Alan and Henry stood together on the deck of the Terrapin as the ship sailed toward Haever’s harbor. They could see even from this distance the throngs of cheering people that had gathered on the wharf to welcome them home. The pilot’s craft sailed toward them. When the pilot came on board, Alan would have to join him at the helm to guide the Terrapin to a safe landing. But for the moment, he and Henry had a brief respite from duty.
“So—our last voyage together,” Alan said. “Are you truly determined to submit your resignation? As I recall, you threatened to do so in the past when Queen Mary exasperated you beyond endurance.”
“I did resign, on more than one occasion,” said Henry, smiling at the memory. “Mary would always tear up my letter and toss it in the fire. One time, she gave it to that damn monkey, who ate it!
“Queen Mary was a wise woman, Alan. We often clashed, but she knew that in a world of danger and threat, we needed each other. But when she needed me most, I was not able to save her. I will live with that regret all my life. At least,” Henry added, “I will not let it happen again.”
Alan cast him a questioning glance. “Let what happen?”
Henry shook his head.
“I still have a few secrets to guard. I have given thirty-five years of my life in service to my country. It is time for me to retire. I hope my legacy to my children will be a world at peace. If so, I will be satisfied with my work.”
Alan gave an absent nod. He had seemed preoccupied all morning. He would give an order and forget he had given it. He would start to say something, then fall silent. He had done this several times since the two had been standing here and Henry was growing annoyed.
“Come now, Alan. You have been trying to tell me something this past half hour. What secret are you keeping?”
Alan faintly smiled. “I could never hide anything from you.”
“My dear fellow, you are so transparent you could not hide anything from a six-year-old,” said Henry, smiling. “That is the reason you are a captain and I am a spymaster. Out with it.”
“Very well, but you must promise not to tell anyone,” said Alan. “I am going to be married. At least, I plan to propose, and I have every reason to believe the lady will accept me.”
“You! Married!” Henry scoffed. “You are the most confirmed bachelor I know. I don’t believe it.”
“You must believe it, for you are responsible,” said Alan. “You and Lady Ann invited the lady to the dinner party where we met.”
He looked back on that occasion, smiling. “Do you remember? That was a momentous evening! I met my future wife on the same night you and Simon and Randolph and I thwarted Smythe’s attempt to steal the Valor.”
“I remember the Valor incident, but I am hazy as to the details of the dinner party,” said Henry.
“Lady Ann was so kind as to seat me next to Lord Alfred’s charming niece, Lady Annabelle. She and I have been corresponding since then, and we have reached an understanding.”
“My wife, the matchmaker,” said Henry fondly. “Lady Ann will be pleased, and so am I. If you find the same happiness in marriage that I have found, Alan, you will be fortunate beyond your fondest dreams.”
The two men shook hands, then stood quietly for a moment, each reflecting that when the ship docked, they would walk off the gangplank and into new lives.
“But always the same old friendship,” said Henry. He gestured to the crowd. “Look, Alan, His Majesty is waiting to greet you. You will be promoted to Commodore, of course, and receive a knighthood.”
“Good,” said Alan, grinning. “As a newly married man, I will need the money. I expect you and Simon and Randolph to stand with me at the altar. I will need the Seconds for support.”
“You will need the Seconds to keep you from fleeing,” said Henry, laughing. He added, touched, “I will be proud to stand with you, Alan. We will all be proud.”
Moments later, the pilot arrived, and Alan hurried off to join him. Henry leaned against the rail, watching the king, who had come to greet them. Thomas was wearing his ceremonial naval uniform in their honor. He had one arm in a sling. Henry had heard from Randolph that the king had fought valiantly. He reached into the inner pocket of his coat, where he kept the queen’s letter. Through all his adventures, Henry had never lost it.
Queen Mary had asked him to show the same loyalty to Thomas he had pledged to her. Henry had made a promise to his queen and he would keep it.
When Henry arrived at his house in Haever, he found it achingly empty without his wife and children, so empty that he left and moved to his rooms in the Naval Club. Henry immediately wrote to Ann, urging her to make arrangements to return home as soon as possible.
He sent his letter by griffin-rider, then had to wait a week for her return letter. He had work enough to do in the interim to keep him busy. He missed Mr. Sloan, who had remained at the site of the White Well, and was apparently still there, according to Simon.
Henry had to make his own arrangements to hire workmen and crafters to start repairs to his house, which had been damaged in the magical fire when Smythe’s soldiers had come to arrest him. Henry had to locate his former butler, Jacobs, and bring him back to supervise the staff as they began to set things to rights.
He finally received a letter from Lady Ann. She wrote to tell Henry to express her joy to Alan on his choice of wife and to say that her return would be delayed. The Countess de Marjolaine was sailing for Freya to meet with the king in an effort to establish closer ties between Freya and Rosia. The countess had offered to take them with her on her yacht.
The children long to see their father, as I long to see my husband. We must be patient a month more, for the countess insists we should wait until the weather improves to sail. She is right, of course, but I do miss you, my dearest.
I remain forever and always your loving, “Mouse.”
PS. Wear your flannel waistcoat, Henry. The nights are chill and I know you will not think of it if I am not there to remind you.
Henry smiled and sighed, and went to his dressing room to put on the flannel waistcoat.
He wrote his letter of resignation to the king, but he did not immediately submit it. He shut the letter in the drawer for the time being.
He and Alan and Simon went to the hospital to visit Randolph. Still confined to his bed, he was in a bad mood. He damned all physicians for quacks, complained about the food, and raved that they would allow him nothing to drink except water and small ale.
“Stop grousing, Randolph!” Henry told him. “They saved your leg, and you are to be knighted, along with Alan.”
“All that means is that I have to get down on my knees before the king and ruin my stockings,” Randolph grumbled, but they could see he was pleased.
“I have no doubt Simon will be knighted also, once news breaks of the White Well,” said Henry. “Think of it, friends. All four of us are Seconds—second sons with no prospects—and we four are or soon will be lords of the realm. I can honestly say that in my wildest imaginings, I would never have dreamed it.”
“We have you to thank for our success, Henry,” said Alan. “You were the brains, as I have always said. Without you, I would have been hanged as a pirate, Randolph would be an aging midshipman, and Simon a clerk in some dingy office.”
Henry was touched. He protested, of course, but his friends insisted on giving him credit. Alan had smuggled a jug of Calvados past the healers and he poured them each a glass. The four drank a toast.
“To friends,” said Henry simply.
The next day, he visited Simon at Welkinstead to receive his report on the Eye of God and its effectiveness against contramagic weapons.
“I hope and trust all the green-beam guns have been destroyed,” said Henry. “Still, it might be adapted to counter some other type of threat. Tell me about the Eye.”
“I assume you mean the refocused energy emitter and generator,” said Simon, frowning. “There’s nothing to tell. I dismantled it and burned the plans. It had serious flaws.”
“But you said the weapon was lethal!” Henry protested.
“It was,” said Simon. “That was the serious flaw. I will not rid the world of one heinous instrument of killing, only to introduce another. Besides, I will be much too busy overseeing the work on my well.”
While he was at Welkinstead, Henry greeted Sophia and Phillip and Bandit, who were staying with Simon and Mr. Albright to help them clean up, put the books back to rights, and make adjustments to the lift tanks that were still not working to his satisfaction.
Henry congratulated Sophia and Phillip and promised to attend their wedding.
“I think it will be a double wedding,” Sophia said, adding with a sly smile, “But you must ask His Majesty and Kate.”
“Truly?” Henry said, amazed. “I have heard nothing!”
“Thomas has not yet made the announcement public, for their union will require an act of the House of Nobles. Still, since Kate is celebrated as a national hero who saved the king’s life, I believe the vote to approve the marriage will be unanimous.”
Henry was still trying to envision this remarkable pairing as Phillip and Bandit escorted him to the door.
“May I speak to you in confidence, my lord?” Phillip asked.
“Certainly, Your Grace,” Henry replied.
“I want you to know that if you ever need him, Pip is always available. I have spoken to Sophia and she is in agreement.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” said Henry, smiling. “But as Pip is in truth the Duke of Upper and Lower Milton and His Grace is marrying Her Highness, Princess Sophia of Rosia, I believe our profligate clerk should try to lead a reformed life from now on.”
Phillip laughed. “Thank you, my lord. That comes as a relief to my liver.”
He and Henry shook hands, and Phillip picked up Bandit, who had been attempting to chew off the buckle of Henry’s shoe.
Henry returned to his place of employment, the Foreign Office. He entered the building with considerable trepidation. The night of the queen’s death, he had witnessed soldiers of the Army of Royal Retribution storm inside, arresting people and ransacking offices.
He need not have worried. Kings and queens might come and go, nations rise and fall, but the bureaucracy ground on forever. One undersecretary to an undersecretary told Henry in a peeved voice that the soldiers had smashed his favorite teapot, but that appeared to be the only major disruption.
Henry found his own small office untouched. Located in an out-of-the-way corner of the building, it was often mistaken for a closet, and the soldiers had apparently not considered it important. Nor, apparently, had he been missed in all the time he had been gone, for the mail room had thoughtfully continued to deliver his mail, which was piled up on his desk.
As Henry sat down to sort through his correspondence, he reflected that it was well he hadn’t died. Years might have passed before anyone noticed.
He was still in the office, reading reports from his various agents, when there came a familiar tap on the door. Mr. Sloan entered and Henry rose to greet him with delight.
“Tell me the news about the White Well.”
“Captain Rader and his troops have established a base at Nydrian’s Cove to guard it. I spoke to Governor Crichton—”
“He survived, did he?” Henry asked, interrupting.
“He was wounded in the shelling that destroyed his house, but he was able to escape, my lord. He was extremely humble and asked me to convey to you his most sincere apologies for having refused to heed your warning.”
“He is a lucky man in more ways than one,” said Henry grimly.
“Indeed, my lord. I explained the situation regarding the White Well. The governor was ecstatic, as you can imagine, for this will mean the city of Wellinsport will increase in wealth and importance. Captain Rader will need assistance in guarding the well.”
“I have spoken to the Admiralty,” said Henry. “Admiral Tower will be receiving orders to send ships to do that very thing. You have the chart that marks the location?”
“I do, my lord. I stopped by the Parrot on my way back.” Mr. Sloan removed the chart from his satchel and delivered it to Henry, who wrinkled his nose.
“What is that god-awful smell?”
“Olaf hid the chart in an empty ale barrel for safekeeping, my lord.”
Henry laughed, and wondered how he was going to get rid of the smell before delivering the chart to the king.
“Sit down, Mr. Sloan. I have news. I am planning to submit my letter of resignation to His Majesty. I have one more task to do as spymaster and you must help me do it. After that, I mean to retire.”
He paused, eyeing his secretary. “You do not look surprised, Mr. Sloan.”
“I have been expecting this news, my lord,” said Mr. Sloan. “I offer you my very best wishes.”
“You know, of course, that you are most welcome to remain in my employment, though I tell you honestly that life as the secretary to a country squire would be a sad waste of your many exceptional talents.”
“Thank you, my lord,” said Mr. Sloan. “Serving Your Lordship has been an honor and a privilege.” He added with a cough, “I was planning to speak to you.…”
“Yes, Mr. Sloan?”
“I have been thinking of going into business for myself. You see, sir, I am going to be married.…”
“Not you as well, Mr. Sloan!” Henry exclaimed, amazed. “Who is the most fortunate woman who has won your heart?”
“She is Mistress Brown, the owner of a sigil shop, who has done work for you in the past, my lord. She placed the magic on your coat during the Bottom Dweller War that protected you against the contramagic attack.”
“She saved my life, Mr. Sloan,” said Henry.
“Yes, my lord. Mistress Brown is recently widowed—”
“I am sorry to hear that,” Henry interjected.
“Do not be, sir. The late Mr. Brown was a cad,” said Mr. Sloan.
“Then good riddance to him,” said Henry, smiling.
“Mistress Brown was left to cope with the business and to raise two young boys. She wrote to ask my advice on a matter connected with the shop and I was able to be of some material assistance to her. We have corresponded since then and walked out together on occasion. She and I have formed an understanding.”
Mr. Sloan added with some embarrassment, “I am pleased to say that the boys have become quite attached to me, my lord. I find I enjoy fatherhood.”
“Congratulations, Mr. Sloan,” said Henry, adding with a laugh, “I am to be beset by weddings, it seems. First Alan and now you. The next thing I hear, Randolph will be marching to the altar where he will damn the eyes of the reverend.”
Henry grew serious. “And now, Mr. Sloan, I fear we must turn from matters of love to business—a most unpleasant business.”
Mr. Sloan rose to check to make certain the door was locked and that no one was loitering in the hall, then resumed his seat.
“I am all attention, my lord.”
“I have received disturbing information, Mr. Sloan. I dare not investigate the matter myself for reasons that will soon become apparent to you.”
He handed a note to Mr. Sloan, who read it and looked grave. “I am extremely sorry to learn this, my lord. What would you have me do?”
“I need you to procure evidence, however damning.”
“I understand, my lord.”
Mr. Sloan took his leave. Henry gathered up the documents that he considered important, looked about his office for one last time, smiled, and departed. He would have to remember to tell someone in the mail room.
Mr. Sloan was gone for several days. Immediately on his return, he went to the Naval Club to meet with Henry.
“I have the evidence you require, my lord. I bribed the earl’s valet, who has no great regard for his master, and he provided me with documents, as well as several incriminating letters.”
Henry read through the letters. His expression darkened. “The damn fool! This is enough to hang him!”
“I am surprised he did not destroy them, my lord.”
“He kept them to protect himself from Smythe.” Henry grimaced. “I was afraid it would come to this. I must act with dispatch.”
“I await your orders, my lord.”
“I will not involve you, Mr. Sloan,” said Henry. “This could well get me hanged.”