Ohno.
“Our last assignment took less time than expected,” Ella said in that put-on voice. Beatrix had heard her imitate many people before, usually with uncanny accuracy, but it was still unsettling how much she did not sound like herself. “I’m Wizard Smith and this is Wizard Brown. May we come in?”
Miss Sadler, who was shorter than Ella and looked at least ten years older than Beatrix, had a handsome face marred by the prim set of her mouth. She absolutely insisted on giving them tea and cake before sitting down to answer questions. Their protestations that time was of the essence were of no use. This was a woman who, once determined on a course of action, could not be dissuaded.
Worse and worse.
Beatrix looked at the second hand ticking inexorably forward on the clock in the sitting room. Thirteen minutes left.
“There now,” Miss Sadler said, setting down full tea cups next to the cake. “That’s proper. Well, Wizard Smith,Wizard Brown, I have information I feel I must share about illegal magic use.”
She paused.
“Go on,” Beatrix said, unable to hide her impatience.
“I’ve discovered that members of the Women’s League for the Prohibition of Magic, of all people, are casting spells.”
At least she got right to the point. Beatrix turned to Ella, who gave a theatrical sigh on cue. “Shall we?—”
“No,” Beatrix said, crossing her arms.
“Come on, chief, let me explain.”
“This is highly classified,” Beatrix hissed, trying to hit the right volume to allow Miss Sadler to hear but not think it was for her benefit.
“The harm’s already been done, boss,” Ella said, sounding exactly like an exasperated underling.
Beatrix twisted her borrowed face into a scowl and pretended to think while glancing at Miss Sadler out of the corner of her eye. The woman was watching with rapt attention.
“I want her word as an American citizen that she won’t breathe a syllable of this,” Beatrix said, wagging a finger at Ella.
Ella cleared her throat. “Miss Sadler?—”
“Yes, yes! Of course I give you my word.”
“As a loyal American citizen,” Ella prompted.
“As a loyal American citizen, I swear I won’t say athing,” Miss Sadler said, hands clasped.
Beatrix hoped to God that they weren’t about to make their biggest mistake yet.
“I’m sure you understand that prohibiting magic,” Ella said, leaning toward Miss Sadler in a confidential sort of way, “would put our national security at risk.”
“Well—yes, I suppose it would,” Miss Sadler said.
“As the League has strengthened in number, we have become concerned about the possibility that it might actually succeed in its ill-thought-out goal.” Ella paused. “Therefore, we have, ah, placed certain operatives in the League to discourage such talk and to teach some of the more amenable women a few basic spells. One is less likely to fear the known than the unknown, you see. With luck, this nonsense about prohibition will peter out within a year or two.”
Miss Sadler blinked. “But that’s not what the person who tried to recruit me said …”
“No, we could hardly admit to it, could we?” Beatrix glared at Ella, as if she didn’t appreciate having it admitted to now.
“Think of the uproar,” Ella said. “Hardly anyone knows that women are capable of magic at all, albeit in anextremelyminor way.”
Miss Sadler nodded slowly, brow creased. Not entirely sure she believed it?
They should have thought of another tall tale. They should have insisted that the connection to the League was purely coincidental.
“Who was it who tried to recruit you?” Beatrix asked, expecting her to demur.
