Forty-nine

Hairstreak opened the wine and sniffed the cork. ‘Nearly fifty years old. Now it’s the exact colour of blood.’ He looked across at his guest and raised an eyebrow.

‘Thank you, Blackie,’ Hamearis said. ‘I usually prefer ale, but I’ll make an exception.’

The man was an oaf in many ways, but useful. He commanded massive respect among the Faeries of the Night and it was time to get him back on board. Hairstreak poured a generous goblet and pushed it across the table. He was less generous with his own portion. All negotiations required a clear head if you were sensible, and this, whether Hamearis knew it or not, was a negotiation.

The wine was superb. Hairstreak savoured it a sip at a time. Hamearis drank his down and pushed the goblet back for more.

‘You and I have been through a lot together, Burgundy,’ Hairstreak said as he poured. ‘Enough to weather little disagreements, eh?’ He forced himself to make it bluff and hearty, old soldiers talking of old times.

‘No disagreements now, Blackie,’ Hamearis said. ‘Not since that little cow threw our offer back in our faces.’ He watched Hairstreak’s expression closely. ‘If she threw it back in our faces.’

Hairstreak elected to ignore the implication. ‘An historic opportunity for reconciliation,’ he said smoothly. ‘So tragic it has passed us by.’

‘You were less enthusiastic when the matter was first raised, as I recall.’ Hamearis took another enormous draught from his goblet.

‘Oh, I grant you I had my doubts. To be frank, Burgundy, I feared my niece might react the way she did – a very stubborn child, very suspicious and just as set against the Faeries of the Night as her father ever was.’

Hamearis set his wine down on the table. ‘What have you done with her?’ he asked.

The question was not entirely unexpected. Hairstreak allowed himself the ghost of a smile. ‘Are they saying I abducted her?’

‘There’s speculation …’

Hairstreak held his eye. ‘Let me tell you, here and now as an old friend, I had nothing whatsoever to do with Blue’s disappearance. I did not plan it. I did not engineer it. I have not the slightest idea how it was carried out or where she is now.’ He glanced away, then added, ‘Although my people are working very hard to find out.’

After a moment Hamearis said, ‘I believe you, Blackie.’ He picked up his wine again. ‘Frankly, I never thought you did it. Not that I don’t think you’re capable, but a cover story like that – she simply vanished. It just isn’t your style.’ He frowned. ‘I’d like to know who did take her, though. What actually happened?’

‘She simply vanished,’ Hairstreak said, and smiled. His features sobered and he shrugged. ‘That’s literally how it happened. The boy from the Analogue World tried to take her out. Pelidne tried to stop him. The boy killed Pelidne, then both he and Queen Blue disappeared.’

‘He couldn’t have taken her to the Analogue World, could he?’

‘I don’t see how,’ Hairstreak said. ‘But I didn’t ask you here to discuss mysteries. Blue is gone. Our proposals have been rejected. We need to plan our strategy.’

‘We need to get the Queen back,’ Hamearis said bluntly. ‘There’s a Countdown on.’

‘I heard that rumour,’ Hairstreak said easily. ‘I doubt it’s true.’

‘It’s true all right,’ Hamearis said. ‘I had it from my intelligence people.’

Hairstreak looked at him, thunderstruck. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Wonder why your spooks didn’t tell you?’

Hairstreak was wondering the same thing. Heads would roll. Besides which, protocol demanded an active Countdown be reported to all interested parties. Blue should have done it when she put it in place. The Acting Emperor should have confirmed it the moment she went missing. Who was the Acting Emperor anyway? Pyrgus, he supposed – he didn’t really know. He stared at Hamearis in horror. He could scarcely believe the enormity of the betrayal. Or of his own stupidity for not anticipating it. The blunt truth was he’d underestimated Blue. Came of thinking of her as a child.

‘How long?’ he asked.

‘Three days.’

‘From her visit or her disappearance?’

‘Same thing, from what I gather.’

‘Yes, you’re right.’ Hairstreak stared at him thoughtfully. ‘This changes everything.’

Hamearis grinned. ‘It certainly changes the timing. What were you up to, Blackie?’

‘Up to?’

Hamearis moved in his chair. ‘Oh, come on – you never favoured the offer of negotiation. You wanted to attack at once while the Faeries of the Light had a child as a leader. So did I –’

‘So did you?’ Hairstreak exclaimed. ‘You voted against me in Council!’

‘Of course I did,’ Hamearis said easily. ‘You had no backing. But that’s all changed now. What’s your plan?’

Hairstreak hesitated for a heartbeat, then said, ‘Surprise attack. Catch them off guard.’ He glanced away and added sourly, ‘I didn’t anticipate a Countdown.’

Hamearis leaned forward. ‘There may be a way to regain the initiative.’

Hairstreak looked back at him at once. ‘What do you suggest?’

Burgundy was every inch the seasoned warrior. ‘Decapitate the beast,’ he said. ‘They’ve already lost their child Queen. I say remove the rest of their command structure. Assassinate Prince Pyrgus and any other royal in line for the throne. Kill the head of their Intelligence Service. That old witch has been a thorn in our side for far too long. Kill their Analogue Gatekeeper – what’s his name? Fogarty? Kill your sister Quercusia. She’s mad, but she’s royal blood and could become a rallying point. Once that’s done, the way’s clear to mount a pre-emptive strike on the palace and take out the Generals. With their command structure gone, the Lighters will turn into sheep. We can step in and take over – you can step in and take over. It’s a limited operation, Hairstreak. I can organise it for you – I’ll use the Assassins’ Guild so nothing can be traced back to us. We can manage it easily before the Countdown expires.’

Hairstreak stared at him for a moment, then said, ‘Do it.’