After a few murmurs of sympathy, they were directed to said transept, where they found Amelia directing a group of nuns to lay choir bench cushions on the floor as beds and tear up priests’ robes for bandages. Light streaming in through the great stained glass window illuminated her dark hair with a glinting blue aura, making her seem enchanted. Noticing Gabriel and Elodie arrive, she gave a last crisp order to a pair of tremulous novices, who clearly believed they were going to hell for destroying the dean’s gold-embroidered chasuble but dared not refuse her, and then she walked over, heels tapping against the stone floor like a teacher’s pointer tapping against a blackboard.
“You’re here,” she said, stiff and dispassionate as she scrutinized them both. “Unharmed?”
“Unharmed,” Gabriel said in the same cool tone.
Immediately the tension in her body eased, allowing a sigh of relief to escape her. She gave them a bright and really quite beautiful smile, and Elodie wondered how anyone could consider this woman terrifying.
“And you’re unhurt also?” Gabriel asked. The question wavered ever so slightly; glancing at him, Elodie saw warmth and worry in his eyes as he regarded his sister. Almost at once he composed himself and frowned with aggravation, but the damage was done. His familial love was exposed.
“I’m fine,” Amelia said. “Kinetic thaumaturgic energy coming down the fey line struck Hereford approximately thirty-seven minutes ago.” She paused, consulting a delicate silver watch on her wrist. “Thirty-eight minutes. Thanks to your telegram, we were as prepared as we could be. Much of the population was evacuated northward, and the cathedral protected by certain iron and gold items at key points around its perimeter, as you recommended. Staff were reluctant at first to obey my directions, but that was soon remedied.”
She spoke with such incisiveness, Elodie got a sense now of why the wardens had been so jittery. Amelia was not stern and pedantic like her brother; rather, she appeared to be efficiency personified, a trait all too often equated with “terrorizing” in women. Elodie rather wished she had a little of it herself.
“Unfortunately, our defenses were breached in one place,” Amelia continued, “as a result of which the ghost of King Ethelbert is at present wandering around the Bishop’s Cloister, complaining that he can’t find his bones.” She rolled her eyes as if the spectral king were just a silly lad behaving in naughty fashion. “Otherwise, none of the artifacts in the cathedral were triggered. I’ve obtained the Magna Carta for you. It’s in that leather case.”
She pointed to a large satchel propped up on a nearby chair. “Hm,” Gabriel said with a nod.
“Thank you for your help,” Elodie added more effusively. “I’m sorry for interfering with your study of the charter.”
“Not at all,” Amelia reassured her. “To be honest, the study was just a cover story to get me into the cathedral. I’m looking for a long-lost…well, never mind. In the case you’ll find the 1217 issue of the Magna Carta, along with an accompanying King’s Writ and a fourteenth-century book of prayers illuminated with thaumaturgic gold. Together they contain a formidable amount of magical power, but I do fear not even they could stop a cascade.”
“Frankly, we don’t have any other options to try,” Gabriel said. “We’re out of time. In fact, we’ll be lucky to get in front of the cascade at all. I didn’t think it would have reached Hereford by now.”
“Well, there’s an ancient yew tree on a site of pagan worship not far from here, which may slow its progress,” Amelia said, providing them with hope but simultaneously taking it away with her doubtful tone. “I suppose though you’ll just have to put your faith in the British rail system.”
A taut and painfully eloquent moment of silence followed this, then Amelia’s expression shifted, becoming one Elodie had seen all too often on Gabriel: officious, determined. “I shall come with you,” she announced peremptorily.
“No,” Gabriel said at once. “It’s obvious they need you here. And we need you here too, in case the energy rebound causes further problems for the city.”
“Hm. Very well.” Amelia was clearly not pleased, but nevertheless recognized his logic. Elodie began to feel pity for these Tarrant children, raised to be so very sensible. If she’d been in Amelia’s place, no amount of good sense would have restrained her from doing what she wanted. Er…which probably wasn’t such a great recommendation of her own character, come to think of it…
“Just take care of yourselves,” Amelia admonished them. “And mind you don’t damage those documents. They’re great treasures, and the cathedral’s archivist is upset enough with me as it is.”
“Why is he upset with you, Amelia?” Gabriel asked, suspicion freighting his voice.
“Because I tied him up and put him in a cupboard so I could steal those treasures for you,” she answered, much in the same way another person would have said,Because I accidentally stepped on his foot.
Elodie and Gabriel exchanged a glance, then shrugged. The archivist could complain to the Home Officeafterthey’d saved the world.
“We’ll do our best to keep them safe,” Elodie promised, trying not to think about the gallons of water that had exploded in her vicinity over the past couple of days.
“And don’t get killed,” Amelia added, giving Gabriel the stern look that Elodie was beginning to understand represented love, Tarrant-style. “Aunt Mary is preparing a rather nice dinner for this Sunday, and she’ll complain horribly if the family has to attend your funeral instead.”
“I’ll save the world for the sake of Aunt Mary’s roast lamb,” Gabriel told her. Brother and sister frowned at each other for an intense, poignant moment that almost brought tears to Elodie’s eyes. Then, taking up the leather case from the chair, Gabriel walked away, no doubt expecting Elodie to follow. But even as she took one step, Amelia hissed to her.
“Professor, wait.”
When Elodie turned back, the woman made acome closergesture, and Elodie obeyed rather nervously.
Amelia glanced over Elodie’s shoulder at Gabriel’sdeparting form, then regarded Elodie amazedly. “He’s looking almostcheerful. What have you done to him?”
“Er…” Elodie said, blushing.
“I see.” Amelia’s nose wrinkled with sisterly distaste. “I’m sorry I asked. But I must say, I do admire you, Professor. When Gabriel told me you were a remarkable woman, I assumed he was talking about your career success. Now I understand what he actually meant. Anyone who can make our Grouchyboo smile like that is remarkable indeed.”
Elodie felt rather overcome by this speech.Remarkable woman! Grouchyboo!But most of all: “He was smiling?” Had she blinked and missed it?
“On the inside,” Amelia explained. “A sister can discern these things. Please, take care of him.”
