Read Online A Study in Sable by Mercedes Lackey - Free Book Online Page A

public offer, and I have checked the catalogue in the Rare Manuscript Room, but there is nothing of interest there. Most of what
is
there is analysis by linguists and other learned gentlemen who pay more attention to declensions of verbs than context.”
    Nan raised an eyebrow. “Do people
often
invoke things by accident? I thought magic was harder than that.”
    Mary shrugged. “Sometimes it’s a matter of will and a smattering of Talent. Sometimes it’s because whatever breaks through was trying very hard in the first place, and the person in question just managed to open a crack that it could exploit.”
    Sarah nodded sagely. “That happens with malign spirits, too.” She sighed. “You just can’t save fools from themselves, can you?”
    â€œWould that we could,” John replied. “That’s one reason why Beatrice is here in London—well, Chelsea—rather than some place out in the deep countryside. She’s trying to keep an eye on the artistic set, since that lot are the ones most likely to go into obscure religions and mysticism and get caught up in magic. As a magician rather than a Master, she’s not quite as sensitive to the poisonous things peoplein town have done to the earth. If anything comes up that she can’t head off, she’s got the Hunting Lodge at her disposal.”
    â€œAnd the other reason?” Sarah asked, archly.
    John smiled. “Because she’s always been a bohemian herself. And she has a bit of a past among the artistic set as well. She posed for quite a few painters in her reckless youth, and—though a gentleman never pays attention to rumors—there are rumors she had more than a few amorous adventures among them.”
    â€œShe may be a bit of a bohemian, but everything I heard out of her tells me she has enough good common sense to be able to keep a small herd of flighty artists out of trouble,” Mary replied with some affection. Nan smothered a smile; it was obvious that Mary had warmed up to Beatrice immediately.
    â€œThat she does,” John agreed. He regarded all of them soberly. “Do any of you feel that there is any urgency in taking care of Number 10? I’m not only asking about logic and reasoning; I am asking about instincts.”
    Nan leaned back in her seat and clasped her hands on her knee. Sarah got a faraway look in her eyes. “I’d like to ask the birds before we come to a conclusion,” she said, finally. “But I’m not getting any sense that we need to move in the next—three or four days, at least. Sarah?”
    Sarah shook her head. “No feelings of nameless dread here. And speaking logically—Doctor Watson, won’t the police be doing their best to keep anyone out of Number 10 for a while?”
    â€œIt’s been boarded up, and yes, whoever is patrolling Berkeley Square as his regular beat is going to be keeping an eye on the place to keep the curious out,” Watson said in a decided tone of voice.
    â€œThen let’s do what we seldom get a chance to do,” Mary Watson chimed in. “Let’s do what
Holmes
does, survey the site, get the plans of the house, gather information on our foe.”
    â€œSpeaking of Holmes, I wonder how he’s coming with that missing girl case?” mused Watson. “Or if the raven was wrong, and it’s too ordinary for him to care about?”
    â€œI just hope he doesn’t expect to dragoon you into it before wefinish with Number 10,” Mary said darkly. “I’ll . . . I’ll organize his case files if he dares.”
    â€œMary!” John clutched at his chest in pretended shock. “You wouldn’t!”
    She looked mock contrite. “No, I wouldn’t. But I
will
see to it that Mrs. Hudson burns all his toast.”
    â€œThat, he wouldn’t notice. He scarcely notices when his food is ice-cold.” Watson snorted.