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By Root 514 0

me,’ she said in a rush. ‘We were both on the back of Sandia. We got to just down the road, and there was a tree down across it, blocking the way. It wasn’t there when I went out, I swear. I thought about jumping it, but with Matty on Sandia’s back with me I wasn’t sure we could make it, so I stopped so Matty and I could shift the tree. Two men ran out of the woods at us. They must have been hiding in the bushes. One of them hit Matty around the head. It must’ve knocked him out, because he didn’t fight any more. The other man came for me. He tried to grab my hair, but I bit his hand. He pulled away, and I ran for Sandia. I jumped on her back and rode away. When I looked back, the two of them were carrying Matty away’ Her face was white and shocked. ‘I just left him there!’ she cried, as if she’d just realized what had happened. ‘I should have stayed and rescued him, or gone back for him.’

‘If you’d done that, likely as not you’d have been taken too,’ Crowe pointed out. He moved across the cottage with surprising speed for such a large man and pulled her to him in a rough embrace. ‘Thank the Lord you’re safe.’

‘But Matty!’ Sherlock cried.

‘We’ll get him back,’ Mycroft promised, levering his bulk up from his chair. ‘It’s obvious that—’

Before he could complete the sentence there was a crashing of glass, and something heavy flew through the air from the shattered window and thudded against the floor. Crowe ran for the door and threw it open. From outside, Sherlock could hear hoofs thudding into the earth as someone raced away on horseback. Crowe cursed volubly. There were words in there that Sherlock had never even heard before, although he could guess at their meaning.

Sherlock bent to pick up the object that had been thrown in through the window. It was a large stone, about the size of two clenched fists held together. A length of string was tied around it, fastening a torn piece of paper to the stone’s surface.

Mycroft took the stone from Sherlock’s hands and put it on the table. Deftly, he took a knife from the table and sliced through the string. ‘Best to preserve the knots,’ he said to Sherlock without turning his head. ‘They may tell us something about the man who tied them. Sailors, for instance, have a whole set of peculiar knots they use that have not found their way into the knowledge of the general populace. If you have a few days to yourself I really would commend to you a study of knots.’

Sliding the string to one side, presumably for later analysis, he unwrapped the paper from the stone and smoothed it out on the table.

‘It’s a warning,’ he said to Crowe.‘ “We have your boy. Cease from your persecution of us. Do not attempt to follow us. If you leave us alone, he will be returned to you in three months – unharmed. If you do not leave us alone he will still be returned – in pieces, and over a period of some weeks. You have been warned.”’

Crowe was holding Virginia in his arms. ‘They obviously assume Matty is my son,’ he said, ‘probably because they saw him and Ginnie on the same horse. They’ll realize their mistake soon enough when they hear him speak’

‘Not necessarily,’ Mycroft pointed out. ‘They don’t know how long you’ve been here in England. In fact, they probably don’t even know you’re American. I think young Matthew will be safe enough for the moment. Now, what can we tell from the note?’

‘Forget the note – we should go after them!’ Sherlock cried.

‘The boy is right,’ Crowe rumbled. ‘There’s a time for analysis and a time for action. This is the latter.’ He pushed Virginia away gently. ‘You stay here. I’m going after them.’

‘And so am I,’ Sherlock said forcefully. When Crowe opened his mouth to argue, he added, ‘Matty’s my friend, and I got him into this. And besides, two of us can cover more ground.’

Crowe glanced over at Mycroft, who must have nodded imperceptibly, because he said, ‘OK, young ’un – mount up. We ride now.’

Crowe headed for the door and Sherlock followed.

Outside, Crowe had already saddled one horse and was preparing a second for Sherlock. By the time Sherlock had mounted