Page 24 of Charmless

Horatio leveled a searching gaze at me. “Would you tell me if you did?”

“I-I don’t know,” I faltered. “It depends on what you want him for.”

“I told you. I have questions.”

“About what?” I trailed anxiously after Horatio as he tried to peer into Mal’s kitchen window. “Is it something to do with that Elixir of Love?”

“The what?”

I bit my lip. Perhaps I should have remained silent. Horatio had obviously not heard about Mal’s elixir, but he would soon enough. I continued. “You are going to receive a lot of complaints from women accusing Mal of defrauding them. I warned him not to go around peddling that potion. But really, that stuff was quite harmless.”

“Ella,” Horatio tried to stop me, but I rushed on.

“There was nothing magical about it, just some infusion of herbs so no laws were broken. I am sure Mal made it clear to his customers that all that the potion would do is make them feel more confident and desirable. And if they felt that way, it would surely show and make them seem more attractive.”

“Ella—”

“All right, Mal probably was not entirely honest. Maybe he did let all those ladies believe that if they drank his potion, a prince would fall in love with them. And that was wrong of Mal, very wrong. It is not as though he kept the money for himself. Mal is always helping his poorer neighbors here in the Bottoms.”

“While I applaud his generosity, he ought to confine his charity to money he has earned through honest, legal means,” Horatio said sternly.

I sighed, having told Mal that same thing, many times. But I feared that my reckless friend took far too much pleasure in defying the king’s laws.

“What will Mal have to do?” I asked. “Make restitution to the ladies. Pay a huge fine? Spend time in the garrison gaol?”

“As reprehensible as I find the chicanery he practiced upon those gullible young women, that is not the reason I am looking for him,” Horatio replied gravely. “I am investigating a crime of a much more serious nature. A theft.”

I felt as though my heart stopped, the orb I had stolen for Mal weighing heavy on my conscience. I had the replaced the orb with an identical fake one. Had the substitution somehow been discovered? I was in such a panic, it took me a moment to register what else Horatio was saying.

"Someone broke into Quad Hall last night."

“Oh!” I breathed out, so weak with relief that my knees nearly buckled. “That explains why the hall is all closed up and heavily guarded.”

“What? ”

“When I tried to find you at the garrison, I crossed paths with the king’s wizard. Mercato would allow no one to enter the hall. He even had the portcullis lowered. ”

“That frapping fool! ” Horatio growled.

I was startled. Horatio seldom swore, especially not in the presence of a lady. I was even more surprised that he would speak so disrespectfully of the king’s chief wizard.

Horatio dragged his hands down his face in a wearied, frustrated gesture. “I warned that man not to do anything that would create a stir or spread alarm through the town. ”

“I am afraid he ignored you. Mercato also denied ever telling you he would secure the release of the Midtown citizens. ”

“Pay no heed to that. I told you it will all be happily resolved.”

“But the Hansons still have not returned home. ”

“They will very soon but the matter had to be delayed. I have been informed that the king became ill after the ball last night. Apparently, something he ate or drank did not agree with him.”

Probably that same cheap wine which had had such a bad effect on my sister, Amy, I thought wryly.

“Sidney Greenleaf promised me he will discuss the release of the Hansons with the king as soon as his majesty is feeling well enough.” Horatio summoned up a tired, but reassuring smile. “All right?”

I nodded, but I felt uneasy and confused. Horatio was one of the few people I had ever heard that dared to refer to the wizard by his real name. He had called Mercato a fool, and yet Horatio seemed to place great faith in the man. At times, it felt as though he was talking about two entirely different people. It made no sense, but I had far more pressing worries.

“Exactly what did happen at Quad Hall last night?” I asked. “How does it concern Mal?”