Heart of Gold Read Online Free PDF Page B

drawing attention away from the real events,
he didn't like being thought of as one of the rich and idle
layabouts of the upper class.
    Sir Darius considered his answer. 'I need an
observer. One who has the sort of skills you showed
so recently in the affair with that scoundrel Dr Tremaine.'
    With an effort, Aubrey didn't groan aloud. 'You want
me to do something in Lutetia?'
    His father raised an eyebrow. 'Yes. Since you're going
there, I thought your unconventional approaches may
be useful.'
    Aubrey had a moment of pride at his father's use of the
world 'unconventional' – taking it as a compliment – but
he was still wary. His long-desired holiday was rapidly
coming to resemble a shopping list – and, what's more, a
shopping list for other people, which might leave little
time to browse for himself.
    He winced as his extended metaphor threatened to
turn around and strangle him. 'I may be busy in Lutetia.'
    His father sat back in his chair and smoothed his
moustache. It was not a comforting gesture. 'I see. Would
you like to tell me what is going to keep you so busy?'
    Aubrey decided that he'd rather have most of his
fingernails pulled out than tell his father that he was
going to engineer as many chance encounters with
Caroline Hepworth as possible. 'On the other hand, I do
enjoy a challenge.'
    He often found himself in situations like this with
his family. Conversations escalated into battles of wits;
greetings became opening salvos in longer engagements.
In these exchanges, much was said, much was unsaid,
and much was hidden behind careful facial expressions
and gestures. A false word was all it took to find that a
carefully planned goal was denied, or that one found
oneself doing the complete opposite of what one
intended, with no certain knowledge how things became
turned around.
    'Splendid,' Sir Darius said. 'Since this role follows from
your exploits in saving our Gallian airman, I thought you
may be interested.'
    'Captain Saltin continues to recover, I hope?'
    'Yes. Bruised, with some minor burns, but rather better
off than he would have been if you hadn't come to his
rescue.' Sir Darius gave a tired smile. 'It's extraordinary,
really. For most of our history, Albion and Gallia have
been at each other's throats, sworn enemies who've tried
to conquer each other with quite impressive regularity.
Now, seven hundred years of mistrust and suspicion are
put aside and we embrace each other with open arms. At
least, that's what we leaders say.'
    Aubrey loved his father speaking openly to him, taking
him into his confidence and allowing him to see the
intricacies of the world. It made him even hungrier to
achieve his ambitions. 'What does the Foreign Office say?'
    'Ah. We have some internal disputes in the FO, some
very different opinions about the level of threat posed by
Holmland, and exactly what they're up to.' He ran a thumb
along the armrest. 'I must do something about that.'
    'And the Magisterium? What does it say?'
    'And why would you think that the Magisterium
would be involved in this?'
    Aubrey shrugged. 'I thought you may have been
approaching me because of my skills with magic. If
magic was part of the dirigible disaster, then the
Magisterium would need to be involved.'
    Aubrey was always keen to hear anything about the
Magisterium. It was the branch of law enforcement with
the responsibility for magical matters throughout Albion.
Under the leadership of the enigmatic Craddock, the
Magisterium had become a feared force of highly skilled
magicians with a reputation for ruthless investigation
and action.
    'You're right,' Sir Darius said. 'Craddock's operatives
found that the explosions on the dirigible were caused by
a magical device. Something about temporary elasticity.'
    'The Law of Temporal Elasticity,' Aubrey said absently.
He was already trying to imagine how such a law could
be used. It would have to be a matter of constraining
parameters of both time and distance . . .
    After studying his son for a