Meaning Lugh hadnotbeen successful in convincing Darby to stay home; maybe he hadn’t even tried. A wise man did know a losing hand when he saw one.
I clambered up the stairs and entered the plane. The cabin was spacious, with eight well-spaced, plushly comfortable chairs in an area that could have easily handled double that. There was a bar and food heating area up the front, and two toilets at the rear. Darby and Lugh were sitting to the immediate left of the door, in chairs that faced each other, and Bodhrán was at the back.
“Morning, Mathi. Ms. Aodhán,” he said with a nod.
“Bethany, please. We don’t stand on formalities in this outfit.”
“Especially when our relic-hunting escapades have a habit of leading us into life-and-death situations,” Mathi drawled. “Formalities do tend to get in the way in such times.”
“I was warned you had a habit of finding problems.” Amusement twitched Bodhrán’s lips. “But the research I’ve undertaken suggests our destination is not an area known for earth-related problems.”
“It’s not the earth-related problems we have to worry about,” Lugh said. “It’s the godly ones.”
“And will there be such problems?” he asked.
“Hard to say.” I walked over to the window seat midway down the plane and sat down. “But there is a lake with live things wiggling about in it.”
“Did anyone think to bring a boat?” Bodhrán asked. “Or are we just going in, all guns blazing? Figuratively speaking, of course.”
“That approach works more often than you’d think,” Lugh said with a grin. “But I have sourced a couple of inflatable rafts. We just have to swing by the store and pick them up on the way through.”
“Easily enough done.” Mathi took the chair opposite me. “Janis, please tell the pilot we’re ready to go.”
The stewardess nodded and did so. The plane’s engines fired up, and the ramp was withdrawn. A few minutes later, we were on our way.
I undid the belt when I was allowed and turned to face my brother. “I don’t suppose you happened to work on those scrolls for a few hours last night?”
“He did indeed,” Darby said, voice dry. “In fact, he used them as an excuse to get out of doing the dishes.”
“As excuses go, I do find that an acceptable one,” Mathi commented.
“Says the man who has never picked up a tea towel in his life.”
“You lie, Bethany Aodhán. I have, in fact, picked one up at least half a dozen times in my life.”
“No doubt when the servants were off on holidays,” Darby mused. “Or perhaps when Beth threatened to nut you if you didn’t.”
“One of those comments might be accurate, but can we please concentrate on the matter at hand? Lugh, please do continue.”
“It appears,” he replied, the amusement dancing around his eyes fading to seriousness, “that what we have is a list of those attending a meeting, dating back decades. Doesn’t say what sort of meeting, of course, because that would make things far too easy.”
“Could it be related to the Ninkilim meetings?” I asked. “And could they, perhaps, even be the damn scrolls Mom stole and we could find no trace of?”
“That would depend on whether Carla—or one of her identities—really does own the house,” he replied. “Right now, we can’t take it for granted, despite your visions.”
“There is one person who might know,” Mathi said. “Loudon—he was the secretary for the Ninkilim, and responsible for all their meeting records.”
Loudon Fitzgerald was an elf dealer of antiquities who was also a collector of ancient scrolls. He’d also been a friend of Mom’s and at one point—before Sgott—her lover, but that hadn’t stopped Mom breaking into his vault and stealing a number of scrolls. From the little we knew, they hadn’t contained anything vital, but that might have Loudon attempting to cover his ass. And with good reason, given his partner in crime had been murdered not long after we’d visited Loudon.
“Hasn’t he gone to ground?” Lugh asked.
“No,” Mathi said. “He’s currently in IIT protective custody. I’m not sure where, but it should be easy enough to find out.”
“Might be better if we personally ask either your father or Sgott,” I said. “Aside from your current lack of access, any search through the IIT system will likely raise alarms.”
“He probably isn’t on the system anyway,” Mathi replied. “Not given the suspicion that the organization has been infiltrated by the Ninkilim.”
“Then I’ll talk to Sgott when we get home.”
