Storm and Silence(114)

There were a few seconds of silence.

‘He didn’t seem to believe me at first. That’s when I went out and bought a costume. I brought it back and showed it to him… and that broke him.’

There were a few more seconds of silence.

‘A… ballet costume?’ I finally asked.

‘Yes. Pink, with a short silk skirt and golden lace trimmings.’

‘I see.’

Cautiously, I looked sideways again and could see Karim’s hand at his belt, gripping the hilt of his scimitar. His eyes found mine. ‘Come on,’ they seemed to say. ‘Laugh. Come on. I’m the one with the huge sabre. Laugh, and we'll see if you’re still laughing when I have separated your head from your body.’

‘Um… a very interesting method indeed,’ I managed. I was fighting an epic battle to keep a straight face. Let me tell you, Waterloo was nothing to it. I might have lost it after all, just like Napoleon, the poor chap, if a more serious thought had not invaded my mind, providing much needed reinforcements.

‘You distracted me!’ I exclaimed. ‘Again!’

‘I?’ Karim’s stare changed from threatening abrupt death to confusion. ‘I didn’t…’

‘Not you! You!’ I pointed at Mr Ambrose. He couldn’t see it though, because he was still walking briskly ahead of us, his back to me.

‘You’ve done it twice now! I want my first question answered! I want to know that name! Who was spying on you, damn you?’

He didn’t stop, didn’t answer. Just held up one admonishing finger in an abrupt movement. What the blooming hell… Oh, right. Be courteous. Be respectful.

‘Who was spying on you, Sir?’ I asked, my voice sweeter than a pot full of honey.

He didn’t even glance around.

‘Can’t tell you that.’

‘Why the dickens not? Um… Sir?’

‘It is for your own good, believe me.’

Oh, of course I believe you. Why would I ever doubt a word that comes out of your mouth?

‘Who is he? Who is this chap who’s hiring people to spy on you?’

Mr Ambrose gave a snort. ‘I’m not sure that “chap” would be the right noun to describe him.’

‘Well, what would describe him, then?’

He didn’t fall for the trap.

‘Adequate try, Mr Linton.’

Not even good try?

‘Why won’t you tell me?’

I looked sideways at Karim again, but although he tried not to let it show, he was just as nonplussed as I was. He didn’t know who this mystery man was either. And if Mr Ambrose’s motivations of not telling for our own good also applied to Karim…

Eyeing the large sabre at the Mohammedan’s belt, I shuddered. Who in the world could be a threat to Karim? Who could be more dangerous than a sabre-wielding bearded giant? Maybe I really shouldn’t delve too deeply into this. Maybe it would be wise just to let it go.

But then again, when had I ever been wise? If I were, life would be so very dull.

‘We could better guard against him if we knew who he was,’ I pointed out.

I could see he’d rather have bitten his tongue off, but Karim opened his mouth.

‘She does,’ he said in a slow tone of voice as if he had to drag every word forcibly from the pit of his stomach, ‘actually have a point, Sahib.’

‘No, he doesn't.’ Mr Ambrose shook his head.

We turned a corner and suddenly stood before the door into the main hall again. There Mr Ambrose waited till we had caught up with him. He stood, silent and still as a statue, facing the door as if he could see images there that were invisible to anybody else. We stepped up beside him, but still he didn’t move. Karim, who obviously - unlike me - didn’t have the intention of arguing with his master any more, felt the need to change the subject. He cleared his throat and asked: ‘Should I buy a ticket for Mr Simmons, Sahib?’

Mr Ambrose twitched, seeming to awake from a trance.

‘What did you say?’

‘The ticket for Mr Simmons. The train ticket out of London. Should I buy it and give it to him when he leaves the building?’

There was one more moment of silence. Then Mr Ambrose shook his head. ‘He will be dead within a day of leaving this building,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘Corpses need no tickets.’

I paled and stared at him, wide-eyed.

‘D-dead?’ I stuttered. ‘But you said…’

‘Oh, I won’t kill him.’ He turned to look at me. There was a slightly different set to his mouth. If I didn’t know that he didn’t have such a thing as facial expressions, I would almost have said he looked… grim. ‘I won’t need to. He told me the name of his employer.’