Imogen Robertson - Circle of Shadows

Swann seemed smaller, as if he were shrinking among the bedclothes. ‘Sire, Christoph, my friend — I admit it. Some of your closest friends, we created a small informal association, to guide, to quietly assist. We did it all for Maulberg.’

The Duke continued to make little circles with his foot. ‘“The governors of nations are despots when not guided by us. They can have no authority over us, who are free men”. Recognise that? One of the key assertions of the Minervals. You arrogant fools. An informal grouping? I could laugh if I weren’t so disappointed. You are too German for that. I have learned a great deal this morning about all your ranks and titles.’ He stood suddenly. ‘You almost made my state a laughing-stock with your petty intrigues, your drugs and plots.’

‘All to Maulberg’s advantage!’

‘Or your own! Anyone who looked as if they might become close to me driven away, and your incompetent meddling in affairs of state. How stupid are you, that you believe the best way to conduct policy is with a poison ring. You thought of your own influence first, your pleasure in intrigue came second, your duty to the good of the people a poor third.’

‘No, our loyalty to Maulberg-’

The Duke balled his fists. ‘I am Maulberg.’ Swann twitched away from him. ‘Do you hear me, Chancellor? I am Maulberg.’ He leaned forward, and putting his hands on the bed and bringing his face close to Swann’s, he said: ‘These unknown superiors of yours, Swanny. Do you know who they are?’

‘Men of wisdom … of great power.’

The Duke shook his head. ‘There are none! And your Spartacus, the man to whom you and the Countess and the Colonel and the rest bowed down, your fountain of knowledge, your link to these great unknowns — Spartacus is a junior, junior member of the Law Faculty at Leuchtenstadt! The son of a farmer. A radical who himself wrote every law of the Minervals, all your ceremonies and initiations. There are no superiors! Lord, did he know how to make you dance, you and your precious circle of seven here. It’s all nonsense. Shadows and secrets and the theatrics of a charlatan. And now someone has run you all down and is punishing you. You are like wild pigs in the gulley. No idea where the shots are coming from.’

‘But sire-’

‘Whatever this horror that pursues you, you summoned it yourselves.’ He stood upright again and straightened his cuffs. ‘You are to leave my territories and you will never return. You are banished, sir.’

‘Christoph, we only wanted the best for everyone. I am the last of our circle left alive, I have spent my life serving you, will you not help me now? I have been loyal …’ His voice came out in a dry whisper.

The Duke did not look at him. ‘Not loyal enough, Swanny. You might have told yourself you had high ideals, but once you had your cabal in place, you thought only of your own power. This marriage is the best thing possible for Maulberg, but you and your friends feared it because it would decrease your power here. You wanted a puppet and a state to rule. In the end, your loyalty was to yourself.’ Harriet thought of the Duke as she had first seen him, playing with his dog, or at cards with his courtiers. She wondered just how long he had been playing a part, creating a fiction so he could move unseen in his own palace. ‘Count Frenzel — you have the lists. Draw up the warrants, please. I will sign them — and Colonel Padfield, I trust you to see them executed.’ Frenzel bowed; he was still a little white around the lips. At last the Duke looked back at the shrunken figure on the bed. ‘When you leave, leave quietly. If you are here in the morning, your estates will be forfeit. Goodbye, Swanny.’ He turned to the door. Swann held up his hand and called his name, but the Duke did not alter his pace and the door shut behind him.

Harriet and Crowther remained where they were. When Swann put his head into his hands, Harriet stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. He shook her off and glared at her. ‘Get out, you witch! Get out, you whore, and take your pet with you. Get out. I would rather die than be comforted by you.’

She was so shocked she felt unable to move, but found Crowther’s grip under her elbow and realised she was being guided from the room. She couldn’t help looking back at the ruined old man on his bed, sobbing into his fine linen.

They retreated to their salon. Harriet’s colour was high, and as Crowther told Graves of what had happened in Swann’s chamber, she walked to and fro across the room, her skirts flicking and tumbling around her.

‘I can hardly believe it!’ Graves said. ‘Did you suspect it, Mr Crowther? That Swann was one of the group?’

‘I did. A man who has spent his time that near to absolute power … He would not be the first to think he could wield it better than his master.’

Graves opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before saying, ‘You must think me hopelessly naive.’

Crowther smiled at him. ‘It sits rather well on you, my boy.’

Graves sighed. ‘I have been looking through our notes while Mr and Mrs Clode rest to see if I can find any trace of the name Kastner. I can find none.’

‘Swann confirmed that Antonia Kastner is the model for the automaton,’ Crowther said. ‘But he claims to know nothing of what happened to her after she left here.’

Graves sat back on his chair and rubbed his eyes. ‘No mention of an “Antonia” either. Perhaps Julius knows who commissioned him for this item with the same design. I saw him this morning. He invited me to watch the festivities in the square, so if you want to find him, I would do so there.’ He pushed the papers on the table about a little hopelessly. ‘At any rate, I want to know what it was that he made that had this symbol on it.’

‘I don’t care,’ Harriet said suddenly. Graves looked up at her rather stunned, though Crowther’s face showed no emotion.

‘These Minervals! The Duke is right, they brought this on themselves. Let them suffer. They deserve these miserable deaths. To take that woman’s reputation, to forcibly separate her from her child … Let whoever is taking revenge on her behalf finish his work with that miserable Chancellor! I shall toast his success as we leave this poisonous place.’

They were silent. Graves began to say something, but Crowther made a gesture to silence him. Crowther then turned to the window, placing his hand against the pane of glass. The courtyard outside was full of movement, servants running to and fro, carriages and horsemen clattering over the cobbles. ‘If you, Mrs Westerman, had dedicated your energies to revenge after your husband’s death, the world would be a poorer place. These are not actions you should admire or wish to emulate. And what of Clode?’ Without wishing to, Crowther found himself thinking of Manzerotti and his gibe about Crowther’s great speeches on truth or justice. ‘Come, Harriet. If these deaths prove anything, it is that revenge is death itself.’

‘Would it be wrong to kill Manzerotti?’

‘It might not be wrong, but it would do no good. Nothing you can do will bring your husband back to you.’

Harriet sat down at the table and covered her face. Graves stood up slowly. ‘I also have some news. Mrs Padfield’s sister Beatrice is dead. Michaels found her body and is gone to give Mrs Padfield news of it. I shall return to my post guarding Swann. This killer’s work is not complete while he lives. And whatever Swann has done … no one should die like that.’

‘You have had the lion’s share of the watching, Graves,’ Crowther said, though he kept his eyes on Harriet’s bent head.

‘Daniel and Rachel are resting together. I would not wake them.’ He left quietly and for a while the only sounds in the room came from the servants passing to and fro in the courtyard outside. Crowther remained standing, watching Harriet and leaning on his cane. She made no sound, but he saw the teardrops falling on the polished wood of the table. ‘If there were any way known to man or God, Harriet, that could undo the hurt that was done to you … To bring James back …’ He thought of the Alchemist, his boast that he could bring back the dead, and stopped. He thought of the blood, the rituals, the woman talking to spirits among the servants, the seal which fixed a spirit in a vessel.