Seven Dreams Read Online Free PDF

return to whichever
rat-hole he was crouching in tonight, and turned back to
Egg.
    ‘ Thoughts?’ she said.
    ‘ Think
anything else is likely to happen tonight?’
    ‘ Her
Dameship is due to throw a fit at some point, but I’m not sure
we’ll be able to catch that show.’ This last was spoken with some
regret.
    Teyo nodded.
‘We’ve got what we came for. Let’s find Rena and Fabe and get out
of here.’
    Their associates
were summoned by the simple means of sending Jisp into the ball
room and up the legs of either Serena or Fabian, whichever she
encountered first. This errand complete, Teyo and Egg retired to
the gates to await the arrival of the stupendous Chartre/Bastavere
carriage, which soon drew up. They piled inside, and Teyo sank
gratefully down onto the seat opposite Serena.
    ‘ I had
no idea the life of a footman was so exhausting,’ he muttered,
sagging. ‘Two hundred cloaks later, and my arms hurt
like—’
    ‘ Whiner,’ muttered Egg.
    ‘ Only
tell me you have something fabulous to report, and it will all be
worth it,’ Serena said. ‘Fabe and I failed. We saw Halavere meet
someone, but he apparently gave her a blank piece of paper. Maybe a
decoy?’
    Egg rolled her
eyes and groaned. ‘We’ve been working together how long? Four
years, isn’t it?’
    Serena turned a
hopeful gaze upon Egg. ‘You found something?’
    Egg gave a snort.
‘What do you think I was doing while you were tearing up the
ballroom? Knitting?’
    Teyo gave her a
reproachful glance, and she patted his knee in brief apology.
‘Sorry, Teyo. I don’t mean to imply that knitting isn’t an
exceptionally worthy pastime.’
    Teyo nodded cool
acceptance of this concession.
    ‘ You
switched the paper!’ Serena guessed.
    ‘ Of course I switched the paper,’ Egg uttered with infinite
weariness. She took the real paper out of her pocket and thrust it
at Fabian, who was sitting opposite. Serena immediately craned her
neck to look at it too.
    ‘ I
caught Halavere’s contact before the meeting ever took place,’ Egg
continued. ‘He stuck out like a sore thumb, did you notice? Anyway,
I got the paper off him after I tied him up and chucked him over a
brandy barrel.’
    Serena and Fabian
were too busy consulting over the contents of the note to pay any
heed to Egg’s announcement, and she turned a piteous stare upon
Teyo.
    ‘ There, there,’ he said soothingly. ‘ I know you were
brilliant.’
    ‘ I
need a pay rise,’ Egg muttered.
    ‘ So,
this place,’ Serena said. ‘You two know who it belongs to, right?’
She displayed the note, upon which was written the name Bellaster
Park.
    Teyo and Egg both
shook their heads. ‘High society is your field,’ Egg said
tartly.
    ‘ It
belongs,’ said Serena with a great sigh, ‘to Baron
Anserval.’
    ‘ Who?’
said Teyo.
    ‘ Baron
Farran Anserval!’ Serena elaborated in a grand voice. ‘The King of
Pomposity! He’s fabulously wealthy. He purchased his barony a few
years ago and settled down in southern Irbel, at the incredibly
ostentatious Bellaster Park. Since then he’s devoted himself to
buying basically everything of any value that comes in his way. The
house is stuffed with rubbish by now.’
    ‘ What
does Halavere want with any of that?’ Teyo enquired.
    ‘ I
don’t know,’ Serena said with a small frown. ‘I might guess that he
is an associate of the Unspeakables as well, but probably not? It
looks more like he’s a target. In which case, perhaps he’s acquired
something that Halavere wants — and, perhaps, that the Unspeakables
want too.’
    ‘ A
robbery!’ said Egg in delight.
    ‘ Maybe.’
    Teyo frowned.
‘Private houses are difficult to infiltrate, especially these grand
places. Any chance he’ll be giving a ball soon?’
    Serena said
nothing, only sighed. Fabian answered instead, with a particularly
fiendish grin.
    ‘ That
won’t be a problem,’ he said.
    Egg kicked him in
the shins. ‘Don’t be mysterious. Tell us why it won’t be