Simon Hawke - The Pimpernel Plot

“What do you mean, ‘back off’?” said Finn.

“Just what I said. Give him room. Don’t try to go after him on your own. I know how you feel about him, but I’m asking you to leave him alone, so long as he doesn’t actively endanger the adjustment.”

“How am I supposed to determine that?” said Finn.

“I’m asking you to trust my judgment. I need to stall for time, at least until it becomes clear which way the power play will go. When the situation gets finally resolved, I’ll know. I don’t want to have to go against my own people if I can help it. By the time it gets resolved, this adjustment might be over and then you’ll be out of it. If I take Mongoose before it all gets settled, they’ll try to hit both him and me, just to be on the safe side.”

“And you said that this might not be as serious as I think?” Finn said. “This isn’t only serious, it’s turning into a full-fledged disaster!”

“It doesn’t have to,” Cobra said. “All I’m asking you to do is to continue playing your part and to leave Mongoose alone. Let me handle it. It doesn’t have to involve you.”

“Brother, I can’t get any more involved! Do you realize what you’re asking us to do?”

“I know,” said Cobra. “I know how it sits with you and I know that it’s not going to be easy, but I’ve got to make you understand that the alternatives are far less attractive.”

“Is that a threat?”

“I sincerely don’t want it to be,” said Cobra.

“Suppose I refuse?”

“It would not be in your interest. Your job is to insure temporal continuity. Mongoose has thus far shown no inclination to interfere with that aspect of your job. He’s not out to create any disruptions, only to prove himself superior to you. You have my personal guarantee that I will back you up in every way possible in order to help you complete your mission. But I know that you’re itching to get your hands on Mongoose, to settle both this score and an old one. I’m asking you to forget about it.”

“If I don’t?”

“Then I’ll be forced to run interference for him to make sure that you don’t get him,” Cobra said. “I don’t want to have to do that, Finn, believe me. Mongoose is not your job; he’s my job. Your job is to play Percy Blakeney. All I’m asking you to do is to do your job and to let me do mine, in my own way, in my own time.”

“I know you didn’t have to tell me any of this,” said Finn. “I appreciate your candor.”

“Figure I owed it to you.”

“What makes you think I won’t go to Fitzroy with what you just told me?” Finn said.

“You could,” said Cobra. “I wouldn’t try to stop you. But if this conversation goes beyond the two of us, especially to Fitzroy, you’ll be signing his death warrant and mine, as well; possibly, even yours.”

“Yes, I can see that.”

“So what’s it going to be, Finn? Do we work together or at cross purposes?”

“You’re backing me into a corner, Cobra.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I have no choice.”

“I’ll let you know. How do I get in touch with you?”

“You don’t. I’ll get in touch with you. You’re going to confer with Priest and Cross?”

Finn nodded.

“Yes, I suppose you’d have to,” Cobra said. “I’ve gone out of my way to be straight with you. Don’t let me down.”

“It’ll be kept between the four of us, you have my word on it,” said Finn.

“Thanks.”

“Just one more question,” Finn said. “In case we don’t back off, as you put it, how far are you prepared to go to protect Mongoose?”

Cobra stared at Finn steadily. “How far are you prepared to go to get him?”

Finn nodded and licked his lips. “Yeah,” he said. “Wish I could say that it’s been nice.”

Cobra regarded him silently for a moment, then turned and walked away. He paused at the door.

“I said I owed you for the last time, Finn. Consider the slate wiped clean.”

As Finn came out of the sitting room, there was no sign of Cobra. However, Marguerite saw Finn and approached.

“Percy, who was that man you were just with? I don’t think I recall seeing him before.”

“Oh, just someone I once knew, my dear,” said Finn.

“What was his name?”

“Damned if I know. We met somewhere, but for the life of me, I simply can’t remember where or when. I’m certain it will come to me.”

“You don’t remember him at all?”

Finn shrugged. “Odd’s life, my dear, I can’t be expected to recall the name of everyone I meet, now can I? Why worry about such trivial matters? If he was important, doubtless he would have made a more lasting impression.”

“What a fleeting memory you have, my husband. I wonder that you recall my name!”

“Why, what a thing to say! What are you suggesting?”

“Only that I wonder how lasting an impression I made upon you,” she said. “Sometimes it seems that you’ve forgotten me completely. It seems that-”

“Why, there’s Lord Hastings!” Finn said, quickly. “I’ve been looking for him all this evening. You’ll pardon me, my dear, but I simply must have a word with him concerning business matters. We can discuss this later, surely.”

His stomach tied in knots, Finn fled Marguerite’s presence and made his way across the crowded room towards Hastings. He felt her eyes on him as he rushed away, but he did not look back. He was afraid to.

He managed to avoid her for the remainder of the evening, always finding some excuse not to be alone with her and making certain that there was always a small group of what he had privately started calling “the Blakeneyites” around him. These were socially ambitious young men who had fastened onto him as a role model, copying his style of dress, aping his mannerisms, and laughing his nasal, inane laugh. He despised them, but as Blakeney, he encouraged them, stroking their tender egos and treating them like favorite sons. They served a threefold purpose. They helped to lend Blakeney an air of vapid stupidity as they all stood around together, striking casual poses and acting like mindless peacocks. They served as a barrier between him and Marguerite who, contrary to all expectations, was not growing bored and disenchanted with her husband, but was instead growing more and more determined to rekindle his interest in her. Already astonishingly beautiful, Marguerite took great pains to become even more so for her husband. She kept experimenting with perfumes, looking for a fragrance that would please him and, even when there were no guests about, she took great care to dress herself in an exquisite fashion and to appear as seductive as possible. At parties such as this, the Blakeneyites fawned over her as well, and kept her occupied. Finally, they helped to deter the advances of other women toward Sir Percy Blakeney. Why these women found the insipid character he had created attractive was a mystery to Finn, who had never understood most women anyway, except a certain type, like Andre, who were refreshingly direct and devoid of any affectations. Why Marguerite had not grown totally disgusted with him was a mystery, as well. The mission, which he had thought would be a fairly easy one, had developed unique and seemingly insurmountable difficulties. He was growing sick and tired of the whole charade.

It was with a huge feeling of relief that he went up to his rooms that night. In the morning, he would be leaving once again for France. The Scarlet Pimpernel had to perform another daring rescue. The Marquis de Sevigne had been judged in absentia by the Committee of Public Safety and condemned to death. Unable to get out of Paris, the aristocrat had been hidden by Marguerite’s brother, Armand St. Just. Finn had passed the word to Ffoulkes and Dewhurst during the party.