Sturgess shrugged, then continued. ‘So as I said, it’s virtually obsolete now because every corner of the globe has already been mapped a million times over. As long as you’re not somewhere like Coldstream, you can use a smartphone far more effectively than an old magic map to find a location.’
True. ‘Can it locate people?’ Mallory asked.
‘No.’ The witch was adamant. ‘All it can do is map out a particular place.’
Hmm. Sturgess’s information had answered one important question: possession of the Clouded Map wouldn’t enable the vampires to spark a war or cause problems. It had limited use and, although she had no idea how it could possibly help Chester Longchamps locate a vampire killer, it certainly wasn’t particularly dangerous.
‘I wish to invoke the terms of our contract,’ Mallory said, ‘and formally request repayment.’
‘I figured as much.’ Sturgess’s expression was mildly rueful. Two years ago Mallory had helped her by providing information about several witches who were competing with her for promotion to the position of Fetch. That information had been invaluable in allowing Sturgess to rise up the ranks with such speed; even without the blood contract, there was no doubt that Nicola Sturgess owed her.
‘There are only days left until our agreement is null and void so I’ve been expecting a visit from you for some time,’ Sturgess said. ‘Honestly, I’m glad you’re here because it’ll be good to close a door on this – but I can’t just give you the Clouded Map. It’s not mine to give. It belongs to the Witches Council.’
‘I don’t want to keep it,’ Mallory told her. ‘I wouldn’t ask that of you. I only want to borrow it.’
‘For yourself?’ Sturgess asked. ‘Or for a client?’
‘A client. Does it matter?’
The Fetch considered. ‘I suppose not. How long are we talking about?’
‘Twelve months.’
Sturgess sucked air through her teeth disapprovingly. ‘No can do. The entire library – including the Alexandria collection – is being audited in September. It happens at the same time every year and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I doubt the map will be missed before then but it will need to be back in its rightful place by the end of August or its absence will be noted. I can’t afford to be the subject of an investigation into the loss of such a precious item.’
Neither did Mallory want to be implicated in such an issue; to maintain her business and lifestyle she needed to be a friend to the witches, not a foe. If Chester Longchamps wanted the Clouded Map, he’d have to agree to those terms. ‘Very well.’
‘There’s more,’ Sturgess said darkly. ‘This is an ancient papyrus scroll. It’s fragile – it’s kept in a controlled environmentfor a reason. Some minor degradation will be unavoidable, but it must be transported and stored in a properly magicked container or it will quickly become unusable. It can only be removed from the container for short periods of time and always with the invocation of a preservation spell.’
That was understandable given the Clouded Map’s provenance. Mallory shrugged. ‘Sure.’
Sturgess’s expression grew even more serious. ‘You don’t understand. The Clouded Map is an ancient, powerful object that requires delicate handling even with the use of extra magic to keep it safe. Most of the time it will have to be kept in a magicked bellarmine jug with a warded stopper. They aren’t easy to get hold of, not anymore.’
Mallory frowned. She’d heard of bellarmine jugs; plenty of replicas were sold to tourists at highly inflated prices. Original functioning bellarmine jugs were far rarer and they worked on a one-in, one-out basis: each jug could only hold one fragile document at a time and as soon as a document was removed it was at risk. Nicola Sturgess was right. It would be difficult to find a bellarmine jug that wasn’t already being used. ‘There’s no alternative?’ she pressed.
‘Not that I’m aware of. Even the best preservation spell can only do so much. A bellarmine jug provides better long-term protection and there’s no other way to preserve the papyrus effectively once it’s out of the Alexandria Room. I can’t agree to release the map unless I can be assured it will be safe. It’s a priceless object that belongs to the Council, so anything that harms it can be deemed detrimental to witches and will void our contract.’
Mallory nodded grimly. ‘Understood.’
‘I hope you do. And I’ll have to pass the Clouded Map to your client rather than to you. I need to look them in the eye and repeat this information to them myself.’
‘He’s a vampire.
Nicola winced. ‘Alright – but I still have to meet him in person.’
‘That shouldn’t be a problem.’
A loud bell sounded from somewhere inside the grand building. Sturgess got to her feet, adjusted her pointy hat and sighed. ‘I have to go now. I can’t avoid this meeting.’
Mallory looked at her sympathetically. ‘I’ll speak to my client, find a usable bellarmine jug then get back to you to make arrangements to collect the map.’ She softened her voice. ‘In the meantime, I hope that Fetch Jackson’s killer is brought to justice. And,’ she added for herself, ‘that nobody comes across any silphium.’
Sturgess gave her a long look. ‘Honestly,’ she said, ‘so do I.’
Chester Longchamps couldn’t keepthe fanged grin off his face. ‘The others were right,’ he breathed. ‘Youaregood.’
Mallory wasn’t ready to start preening. ‘This is not yet a done deal,’ she warned.
‘Yes, yes.’ He waved her off. ‘I’m willing to accept conditions.’
