Read Online A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway - Free Book Online Page B

turned. The light of the waning moon washed the scene in a ghostly light and outlined the Schoolmaster’s long features. He was older than Nick by a few years, his curling hair topped by a low-crowned hat. Wire-rimmed glasses shadowed his eyes and gave him a bookish air. He looked harmless enough, but Nick didn’t buy that for a moment. He’d lowered the knife, but he wasn’t putting it away.
    Striker stepped out of the shadows but stopped a dozen feet away, waiting in case he was needed. His hair stuck out at all angles like a startled hedgehog, framing a blunt-featured face dominated by shrewd, dark eyes. His longcoat, covered in bits of metal from top to bottom, glinted dully in the moonlight.
    They stood in silence for a moment, but then the Schoolmaster spoke. “Right. We need the package taken to a certain location. There, you’ll pick up cargo and take it to another location, unload it in secret, and deliver certain items safely over a land route. But I’ll be frank—there are those who would dearly love to get their hands on some of the shipment. There could be danger.”
    “There’s always danger. People don’t hire me to deliver the mail.”
    “You’ve made quite the name for yourself in a few short months.”
    “It’s a living.”
    When Nick and Striker met the crew of the
Red Jack
, the vessel had been all but done in. The design was old, the balloon leaky, and the boilers starved for a reliable supply of fuel. The Steam Council’s stranglehold on coal had crippled even the pirates. The captain had sold the
Red Jack
and her crew for a pittance. But Nick had money and magic and Striker knew machines. Within weeks they had turned the ship around and made her the new terror of the skies.
    “Where do you want me to take the prisoner?” Nick asked. If the man had endangered Evelina Cooper, he’d toss him to his death for free.
    “Do I have your word of honor to keep this in confidence?”
    Both Nick and Striker nodded. Discretion was just good business.
    “North, beyond the Steam Council’s reach.”
    That meant the Highlands—a fair distance to dodge enemy ships, but nothing Nick hadn’t done before. “And what am I picking up?”
    The Schoolmaster made a face. “Are you planning to do this? If not, you don’t need the details.”
    Nick wanted the details before he made up his mind, but he shrugged. He’d thoroughly researched the Schoolmaster before agreeing to this meeting, and all his contacts hadvouched for the man’s credit and his character. He was prepared to move on to the next steps. “What’s the pay?”
    “We don’t have a lot of gold, but we have technical expertise. There are makers who can repair your ship.”
    It was a good offer, but not one he needed. “I have Striker. He’s as good as any maker alive. We work for expenses and a cut of the profits. Or didn’t they tell you that at the Head?”
    The Saracen’s Head was the tavern where Nick did his business in London. It was hardly a gentleman’s club, but it worked just as well for making useful professional contacts.
    “We’re not selling,” said the Schoolmaster. “There is no profit.”
    “Then what’s the cargo?” Nick asked.
    The man frowned, obviously wishing to share as little as possible. “Mechanical parts. Gears, wheels, springs, pistons—more or less the type of goods you move already. Mostly German made.”
    “But you’re not selling it?” Nick persisted.
    “These are relief supplies,” said Striker in a knowing tone. “You’re running parts for the resistance.”
    For the first time, anxiety showed on the man’s face. Joining the resistance was as good as treason. It wasn’t something a person let slip lightly. “The parts are relief for the poor. The nights are growing cold. No one can pay what the Steam Council asks.”
    “You know they’ll off any backstreet carpenter they find building a windmill or a waterwheel,” Striker said darkly. “I know. I used to break bones for the