Catherine led her to a bench, helping her to sit down in a rare patch of sunlight. Irene allowed herself to relax for a moment, focusing her sore eyes on the clouds above. For a moment sheer surprise stopped her coughing.

Catherine followed her gaze, and blinked. ‘Why are there two of them?’ she asked.

Coiling in the sky above, a blue dragon and a red dragon moved together in slow interlacing patterns. Against the grey mosaic of the clouds their wings shone as bright as gemstones, sparkling as they caught the sun’s rays.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Irene had been introduced to Kai’s brother Shan Yuan – fortunately not till after she’d stopped coughing and being sick, which always put a damper on introductions. He hadn’t actually been rude. However, it was quite obvious that any courtesy he was giving her was due to her rank as a Library representative, rather than actual respect for her as a person.

But she couldn’t bring herself to care. Being pursued by assassins, while Alberich wanted her as his prisoner, seemed a rather higher priority.

Irene felt far safer now she was practically on government territory. Vale’s sister Columbine had invited him and his circle to her private rooms at the Dashwood Club, though she herself was absent. Busy looking for more information, Vale had told them. Irene had just finished her account of recent events. Catherine was carrying round cups of tea and coffee with a quiet subservience which had drawn looks of approval from Shan Yuan and badly hidden astonishment from Kai. Irene had quietly pointed out to her that menial service of this kind meant you could listen in to high-level discussions without being noticed. Otherwise, you’d likely be thrown out due to age or lack of experience.

Given the dragons in the room, it seemed a good idea for Catherine to keep a low profile. Kai and Shan Yuan (Irene still didn’t know why he was there) occupied the sofa, while Irene had commandeered the best armchair. She’d also ordered more tea, feeling the British government would understand their need. It had been quite a day. Inspector Singh was using the table to arrange his notes, and Vale was standing by the fireplace. Sterrington was on her way.

The ambience was very civilized. But while the club might outwardly look like a place for nobility and high-ranked civil servants to eat expensive meals and then nap, the walls were thick, the door guards – sorry, receptionists – were trained military in civilian clothing, and the windows were of reinforced glass. And those were only the things Irene had noticed so far.

It would take a zeppelin loaded with high explosives to make a dent in this place.

Irene really hoped that Lady Guantes didn’t have access to any zeppelins loaded with high explosives.

‘So,’ she said, summing up, ‘we face Lord and Lady Guantes, though something is very wrong with Lord Guantes – and he seems to be able to return from the dead. Both appear to be behind “the Professor” whose criminal activities Vale has described.’

Vale nodded in agreement.

‘And behind them, we have Alberich.’ She restrained herself from fidgeting with the compass in her pocket. ‘After our last encounter, he can’t enter this world in person – but his agents can.’

‘I would appreciate more information on this Alberich,’ Shan Yuan said. He had black hair and pale skin like Kai. Their resemblance was startling, but Shan Yuan’s hair had a ruby undertone to it, and he accented his suit with a red tie rather than Kai’s preferred blue. His irritated frown seemed a habitual expression and his manner was condescending. ‘I have heard the name before – a Librarian who turned traitor?’

‘That’s correct, your highness,’ Irene said. ‘It was several centuries ago, but he’s somehow survived outside the Library by contaminating himself with chaos – something no true Librarian could achieve, or would want to. He’s also killed a large number of Librarians and attempted to destroy the Library itself.’ And he terrifies me. ‘He seems to have a grudge against me because I’ve ruined his plans twice. To be honest, I’m extremely disturbed that he wants me captured alive.’

‘You’re being economical with the details, Winters,’ Vale put in. ‘Alberich has a number of allies among the Fae – he provides them with information, creates wards for them using the Language, and so on. He’s even worked with Lord and Lady Guantes before. He’s demonstrated the ability to use the Language in ways that are unfamiliar to sanctioned Librarians, such as Winters here. And he may have a long-lost son out there somewhere – though we haven’t yet seen any firm evidence of this.’

‘Is it possible that this Lord Guantes is his long-lost son?’ Singh asked.

‘I don’t think so,’ Irene said. She thought about it some more. ‘I really don’t think so. I certainly hope not.’

‘Why hasn’t the Library executed this Alberich yet?’ Shan Yuan demanded – somewhat unfairly, Irene felt. ‘Having someone like this running around in league with chaos does nothing for its reputation.’

‘Believe me, we’ve tried. He’s difficult to locate and dangerous when he shows himself. And he’s able to use the Language in combination with chaos . . . again, in ways that no regular Librarian could. I now believe he must have created the door which Vale and I saw in Guernsey. There may be other doors, as well.’ Irene couldn’t help wondering rather wistfully just how he’d done it.

‘Alberich aside, how do you intend to arrest these Guantes murderers?’

‘We’ve strong cases against them for multiple crimes, sir,’ Inspector Singh said calmly. Presumably he was used to visiting officials making impossible demands. ‘Arson, murder, attempted murder, theft and a few others I won’t bore you with. The question is how we locate them and keep them in one place. It makes a policeman’s life difficult when the criminals he’s after can just go skipping off to some other world, evidence and all.’

‘This place is inefficiently run,’ Shan Yuan muttered. ‘I’m disappointed in you, little brother. I thought you had things under better control here.’

Perhaps I should be grateful for a lack of older siblings, Irene reflected as Kai murmured an apology. She’d seen Kai interact with his elder half-sister Indigo on another occasion, but Indigo had been a rebel and a disgrace to the family. Kai had therefore felt himself free – no, encouraged – to be as rude to her as possible.

‘I should note that Prince Kai doesn’t hold any authority here, sir,’ Inspector Singh said. ‘While naturally we have the greatest respect for your brother’s position, neither he nor Miss Winters here have any standing or status within this country’s governance.’ His words were carefully chosen, but they were also a formal declaration of independence from dragons, Fae and the Library.

‘Of course,’ Irene said. ‘That’s absolutely understood. We deeply regret that the Guantes – and their feud with us – have caused trouble to London.’ She meant every word. It wasn’t just that she was Librarian-in-Residence here. She liked this world, this London – its people, its locations, its books. But how could she and Kai stay here, if the Guantes were going to tear the city apart to get at them?