‘The dome has access to the gallery, the gallery to the four long corridors’ repeated Jay to herself, holding in her mind the picture that Lethe gave her two days earlier. ‘Each corridor has a window at the end with a wide sill and just a short climb away from the top of the roof…’
Lethe and Jay sat on the parapet, clinging to a granite statue of a busty woman holding a sceptre. On the roof of the opposite building, a guard walked slowly around his post and every few steps he’d stop and drink from a round flask, the small magical lantern at his belt swinging with every move he made. Even from here Jay could smell the thick odour of berry booze. Despite almost complete darkness under the statue, she could almost see the smile on Lethe’s face widening with every minute. With every moment that passed the guard would slip deeper into the drunken numbness and soon he will be too drunk to care what was going around him or even fall asleep if they were lucky enough.
‘That’s right you bastard’ mumbled Lethe to himself. ‘Drink it all up.’
Jay shifted from one foot to the other. From up here she could hear the sounds of the party that was already in full swing in the Duke of Kingston residence. There was laughter and muffled music, the wide arched windows shone with strong light. Even the gardens in the centre seemed to be full of activity, despite the night being bitterly cold.
Jay rubbed her fingers together. Despite having her hands wrapped up with strips of cloth, she could still feel a biting chill in her fingertips.
‘Each corridor also have servant’s access staircase’ she repeated silently. ‘Each staircase leads to cellars…’
‘Mmmm-hm’ mumbled Lethe.
Jay shifted her attention back to the guard. He stopped pacing and looked around. Luckily he was alone on this narrow strip of the roof. He leaned backwards and drained the rest of the booze. He stretched and then leaned over the tall chimney at the end of his walking post. A few long-drawn moments later and Jay could hear him snoring lightly.
Jay’s heart leaped. Now was the time, she started rising to her feet, but Lethe grabbed her sleeve.
‘Wait kid. Listen’ Jay looked at him surprised. ‘If there is a fuck up during this job I want you to know when to run and not even look back.’
‘What? But Lethe I-‘
‘I want to hear no ‘but’s’ from you.’ he grumbled. ‘One guard or maybe two we can deal with. But if they sound the alarm then we’re going to be in pretty deep shit. You run, don’t look back and I’ll do the same. Got it?’
Jay felt a cold shiver travelling up her spine at a thought of being left alone and surrounded by guards. But she couldn’t find anything to say to contradict him. She nodded solemnly.
‘Good’ he turned his attention back to the guard that was now snoring so loudly he scared a pigeon that was sleeping on top of the chimney. ‘Let’s get this show started.’
Lethe uncoiled a long piece of rope that until now was stored behind the statue. On its end there was a sharp-toothed anchor. He spun the rope over his head and threw the anchor towards the roof. Jay held her breath as the metal struck the stone finishes of the roof close to the guard. She was sure that the noise would wake him up, but he wouldn’t stir. ‘How can one sleep standing up? She wondered for a brief moment, but then she had no more time to think.
Lethe pulled hard at the rope, making sure that the anchor caught against the stones, then tied the other end around the busty statue. Without as much as looking at Jay, he jumped forward catching the rope with both hands. With his feet in the air, he was swinging ahead, using just his hands to move. Jay gulped. That’s what she disliked about being on the roofs the most. From time to time it was just too far away to jump and to get to the other side one had to use this precarious ways to get where they were going.
Stifling a deep sigh, she moved her dagger from hip to the front so it wouldn’t dangle on the side, grabbed the rope in her arms and crossing her legs over it. Now she was hanging with her back to the great fall below. Slowly she made her way across, pushing with her legs and pulling with her arms.
A bit of effort and she clambered onto the roof, where Lethe was waiting and keeping an eye on the guard. Silently he motioned her to follow. They passed the guard and moved towards the spot where the narrow part of the roof widened to accommodate a large dome that boasted a roof made out of thick crystal sheets that during the day would let the sunlight pass onto the floor below. It was at least a one floor high by itself and Jay was almost sure that they’d have to climb it too. But luckily, their access point was at its base- small steel hatches that lead inside the dome.
Jay was sure it would be locked and I was. But instead of lockpicks, Lethe took out a small wand out of one of his pouches. He touched the handle with its sharp end and instantly both the hatch and the wand glowed fiery-red. There was an enchantment placed on the hatch. Then there was a gentle click and the hatch stood ajar in front of them. Jay made a mental note to ask Lethe about the wand and enchanted locks, remembering her own encounter with a spell-protected padlock that night she robbed the grocer.
Lethe stepped through the hatch and Jay followed, carefully closing the door behind them.
They were now on a narrow gallery, barely enough for a person to stand on. Jay immediately crouched and reached for the low railing running around the edge, fearing a sudden vertigo. She knew that the railing would do nothing to stop her fall if she lost balance standing up. This place was clearly not made for comfort, but rather as a maintenance access to repair and also clean the dome. She felt sorry for whoever had to do it.
Only when she had the low railing securely in her hands, she realized that the dome was filled with the echoes from below, ringing laughter of women and low murmur of men’s voices. And above and through it all, music was flowing. Gentle strings and thicker cellos were tied together with strumming of harps and bright tones of flutes. The river of sound flowed upwards, echoing in the crystal dome, washing her with bouquet of sounds and rhythms she had never heard before. Guided with her curiosity, she peeked over the railing to look at the source of the music.
Below her, the room shone. Everything was seemingly filled with light. It radiated from tall candelabras with their gold and prism adorned bodies. Magic lanterns cast their brilliance like fountains of rainbows, splashing the whiteness of the marble floors and dyeing the air itself in multicolour hues. And the people glistened too. The dancing pairs swirled on the floor like petals in a glass bowl. The women wore dresses that shimmered with sequins and gemstones, the fabric dyed in every possible colour and shade imaginable. The skirts were sweeping the floor like butterfly wings, the shawls floated like colourful mists, the bodices were embroidered in patterns of leaves and birds and flowers. Each dress was made of such amount of cloth that it would easily dress several women of Jay’s statue. The men wore doublets and half-capes, all threaded with gold and silver, embroidered in rich patterns that embraced their arms and shoulders. Their hair were bound in circlets of precious metals and sleeves by silk ribbons. The men themselves seemed to Jay like they stepped down from paintings, their bodies in perfect proportions almost unreal in grace and posture.
‘Beautiful’ she whispered, hypnotised by the spectacle below her. Never in her life had she seen so much light, colour and style gathered in one place. It was a world so new and elegant; she could scarcely believe it is real. She felt like she could gaze at it for hours.
‘Heh, aren’t they just?’ Lethe was staring down no less fascinated than her. ‘Look at all that stuff just asking to be taken.’
Jay shook of the shroud of fascination. Lethe was right, they came here to steal not to admire.
‘Let’s go’ he said.
They skulked around the dome, keeping as close to the wall as possible. At the other end of the gallery there was a small door. This one was unlocked. As soon as they stepped through the threshold they found themselves in a long, low attic that had barely enough room to stand up, even for someone so short as Lethe or Jay. The floor of the attic was open to the floor below almost all the way to the other end. The only thing that separated them from the people below was a ornately wrought grate. The grate itself gave support to green climbing plants, their leaves and flower dipping down. Guided by curiosity, Jay peered between the leaves, wondering what incredible things were hiding behind the leaves and petals.
The things below her were no less wondrous than the dances in the ballroom. There was a long hall, dominated by tables swathed by white linen tablecloths. The light was much lower here than under the dome, shining with honey-coloured glow. Still the light reflected in the golden-wrought cutlery and the sides of chalices, shimmered in the highly polished crystal vases and bowls. But what pinned Jay’s interest the most was food. So much food! The platters were stacked with pyramids of bread, boats full of gravy in the shape of ships and decorated with herbs reigned in the centre. Long serving dishes filled with vegetables that looked like colourful mosaics, wines and ciders in rich shades of amber and blood-red rolled their heavy bellies next to silver-and-glass barrels of walnut spirits. And there was meat. Jay felt saliva gathering in her mouth at the very sight, she could smell the roasted birds of every kind, the finest cuts of pork and beef decorated with heads of chrysanthemums. Whole roasted pigs rested on porcelain trays, surrounded with steamed fruit. There were also long-limbed, small headed creatures that Jay couldn’t recognize, resting on the beads of rock lettuce.
‘Sunees’ mumbled Lathe. ‘The Duke really went all out for the Prince. These are Abrecari delicacies. Importing just one would put you back a hefty sum.’
But the thing that stole the centre table was a beast of a bird, roasted and glazed with honey. It was so large that Jay had no doubts it could serve as a mount for her. The back of the roast was decorated with a fan of feathers so delicate the slightest movement of the air made them undulate and shimmer with iridescent blues and greens. Jay was just about to ask Lethe what that creature was, but he grew impatient with the spectacle below.
‘That’s enough of that. We can’t get to any valuable stuff down there anyway. Too many people.’
They traversed the attic and found the trapdoor that lead below. They climbed down and were now in the mansion proper, behind the door that lead to one of the corridors of the guest quarters.
Lethe put his eye to a keyhole.
‘Alright, it’s clear’ he said. ‘You know what to do.’
They slipped through the door and were now standing in a small landing between three corridors. Ahead of them, at the end of one of the corridors, there was a brightly lit spiral staircase. Jay knew that it is likely there would be guards there, but as long as they stayed back and quiet there was little chance they’d come walking this way. The other two corridors were panelled in dark wood and decorated with heavy-framed portraits. Jay couldn’t see much detail since the only sources of light were two hefty floor lamps, their oil flames casting a round pool of light beneath their bodies. All along the corridor there were doors to what should be guest quarters.
Lethe pointed at himself then at one of the corridors, then jabbed his fingers at Jay and pointed to the other corridor. Jay nodded with a bit of irritation. He already told that to her what to do before; there was no need to tell her twice!
Jay moved towards the end of the corridor and approached the door closest to the lamp. Briefly, she peeked through the keyhole and after making sure there was no one on the other side, she pressed the doorknob and slipped past the threshold.
Jay knew of course that rooms in a noble mansion like that would be large, but she didn’t expect how large exactly. She stopped past the door, struck with a mixture of awe and disbelief. The entire Magic Lamp would be able to fit in this one room! The place was panelled in wood and decorated with thick and heavy tapestries that dripped with gold thread and showed court scenes in vivid colours. There was fire burning in the grate of a marble fireplace, two figures of Alloy Men held up a heavy mantle, their eyes shone with rubies. In front of the fireplace there was a carved, lion-footed bench, lounging like a domesticated beast, laden with embroidered cushions. There were other furnishing in the room: a side table with glass mosaic on the top, a full-length mirror in golden-wrought frame and also some chests and trunks made out of exotic wood. Clearly this room was taken by a high-born guest. But the main feature of the room was its enormous bed. Made from dark wood and shaped like a prow of a boat, it carried wine-red curtains like furled sails edged with golden fringe. The mattress was so thick that it seemed to Jay that if she lay on it she would sink as if it was a cloud. Furs lounged on the bed, brown and black and white fleeces that promised warmth and comfort beyond measure.
She stood there for a few heartbeats with her back to the door unsure where to turn, what to take. Everything here was worth more than everything that she saw through her entire life. Just a few seconds ago she had no idea, no idea at all that some people would live like that.
‘Small things only’ she remember Lethe saying before they set out. ‘We’re robbing the place, not raiding it. Money, jewels, trinkets- that kind of stuff. Don’t take anything that could encumber you.’
As soon as she was able to shake-off the first impression the room made on her, Jay reached into the folds of her clutches and pulled out one of the canvass bags that she brought especially to hold whatever loot they could pull out of this place. She turned to the side-table first. There was a small chest on top of it and, she guessed, it should contain at least a little bit of jewellery. She was right. Not looking closer, Jay emptied the little chest into her bag feeling the gold chains and strings of pearls falling inside. Then she went out looking for more. A few minutes later and her bag gained a pouch of coins, some silver ornaments she had no name for and in the end, she even managed to pry the eyes out of the Alloy Men and stashed those too.
At the end of the room Jay discovered a door. Wondering if this might be storage of some sort for more random valuable things that rich people would have, she opened them. But instead of a wardrobe, there was another room behind them. It was entirely laid in porcelain tiles and shiny metal Jay had no name for. There was a table made of marble that was stacked with cloth towels, ivory bottles and magic-pressed glass jars of different shapes and colour that held scented oils and ointments. Beautifully painted vases and bowls occupied a counter with a marble top under one of the walls. But the most surprising thing was a pool of water that smelled like roses and lilies. It was built into the floor and marble steps were leading into it. Jay furrowed her brow. What was one supposed to do with that? Go into it and…sit? There was a bench clearly visible under the surface of the water.
Jay shook her head. She had no time to ponder the strange ideas of the nobles. Instead, she shuffled the bottles of oils and ointments, rummaging for anything that she would deem valuable. They might not be of same value as jewels, gold and silver but there were always people out there who were eager to make their surrounding smell a little bit less of shit a little bit more like a meadow in summer.
Jay left the strange pool-room and passed through the bedroom towards the door. She closed them silently behind her and went to work on the room next to it. Then the next one to that. They all seemed similar, large and furnished with opulence that felt almost oppressive like they were more of artworks than spaces people would live in. She worked her way down the corridor and after a moment the splendour of the rooms faded from her attention. She focused on the things that fit into the bag, the roundness of the coins and rings, the shine of precious stones and the glitter of golden ornaments.
The last room in the corridor took her a while longer since there was a mother-of-pearl inlaid chest in the corner and Jay was almost sure there will be something worth taking in it. She struggled with the heavy lid until she spotted side-clips that fastened it shut. She used her dagger to lift them up but the moment she unclip the first one, she heard something.
Voices. There were voices just behind the door! A second later, Jay heard the latch moving. She dove behind the bed, a silver-inlaid wooden affair standing on carved legs that resembled claws of a bird of prey. Like a snake in the mud, she crawled under the drooping bedspread and into the darkness underneath the mattress. Here she buried herself in dust motes, listening to the sounds in the room.
Somebody entered. More than one somebody. She could now clearly distinguish the voices.
‘I must say marquis, if my wife took any notion of this I would be bathing in a hot water indeed!’ it was a male voice with a warm shade, like that of a trained singer.
‘Sir, your wife is a shrill harpy and she has no right whatsoever to keep your charms just to herself!’ that voice was also male and much deeper.
In response, there was just a laugh, breathy and full of glee.
Jay grimaced. Now how was she supposed to get out of here? There was no way she could sneak past the men in the room. All she could do was to lie there in the company of dust and an elaborately-painted chamber pot.
In the meantime, the men stopped talking. Straining her ears, Jay could only hear some rustling and mumbling. Then she heard the wood of the bead slates creaking and the mattress puffing up as if a heavy object was thrown on top of it. Then more creaking. Against her better judgement, Jay peeked out from under the droopy bedspread and looked up. But the only thing that she could see was a pair of naked feet that stuck out from behind the bed curtains.
Jay flushed, recognizing what the men were up to, but at the same time she realized that this is her only chance to sneak out. As quiet as a falling feather, she crawled from under the bed and tiptoed towards the door. She needn’t have bothered though. The creaking of the bed and the moans from behind the bed curtains were loud enough to drawn out a sound of a hobnailed boot stomping over an iron-wrought grate.
She closed the door behind her and almost ran down the corridor. Suddenly she was pulled into a dark alcove and would have screamed but a wide hand covered her mouth.
‘Quiet’ breathed Lethe into her ear.’ There are definitely guards on the staircase. But we don’t need to go there. In here.’
Lethe pushed his body deeper into the alcove and the wall behind him gave way with a tiny creak. They went inside the opening and Jay realized that was another staircase that was meant for the servants. They were standing on a narrow landing, lit up by twin candles.
Lethe looked at her flushed cheeks.
‘You look like you caught someone fucking’ he said.
Jay flushed even harder.
‘Nevermind that’ he said. ‘We’re going down.’
The stairs were narrow and twisted like a corkscrew but soon enough they were on the floor below. Lethe ran his hand over the wall and opened the door.
The corridor here looked exactly like the one above them. Again, they split up and went to work at the opposite corridors. Here the rooms were even bigger. They were set up as apartments with a lounge, which housed tables, chairs and benches, and a smaller bedroom with a side-room next to it. Jay had no idea how, but those were even more opulent, the wealth of ornaments bordering pure decadence. Jay gathered the crystal pendants that adorned the candle stands and was cutting-off the golden tape that bordered the draperies. The tiny water-drinking glasses of crystal set into thread-thin silver wire went into the bag alongside boxes made of giant pearls from the shores of the warm, northern seas.
When they were finished with the rooms, Jay and Lethe re-convened at the servants’ staircase. Jay knew there was no use of going to the level below since it would be full of guests and the people that served them. She could hear them now; their voices reverberated over the stones of the spiral staircase. Instead, Lethe opened the window at the end of the corridor and they left through there, walking over the ledge on the side of the building. This wing of the mansion was close to the other and it only took a short, even if unnerving, walk to get to it.
Jay tried to open the first window but it seemed closed. Lethe tried another one just next to it and it opened with a small creak. It was dark inside but the moment they snuck in it was clear that they were in some sort of side room, perhaps intended for servants to wait in case their masters needed them. There was a table and a wooden bench. A cupboard of some sort stood in the corner. This part of the house was different though. It seemed older, with thick stone walls and high, vaulted ceilings. Heavy wooden beams criss-crossed the shadows high up above. Two pair of doors led to the right and left.
There was no one behind the door to the right. It was a sitting room of some sort with high-backed chairs guarding the stone hearth of a massive fireplace. On the mantle there was a mechanical clock, the ticking of its brass cogs mixing with the buzzing of the fire on the grate. A few sconces were moored into the wall, magical fire burning within their crystal globes. Another door led somewhere further to the right.
Lethe started to examine a side-board that looked like it held every expensive liquor imaginable and Jay was just about to look at a display case in the corner when both of them froze. There was someone in the next room. They could now hear voices and clinking of glasses.
Jay looked around quickly but soon realized there wasn’t anywhere for her to hide. She turned to Lethe, but he was gone. All she managed to spot was his shadow that flickered as she used the sconce on the wall to propel himself up over the display cabinet and from there higher up onto the shadowy beams above. Seeing no other option, Jay followed, scrambling onto the side board, then pulling herself by the mounting of the sconce and finally onto the cabinet. She reached out to search for the beam and locked her fingers onto it. She reached out with the other and met Lethe’s arm, stretched out. She grabbed his forearm and he helped her onto the beam.
Jay looked down and only then she realized how far up they really were. Even if anybody walked in right now and looked up they wouldn’t be spotted, hidden by the darkness that covered the beams. She could barely see Lethe even that he was crouching right next to her.
Somewhere to the left there was a bright opening. Jay recognized it as a vent, set in the thick wall. Upon closer inspection she realized that it led to the next room, the one that was occupied by the people whose voices they’ve heard. Lethe crawled towards it and disappeared on the other side. Jay froze. Was he mad? They should go away from them not towards! But then she realized that being so high up might just be the best way to move past them. Carefully she shimmed along the beam and crawled through the vent.
The room looked to her like some sort of office. A massive desk rested under the window, supported by four column-like legs. Behind it, there was a man sitting on a red, upholstered, high-backed chair. Jay could barely see him as he sat just outside of the circle of light that a many-armed candelabra was giving over the desk. Some papers were spread over the desk and a green, thick-bottomed bottle was taking a central place. Another high-backed and ornate chair was placed in front of the desk and Jay could just make the top of the head of someone sitting there, with his back to Jay and Lethe.
For a brief moment nothing moved in the office. Just flames flickered in a small fireplace in the corner.
‘As much as I hold your company and your excellent taste in wines in great esteem, Duke Kingston‘ Jay heard. ‘I would be glad to know the reason that you wished to collogue with me away from your rather splendid party.’
The voice was male and Jay assumed it belonged to the person that sat with their back to them. It had a soft, warm quality to it, as if he was smiling while speaking.
The man behind the desk leaned forward, coming into the light. He was older and his grey hair was clasped by a gold band. Jay looked at him with mild interest. So he was Duke Kingston, the host of this party. And yet he was here, away from the music and food and merry-making. He put a glass he was holding next to the green bottle and leaned back hidden again by the shadow.
‘Indeed. As your Royal Highness astutely-‘
‘Please’ the still unseen man interrupted. ‘If I am not mistaken, I believe that we would speak oft enough to be able to dispense with the ceremonious addresses in private. We might as well proceed as such now.’
‘As you wish, Prince Aimar. I am a man that can appreciate straightforwardness and I shall speak thus.’
Jay felt Lethe shifting and her own curiosity rising. What a coincidence. The host of the party and the guest of honour, Prince Aimar the ambassador to the Abrecari Empire.
‘I always tried’ continued the Duke ‘to assist your predecessor on the ambassadorial appointment. However I have found him rather…stubborn.’
‘Ah yes, the much mourned cousin Hortlas. Much affected by caducity before his death, quite tragic. He would much…underappreciate anyone who wasn’t Abrecari. A relic of the old war you understand’
‘Of course’ said the Duke. ‘I’m glad I find you more amenable to new ideas.’
The Prince leaned in his seat. For a brief moment, Jay saw a graceful, silver-skinned hand leaving a glass goblet next to the bottle, just as the Duke did a few moments before.
‘You have my attention fully’ he said and the hand withdrew.
‘Are you familiar with the Arcanist-Armstice Week, the Mysternalia?’
‘How could I not? It is Adanish official holiday I believe? One where the most of the populace celebrates the end of the war between our nations. A good idea to mark a treaty with such. Makes the people believe they are relevant.’
‘Perhaps. But it is also time when the Magic Usage Tearms and Leases Treaty is due to renewal between the King and any Abrecari Empire representative currently in office.’
‘I am well acquainted with my duties, dear Duke’ said the Prince with a mild tone of reproach in his voice. ‘However is just a matter of formality in truth, isn’t it? The terms of the treaty are unlikely to alter with no change in circumstance. I disbelieve there would be anything to convince the King to re-negotiate.’
‘Maybe there would,’ said the Duke slowly.
There was a silence in the room, a silence that spoke of somebody that listens intently and with anticipation.
‘Something that would threaten Abrecari honour. A scandal, if I’m to speak vulgarly.’
‘That is something that piques my interest dear Duke. Although I would only be convinced if you tell me of your interests in such designs.’
‘If I’m still permitted to speak in a vulgar manner- being in my position is conflated with expenses. Major expenses. And I have heard that the Empress is well-known for her generosity, especially towards her friends. Must I speak more?’
‘Ah yes, perfectly understandable…’
Jay twisted her face with distaste. Politics! She felt her own interest in the conversation below her fade. Those two men, wealthy enough to buy whatever they desired and they talk about intrigues and treaties and court positions! Who would need to hear about that? Jay couldn’t imagine any of it would have influence over anything in her life. Lethe touched her arm, indicating that they should move along. Clearly even he had enough of this boring talk.
They left the men to their debate and moved along the beam towards the vent on the opposite wall.
This room turned out to be occupied too. A woman was sitting on a long fainting chair, the many-layered gown flowing down her frame, off the chair and pooled at the feet of the chair, the sky-blue fabric shimmered in the light of a reading lamp at the side. She was holding a small book, but she was appearing to be napping instead of reading. Her head was resting over her arm, her hair covering her face. Black pearls shone dully in her long, pale-blonde hair.
Lethe didn’t even stop to look at her. Jay knew there was no point risking coming down here. Even if the woman was asleep, they would still be a chance the men in the next room would hear them and come in through the door that separated the rooms. Instead they continued along the beam, towards the next vent. This room was unlit and unlike the other two, was not connected by a door. Jay heard Lethe jumping off the beam, his feet making only the slightest noise as they touched the floor. Jay came down too.
It was pretty dark in here. Jay could barely see the shapes of furniture. It seemed like this was an office too, smaller than the one the Duke and Prince were talking in. Jay carefully approached the desk, trying to avoid the two wooden chairs that flanked it like honour guard. She rubbed her hands together. The room was much colder than the other ones, the small iron-cast fireplace dark and empty.
On one wall there was a large picture set in metal frame. There were airships on the canvas, floating over bright blue sky. Lethe took a special interest in it. He touched the frame and ran his fingers alongside it.
‘M-hm!’ he mumbled as there was a slight click and the frame swung open like a door. Jay almost gasped. There was a small metal door or hatch behind it. Although it clearly looked as it should open, with two hinges to the side, there was no knob or a keyhole or even a latch. Lethe looked at it sideways.
‘Hey, kid’ whispered Lethe. ‘Have a look around. There must be something here that opens this.’
Jay looked around her but nothing seemed obvious. What was that she was looking for? A button? A leaver? Something else? She took a few steps and stood behind the desk, almost touching the chair. There was a cabinet to the left, but it was smooth and not very interesting. She took a step back, right under the window itself to take a look under the desk but before she did, her fingers brushed against something. There as a nub in the wall. Not thinking very much, she pushed against it.
The air in the room shimmered and shuddered. The knobbles door glinted briefly and a shape appeared over the smooth surface of the metal. Now the lock was clearly visible, no longer concealed by spell that was incorporated into the safe.
‘Now that’s more like it’ said Lethe. Before Jay could take a breath, he had his lockpicks in his hand. ‘Good job finding the switch kid.’
A few moments later and the hatch stood open. Lethe tore into its content. There were some kind of papers inside, most likely important but worthless to them since they wouldn’t know what to do with those anyway. But there also were some pouches filled with coin, clearly counted and prepared to be given out. They distributed them among their, now getting a tad heavy, loot bags. Lethe put back the rest of the content and closed the metal door. Immediately the keyhole flickered and disappeared, the magic holding it concealed back in its place. Then Lethe replaced the picture too. Nothing suggested that it was touched after he was done with it.
Since Jay couldn’t see anything that was worth taking, she turned towards the door. She looked through the keyhole but couldn’t see anything beyond the door. Carefully she pressed the doorknob and peeked outside. As soon as she did she withdrew and closed the door. There were guards in the corridor, just a few doors down. She felt her heart racing. Did they notice?
She put her ear to the door, listening like a rabbit listens from under its bush. Footsteps!
She spun around and motioned Lethe to hide. There was very little in this little office to hide behind or under. Too little time to climb back into the ceiling beams. They both dove under the desk. Pressed against each other they froze in anxious anticipation, listening to the footsteps that grew louder and louder. Jay closed her eyes tight. ‘I’m a cockroach, I’m just a cockroach there is nothing here but cockroaches don’t come closer, don’t come closerrdontcomecloser!’ her thoughts raced.
The footsteps stopped.
‘Don’t open the door!’ she thought. The doorknob creaked and the door opened. Immediately the room became brighter. The guard had a lantern of some sort or a small magical shining globe at his belt. Jay stopped breathing.
‘Anything?’ came from somewhere far away.
Footsteps coming closer. The light seeping under the desk nearly illuminated her hand. She snatched it away. So close! She could, if sudden madness struck her, to reach out and touch the steel-lined boot of the guard that came into her view. Instead, she just drew her dagger closer. Inch by inch, she loosened the blade in the scabbard. Then she felt Lethe’s fingers on her hand. ‘No, wait’ the gesture said.
‘Naaaah, empty’ said the guard, her voice a bit hesitant. ‘I could have sworn though.’
‘I told you’ came the muffled voice of the other guard. ‘This place is haunted. Now come back. We shouldn’t be even moving from here.’
‘Yeah, yeah, keep your socks on. You can’t scare your way into my pants you know?’ The boots moved away, out of her fields of vision. The light ebbed too.
Very slowly the door closed, the light poured out of the room and finally Jay could hear yourself breathing again. They both stayed still and silent until there was no more sounds coming from behind the door ten emerged from under the desk. Safe for now.
The exit to the corridor was out though. There would be no way sneaking past those two guards. The beams would be harder to get back onto too. There wasn’t any furniture of wall fixtures that could let them climb back. There was just the window left. Lethe moved the latch on the window frame, holding the mechanism cupped in his hand, so it would not squeak if it was rusty. But the lathe moved easily and soon the cold wind filled the little room. Jay shuddered. The temperature dropped even more as the evening progressed.
Out through the window, they were again standing on the ledge alongside the wall. They moved forward but there wasn’t much more of it, the ledge ended at the corner of the building. There was a pipe here, or rather just a stone-wrought channel, like those that were so often used in old buildings- festooned and populated with gargoyles. Jay smiled. It would be easy to climb.
They moved up, using the gargoyles and festoons like a ladder and ended up on the sloped roof. Jay pulled herself up on the incline. The slates were metal and freezing to the touch, but at least there were no guards here, the roof’s incline was too steep to post anyone here. Standing atop the roof’s spine they were looking over onto the other side of the building. Down below there was a large space filled with trees and lawns- the mansion’s gardens. They were criss-crossed by footpaths, illuminated by strings of hanging lights. Somewhere further away there was an open structure- a long gazebo. Jay could see braziers burning, providing heat and light to the guests out in the open. She could hear the voices and laughter, the distant music and clinking of glasses. The party was still going on. There were guards too, strolling through the garden, their small lanterns meandering to and fro in the darkness like lost spirits.
Jay sighed. She would love to explore the gardens, come around and see the gazebo and maybe swipe something to eat from the table. But she knew that the gains wouldn’t be worth the risks. She had no intention of coming up close and personal with the guards patrolling down below, especially that they almost did just a few moments ago.
Lethe’s thoughts must have been running in the same direction, since instead climbing down, he led them to the side. A slightly smaller building was nearly touching the roof they were sitting on now- separated just by a narrow gap that was easy to jump over. Jay adjusted her jump to include the heft of the loot bags and crossed the gap, hoping that no one heard the thud that her feet made as she landed on the roof opposite.
As soon as she looked around, she realized that she knew what the building they were standing on was- the servants’ quarters, extending into the stables and the carriage-house. She expected to see a large cobblestone open space, like a drive next to the stable and carriage-house, a place where the horse-teams could turn around. But instead the place was full of carriages. Rows and rows of carriages of all shapes and makes put up one next to another, horseless and left alone. She realized that those must belong to all the guests that were filling the Duke’s mansion and there was no more room in the carriage-house.
Lethe swept his gaze over the carriages then gave Jay an elbow nudge.
‘Might be some baubles left in those’ he said. ‘What do you say?’
Jay thought that it’s a great idea. Out of the way and clearly not guarded well, the carriages seemed ripe for the taking. They made their way over the servants’ quarters and the stables, then to the lower roof of the carriage-house. There was a light outside of the door to the tack room and also more light coming from the windows, signifying that there was someone inside, watching over the rich folks vehicles. But Jay was sure that it would be fine as long as they didn’t make much ruckus.
They split up, Lethe taking one row and Jay made her way to the end of another, working her way from outside towards the carriage-house. The first carriage was a very sombre black coach and Jay didn’t think that she’d find anything inside. And surely enough, the interior was upholstered with rich fabric, but otherwise empty of anything she could take. Disappointed, she slipped out and went for the next one in the row. This carriage was a very flashy, ornately decorated chaise and she sighed seeing as it was almost groaning under the weight of unnecessary ornaments. Inside there was a lovely metal pendant hung in a window. Jay didn’t know if it was worth much, but if found its way into her loot bag. She swiped a strand of pearls that was lying forgotten on the couch and she left to take on another carriage. The next one was much more modest and shaped like a boat. It lacked the opulent ornaments, but the small curtains in its windows had pretty crystal clips in the shape of butterflies and beetles so she swiped them too.
She glided from carriage to carriage, chewing on a handful of nuts she took from a bowl on one of the driver boxes, when she heard some footsteps. Without thinking much she dove in between the wheels of a stylish, four-people carriage panelled in blindingly white wood.
Somebody was coming and fast too. Jay could hear clicking of heeled shoes over the hard stone. Like a ghost, a woman floated by, her hair in disarray. She was holding up the many-hems of her gown, her shawl drifting behind her. She paused for a moment, breathless. She looked around, giggled and went off, like a ship under sail, towards the wall separating the courtyard from the garden. Jay barely had time to wonder what that was about when she disappeared through the gate. Jay shrugged. Who would understand what rich folks are doing? She crawled from under the carriage, turned around and reached for the doorknob.
‘Hey! Who are you?’ a deep voice rang out behind her. A hand clasped over her shoulder. Jay felt her legs turning into stone.
‘By the Lady I have caught a thief! So it is!’ the man sounded almost amused.
Jay tried to shook off the hand, pry the fingers off her clothes but the grip was too strong.
‘Don’t struggle or you’ll make it worse for yourself. Guards!’
Jay whimpered. She let go of the fingers and struggled with the sheath of her dagger instead. Finally she was able to free it and not even looking, she slashed blindly behind her. She heard a cry of pain and surprise as the hand let go momentarily. She dove under the carriage again, trying to get to the other side and flee. But the man was quick enough to catch up to her as she emerged. Only now she was able to look at him. He was a tall nobleman in a pearly doublet, now splattered with blood from his cut hand. His deep brown eyes stared at her from under thick curly hair.
‘You little bitch’ the man didn’t sound amused anymore. ‘Guards! To me!’
Jay swallowed hard. She knew that there was no way around him, just through. She tensed her muscles and sprang forward, again slashing at the man with her dagger.
This time he was ready. He side-stepped and struck out with his good hand. Jay felt the blow landing. The air started to ring and she rolled onto the cobblestones, right across the gap between rows of carriages.
‘Up! Up, up upupup!’ her mind screamed from behind the ringing. ‘Up and run!’
But there was nowhere to run, just a wall the carriages were parked against.
The man kept coming, shouting for guards ‘If he reaches for me, I’ll cut him again!’ she thought. But both she and the man knew that he had no need to put a hand on her again. Just keep her pinned down here, with nowhere to go. In a few minutes, the courtyard will be full of ‘ironhats’. And it will be over. It will be all over.
Something flew from the top of a nearby carriage. A shadow that touched the man’s head with a wet smack. The nobleman swayed. He shook his head like he was in disbelief. Then the shadow returned, springing between his legs, tripping him to the ground. Jay leaned forward, just in time to see Lethe sitting atop the pearly doublet, striking the nobleman’s head against the cobblestones again and again until the man stopped moving. Jay inched closer.
Lethe gave her a stern look.
‘Kid, you bleeding from anywhere?’
‘Uhhh, no’ said Jay. The joints in her arms hurt from the fall but there was no blood anywhere on her. Lethe turned his attention to the nobleman. He reached for his dagger and started to cut off the buttons from the doublet.’
‘He called for guards, they should be-‘
‘No longer a problem’ said Lethe without pausing what he was doing. He got the buttons, now he was rummaging through the man’s pockets.
‘Is he dead?’ she asked.
‘No, of course not! ‘scoffed Lethe. ‘We might want to rob him again in the future. ‘Can’t do that if he’s dead. Stop asking questions and get the bags. It’s about time we blow this party.’
Jay looked around, spotting the bags where they fell after she rolled over the cobblestones. Luckily nothing spilled.
By the time she got back Lethe was done with the man. He gave him a farewell kick in the ribs and he turned to leave.
As they passed carriage after carriage, Jay spotted a pool of bluish, magical light. For a second, she thought that it’s the guards coming late to the nobleman’s aid. But Lethe lead them straight towards it. Soon enough Jay saw that it was a lantern upturned over the ground. Two bodies lay sprawled on the cobblestones, each one in a pool of blood that shone with the coldness of the reflected light. Jay looked closer, now realizing why Lethe said that the guards wouldn’t be a problem anymore. He approached the bodies and retrieved a throwing knife from each. Without comment, he cleaned them off against his breeches and returned to the bandolier over his chest. Then he moved on.
They squeezed themselves into a shadow that was growing thick between the stable wall and the tall fence that marked the boundaries of the property. Using both stone fence-post and the wall, they shimmied up and jumped down on the other side. They were now in one of the side-streets, out of the mansion grounds. Jay breathed easier, knowing that now it was unlikely they would be pursued. She just wished this night over.
But it wasn’t over. Now they were in the middle of affluent part of the city. It was a place either of them would be arrested on the spot, even if they weren’t carrying bags-full of stolen trinkets and baubles. They needed a way out and Jay knew that there was one way out now- through the Thieves’ Highway.
Lethe found a smaller townhouse, decorated with columns and flowers hewn into its white stones. It was an easy climb, yet Jay felt the previously beaten-up joints protesting, the bags suddenly heavy over her shoulder and pulling down as she hauled herself up. At the top she paused, breathing heavily and bent over her knees.
‘We gotta move. Morning is approaching’ said Lethe. Jay wanted to ask how he knows, but as she took a deep breath she could smell the incoming morning despite the still-reigning darkness, the damp cold of the mist about to dissipate. As to confirm what she already knew, the chimes of the Cathedral struck, marking the early hour.
They started to move, taking the Isambard Tower as a landmark to orient themselves with, traversing the roofs of the still sleeping Arklington. They came to its wide base and felt the moored airships above their heads, like sea leviathans hiding their bodies in the heavy waves of mists and clouds. Jay stopped.
‘Lethe wait’ she said. ‘It’s closer from here to the Drowns than Dockyards. You…you could crash at my place for a bit…if you want. There is plenty of places to stash whatever you don’t want to carry through the city too. No one would be looking there.’
Lethe considered then shrugged.
‘Yeah, might as well. Lead the way then.’
Jay took her bearings. The city looked so different from the perspective of a bird but she knew it well enough to take that into account. From the Tower to the Goldsparrow. The shopping and store district had wide thoroughfare, but they only had to use one side to get to Suecommequick, then to the Three Knocks and further on towards the Drowns. She nodded to herself satisfied then started running.
As they entered the Drowns, Jay opted to come down from the roofs, even though it was to feel the familiar chill of the all-present mud through her barely-holding shoes.
‘Here it is’ she said as they arrived at the alley where her little home stood. She felt the pride swelling in her chest. She never actually showed her place to anyone.
Lethe stared.
‘Shit, kid! Is that where you live? I stayed in some shitholes in my time, but…this?’
‘Uh, yeah’ she said, feeling her pride deflating. She knew it was not much, but it was here, she made it and she defended it successfully against men and rats. Wasn’t that something to be proud of?
‘It’s better on the inside’ she mumbled and pushed the cover open. It was dark despite the night starting to go grey already. She reached out and felt around for the brazier. It was still warm, a few embers sleeping under the ash cover. She threw some bits of wood into it, along with what other fuel she had left from the previous day and soon small tongues of flame started illuminating the place.
‘I guess it will do in a pinch’ said Lethe. ‘Might be good actually to have a hideout in the Drowns. If you have no problem with that of course.’
Jay smiled and nodded to him. It was not much but it was useful. Even Lethe could see that.
Lethe threw his bags onto the cot and buried them deep under the layer of leaves and fabric, then climbed in himself. Jay rubbed her arms. Now that she was no longer in motion she was starting to cool off and longed for her thick blanket. She joined Lethe on the cot and spread the blanket over the both of them. It was a snug fit, but Lethe didn’t seem to mind at all. Soon enough Jay could hear his snoring. It took longer for her to fall asleep, feeling strange having another so close to her, to feel the warmth both from the brazier and from sleeping Lethe. It felt strange to her to try to rest on top of the stolen goods, her mind still retaining the sights and sounds of the party at the ducal mansion. The people and evens swirled in her thoughts until they were swallowed with the darkness of slumber.
As she awoke in the late morning, Lethe was already gone. On the rim of the brazier there were all the bottles and jars that Jay took from the bathrooms of the rich. Lethe wouldn’t know what to do with these but Jay knew there were plenty of men and women on the streets that would be interested in those. Street-walking folk that battled time and trying to stop the slow, but steady, decrease in the number of their clients. There were greying hair to dye, age spots to cover, the rosiness of the cheeks to rekindle, breath to freshen. She opened one of them, a slim, long-necked bottle with iridescent clear liquid, shimmering with magic. She sniffed the content. It smelled of jasmine, orange blossom and wealth. Apart from the jars and bottles there was a pile of coin, shining as a ray of sunshine sneaked through the gap in the door cover. Jay smiled at them.
