“I’m aware,” said Kane dryly. “The paper is far from my only source of information, however.”
“Then whowasyour source?”
“Answer my question. What do you know about the Curator?”
In the corner of the room, Zaria crossed her arms. Had she read the article and understood its significance? Based on her confused frown, Kane didn’t think so.
“We haven’t learned much at all,” Cubitt said. The changes in his expression were minute, nearly undetectable, but nonetheless suggested he wasn’t lying. “If you’ve read the article inThe Timesthen you know almost everything I do. Unless the authorities have information they aren’t sharing, we don’t even have any leads.”
Kane sighed. “How was the business card discovered?”
“One of the nearby exhibitors came across it in the hours before opening. And you should know, the only reason I’m telling you that is because it’s not of any significance.” Cubitt wasn’t a remotely threatening man, but the look he fixed on Kane now had him feeling like a child being scolded by a grandfather. Not that he’d ever had one of those. “Who told you about the business card?”
Again, Kane ignored that. He would’ve loved to see Cubitt’sreaction, though, had he told him the truth. “Why hasn’t the Royal Commission gotten anyone to remove the device?”
“It can’t be removed.”
“We both know that’s not true.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re implying.”
“Oh, come now, Mister Cubitt,” Kane said, taking up slow laps of the room. He crossed to the door and back, pretending all the while to consider. “As I said, I know a great many things. That includes your prior connection to the dark market, and your subsequent promise to stop practicing alchemology.”
Cubitt’s nostrils flared, his pale face whitening further. “Whoareyou?”
“Are you familiar with the name Alexander Ward?”
The man’s silence was answer enough. The air in the room grew, if possible, more tense.
“I assumed as much. But don’t worry—Ward met his end recently, as you may have heard. You can think of me as his successor.” Kane flashed his teeth. “Everything he knew, I now know. Does that clear things up for you?”
Cubitt gave a jerking nod. Now that all the cards were on the table, he looked far more ready to cooperate. “Fine. Okay. I assume the devicecouldbe removed by an alchemologist, but given the crown’s stance on such things, nobody on the commission wants to risk hiring one.”
That, Kane could understand. The queen in particular was vehemently anti-magic. “And I take it you’re not about to offer your services.”
“I made a pledge that I intend to keep,” Cubitt said, an edge to the words. “I’m not sure I’d be of any use regardless. It’s strange, thisdevice. Unlike anything I’ve seen before. And I’ve seen quite a few things in my time.”
“What do you mean,strange?”
This from Zaria, speaking for the first time since entering the room. She’d listened to the first part of the conversation with little interest, but had straightened in rapt attention now that they were discussing the device in specifics. Kane thought about reprimanding her for cutting in—this was, after all, his interrogation—but if anyone could glean something from Cubitt’s description, it was her.
Cubitt glared at Zaria. It couldn’t have been more obvious that he was still angry not to have ended up in bed with her. That vile mental image, combined with the fact that the man didn’t seem compelled to reply, had Kane halting in the center of the room. He stared pointedly at Cubitt as he ran a finger along the barrel of his gun. “Answer her. Now.”
Zaria looked up at Kane, taken aback, but he didn’t meet her eyes.
“It’s difficult to explain,” Cubitt hedged.
“Try.”
A gruff sigh. “The device doesn’t appear to have a purpose, at least not that I can discern. I haven’t been able to take a closer look yet, but I almost wonder if it’s merely for show.”
“Why would anyone want to install an alchemological device in the Exhibition for no reason?” Kane said. He could understand it, perhaps, had the culprit not left the business card. Was it possible someone simply wanted to show off their skills? But if that was the case, why leave anything behind at all? “The pseudonym suggests an ulterior motive.”
“Indeed,” Cubitt said. “As you can imagine, it’s got everyone in quite an uproar. The public sees this as the prince consort’s pet project, and you don’t make a fool of the crown like that.”
Zaria bit her lip, drawing Kane’s attention again. “Maybe that’s the goal.”
“Maybe,” Kane allowed. He tore his gaze from her mouth. “Maybe they’re playing some kind of game. If everyone’s so worked up about it, though, I still can’t see why they wouldn’t get an alchemologist to remove it.”
