“We’re now sure the hackney headed down te Limehouse,” exclaimed Raven between great gulps of air. “Alice and Pudge are talking with the mudlarks around the river and Harry is checking with the barrowmen around Limekiln Dock te see if we can learn which street.”
“I think we should alert Griffin,” said Sheffield. “He can muster a force of men and wait for further word in Princes Square, which is close enough to the area to allow them to move in quickly, once we’ve located the building.” He rose. “I’ll go. He’ll trust me.”
Charlotte nodded. “A good plan.”
“I need te go back te Bell Wharf and wait fer reports,” said Raven. To his brother he ordered, “Ye need te stay here, in case further messages need te be relayed.”
“Quite right,” she confirmed, then grabbed up her wool cap from the sofa. “However, I’m coming with you.”
* * *
A series of rasping clicks rumbled from within the heavy iron lock and Wrexford heard the mechanism release, allowing the thick-planked door to swing open.
“A word of warning, Wrexford,” came Blodgett’s voice from the corridor. “The building is well guarded, and this door will be locked at all times. You or Hillhouse make one wrong move, or don’t have the formula ready in time to cast a boiler for the demonstration next week, and first Miss Merton will die, followed by Miss Beckworth.” A shuffled step. “Then I’ll slice Mrs. Sloane’s throat. She and Miss Merton looked thick as thieves, so I assume she’s also a friend of yours.”
Two burly men shoved Benedict and Skinny into the laboratory, then stepped back as Blodgett moved into the doorway and gave a menacing wave with his pistols.
Weapons make mere mortals feel like gods,reflected the earl.But strip them of steel, he reminded himself, and they were once again just quivering mounds of flesh and blood.
“If she’s not,” added Blodgett with a wolfish grin, “then it’s bad luck for her.”
Wrexford reacted with a bland shrug.“You needn’t waste your breath with puerile taunts and threats,” he said. “Kindly close the door and let me get to work.”
As the portal slammed shut with a doleful clang, Benedict marched to the work counter and dropped the sheaf of paper and pencils with a muttered oath. “Bloody hell, you can’t mean to meekly sit down and do that dastard’s dirty work!”
He gestured at the chemicals. “We need to fight back! We can burn through the door hinges with acid, or . . . or set the planks on fire!” Flinging an arm up, he pointed to the forge. “And we can forge spears from the test scraps of iron! I know how to work metal . . . we can sabotage the Behemoth . . . we can . . .”
Wrexford listened in amusement until the other man had exhausted his ideas. “Bravo, Hillhouse. I commend you for your imagination. I daresay you could write a novel that would outsell those of Mrs. Radcliffe. However, I’m feeling rather lazy after all the rushing around needed to unravel this tangled plot. So I’d rather just be rescued.”
“Ha! And pigs may fly!” retorted Benedict.
“No, just a scrawny little lad,” replied the earl with a smile.
“What the devil do you mean—”
“I’ll explain in a moment.” He smoothed out a sheet of paper. “Skinny, they’ve had you moving coal around, so think carefully and describe as much of the building as you’ve seen.” Taking up a pencil, he drew a rough rectangle. “Show me the entrances and the position of the guards.”
The boy, as he knew, was keenly observant and quickly helped him sketch in some key information. It should, he decided, be enough.
“Well done, lad. Now, Raven tells me you’ve worked as a chimney monkey. Is that right?”
“Oiy!” answered Skinny.
Wrexford grasped the boy’s bony shoulders and turned him around. “See that iron grate up there?” He pointed out a small air vent set just below the high ceiling. “If we can get that loose, can you shimmy through it?”
The boy made a rude sound. “I ken wiggle through a wormhole, m’lord. That opening’s as big as bloody Piccadilly Street.”
“Excellent.” He scribbled a quick message on the diagram, before folding it and handing it to the boy. “Once you’re out, fly to Raven and Hawk as fast as you can and tell them where we are. You know their new residence?”
“Oiy!” Skinny held out a grubby hand. “It ’ud be a lot quicker if I squibble a hackney. Ye got any blunt?”
The earl dug out several coins from his pocket and handed them over.
Benedict assessed the height of the wall with a critical squint. “Even if I stand your shoulders and the boy stands on mine, we’ll be three or four feet short.”
“Yes, but . . .” He pointed to the iron anvil mounted on a sturdy block of wood. “I didn’t bring you here for your brains, Hillhouse. I figured that between the two of us, we should be able to move the cursed thing.”
A smile finally chased away Benedict’s frown as he flexed his muscles.
