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“Ah.”

“Bit of a problem, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I must say, this outcome is a disappointment, given what I paid the two of you,” said Osric.

“Your illness is—really, it’s quite unfortunate—not treatable, per se,” said Fordyce. “It’s a degenerative condition with no known cure.”

“The Haelan are the greatest healers alive,” said Shuttleworth, who had recovered from his suffocation to blind Osric with this luminous insight.

“Aurienne Fairhrim really is your best option, sir,” said Fordyce. “If anyone can help you, it’s her.”

“She’s my only option, if you and your colleague are to be believed.”

“Erm—yes.”

Having concluded that the physickers would be of no further use, Osric dismissed them. “I’m sure I can count on your discretion with respect to my condition.”

The physickers stammered out a few yeses.

“My steward will see you out,” said Osric. “Give us a moment.”

Fordyce and Shuttleworth bowed low before exiting Osric’s study. They placed their hats upon their useless heads and scuttled out towards the reception room.

Osric called for his steward. “Mrs.Parson?”

Mrs.Parson and her white-streaked bun popped round the doorpost. “Yes, sir?”

“See to it that neither of those physickers remembers this visit.”

“Of course.”

Osric held the daguerreotype of Aurienne Fairhrim up for Mrs.Parson’s inspection. “Here’s my apparent saviour. What do you think?”

Mrs.Parson grasped about at her bosom until she found her spectacles. She perched them on her nose and peered at the image. “She looks lovely.”

“She looks like a means to an end,” said Osric.

Mrs.Parson tapped Fairhrim’s high-necked white dress. “One of the Haelan?”

“Yes. Sanctimonious to the core, no doubt. Aurienne Fairhrim is her name.”

Mrs.Parson eyed Osric over her spectacles. “If she’s a Haelan, she won’t help you.”

“Obviously,” said Osric. “However, she is, apparently, a Phenomenon. And I’m in need of a Phenomenon, Parson. How shall I convince her to assist?” He turned to a looking glass, inspected the finest cheekbones in the Tiendoms, and said, “Seduction?”

“I don’t think you’d manage it,” said Parson.

“You offend me, madam.”

Mrs.Parson, who was annoyingly sensible, said, “She’s a Haelan. She’d sooner walk into the Thames than help you. Perhaps we can equip you with a plan B. And a plan C.”

“BforBlackmail,CforCoercion?”

“Amusing, sir,” said Mrs.Parson, though she did not look amused.

“Very well,” said Osric. “Equip me. Do a spot of investigating on Aurienne Fairhrim. Find me a bit of leverage. Bribing, extortion, threats to life and limb—you know. The usual.”