“Very well,” Clementine said. “Seven years ago, when we werestill children, Rosetta had an asthmatic attack while we were on an outing. The area was quite isolated, and we had no way to help her. I believe it was brought about by her anxiety at seeing a horse that was injured. In any case, a man arrived on horseback just as Rosetta’s condition reached a critical point. He addressed my father by name. Without explanation, he dismounted and placed his hand upon her chest. My sister began breathing again. Naturally, my parents expressed their tremendous gratitude and wished to know the man’s name. He wouldn’t say, but to all of my parents’ offers of repayment he said only that he would someday return to accept recompense. As it happens, that day came only one year later. As we were journeying westward to visit one of my father’s former tutors, we were stopped in the woods by the enchanter and his thew. The enchanter had come to collect; the payment was a life—Rosetta’s life. My mother wouldn’t allow it, and she gave her own life instead. She died one week later.”
“How terrible,” Maxwell said, his voice heavy. “I’m very sorry.”
“Horrific,” Wister said grimly. “There are far too many enchanters in the commonwealth who play with life and death, who seem to think they are minor gods among us petty humans.” Her voice was rising with fury. “They do as they like with impunity. The authorities are useless. What is the Office of Criminal Enchantmentfor, if not to curb such excesses? Instead it wastes time arresting insignificant people such as me for easing pain and poverty, and the men who engage in genuine wrongdoing are instead revered by all as pillars of society.”
Maxwell had risen to his feet as well, and he joined Wister at the window. Curiously, he seemed entirely unoffended by this diatribe. He only sounded sad. Terribly, terribly sad. “It is their power that protects them, Miss Amsel. Not as enchanters. Their power in the world. But we are close to breaking it. Very close.”
Wister was silent for a moment as she stared hard at Maxwell. “If only it had been a little sooner,” she said quietly.
“Yes.” Maxwell turned back to Clementine. “It does seem to me that there is a possible connection, Miss Quinn. If this enchanter seemed to think Rosetta’s life was his to claim, then he may well have continued to think so. Did you ever learn his identity?”
“No.” Clem shook her head. “Father spent his remaining years attempting to discover it. He failed.”
“I see.” Maxwell crossed his arms. “In the coming days I may trouble you with some questions about these events. I apologize in advance, but I believe that knowing as much as possible about that man may well assist the investigation.”
“I know very little, but I’ll tell you what I can.”
Maxwell sat back down on the sofa. His expression was pained. “And now, I’m afraid I must convey some bad news.”
Clementine looked at him dispassionately. “I can’t imagine that there is any additional news at the moment that will seem like bad news.”
Maxwell nodded. “I understand. Nonetheless it’s very bad news.” He took a deep breath. “Somehow, between Washington Square and the city morgue, it appears that we’ve lost Rosetta’s body.”
“What?”Wister stormed back across the room and stared down at Maxwell. “Youlosther? How is that possible? Was she not conveyed by coach?”
Maxwell looked inexpressibly weary. “She was. By closed coach, with a driver and an attendant. Nevertheless, by the time they opened the coach to remove her body from it, the coach was empty. It’s possible,” he said, wincing, “that they left the coach unattended while they went into the morgue for a moment tonotify them of their arrival. Or so I understand. That’s when I believe the body was taken.”
Clementine stood up. “Who would take her body?” she asked. “Why? To what purpose? What more do they want from her?”
“I don’t know,” Maxwell said. “It hasn’t happened with any of the other victims. We’re doing everything possible to discover what happened and find her.”
“This is intolerable,” Clementine said. “I can’t even bury her?” She put her head in her hands. “I can’t believe this.”
“I think you should go,” Wister said to Maxwell. “Try to discover where she went.”
Maxwell rose to his feet. With an expression of deep regret, he took up his hat and truncheon. Clementine was pacing back and forth beside the yellow chairs. It was exceedingly painful to watch. “I’ll tell you as soon as I have news,” he said quietly. He gave Clementine one last, apologetic glance before stepping out onto the stairs. Wister closed the door behind him.
“It’s intolerable, Wister,” Clementine repeated a little wildly. “I can’t let this happen.”
Wister looked aggrieved. “Tell me, Clem. What could we possibly do?”
Clementine paced to Rosetta’s desk and rested a hand briefly, distractedly, on the back of her sister’s chair. She wheeled back toward the room, her gaze abstracted. Abruptly, she crossed the room and threw open the door to Rosetta’s bedroom, where a small lamp on the nightstand illuminated the space. It was prettier than Clem’s, with lace curtains and a profusion of pressed flowers in small, gilt frames. The bed was neatly made. Clementine sat down slowly upon it and pressed her hand against the pillow; it had a scalloped edge and a spray of lavender embroidered at thecenter. Wister had come to stand in the doorway, and Clementine looked up at her. Her voice, as she spoke, was a whisper. It was the quiet murmur she usually used to speak to me. She lifted her hand from the pillow. “I will go to the spirit realm tonight.”
For a moment I was too shocked to respond, but in the silence that followed, as Clem and Wister stared at each other, I collected myself. I sent Clementine a surge of encouragement.Yes. Yes, come find me. I knew she had felt my approbation, because she gave the barest nod.
And then she said, “I will find Rosetta and bring her back.”
Wister looked at her with genuine horror. “Clementine, no. That’s not a path you wish to take. Bringing back a loved one as a thew is bound to be disastrous. Remember what happened to Hojeda. And Peabody. And Wintersmith.”
Clem’s face was stony. “I don’t care. I’m not them. They were all pursuing wives and lovers. This is different. They’ve taken her life. They’ve taken her body. But they can’t take her spirit.”
“Clementine,” Wister said in a measured tone. “It’s too soon to think of such things. You are shocked, as you well should be. And you’ll be grieving, perhaps for a long time. But after a while, you’ll realize that there are other things to live for. You need not tie yourself to the dead.”
“I havenothingelse to live for,” Clementine said harshly. “The only reason I cared about enchantment was so that I could one day learn the medical enchantment that would allow me to keep Rosetta in good health. That was my only purpose, Wister, do you understand that? Myonlypurpose.”
“I don’t believe you,” Wister said gently. “You love enchantment for its own sake. I’ve seen it.”
“You’re wrong,” Clementine retorted. “It was only ever a means to an end—to keep Rosetta well.” She walked abruptlypast Wister and disappeared through the door of her bedroom. She emerged a moment later carrying the armor sack, which now looked notably lighter. “I have armored boots; I have a case for the shroud. All I need is rope, which I suspect you may have.”
