Retribution Falls - Chris Wooding [84]
Crake felt history teetering. Riveted, he listened on.
“It … concerns me that Darian Frey is still on the run,” said the Duke. “He has already been to the whispermonger you employed.”
“Don’t worry about Quail. Dracken has made sure he won’t speak to anyone ever again.”
“But Frey is already on the trail. He was spotted near your daughter’s hermitage.”
“Amalicia has been questioned by the Mistresses, at my request. She swears that he never visited her. Dracken probably caught up to him before he had a chance to—”
“What if she’s lying?”
“You know I can’t go in there or bring her out. She must stay in isolation. We have to trust her and the Mistresses.”
“My point is, he must know about you. That means he may learn about me.”
“Peace, Your Grace. Who’ll believe him? With Quail dead, there’s nothing to link us but the word of a mass murderer.”
“It’s not a chance I want to take. If he digs deep enough, he might find something. I don’t want the Century Knights getting hold of him and giving him the chance to spout his theories to the Archduke.”
Crake was sitting atop the toilet, elbows on his knees, one hand on his forehead with his fingers clenched anxiously through his hair. Finally he understood the true seriousness of their situation. Unwittingly, they’d become entangled in a power play for the greatest prize in the land. The only problem was they’d been inconvenient enough not to die when they were supposed to. Now they were hunted, both by those who thought they were responsible and those who wanted them silenced. Small fry dodging the mouths of the biggest fish in the sea.
Thade’s voice was soothing again. “Dracken will have him soon. She guessed that he’d go to Quail, and she surmised he’d go after your daughter rather than coming for you. I am learning to respect her intuition where Frey is concerned.” He paused. “She also believes he might try something tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“It’s his best chance of getting close to me, amid all the chaos. But do not fear. She has men undercover all over my manor and in the port on the mainland. The Delirium Trigger itself is hiding up in the night sky, waiting for a signal if the Ketty Jay should arrive.”
Crake felt his stomach sink. First the Shacklemores, and now Trinica Dracken was here? One step ahead of them already? This was getting altogether too dangerous. It was only through Amalicia’s invitations—and because nobody knew Crake and Jez were part of the crew of the Ketty Jay—that they’d remained undetected thus far. Crake was beginning to wish he’d never gotten involved in the first place.
The lavatory door rattled, making him jump. He looked up. There was a pause, then the door rattled again. A moment later there was a sharp knock on the door.
“Is someone in there?”
It was the butler. Crake was frozen to the spot. He said nothing, in the futile hope that the man outside would go away.
“Hello? Is someone in there?” He sounded angry. There was a knocking again, firmer this time.
The door was locked from the inside. Crake decided that he’d do better to own up, before the butler got really furious.
“I’m in here,” he said. “Be out in a minute.”
“You’ll be out right now, sir!” said the butler. “I don’t know how you got up here, but these are the private rooms of Master Thade.”
“Do you trust her?” said Grephen, from downstairs. His voice was suddenly faint. They’d moved away, walking into another room. Crake strained to hear over the voice