Page 103
Story: The Mask Falling
I was too tired to so much as nod. Even my fingers hurt, right down to the smallest joints.
“I need to know what happened in there.” Her expression softened. “I’m sorry to make you talk, but—”
“It’s fine. This is important.”
Speaking in an agonized whisper, I gave her a lightly edited version of how I had ended up imprisoned in the Hôtel Garuche: I had wanted a closer look at the outside of the building and had left the safe house to scout the perimeter. Another clairvoyant had detected me. I had been able to dispose of my dissimulator before I was hauled inside and locked up.
“By hiding the dissimulator, you broke the link to Mannequin,” Ducos mused. “Even in the face of arrest, you remained calm and protected the network.” For once, she made no move to smoke. “Now, the million-pound question. Did you obtain the intelligence we require?”
“I did.”
Ducos dropped her shoulders and exhaled. It was the strongest reaction I had seen from her. For the first time, I noticed the puffy shadows under her eyes, impossible to polish.
“Tell me,” she said.
“What do you know about the Suzerain?”
“An unidentified entity or entities at the highest level of Scion. That’s all I can disclose.”
If only she knew.
“Weaver ordered Ménard to provide a residence for that entity in France. A city where rare anormales will be transported in tribute,” I said. “Ménard hates the idea, and despises the Suzerain. The document I mentioned, the one Frère took to London, was the Great Territorial Act—his formal agreement to the deal. He signed under pressure, and it seems he’s honored it.”
Ducos was listening raptly. Her left hand lingered close to her pocket, where she kept her silver case of cigarettes, and I realized she must be refraining for my sake.
“Ménard is plotting a coup,” I continued. “He plans to imprison the Suzerain and her supporters inside the city he was forced to build for them. He plans to take England from under Frank Weaver. And then he plans to destroy them both. To claim Scion for himself.”
“Where is this city?”
“The best intelligence I have suggests Versailles.”
I filled her in on the fine details as much as I could, only leaving out the affair between Frère and Cade—useful information, but it might put both Cade and the child in danger. I explained that Ménard had captured an emissary from the Suzerain, and that he was the one who had given me the location. Yes, I was confident he would keep quiet about it.
“You did well. Very well,” Ducos said, at last. “All of this could have explosive potential.”
“I did as you asked,” I said. “Completed the assignment. Proved I could follow orders.”
“Yes.” She seemed lost in thought. “You did.”
“Then perhaps we can discuss my militia in London.”
Her gaze sharpened. “When I return, I will hear you out.” She stood. “Well done, Flora. To have escaped Inquisitorial custody in one piece is a tremendous accomplishment by itself, but to have done it in your condition,andfinished the assignment—I am very proud to have you in Mannequin.”
I nodded, relieved both that Ducos was pleased and that I could stop talking for a while.
“Now that Portugal has submitted, it may take several days for me to receive new orders,” she said. “Until I return, stay indoors.”
The news curdled in my stomach. “President Gonçalves has surrendered, then.”
“The fight was over. She must have accepted that no help was coming.” She slid her hands into her pockets. “Cordier should return by noon tomorrow.”
She turned to leave. “Ducos,” I said, and she stopped. “Do you think Scion will take Spain?”
Her face was impossible to read, but something in her eyes chilled me.
“I think,” she said, “that it’s only a matter of time.”
15
“I need to know what happened in there.” Her expression softened. “I’m sorry to make you talk, but—”
“It’s fine. This is important.”
Speaking in an agonized whisper, I gave her a lightly edited version of how I had ended up imprisoned in the Hôtel Garuche: I had wanted a closer look at the outside of the building and had left the safe house to scout the perimeter. Another clairvoyant had detected me. I had been able to dispose of my dissimulator before I was hauled inside and locked up.
“By hiding the dissimulator, you broke the link to Mannequin,” Ducos mused. “Even in the face of arrest, you remained calm and protected the network.” For once, she made no move to smoke. “Now, the million-pound question. Did you obtain the intelligence we require?”
“I did.”
Ducos dropped her shoulders and exhaled. It was the strongest reaction I had seen from her. For the first time, I noticed the puffy shadows under her eyes, impossible to polish.
“Tell me,” she said.
“What do you know about the Suzerain?”
“An unidentified entity or entities at the highest level of Scion. That’s all I can disclose.”
If only she knew.
“Weaver ordered Ménard to provide a residence for that entity in France. A city where rare anormales will be transported in tribute,” I said. “Ménard hates the idea, and despises the Suzerain. The document I mentioned, the one Frère took to London, was the Great Territorial Act—his formal agreement to the deal. He signed under pressure, and it seems he’s honored it.”
Ducos was listening raptly. Her left hand lingered close to her pocket, where she kept her silver case of cigarettes, and I realized she must be refraining for my sake.
“Ménard is plotting a coup,” I continued. “He plans to imprison the Suzerain and her supporters inside the city he was forced to build for them. He plans to take England from under Frank Weaver. And then he plans to destroy them both. To claim Scion for himself.”
“Where is this city?”
“The best intelligence I have suggests Versailles.”
I filled her in on the fine details as much as I could, only leaving out the affair between Frère and Cade—useful information, but it might put both Cade and the child in danger. I explained that Ménard had captured an emissary from the Suzerain, and that he was the one who had given me the location. Yes, I was confident he would keep quiet about it.
“You did well. Very well,” Ducos said, at last. “All of this could have explosive potential.”
“I did as you asked,” I said. “Completed the assignment. Proved I could follow orders.”
“Yes.” She seemed lost in thought. “You did.”
“Then perhaps we can discuss my militia in London.”
Her gaze sharpened. “When I return, I will hear you out.” She stood. “Well done, Flora. To have escaped Inquisitorial custody in one piece is a tremendous accomplishment by itself, but to have done it in your condition,andfinished the assignment—I am very proud to have you in Mannequin.”
I nodded, relieved both that Ducos was pleased and that I could stop talking for a while.
“Now that Portugal has submitted, it may take several days for me to receive new orders,” she said. “Until I return, stay indoors.”
The news curdled in my stomach. “President Gonçalves has surrendered, then.”
“The fight was over. She must have accepted that no help was coming.” She slid her hands into her pockets. “Cordier should return by noon tomorrow.”
She turned to leave. “Ducos,” I said, and she stopped. “Do you think Scion will take Spain?”
Her face was impossible to read, but something in her eyes chilled me.
“I think,” she said, “that it’s only a matter of time.”
15
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198