THE NEXT MORNING I WAS AWAKENED by a knock on my closet door. "Who is it?" I called. I stretched and rubbed my eyes.
"It's me, Theo."
"Oh, Mum!" Awake now, I hopped out of the sarcophagus as Mum came in. "Any word from Father?" I asked.
"No." She said it briskly, as if it didn't worry her one bit, but the dark circles under her eyes gave her away. "I have, however, heard from Miss Sharpe. She sent a note around saying she was unwell and unable to come today." Mother's gaze sharpened slightly. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
"No! Well, only that she left early yesterday because she was feeling ill. You can check with Stilton if you like. He was there at the time."
"No, no, that's fine. But I must warn you, Theo—I have much on my mind and am horribly busy this morning. I have a hundred things to do. You'll have to take care of yourself today without Miss Sharpe here."
A huge bubble of frustration rose up inside me. Didn't I do exactly that every single day? "Of course, Mother." Still hungry for information, I pressed on. "Who else have you heard from?"
Mother bent over, picked up my pinafore from the floor, and began smoothing it out. "The Royal Archaeological Society, for one. It seems I will not be joining their ranks at this time."
"Oh, Mother! I'm so sorry. Is it because of the mummies?"
"They say not." She hung my pinafore on a peg. "However, that's the least of our worries, I would think."
Which reminded me: "Were you able to talk to Admiral Sopcoate last night?"
"No, I'm afraid not. He was at dinner with a delegation from Abyssinia, but your grandmother said she'd send a personal note to him first thing this morning." She gave me a tired smile that I thought was supposed to give me fortitude, but instead left me feeling vague and uncertain.
Just then, there was an urgent rap on the front door. An unusually grim and determined look came over Mother's face. "If that is Inspector Turnbull again, I shall make him rue the day he ever set foot in our museum."
She sounded frighteningly like Father. I followed after her as a second knock reverberated down the hall. Mother jerked the door open and nearly missed being beaned with Grandmother Throckmorton's cane, which she was raising for a third knock. "About time," she sniffed, pulling her cane back to her side.
Before Mum could retort, Grandmother sailed in. "Where is that granddaughter of mine? There you are," she said. "What on earth have you done to Miss Sharpe?"
I swallowed nervously. "I-I don't know what you mean. Mum said she sent a note around that she was ill..."
"No. Not just ill. She sent me a letter resigning. She will not be returning, even when she regains her health. And after all the trouble I went to! You will tell me the meaning of this, young lady."
"Really, madam," Mother said. "With everything else going on right now, it seems to me that Miss Sharpe is not our most pressing concern."
Grandmother drew herself up to her full height, but instead of blasting Mother for her impertinence, she simply said, "Have you news of my son?" And then it hit me. Her outrage about Miss Sharpe was just an excuse! She'd really come over to see what was happening with Father. Honestly. Why couldn't she just say so?
Mum shook her head. "The inspector isn't exactly being forthcoming. Have you word from Admiral Sopcoate yet?"
"Yes. He sent a note around this morning. He'll be tied up escorting a delegation from Abyssinia on a tour of the Dreadnought, but once he's finished up there, he said he'll come right along and help us sort out this mess."
Admiral Sopcoate would be onboard the Dreadnought, and Chaos was planning to kidnap it! My stomach dipped at the full impact of this. I had grown quite attached to the jolly admiral. Besides, if something happened to Admiral Sopcoate, Grandmother would turn back into her horrid, grumpy self.
Taking a huge risk by speaking without being spoken to, I said, "Excuse me, Grandmother. But what time will that be? Did he say?"
She peered down her nose at me. "I suppose the strain of having your father arrested has chased away what few manners you had." But her words didn't have the normal sting to them.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I am rather worried."
"As are we all, child," she said with a sigh, looking old and tired. It was shocking, really, seeing her this way.
"The time?" I gently reminded her.
"Their tour is scheduled for eleven o'clock. He said he'd be done by two this afternoon."
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Admiral Sopcoate wouldn't be in danger after all. What I really needed to do was find out what time high tide was.
"Excuse me." I bobbed a quick curtsy, then left the room, anxious to find Stilton.
He was in his office, just sitting down to his desk. "Did you find out?" I asked as I burst in.
He glanced up at my interruption. "Oh, good morning, Theo. Yes, I did. High tide is at twelve forty-seven p.m. today."
Right in the middle of the admiral's tour! He would be in horrible danger! "Thank you," I said, then dashed toward the west entrance, hoping Will would be there early. Surely he'd realize we'd have much to discuss this morning, after our wild adventures of the night before.
However, Will was nowhere in sight at the west entrance. Instead, I found Snuffles hiding in the bushes. I would have missed him but for the loud sneeze that exploded from the shrubbery just as I was closing the door.
"Snuffles?" I whispered.
And up he popped. "Miss?" he said as he wiped his nose along his sleeve.
I winced, then spotted the clean linen handkerchief I'd given to him sitting crisp and white in his coat pocket. "You're supposed to use your handkerchief for that," I said.
"Oh, no, miss! It's much too nice for that."
I blinked, then shook my head. "Where is Will this morning?"
Snuffles's face fell. "That's wot I was hopin' you could tell me. He didn't come home last night. He and Ratsy went out—"
"Ratsy?"
"Me next oldest brother, miss."
"Just how many of you are there, anyway?"
"Seven. There's Will, then Ratsy, next comes Sparky, then me, an' Pincher, Soggers, and the Gob."
"The Gob?" I repeated faintly.
"Aye. On account of 'im putting everything in his gob."
I hardly knew what to say to that. Luckily, Snuffles brought us back to the subject at hand.
"Anyway, 'e and Will went out last night after we got back but then never came 'ome this mornin'."
"Maybe he just went to give Wigmere the message?"
"Mebbe. But not Ratsy. Ratsy had a job this mornin', but we couldn't find a sign o' him anywhere."
My stomach dropped all the way to my knees. This was not good. Not good at all. Did they get too close to Chaos's plans? Or did this have something to do with the Grim Nipper?
And how was I going to get word to Wigmere now? "Don't worry, Snuffles. We'll find him."
Somehow.
"You wait here. I have to collect a few things, and then we'll go find your brothers."
Supplies. I needed supplies. The last time I'd faced the Serpents of Chaos, I'd been in a tomb with Egyptian artifacts loaded with ancient magic at hand. I would have no such help on the Dreadnought.
But what to bring, exactly? What would be the most effective weapons?
I dashed to my small carrel in the reading room and pulled my curse-removal kit from behind a bookshelf. I turned it upside down and dumped all the contents onto the floor. I sorted through them for a moment, wondering if there was anything there I could use. The problem was, Chaos was given to wielding modern weapons, such as guns, and I didn't have anything to counteract them.
I snagged the atropaic wand that I'd used to undemonize Isis, which I had been meaning to return to it's display case for ages. It was shaped like a throw stick and might have some potential. That was all I found. Stuffing it into my bag, I hurried into the reading room. One of Miss Sharpe's books lay open on one of the tables. Miss Sharpe! The rope! That could be an effective weapon.
Wishing I had a second pair of gloves to put over my first pair, I gingerly pulled the rope from the hiding place where I'd stashed it. I hesitated a moment, then quickly undid two of the knots, releasing even more of the malignant spirit's power, ensuring it would be a most formidable weapon, then I dropped it into my bag.
Hmmm. I wondered where Father kept his shotgun. That would be a comfort, no doubt. But that was silly. Where on earth would I hide it?
My next destination was the Egyptian exhibit. Chaos had the staff, and although I had a Blood of Isis amulet to protect me, no one else did. I wanted to collect the amulets from the mummies so at least a few others would have some protection. Grateful that the bodies had the power to move only at night, I plucked off the amulets and stuffed them into my bag. I paused again, searching the room for anything else that might prove useful. I spied a small collection of execration figures. Those had come in most handy back in the Valley of the Kings. I stuffed one into my carpetbag. And then I was out of time.
Except, once again, I had no money for cab fare. Bother! I was going to have to get a job if I was going to keep this up. Or ask Wigmere to cover some of my expenses, like the board of directors covered some of Father's. For now, there was really only one source to tap for the funds. I would rather have not brought him into this—I still hadn't forgiven him for the night before—but I felt that I had no choice.
I burst into Stilton's office. "Hullo again," he said.
"Hullo again, Stilt—I mean, Tefen."
He beamed at the use of his code name, which was exactly what I had been hoping for.
"What can I do for you now?"
"Actually, it's funny you should ask. I need a ride, and I'm afraid I haven't any money for a cab. May I"—the next word stuck in my throat—"borrow cab fare? I'll pay it back, I promise!" I rushed to add.
Just as I had feared, Stilton was immediately on alert. "But of course. Although if you're going somewhere, Mestafet and I should accompany you."
"I really don't think that will be necessary, Stil—Tefen. It's not like last night when I was out so late. It's morning and I'll be out and about in broad daylight. I'll be perfectly safe, I'm sure."
He began shaking his head no before I had even finished speaking. "I don't think so, Miss Theo. Trouble does seem to follow you around, and that's why you have us. To look after you."
Oh, bother. I'd so hoped because Stilton was a Black Sunner that he wouldn't be hindered by the same sort of hang-ups about safety that other grownups had. Clearly, I'd been wrong. "Wouldn't that get you into trouble with Weems?"
Stilton's face clouded a moment. "Yes. Most likely. But I can handle him."
"Actually," I said, thinking fast, "I have something else, something even more important, I need you to do."
His eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yes. I need you to get to Inspector Turnbull and tell him that he will be able to find Nigel Bollingsworth at the Royal Albert Docks later on this morning."
"Bollingsworth! Really? Is he involved in all this?"
"Yes. But I haven't got time to explain it all now. Can you do it?"
"Yes, miss." Stilton lifted his hand to his forehead, saluting me.
Was that a Black Sun thing? Or was he just overeager?
He stood up and began fishing cab fare out of his pocket.
"Then," I continued, "go directly to Somerset House to the Antiquarian Society on the third floor. Ask to see Lord Wigmere. A wretched little beast of a secretary named Boythorpe will try to stop you, but ignore him and speak only to Wigmere."
Stilton nodded, absorbing every detail.
"Then, when you see Wigmere, tell him ... Chaos is rising. Have you got that?"
"Chaos is rising," he repeated.
"Excellent. Then tell him I've gone to the Dreadnought at the Royal Albert Docks, and he'll know what to do from there. Oh, and let him know about Bollingsworth, too."
"Is that all?"
"Yes. Now repeat it back to me."
When he had, I took the cab fare he held out to me. "I will pay it back," I promised, then hurried from the room.
I ran smack into Clive Fagenbush.
"You were eavesdropping!" I hissed at him.
"No, I wasn't. I do work with the man. As I told you before, he owes me a report."
I had meant to ask Stilton about Fagenbush's prowling, but all the tumult of the past two mornings had chased it out of my head. However, I didn't have time to deal with that now—I had to get down to the docks.
Fagenbush eyed my carpetbag. "And where are you going in such a hurry?"
"None of your business," I shot back at him. "Now, excuse me." And off I went to the west entrance to meet Snuffles.
***
"Wot took you so long?" Snuffles asked, nearly hopping from foot to foot.
"Sorry. I had to collect some things. Now, let's go find a cab."
I hoisted my bag and marched across the street toward the corner. It was late enough in the morning that most everyone was at work, so it didn't take too long to get a cab to stop.
The driver squinted at me suspiciously and made me pay him up-front. With a sigh I did, then got into the cab and settled myself onto the seat.
Snuffles climbed in after me, but instead of getting on the seat opposite, he sat right up next to me so that our arms were nearly touching.
I remembered him wiping his nose on his sleeve earlier and scooted over a bit.
He scooted closer again, but before I could reposition myself, there was a slap of the reins. As the cab lurched forward, the door opened and a tall, thin man stepped from the running board into the cab.
He lifted the tattered top hat from his head and we came face to face with the Grim Nipper.