the table and gripped Aubrey's arm. 'We want the Heart of Gold returned. That is the position of the most important members of the Holmland government.'

Aubrey didn't trust von Stralick. He also understood that the Holmlander knew he wasn't trusted, which gave an odd sort of reliability to his responses.

Everything he said hinted at divisions in the upper ranks of Holmland. No doubt opinion was divided on the best way to prepare for war. Rogue elements at work, especially those with power, were very, very dangerous.

Aubrey detached his arm from von Stralick's grasp. 'It seems as if this object is more interesting than I thought. What is it, von Stralick? Why has it thrown the high and mighty into such a spin?'

Von Stralick rubbed his hands together, slowly, then answered. 'The Heart of Gold is, in many ways, Gallia.' He glanced at Aubrey. 'You must understand that I'm speaking literally here. The Heart of Gold is the essence of Gallia – it defines Gallia, it is what makes Gallia Gallia.'

'But what does it do?'

'It doesn't do anything. It simply is – and here I am going to be figurative, not literal. Like the fixed point of a compass, it remains still while the rest of the compass revolves around it. It is a foundation for the nation to base itself on. It is an anchor, a steadying point, a . . .' He scowled. 'Problems come about if Gallia is without its heart. The nation will start to sicken, and in its decline it may suffer in ways that are not clear.'

Aubrey shook his head. 'If this object is so important, why wasn't it guarded?'

Von Stralick shrugged. 'Who knows? Innocence, naïveté? Perhaps a theft was simply unthinkable to the Gallians. I imagine it will be very secure in future, if it is returned.'

Aubrey sat back in his chair and studied the ceiling for a moment, thinking. 'If we imagine the nation of Gallia as a person, then removing its heart would have a drastic effect indeed. Mortal effects.'

'The exact nature of these effects, my superiors were unwilling to divulge. If they know them.'

'They were afraid.'

Von Stralick nodded. 'If encrypted messages can carry the taint of fear, then the orders I received last night certainly were scared.'

'Orders?'

'Find the Heart of Gold. Return it to its rightful place. Do so quickly.'

Aubrey nodded. 'It seems as if the interests of Holmland and Albion are coinciding. Which I find amusing.'

'Healthy belligerence and espionage are well and good. But this matter is something else. It is a threat beyond the mortal.'

Aubrey now understood the insistence in the Magisterium's message. He imagined every available operative, agent and contact that the Magisterium had in Lutetia would have received similar orders. And a brigade of operatives is probably on its way across the channel as we speak, he thought. This gave him pause.

It was a challenge. Aubrey could feel excitement rising. If he could find the Heart of Gold before anyone else, it would be a coup. Such an achievement would impress important people.

A sober voice inside him pointed out that he didn't need to prove anything, that his worth was known, that he was appreciated for what he was, and other dreary platitudes, but he managed to put the voice aside in that corner of his mind reserved for such solemn, careful and mature impulses.

His blood was up. He needed to find the Heart of Gold.

Then he remembered his other commitments.

He felt Bernard's notebook in his inner jacket pocket. He wondered about George's progress with the Prince's ancestors. He had pangs of guilt when he thought of Dr Romellier and the quest for his grandmother's correspondence. The only real progress he'd made was in observing the Marchmaine Independence League – he at least had something to report on that front.