Андреа Хёст - The Pyramids of London

“And the idea is they knew of a seam of fulgite beneath London, and made sure the tunnels went as close to it as possible? That would mean we’re looking for anything odd to suggest they were trying to get as near as possible to a particular point.”

They all stared intently at the printed arrangement of streets, palaces, gardens, museums and groves. The coloured lines of the expected rail lines cut sharply beneath it all, sometimes curving, sometimes straight. Only a small amount in the centre was coloured blue to indicate that it had been completed.

It was Griff, of course, who jabbed a finger triumphantly on a line south of the river, saying: “Why does this curve so early? It would make more sense if it crossed through Southwark near Bridge Hospital. And this one up here—why not follow closer to the river?”

Eleri leaned forward and placed fingers on the far side of curves, covering up some particularly notable landmarks.

“London’s two largest pyramids,” Eluned said.

“Ha! I have it!” Gustav thumped the table in triumph, and the plates all leapt. “They mine under the pyramids. They are devices for focusing the power, are they not? Their form divine, to the point that even the god-touched of those not of Egypt find benefit. There is nothing surprising to learn the crystals of power would form in such environment.”

“But if you dig too much under a pyramid you might destabilise it!” Griff said, horrified. “Ours aren’t nearly as big as Egypt’s older ones, but they still need solid foundations.”

Rian sat down, working to hide how much she needed to. “There would be a need, an absolute need, for secrecy. They couldn’t risk word leaking.”

Her eyes were on Eluned and Eleri as she spoke, as they made the same connections she did, between forged people and pyramids, and stared at each other and then at her, and then firmly closed their mouths.

“Where was it you said you were going to meet for lunch, Evelyn?” Rian asked, wishing very much to know whether Makepeace really had spent the day lurking unseen and on guard, praying that he was listening now.

“Ducier’s. It’s—ah, I see!” He pointed to a spot directly between the Black Pyramid and the line of completed tunnel. “Right here.”

“You’ve probably visited the Black Pyramid before.”

“Of course. It’s the most convenient for my Lord when he is in London.”

“I know there are conducted tours, but I don’t know the process for vampires. Does Lord Msrah reserve a time to use it?”

“Exactly. Though being Shu, he would have priority, able to override other bookings if there was some need. He would of course have to give way to the Nomarch of the East, but Lady Adiol usually uses the Green Pyramid. You think—what—that Lyle wanted to look within the Black Pyramid for signs of damage?” Evelyn’s face was a picture. “He told me to bring a chisel,” he added.

Not knowing of that wire hand, would they make the same connections Rian had? And could Griff be prevented from announcing the possibility if he realised it?

Mindful of the hearing range of vampires, and of cats, Rian said briskly: “Perhaps he wanted to check whether anyone from Ficus Lapis had visited? Or —” She gestured toward the pile of newspaper. “I don’t think he could have planned to go into the tunnels, not when the entrances are all guarded and there is, I’m sure, some kind of official search. But this possibility at least gives us a starting place. Please, eat something, rest a moment, while I get ready. Griff, Eleri, do you think you could find a small hammer and chisel? No running, please, Griff. I don’t want you sick for another week.”

Eluned came with her to her room, and poked her head unceremoniously out of the window, looking to see what was on the roofs. “How do we know any of this is true?” she asked. “They could be making it up.”

“Or either Lyle or Lynsey could be using them in rather dramatic style,” Rian agreed, finding her sturdiest travel belt and checking over her smaller pistol before slipping it into the main pouch. “But then, I am supposed to be lured.”

“There’s at least an hour until sunset.”

“I know that.” She considered the girl, and thought that she was bearing up well enough, though none of the three had simply shrugged off the Burning Circle. “I’d push to delay them more, but I don’t think Evelyn or Gustav will wait. And I cannot bring myself to ignore the possibility that for all our suspicions the Blairs have innocently walked into some very real danger. Until I return, do not leave this house for anyone other than Makepeace or the Suleviae. I don’t care if your Great Uncle Tobermory shows up to whisk you to my death-bed.”

“Aunt Arianne…”

Halfway out the door, Rian glanced back. Eluned murmured “Never mind,” but no matter how anxious she was to get on, Rian had to go briefly grip the girl’s hand.

“It would be odd for me to claim to have faith in Dem Makepeace, but be assured I think him very dangerous, and more than capable of overcoming so small an obstacle as an hour’s sunlight. If not, well, I am a good shot.”

If only they had not already encountered so many things to which bullets meant no more than flies. But she did not mention that.

Prince Gustav’s excellent driver, a compact, dark-haired man, brought them all too quickly over the river to the Black Pyramid. It was really more a dark grey, with a gold-covered capstone, and sides made sheer by a polished granite casing. While less than quarter of the height of the Great Khufu Pyramid, it still rose imposingly above London and of course, unlike those earliest pyramids designed solely to uplift a single ruler’s soul, the Black Pyramid of London incorporated into its structure a grand entrance involving two statues of Ma’at, each with one wing held across the portico, and the other forward. The last of the day’s tour groups was flooding out beneath this, meandering down the stairs, chattering and arguing.

“Find somewhere for the car and come back, Ishi,” Prince Gustav said to his driver, then turned to study the pyramid, golden brows knitted.

Lyle had warned them not to underestimate the bluff Swedish prince, and during the drive Rian had found herself agreeing with that judgment. Recovering his aide was certainly a goal, but he clearly understood the impact of a connection between fulgite and Egyptian pyramids, even if that connection was simply crystals forming in the stone beneath instead of the possibility Rian feared. The world would shift around this truth.

“The administration building is over here,” Evelyn said. “I’ll check to see whether Lyle’s made any booking, or if they remember talking to him.”

Long shadows stretched across the road, but sunlight still gleamed bright on the southern face of the pyramid and set alight a capstone untarnished by any pigeon’s leaving, since the divine forces channelled through it would kill anything except the bennu bird that Amon-Re at times used to survey the lands under his dominion.

“You are bound to the vampire Makepeace, Dama Seaforth?” Prince Gustav said. “Yet serve Cernunnos?”

“That’s correct, Your Highness.”

“And you will unite Albion for the Trifold, perhaps?”

“I have no idea,” Rian said, well aware that Gustav would be very unlikely to regret something thoroughly fatal happening to her. Already the news of the foreseeing had thrown predictions about the next vote on the Protectorate into disarray.

“The mixing of allegiances, that is a dangerous thing. Tied to too many gods, the soul becomes a scrap to be fought over.”

“I’m certainly not looking to expand my collection,” Rian said, all too aware of the trees now ever with her.