An Alliance Forms
“I do not doubt it,” Shirley agrees courteously, but his expression takes on none of her levity. “Dr. Byrd, your offer is very generous, and I should like to accept, but I truly cannot at this time. Believe me, the reasons I must decline have nothing whatever to do with you or with Esperanza. Pray let me explain.
“On two counts, I think it likely that I have the lion’s share of our Mr. Addison’s attention: first, that of the Ellipsoids I have caused him most trouble to date, and second, that I am the only Ellipsoid on whom a wager is known to have been placed. I am prepared to meet him, as well as I reasonably can be—in fact, I am thinking of employing my interview tonight with the Times to dangle a red cape in front of him, in hopes that he will postpone whatever other plans he may have to deal with me.”
He lowers his voice for Esperanza’s sake. “But I cannot guarantee the safety of anyone travelling with me; I cannot even guarantee my own. I should return poor thanks to your kindness by drawing you into such trouble. And, truthfully, Doctor—I cannot take anything or anyone else onto my conscience just now. The less you see of me, the less you know of me, the better.”
“Now, that said,” he continues in a near-whisper, “I hope you will be not too far ahead of or behind me for the next few legs of our journey. If I am somehow injured, I will need you.”
Margaret holds up her hand. Then she leans forward, both to lower her voice and in emphasis. She is absolutely serious now; there is no hint of her humour of a moment ago. “Mr. Addam, I think you take too much upon yourself. I made the suggestion knowing full well that you consider yourself Mr. Addison’s primary target. That places the consequences, whatever they are, on my conscience, not yours. You are not responsible for my safety and Esperanza’s, I am; and I consider that the potential benefit far outweighs the risk. The Norse had a saying that has come down through their sagas: ‘Bare is brotherless back.’ I can think of no one I would rather have at my back. To be very frank, I suspect I would worry so much about you that I should become a danger to myself. Do you understand?”
“I do, but—”
“I want to help; I want to be in a position to shield you from detection should you be injured; I want to be there to be your shield at least as much as I want you there as mine. Your arguments are rational, and possibly correct, and I consider them all the more reason I would want to be present, at least until these odd incidents cease to hound the footsteps of the Ellipsoids!” Margaret is speaking just above a whisper, but there is no mistaking her passion. “And don’t tell me you’ve done nothing to merit such concern, or that it is misplaced. I am offering what a friend offers; no more and no less. I have not known you long, I realize, but yes, I consider you a friend.”
She takes a deep breath, obviously bringing herself back to her usual restrained manner. “Besides, Mr. Addam, you forget. I work as a physician at the Fleet Charity Hospital, and live nearby. It is hardly a peaceful neighborhood. I have learnt to attend to my own safety there; you need not fear for me so much here. One of the advantages to my training is that I know as well how to take a person apart as well as put him back together. But as I am female, most people discount that.”
“Not I,” Shirley says quietly.
And then, as a sudden thought, Margaret tells him, “I can think of two ways to do this that might satisfy your concerns. One is to travel by the same conveyance, but not openly together. Since we are both known Ellipsoids, that presumes that our opponent does not know me on sight. Or perhaps it is time for Dr. Mark Byrd to travel with his ward, a young Spanish girl. Or I can remain myself. Well, Mr. Addam? Would you please reconsider? I warn you, I may try to stay at near range to you whether we travel together openly or not, and you will find that I can be quite tenacious when I wish to be.” She is sitting still now, with her hands folded, but if Shirley looks, he will see that they are so tightly clasped that the knuckles are white.
Shirley pours two glasses of wine and holds one out to Margaret; he says nothing until she unfolds her hands to take it from him. “I fully intended not to do this,” he says then, disgusted with himself. “No, hear me out, Margaret. Before you decide to accompany me, you must have the whole story. Scotland Yard’s investigation of me was preparatory to making me a temporary operative. Harston is composing a telegram with my acceptance of their terms this very moment, I don’t doubt. The intention, naturally, is to use me as bait for Addison.
“I do not only believe I will be Addison’s target, I am virtually assured of it. No, Margaret, I said hear me out! You should know also that I have no inclination whatever to violence; if we should encounter difficulties that demand it, I will be no help at all. None.”
For the first time, Margaret hears the steely resolve popularly believed to be proper to barristers in Shirley’s words. “Now. If you still wish to travel with me, I must set some conditions that are absolutely closed to negotiation, do you understand? First, you will explain to Esperanza the dangers she is incurring by travelling with me. Before we leave, I will ask her—her, not you—if she has understood and if she is willing; if she is not, you will not accompany me.”
“That is fair. I would have explained it to her in any event, but I do not think you will find that she will shrink any more than I do.”
“Second, until Addison and his associates are dispensed with, I will disembark first and alone when we arrive in an Ellipse station; you will wait until we can be reasonably certain I will not immediately be attacked, or I am in fact attacked—I will not refuse your aid in that case, you see.”
Margaret is silent, but her expression is quite eloquent.
“Third, I must insist that after we arrive in an Ellipse station, we travel separately from the point of arrival to the place where Her Majesty’s representative awaits us.”
“Shirley, that makes no sense! For me to stay at a slight distance would be sensible, but—” she stops. Shirley does not appear to be listening.
“Finally, if Scotland Yard suggests or orders that I travel alone, I must be free to comply with their wishes.”
“Well of course, if you are acting on their behalf. I will ask to see the orders, though.”
“If they are written, I will show them to you. If not, you will have to take my word for it; I promise here and now I shan’t prevaricate.”
Margaret simply nods acceptance of this.
He drains his glass, places it on the tray, and stands up. “I must speak with the reporter now; I intend leaving immediately afterward. If you can meet my conditions, and if you still wish to come with me, you may.”
“I trust that you will allow time for me to speak to the reporter also? I have promised to do so, but I tend not to give lengthy statements.”
“Yes, I will wait. I will wait to see you before I go; you have my word on it. Either way—” his voice softens—“thank you, Margaret dear, and G-d bless you! You are such an extraordinary woman that I rather regret that I am only an ordinary man.”
Without awaiting her reply, he bows to her, nods to Esperanza, and leaves the room. As he goes, she says softly, not knowing if he will hear her: “Not ordinary at all, Shirley Addam. Not ordinary at all.”
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