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Authors: Anne Forbes
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two in his house. I saw them in his study the last time I was there.”
“That proves it, then,” nodded Hamish slowly. “If he has such mirrors in his house then there’s no doubt that he’s Kalman.”
“But why would he be entertaining the French Consul?” mused the Ranger. “We’re more or less at war with the French these days, aren’t we?”
“That’s what I thought,” agreed Archie.
“The prince has a reason for everything he does,” observed Hamish seriously. “What
I’d
like to know, is where he’s been this past year!”
“Well, if he really is Ned Stuart, then he’s been here in Edinburgh,” Sir James looked at him in surprise. “I’ve been to his house several times. He entertains on quite a grand scale.”
“Did you ever wear your firestone when you went to see him?” Archie asked, somewhat anxiously.
Sir James shook his head. “No, I usually keep it locked in my desk drawer.”
“Thank goodness for that! You might have had a very nasty accident, otherwise!” “You don’t think he might have hexed me or something, do you?” Sir James looked more than a little alarmed.
“It’s more than likely!” confirmed Archie. “You’ve had a lucky escape, Sir James!”
“Just as well I didn’t wear it then. Really, I only ever use it if I’m coming here and need to call a carpet — or if I think something strange might be happening; like MacGregor’s tale of the disappearing Turkish restaurant!”
“Kalman’s really being a bit cheeky,” muttered Hamish, disgustedly . “Using the power of the crown to hide himself from us is one thing, but to do it here in Edinburgh, right under our very noses …”
“But why on earth did he put a protective shield round his house all of a sudden?” asked Jaikie, puzzled. “We didn’t know he was in town. He didn’t need to do it and it was a dead give-away .”
“What was a dead give-away?” asked Lady Ellan as she and Clara joined the little group amid a flapping of wings as Amgarad swooped to land on Clara’s shoulder.
“Kalman suddenly putting a protective shield round his house.”
“The Turks!” Sir James said immediately. “It must have been! Their restaurant was at the bottom of the High Street just yards away from the Scottish Parliament. And it was oozing magic! He must have picked up on it!”
Hamish raised his eyebrows. “I bet that gave him a nasty shock,” he grinned. “I know it floored us when we realized that Sulaiman the Red’s Turks had set up shop in the High Street! But you’re probably right. Kalman would be terrified that they’d latch on to the crown.”
“As far as I’m concerned,” muttered Sir James, “it isn’t just a matter of us getting the crown back any more.
I
think there’s another problem we have to address. If Kalman is involved with the French, then quite frankly I think it’s my duty to find out what he’s up to. They are pushing their claims to our fishing rights to the brink of all out war, you know. It’s no laughing matter.”
“You could always merge with the Frenchman and find out what he and Kalman talk about when they’re together?” suggested Clara, idly stroking Amgarad’s wings.
Archie shook his head. “That wouldn’t work, Clara. Kalman would sense at once if anyone had merged with the consul. We’ll have to think of something else.”
“Surely what we need is someone inside the consulate itself,” Lady Ellan mused. “Don’t you know anyone who works there, Sir James?”
Sir James shook his head. “Everyone who works there will have been cleared by security. I honestly doubt if we could manage it.”
The Ranger, smiling at the sight of the eagle perched on Clara’s shoulder, was suddenly visited by a brainwave. “We should send Amgarad! Just look at him, sitting on Clara’s shoulder! In an ideal position to read letters and listen to phone calls. Couldn’t you magic the count into wanting an eagle as a pet? Or something?”
“Mair
“That proves it, then,” nodded Hamish slowly. “If he has such mirrors in his house then there’s no doubt that he’s Kalman.”
“But why would he be entertaining the French Consul?” mused the Ranger. “We’re more or less at war with the French these days, aren’t we?”
“That’s what I thought,” agreed Archie.
“The prince has a reason for everything he does,” observed Hamish seriously. “What
I’d
like to know, is where he’s been this past year!”
“Well, if he really is Ned Stuart, then he’s been here in Edinburgh,” Sir James looked at him in surprise. “I’ve been to his house several times. He entertains on quite a grand scale.”
“Did you ever wear your firestone when you went to see him?” Archie asked, somewhat anxiously.
Sir James shook his head. “No, I usually keep it locked in my desk drawer.”
“Thank goodness for that! You might have had a very nasty accident, otherwise!” “You don’t think he might have hexed me or something, do you?” Sir James looked more than a little alarmed.
“It’s more than likely!” confirmed Archie. “You’ve had a lucky escape, Sir James!”
“Just as well I didn’t wear it then. Really, I only ever use it if I’m coming here and need to call a carpet — or if I think something strange might be happening; like MacGregor’s tale of the disappearing Turkish restaurant!”
“Kalman’s really being a bit cheeky,” muttered Hamish, disgustedly . “Using the power of the crown to hide himself from us is one thing, but to do it here in Edinburgh, right under our very noses …”
“But why on earth did he put a protective shield round his house all of a sudden?” asked Jaikie, puzzled. “We didn’t know he was in town. He didn’t need to do it and it was a dead give-away .”
“What was a dead give-away?” asked Lady Ellan as she and Clara joined the little group amid a flapping of wings as Amgarad swooped to land on Clara’s shoulder.
“Kalman suddenly putting a protective shield round his house.”
“The Turks!” Sir James said immediately. “It must have been! Their restaurant was at the bottom of the High Street just yards away from the Scottish Parliament. And it was oozing magic! He must have picked up on it!”
Hamish raised his eyebrows. “I bet that gave him a nasty shock,” he grinned. “I know it floored us when we realized that Sulaiman the Red’s Turks had set up shop in the High Street! But you’re probably right. Kalman would be terrified that they’d latch on to the crown.”
“As far as I’m concerned,” muttered Sir James, “it isn’t just a matter of us getting the crown back any more.
I
think there’s another problem we have to address. If Kalman is involved with the French, then quite frankly I think it’s my duty to find out what he’s up to. They are pushing their claims to our fishing rights to the brink of all out war, you know. It’s no laughing matter.”
“You could always merge with the Frenchman and find out what he and Kalman talk about when they’re together?” suggested Clara, idly stroking Amgarad’s wings.
Archie shook his head. “That wouldn’t work, Clara. Kalman would sense at once if anyone had merged with the consul. We’ll have to think of something else.”
“Surely what we need is someone inside the consulate itself,” Lady Ellan mused. “Don’t you know anyone who works there, Sir James?”
Sir James shook his head. “Everyone who works there will have been cleared by security. I honestly doubt if we could manage it.”
The Ranger, smiling at the sight of the eagle perched on Clara’s shoulder, was suddenly visited by a brainwave. “We should send Amgarad! Just look at him, sitting on Clara’s shoulder! In an ideal position to read letters and listen to phone calls. Couldn’t you magic the count into wanting an eagle as a pet? Or something?”
“Mair
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