Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris Read online

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  of the room. Stilton glanced back over his shoulder at me. Once they had left, Weems approached Mother. "I should like to have a word with you, Mrs. Throckmorton."

  The minute he spoke, I knew what he was doing. He was going to ask to take over Father's duties as head of the museum.

  "Not now, Weems," Mother said, brushing him off. "I have to get this all sorted out?' She turned to me. "Theodosia, I'm going to see your grandmother. Perhaps she can get that admiral of hers to help us."

  "Good idea, Mum!"

  She hesitated. "I don't know what time I'll be back."

  "Oh, don't worry about me! I'll be fine."

  The smile she gave me was strained. "That's my girl."

  Weems gaped like a fish at her retreating form, still not able to believe he'd been so firmly ignored. "Well?" I said. "Shouldn't you get back to work as well? We're short handed now with Father gone, and Mother, too."

  It wasn't until he left that I began to shake. My knees turned to jelly, and I eased myself down onto the edge of the display platform right behind me. Father had been arrested. And all because of this wretched staff. A sharp, hot lump rose up in my throat, and my eyes burned. I would not cry. I would not!

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  A warm furry rubbing at my ankles distracted me as Isis entwined herself between my feet. I reached down and picked her up, hugging her close, trying to fill the aching hole inside me. She seemed to understand how distressed I was and let me cuddle her for a long moment before she twisted away in mild protest.

  I would just have to fix things, that was all. Which meant I could no longer delay. I had to get the staff back immediately. That night. Especially now that I knew where Chaos could be found.

  A plan formed in my mind. I got to my feet and began making my way to the side entrance to see if I could find Will.

  ***

  He shrugged and wouldn't meet my eyes. "Wot d'you mean, where was I last night?"

  I pulled my eyes away from his bootblack brigade disguise. "It's a simple question, Will."

  "I was wif me family. Like always, miss. Now, d'you have a message for Wiggy or not?"

  I folded my arms across my chest. "That all depends. Did you already tell him that the Serpents of Chaos were meeting at the Salty Dog last night?"

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  Will squeaked, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. '"Ow'd you know about that?"

  I sniffed. "You aren't the only contact I work with, you know. I do have other ways of acquiring information. So let's try this once more," I suggested. "This time with a healthy dose of honesty. Where were you last night?"

  Will looked away from me over to where Snuffles was waiting in the bushes. There was a long silence, broken only by a thick, wet sniff from his younger brother. For a moment I was afraid he was still so angry with me for trying to help him with the Grim Nipper that he would refuse to talk. But finally, he spoke.

  "I was down at the docks." He looked up at me, annoyance snapping in his eyes. "Although if you knew that, why didn't you just say so instead of trying to trap me like that?"

  I put my nose right up against his. "Because I'm not sure I can trust you anymore! You won't tell me why the Grim Nipper is following you all around London. You disappear on me so I can't get messages to Wigmere. Then I discover you've been hanging out close to the meeting grounds of the Serpents of Chaos. What am I supposed to think, Will? This isn't all fun and games, or even small-time thievery. This is life and death and letting chaos loose on innocent people!"

  His gaze faltered under the force of my anger, and he

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  looked down at where the toe of his too-large boot was savaging one of the hedge shrubs. "I was just tryin' to 'elp. Trying to do wot you would've done if you could get out at night. But I knew somefin was going down on account of all the mummy sightings people was talkin' about down by the docks. So when I saw that one bony fellow trailin' bandages 'eaded down there, I asked meself, What would Miss Theo do? And so I followed." He shrugged and looked dejectedly at the ground. "I didn't know you'd given up on me and 'ad someun else working for you."

  I was so relieved, I could have hugged him. Well, except for how grubby he was. And the fact that he would have likely squealed like a pig in disgust. "Oh, Will! I don't have someone else working for me. I just couldn't get a hold of you on account of you being so angry with me." Since we were in charity with each other again, I leaned in and tried once more. "You can tell me what's going on with the Grim Nipper, you know. I might be able to help."

  Solemnly, Will shook his head. "No one can 'elp with the Grim Nipper," he said, his voice stark with hopelessness.

  "You have to tell me, Will. They've just hauled my father off to jail because they think he's working with the Grim Nipper to fence all these missing mummies!"

  "Oy, miss! I'm sorry."

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  "I have no choice anymore. I have to visit that tavern myself. I need to get that staff back and find a way to have all the mummies returned to their rightful places."

  "You're not thinking of going alone, are you?" Will asked, shocked.

  "I'd rather not," I admitted. "Would you come with me?"

  There was a tiny pause as Will weighed the risk, and then he nodded. "All right, then. I'll come. When do you want to leave?"

  I glanced at the sky overhead. It was almost dusk. If we left right then, we'd be there about sunset. "Now should do nicely, don't you think? Let me just grab a coat, and I'll be ready."

  I dashed back to the cloakroom, my mind spinning furiously. I had to get some cab fare for the trip to the docks. It was simply too far to walk and I was out of time. Stilton. That was it.

  I found him in his office, twitching madly as he tried to sort through paperwork. "Stilton?"

  He jumped at the sound of my voice. "Yes, Miss Theo?"

  "Er, may I borrow a pound or two?" At his surprised look, I rushed to explain. "I'm starving and who knows when Mum will be back. I thought I'd go get something to eat."

  "I'll be happy to go for you, miss--"

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  "No!" I quickly interrupted. I thought briefly about telling him of my plan--he was a bit odd and a Black Sunner, and maybe he'd think nothing of it--but he was still an adult and might very well try to stop me. "I really need the walk. To clear my head and sort out what to do about Father."

  "Well, I could accompany you."

  "No, I'm too upset for company."

  Looking slightly crestfallen, Stilton said, "Well, I don't know how Trawley would feel about that..."

  Frustration spurted through me, and before I knew it, I stamped my foot. "Stilton! Can I just have the money?"

  He blinked, and then, looking injured, he pulled a couple of pound notes from his pocket. "Here you go, miss."

  "Thank you, Tefen." I hoped using his scorpion name would pacify him.

  It seemed to work.

  "You're welcome, Miss Theo. Do be careful!" Careful? Why, Careful was my middle name!

  ***

  The cab dropped us off at the oldest, seediest dock in the whole of London. At first the driver had refused to leave us there, but then Snuffles had held his stomach and pretended he was going to throw up, so the cabby booted us out of the

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  hansom right quick. Heaven knew how we'd get back, but I'd worry about that when the time came.

  There were a few men about, finishing up with their duties and whatnot. They all looked as though they'd slit one's throat as soon as look at one.

  "Quit staring at them!" Will hissed, jerking me behind a barrel. "They take it as a sign of 'ostility."

  "Oh, sorry." I concentrated on locating the tavern as Will led us on a winding path around barges and crates and ropes. Finally, he came to a stop behind a row of stacked wooden barrels. "There it is."

  The Salty Dog looked as if it had been there for two hundred years. Its rough, salt-weathered timbers were blackened with age. Cautiously, Will slipped out from behind a ba
rrel and made his way to the tavern wall, just below a shuttered window. When he was sure no one had seen him, he motioned for me to follow. Snuffles was to stay parked behind the barrels and sneeze if he saw anyone coming.

  I stood on tiptoes and craned my neck at an awkward angle so I could peek through the crack in the shutter. There were dozens of men, peering into mugs of ale, but there was no one I recognized from the Serpents of Chaos. "I can't imagine that they'd meet and hatch their evil plots right under everyone's noses," I whispered. "Do they have a backroom or something?"

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  Will nodded, then quickly put his finger to his lips and nudged me so that I'd turn around. When I did, I spied a tall man wearing a greatcoat approaching the tavern. There was something familiar about his gait, and when he opened the tavern door, the warm light illuminated his scarred face. Nigel Bollingsworth.

  I quickly returned to my post at the window to see where he'd go. He spoke to the man behind the bar, who gestured with his head toward the back. I turned to Will. "Is there a back entrance?"

  He shrugged, then stepped away from the window and began making his way through more empty barrels and coils of thick salt-encrusted rope to the rear of the tavern. Picking my way carefully, I followed.

  There was a back door! And even better, it was standing open, letting fresh air inside. Perfect. I headed straight for it, only to feel a hand clamp down on my arm and jerk me back.

  "Wot d'you think you're doin', miss?"

  "I have to hear what they're up to. I need to know their plans if I want a chance to get the staff back. And getting the staff back is the only way I can think of to clear Father's name. Do you have a better idea?"

  "Aye. I'll go." He made to push past me, but I planted my feet and refused to budge.

  "No, Will. I have to go.

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  [ Image: Snuffles behind the barrels. ]

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  I know more about what's going on than you do, and they might say something that would make no sense to you but would be perfectly clear to me."

  Of course, being a boy, he immediately got all huffy, but I ignored it and stayed firm until he finally relented.

  Once we'd gotten that sorted out, I worked my way inside the door, keeping a careful eye out for any signs of someone coming in the back.

  The room reeked of stale ale and sour wine. I pulled the collar of my dress up to cover my mouth and nose. Hearing a murmur of voices, I dove for the far corner of the room and knelt down behind a barrel of hard cider. I hadn't realized they'd be meeting back here!

  "You're late!" a voice with a German accent called out. Von Braggenschnott.

  "No I'm not," Bollingsworth grumbled. "You're early."

  "Either way, you're the last one here. Now we can begin."

  There was the sound of a chair scraping against the floor as everyone took a seat.

  "How did the experiment go?"

  "It went just as Sahotep wrote it would. The moment we placed the head of the staff in water a yellow-green cloud rose up, thick and choking. Within seconds it enveloped our four prisoners. After that, it didn't take long. Four men dead in under an hour."

  "Perfect. That will ensure we sail with the tide." He spoke

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  softly, a whisper really. And there was a huge barrel between us. Even so, I thought I'd heard his voice before.

  "None of you suffered any ill effects?" von Braggenschnott asked.

  Bollingsworth spoke. "No--the masks worked, although they were a bit hard to see out of."

  "We won't need them for long if the fumes truly work that quickly. Plus, the breeze coming off the river will disperse them soon enough."

  "Aren't you worried about the fumes harming others as the cloud moves away?" von Braggenschnott asked.

  "No, their health is not my concern." The familiarity of the voice niggled at me.

  "And the staff was able to raise them? They could function enough to follow orders and execute simple tasks?"

  "Yes. They were a bit jerky in their movements, but they retained enough of their living thoughts to perform their duties."

  "Excellent, gentlemen. We will make our move on the morrow." Where oh where had I heard this man before? With my heart thudding in my chest, I inched my head toward the side of the barrel. In the dim light, I recognized Bollingsworth and von Braggenschnott, but the third man was heavily cloaked and had his back to me.

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  "Are you certain there will be enough to take care of all seven hundred of them?" Bollingsworth asked.

  "If not, we can always use our pistols."

  Just then, a creak on the floor pulled my attention away from the conversation. An enormous round shape stood in the doorway, limned by the yellow light from the tavern room. I pulled back as far into the shadows as I could. "Cognac," he muttered. "They want cognac. Do I look like the kind o' place that has cognac? Why can't they just drink ale like normal folk? Brandy'll have to do or they can go find somewhere else."

  And then I heard a sneeze. Then another. Someone was coming!

  Moving as quietly as I could, I retraced my steps to the back door. I stepped out into the night, glancing around for Will, who was nowhere in sight. Someone grabbed my arm and yanked me behind the corner of the building.

  "Someone's coming. Might be one o' them Chaos guys."

  I looked to where Will pointed, then I squinted, trying to see through the darkness.

  The good news was, it wasn't the Serpents of Chaos who'd followed us.

  The bad news was, Edgar Stilton had. And he wasn't alone.

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  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN ALOYSIUS TRAWLEY CALLS IN HIS FAVOR

  ***

  STILTON AND THE SIX OTHER SCORPIONS Trawley had assigned to me stood behind us. With one last glance at the Salty Dog, I gave my full attention to my guard, although I was quickly beginning to realize that was a misnomer. "What are you doing here?" I hissed at Stilton.

  He stepped forward so he could keep his voice low and not risk attracting the attention of the agents of chaos or the local thugs. "You didn't tell me you were headed down here, Miss Theo! I would never have let you leave had I known that."

  "And you didn't tell me you'd be following me."

  "You had me followed last night without warning."

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  "I've already told you--that was purely coincidence."

  Oo are these men, miss?" Will's voice came from right behind me. "You want Snuffles and me to take care of 'em for ye?"

  I looked from the seven Black Sunners, grown men all, back to Will and Snuffles and couldn't help but think that was rather optimistic on his part. "I think I can manage," I whispered. "But if you wouldn't mind watching my back for a few more minutes, that would be grand."

  Stilton looked injured. "No one needs to watch your back, Miss Theo."

  Drat. Heard that, had he?

  "We mean you no harm. We're your guardians, you know. We're just here to keep you safe."

  "And bring her to Trawley," one of the other scorpions-- Basil Whiting, I thought--called out.

  "Trawley?" I repeated.

  Stilton shrugged and even in the dim light looked sheepish. "He really wants his magical favor, miss. Says the stars and moon are aligned just right for working magic and doesn't want the moment to pass."

  "He also wants to be sure she's worth it," another voice called out. "If he's going to be going to so much trouble to guard her and do her favors, he needs to know she's the genuine article."

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  Looking pained, Stilton shrugged again. "You see how it is, miss."

  "Do I have any choice?" I asked, my voice pitched low so only Stilton would hear.

  "No," he answered, equally softly. "We've orders to bring you along, whether you cooperate or not."

  Just as I feared. And Trawley couldn't have picked a worse time. "Very well. Let's go."

  Stilton's whole face grew slack with relief.

  "Just a moment, Stilton." I gra
bbed Will's arm and pulled him far enough away from the group of scorpions that they couldn't overhear us. Two of them made as if to follow, but Stilton waved them back.

  "Ye want us to tail ye, miss?" Will's voice was barely more than a tickle against my ear.

  "If you wouldn't mind," I answered, trying to move my lips as little as possible. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have someone know where I was. Or where their wretched temple was either, come to think of it.

  "Our carriages are this way, miss." Stilton stood aside and indicated that I should precede him, which I did.

  As I climbed into the scorpions' waiting carriage, I cast one last look back toward Will and Snuffles, but they had already disappeared from sight.

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  ***

  Once again I was blindfolded. Stilton tried to make small talk on the way there, but frankly, I was too peeved to appreciate it. It wasn't as if I didn't already have enough on my plate! I would have to tell Trawley I wanted nothing more to do with his beastly secret society. They were too much trouble and rather poor at taking orders, adoration or no.

  The carriage lurched to a stop. Stilton gently helped me from the vehicle, then guided me to the door, where there was the same patterned knock before it opened.

  "What took you so long?" a voice asked.

  "We got here as soon as we could. Take us to Trawley."

  "Aye, he's waiting for you. In here."

  Stilton removed my blindfold, and I followed him down a familiar corridor that flickered with candlelight. I was herded into the same chamber as before, where Trawley waited with his band of acolytes draped in black cloaks. His wild eyes lit up when he saw me, and he rubbed his hands. "You came!"

  "You didn't give me much choice," I said.

  He ignored my sullenness. "I trust your scorpions have followed your every wish and done as you have bid them?"