Craddock sighed. ‘Fools.’
‘They say they’re in the middle of preparing for a push in Gallia and need air support. They think this skyfleet is a diversion.’
‘Can I help?’
Aubrey turned. A figure he hadn’t noticed earlier was approaching. ‘Father!’
‘Aubrey.’ Sir Darius extended his hand, held Aubrey’s gaze for a moment, then greeted the others. ‘Caroline, George, good to see you. And Miss Delroy – a pleasure.’
It was done swiftly, but Aubrey admired the way that, even in the middle of a crisis, his father did enough to make them feel part of the enterprise.
‘Prime Minister,’ Craddock said, ‘matters are coming to a head, but we’re having trouble with the High Command. It’s crucial that we move now and yet we’re meeting recalcitrance instead of cooperation.’
Aubrey watched his father intently. Sir Darius didn’t try to mollify Craddock, who was more agitated than Aubrey had ever known him to be. Craddock simply stood there, very still, his hands pressed together in front of him. Panic and Sir Darius were strangers, Aubrey realised. It was part of what had made him a formidable soldier. In a crisis, instead of becoming frantic he remained fixed, holding himself still until he had chosen a way ahead.
Sir Darius addressed Aubrey. ‘What do you think?’
Aubrey was taken aback. His father was asking with straightforward urgency. Aubrey had seen him in this mode a hundred times – he wanted advice, and he wanted it from the best available person. Yet he’d bypassed the most senior intelligence chiefs in Albion and, instead, was asking him.
‘We need to act immediately,’ Aubrey said and he was glad his voice was as even and controlled as his father’s was. ‘Every opportunity to stop Tremaine must be used.’
‘Good man.’ Sir Darius turned to Craddock and Tallis and Aubrey’s surroundings came back. The faint ringing of telephones, the hushed conversations, the dusty light from the electric globes overhead.
The world proceeded.
‘Craddock, Tallis,’ Sir Darius said. ‘I’m authorising immediate deployment of your people. You’ll have whatever you need. I’ll take full responsibility for sending a skirmishing force in advance of the main sortie. Whatever and whenever that is.’
‘Finley Moor, sir,’ Tallis said. ‘Can you get your staff to let them know that Directorate people will need help as well as the army forces?’
‘Immediately.’ Sir Darius shook a fist. ‘Capital. Now to get the High Command moving.’ He took two steps and then swivelled, suddenly solemn. ‘Good luck.’
Aubrey watched his father stride off, charging to a battle of his own.
Caroline squeezed his arm. ‘George wants you.’
George was at the Big Board, with Sophie. He was waving. Aubrey glanced at Craddock and Tallis, but they’d been besieged by half a dozen document-carrying operatives.
‘Look, old man,’ George said when Aubrey and Caroline joined him. ‘Just in case you were thinking of nipping off to Finley Moor, I thought I’d let you know we’ll have trouble.’
‘Finley Moor? Why would I be thinking of going to Finley Moor?’
‘I’m imagining that you might be feeling the need to find an ornithopter. I wouldn’t be surprised if jolly soon we’re going to be cutting corners, avoiding protocols, leapfrogging obstacles, that sort of thing.’
‘And why would you imagine that?’
‘Standard operating procedure with you, old man. All I’m saying is that we’re ready when you are, but we won’t be able to get to Finley Moor the usual way by going through Carstairs. The 12th Lancers are using Marling Road. We’d never get through.’
Aubrey was impressed by George’s planning out a route to the military airfield, but then something else took his attention. Looking down on the Big Board had jolted him, so much detail presenting itself. It was easy to imagine he was in Dr Tremaine’s skyfleet, looking down on the sprawling expanse of Trinovant – the city, the river, the railways, spreading over the countryside. He could see all the landmarks, the urban conglomeration stretched out for him to survey.
Something was missing. Something vital, something important wasn’t there, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He swept his gaze across Newbourne, The Mire, Densmore, Ashfields Station, but he still didn’t know what it was.
When he found Fielding Cross, he looked for where Maidstone would be. It was when he found the location for the Fitzwilliam family home that it struck him and he knew what was missing.
People. He couldn’t see any people. The city was there, but none of the individuals who made it work and live and breathe. They weren’t important enough to feature.
The ‘click’ that rocked Aubrey was so monumental that he had to grab the edge of the table to stop being thrown off his feet. ‘Oh no,’ he whispered. ‘Oh no.’
Caroline pressed close. ‘Aubrey?’
‘It’s worse than I thought.’ He straightened and found that his hands were trembling. Caroline took them and they stopped. ‘Dr Tremaine has found something better than the Ritual of the Way.’
‘You said he was going to use the collective consciousness of Trinovant to make his magic more powerful.’
‘That’s right – but I’ve been neglecting the sacrifice.’ He put a hand to his temple. ‘The Ritual of the Way needed blood, huge amounts of it. Dr Tremaine wants to make sure of achieving his goal of immortality, though, so he’s going one step further.’
‘What’s one step further than a wholesale blood sacrifice?’
‘Dr Tremaine is getting ready to snuff out the consciousness of everyone in Trinovant.’
72
Craddock was stony-faced when Aubrey shared his insight. Tallis swore, loudly enough to make all the people in the room look his way before hastily returning to their business. ‘We have squads ready to board Tremaine’s fleet and take him,’ he said, ‘as long as that magic whatnot is available. Craddock?’
Craddock eyed Aubrey. ‘We’ve had magical teams at work on altitude enhancements in order to get our aircraft up to Tremaine’s skyfleet. The notes you left about your levitation escapade in Lutetia last year have been helpful.’
‘Ah. I may have something to add to that.’
‘You’ll have a chance to implement it in person, then.’
‘Sir?’
‘When I said that we were throwing everything at Tremaine, that’s what I meant. Is your unit able to go?’
Aubrey went to speak, but first looked to his friends. They were ready: he could see it. They were steady, determined, unfazed by the possibilities that lay ahead, and he knew he was lucky to have them as friends.
Aubrey saluted. ‘Sirs. Permission to depart.’
‘Permission granted,’ Craddock said. ‘And godspeed.’
73
The journey to Finley Moor airfield would have been impossible if not for Commander Tallis’s suggestion to use motorcycles instead of a motorcar. After a side trip to the Armourer and the Magic Chandler to equip them for their mission, Aubrey and his friends raced out of the rear of Darnleigh House to find the sleek machines waiting with motors running and sidecars attached. George leaped into the saddle, tested the throttle and, with one hand, managed to strap on the helmet that the motor mechanic thrust at him. Sophie was ready in the sidecar before he was, goggles and helmet in place. She thumped the cowling with impatience.
Aubrey hesitated in front of the other motorcycle. ‘Do you want to drive?’
Caroline studied the machine with interest. ‘I’ve never ridden a motorcycle.’
‘I thought it might be one of your hidden talents. A friend of your mother’s hairdresser was an international motorcycle champion and taught you in a few lessons.’
‘It isn’t, but I’m willing to try.’
‘I’m sure you are.’ Aubrey took the helmet from the motor mechanic and slung his rifle on his back. ‘Normally, I’d say yes, but I don’t think this is the time for experimenting.’