The Spellbinder (Tom & Laura Series) (30 page)

Chapter 35
   
The Next Day

Trelawney sat at in the Headmaster’s office wondering how much of what had happened he could put into his report. Most of it, for one reason or another would never be consigned to paper.

When Laura and Tom left the cellar the previous day, they had been confronted with the wounded and dying soldiers from the battle. Men from both sides had been brought from the places they had fallen into the Gatling gun tent.

Several of them were ‘gut-shot’, a particularly horrible way to die. Thomas Merlin Carter had gone to each one of them in turn, one hand touching their body while holding onto Laura Young and he had Healed them all, friend and foe alike. Nothing like that had ever been seen before and it certainly wasn’t going into his report.

Trelawney realized he had witnessed the world’s first Class A Healer in action. When the news got out, Thomas Carter’s life would change forever and not for the better. Trelawney had spoken to the soldiers on both sides and cautioned them not to speak of it to others. The best Tom could expect was to be rushed to the Afghan front as soon as the facts became known. The Prime Minister and the Prince had witnessed Tom in action, but they said nothing that evening at dinner. No doubt their silence came with a price that they would collect when the need presented.

Then there was the issue of the doppelgangers’ that were the Headmaster and Miss Pruitt. How was that done? What did this do to the nation’s security now that such a capability was in the hands of the enemy? It didn’t bear thinking about.

Belinda walked in the room without knocking and sat down.

“You will not tell them about Thomas.” It was not a question.

“It will get out eventually.”

“Find a way to protect him, Ernest. The warmongers will see him as a sign from God that the Empire should take over the world.” Belinda took her knitting from her carpet bag and began a new row.

“The Prime Minister knows.”

Belinda paused from her knitting to look up at Trelawney. “We have things on the Prime Minister that could destroy his career, and more importantly, his reputation. He will see this as something to balance that out.”

Trelawney nodded his agreement. They could manage Lord Palmerston. The Prince was a different matter though. It was time to move onto other matters.

“I am promoting Camilla Burns and Daisy Drew to active service. Their actions in this matter speak for themselves.”

“And the Tompkins boy?” Belinda asked.

Trelawney considered.

“I checked his file this morning. He was initially suspected of being in telepathic contact with his brother, but then he was found to be a Grade 5 Farseer.”

“And he was recruited for Hobsgate?”

“Unusual ability. He can sense where things are around him more than the rest of us. It makes him excellent with a cricket ball or a gun. It was the latter ability that made him a candidate for MM3.”

“He seems to be good friends with the other two.”

Trelawney’s instincts made his decision.

“Yes, they work well as a team. I shall keep them together and I think they should come to
London
.”

“Are they needed in
London
?”

Trelawney shook his head. No, they can stay here for a while to recover from the events of the last few days, but I can’t help feeling I shall have need them very soon.”

“And what of Miss Young? What will happen when the powers that be find out she refused to kill the enemy for the Empire?”

“You know what will happen if anyone finds out. She will be taken from MM3 and… well it will not be pleasant for her. She is too valuable a weapon to be allowed a conscience.”

Trelawney shuddered at the thought of what the head of MM1 might do to change her mind. It was like the Royal Navy’s flagship refusing to go into battle, and she was much more powerful than a whole fleet of ships.

There was a great deal of freedom in the Empire, but not that much for the truly gifted. It was her duty to serve and he knew that the powers that ran the Empire would rather break her mind than let her continue to think that she could choose not to use her powers in their service. For now he would protect her, and hope she would change her mind as she grew up. Trelawney sighed.

“That’s why it is vital to get the two of them away from Hobsgate as soon as possible and back to
London
. The Prince as well.”

Belinda frowned as she sensed a complex mix of emotions coming from Trelawney.

“You have already dispatched them. Is it safe?”

“The cavalry caught a couple of enemy soldiers at the station, so I believe they should have no problems. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister is still here with us. I believe he is reveling in all the excitement.”

Tom and Laura sat on one side of the coach and the Prince on the other. They barely had time to say goodbye to everyone and they nearly missed Mick because Tom had insisted on healing Nan and the cook’s wounds, despite them both insisting they were of no consequence.

Mick hugged them and told them to be careful.
Cam
and Daisy arrived to say goodbye as they got into the coach. Cam told them that she and Daisy were real agents now and would see them both in
London
in a few weeks time. That had seemed unreal too.

“I understand it is your birthday soon, my dear,” the Prince said. He had developed an interest in Laura as soon as he saw how pretty she was. Her extraordinary choice of clothing the previous day had probably helped. The Prince intended to add wearing tight boy’s clothing to the list of things he expected of girls about to share his bed.

“I am seventeen on Wednesday, your Highness.” Laura was amused by the Prince’s obvious interest and that Tom was upset by it.

“You are like a beautiful flower, just waiting the appropriate moment to be plucked.”

Laura smiled.

“I think, your Highness, that I shall choose for myself the moment and manner of my plucking.”

“I’m sure it will be a memorable moment.” The Prince leaned forward and put a hand on Laura’s knee. Laura gently but firmly lifted it away.

“It should last a little longer than a moment I would hope,” she said to the Prince’s delight.

“Is the train going straight to
London
?” Tom asked.

“You can be sure it will go all the way, as well it should,” said the Prince who was enjoying the repartee.

“Does His Highness go all the way, as a matter of course?” Laura asked and fluttered her eyebrows.

“I rarely have complaints, my dear.”

“I am sure Your Highness always gives satisfaction”

Tom knew when he was beaten and decided to sit back in his chair and sulk.

“You could find out, dear Laura, you only have to say the word,” The Prince leaned forward again. Laura was such a pretty feisty thing and he would love to ravish her.

“Alas, my heart is spoken for, and I fear I would not be worthy.”

“You are always worthy, and if your heart should change, you have but to look me up. I live in a large house in
London
. I’m sure you could find it. Just ask for Bertie and the staff will rush you to my side.”

“I shall bear your offer in mind, your Highness.”

The coach came to a halt ending the conversation. Tom for one, could not wait to get out and onto the train.

They walked to the waiting carriage, the Prince staying behind to have words with the driver of the coach. The Stationmaster had put wooden steps up to the carriage door. Tom got into the compartment first and put out a hand for Laura. She gave him a worried look and put a finger to her mouth.

“Don’t look around,” she whispered.

While appearing to stumble on the steps she retrieved parchment and pen from her clothes and scribbled furiously. Tom placed his body to hide her actions from sight. Laura hid the bind in her skirt as she stepped into the compartment.

The Prince wandered up a few minutes later. He was about to shut the door when a thin, well dressed man appeared from between the carriages and ran up the steps. The Prince moved back in surprise.

“Hello Bruno,” Laura said in a cheerful manner. “Didn’t our last encounter teach you anything?”

“I am sorry for disturbing your Majesty,” Bruno said curtly and gave him a rigid bow. “But this young lady is a threat to the Hungarian Empire and she must die.” He reached into his jacket for his gun.

“Abracadabra!” Laura said and gestured impressively at Bruno. “What I have just done to your gun, I will do to all the men of the Hungarian Empire, forever, if you dare to come near me again. Now leave.”

Bruno stared at his gun as the barrel began to droop. “Or you could try shooting off your foot.”

Bruno looked aghast at the gun. Then the meaning of Laura’s words became clear and he looked positively distraught. Laura began another gesture and he stepped back out of the carriage.

Unfortunately the stationmaster had removed the steps and there was a sickening crunch as he fell. Laura, Tom, and the Prince stepped forward to look outside as Tom pulled the door closed.

Bruno Schubert,
Hungary
’s most successful assassin stumbled away from the carriage, holding his leg as if it might be broken. The train started to pull away and there was a collective sigh of relief as he disappeared from view.

“It never stops with you two, I must say.” The Prince mopped at his brow. “How did you do that without paper? I thought that was impossible.”

“We Class A’s must keep out little secrets, your Highness. I am sure you understand.”

Laura winked at Tom who winked back.

IN COMPLETE CONFIDENCE TO ERNEST TRELAWNEY

DIRECTOR OF MM3

The so called ‘sub marine boat’ the ‘USS Pride of the South’ was recovered in English waters a few days ago and towed to the Royal Dockyards at Devonport by HMS Frontier. When opened it was found to contain the bodies of two people, one firmly identified as ‘Captain’ Brenton Wayne of the United States of America, and the other, tentatively identified as a Jill Hagman also a citizen of the United States of America. Despite intensive searches of the coastline there has been no sign of the body of Dominican Snood. It must be assumed his body has been consumed by the ocean.

Regarding the disappearance of Laura Young and Thomas Carter from the whereabouts of Paddington Railway Station,
London
on Sunday 4th November 1860.

The coach sent to pick up Young and Carter at Paddington was found abandoned in Muswell Hill the next day. The driver’s body was found in his own home later the same day. He had been murdered.

Two bodies have been found by the side of the
Thames
estuary. The bodies were both decapitated and so far the heads have not been recovered. Clothing on the bodies’ match the clothing worn by Carter and Young on the night they disappeared. The ages and general descriptions of the bodies also match that of the two missing youths.

It is this agents opinion that these are the bodies of Laura Young and Thomas Carter and that the search for them should now be terminated.

Signed: James Saunders

Head of Operation MM3

Dated: Friday 9th November 1860

The End

Tom and Laura return in
Scotland
Hard

(Excerpt next page)

From
Scotland
Hard

Tom watched very carefully as four young Scots gave a demonstration of the dance he was about to do. They were lined up in two rows, women on one side, men on the other. Laura stood immediately opposite him watching the demonstration of the dance with the same grim determination he had. Neither of them wanted to look foolish in front of all these people.

The dance involved the men and women prancing into the gap between them in time to the music and then twirling each other around in a tight embrace. After two such turns the men bowed, the women curtseyed and then they swapped places with the person next to them. This left them facing a different partner.

“We have an odd number of couples in the dance, so everybody gets to dance with everybody else,” one of the dancers explained. “Well with all the members of the opposite sex. We had a couple got very confused once and men found themselves dancing with men and women with women. It led to quite a fight, let me tell you.”

Everybody laughed dutifully.

“When you find yourself dancing with your original partner again the dance comes to an end and we let the next group of couples have a go. Are you all ready then?”

A cheer of sorts went up from all the dancers in the line while a few catcalls came from those waiting their turn. The musicians started up again and Tom stumbled out into the centre only a single step behind the others.

“Chin up, Thomas Merlin Carter,” Laura told him as he twirled around with her. “And do try to avoid standing on the other girl’s feet. They will not have you around to heal their bruised toes later.”

Three girls later, Tom had started to get the hang of it and was beginning to enjoy himself. He was no longer having to listen to swearing as he danced on girls toes. Two girls down the line later, he found himself dancing with Camilla Burns.

“Do pick your chin up from the floor, Carter. People will think you are drooling over my breasts,”
Cam
said cheerfully.

Tom stared at her in astonishment.

“How? What?”

“Come to rescue you of course. We’ve chased you all the way up the
British Isles
.”

Then
Cam
was gone and Tom had to work hard to avoid standing on the next girl’s feet.

Arnold
had his eyes firmly on the dance floor, watching the girl’s feet and his own. He was surprised when one of his partners dragged his head up so he was looking into her eyes.

“Camilla has to be around here somewhere,” Laura told him, her eyes twinkling with delight.

“What makes you say that?”

“Because no one else on Earth could have persuaded you to wear a skirt.”

“It’s called a kilt,”
Arnold
shouted after her, but Laura had already danced away.

Tom found he was twirling Laura again, much to his relief.

“
Cam
,” he said simply, too exhausted to get more than a word out.

“
Arnold
too,” Laura said as she pulled him close to her and kissed him firmly on the lips. The music stopped as the other couples bowed to each other. There was a deal of ribald laughter around Tom and Laura as they continued to kiss. Laura had to come up for air eventually and she reluctantly let Tom go.

The dancers left the floor and headed towards the food and drink while the next group of dancers organised themselves across the dance floor. Tom and Laura knew better than to rush over to their friends, while Cam and
Arnold
strolled equally indifferently across to the nearest bench laden with food and drinks.

“That was quite a dance, I fear I am glowing from it,”
Cam
said rather loudly. She stood with her back to Tom and Laura.

“But very enjoyable, I found,” Laura replied.
Cam
turned around at the sound of her voice.

“You were dancing with us just now?”
Cam
asked innocently.

“She certainly was,”
Arnold
cut in, “I never forget a pretty face.”

Cam gave
Arnold
a severe look.

“You must forgive my brother,
Arnold
. He rarely waits to be introduced when there is a beautiful woman present. My name is Camilla Smith, though everybody calls me
Cam
.”

“May I present Laura Young,” Tom responded smoothly. “My name is Tom Carter and we are currently the guests of Lord McBride.”

“Indeed you are, laddie,” Lord McBride said from behind him. “It is good to see you mingling with the other guests. I told you the dance would be well within your capabilities.”

“Only two of the girls involved are seeking medical attention,” Blane said dryly, appearing at his Laird’s side as if by magic. “I did not realise that Healers drummed up their own business.”

“Good evening, my lord,”
Arnold
interrupted hesitantly. “I joined your workforce today, bringing my two sisters and two young brothers with me.”

“
Arnold
is now the breadwinner of the family, our mother dying suddenly of a broken heart, less than a month ago,”
Cam
explained.

“I’m so sorry to hear that. What brought on her sad condition?” Lord McBride enquired solicitously.

“Father was killed while fighting for Her Majesty in the
Crimea
. Florence Nightingale herself nursed him, but to no avail,”
Cam
said. Laura blinked and Tom worked hard to suppress a laugh.
Cam
could never resist embellishing a story. “My brother Arnold had just completed his first class honours degree in engineering at
Cambridge
University
…”

Cam
did not finish her sentence as Tom dropped his tankard on hearing her spout such outrageous nonsense. The girls scattered as beer splashed everywhere.

“I’m so sorry, my hand was still trembling from the exertions of the dance,” Tom said hurriedly. He glared at
Cam
as he spoke.

“First class honours, you say?” Lord McBride said thoughtfully. “We have been looking for a man of your calibre. I’m surprised my staff did not bring your papers to my attention.”

“That is because we saw no such papers,” Blane said smoothly, “Which I must say, I find very strange.”

“We were recruited by Angus McKinnon,”
Cam
said quickly before the situation could get out of hand. “Your son said he was prone to forget to post them.”

“He never forgets to collect his wages on time,” Blane told them, “But he is remiss with his paperwork on occasion. Do forgive my overly suspicious nature.”

“Never mind all that,” Lord McBride said impatiently. “Arnold Smith you said your name was?”

Arnold
nodded.

“Report to my laboratory at nine o’clock sharp, tomorrow morning. Any of the staff in the castle will tell you how to find it. Gordon has been moaning at me to find a qualified assistant. I think you’ll do just fine.”

“Thank you, my lord,”
Arnold
said formally and bowed. He planned to say some choice words to
Cam
when he got the chance, but now was not the time.

Lord McBride nodded in return and strode away from them, with Blane following a short distance behind him.

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