The Baroque Cycle - The System Of The World Part 45

The response of the hooded man was immediate-too quick for Daniel, who had a foreboding of what was about to happen, to shout a warning. The hooded man spun toward Saturn, pivoting around the shoulder that Saturn had gripped. Much was hidden by the robe and by smoke; but the movements of his shoulders told that he was driving his right hand toward Saturn's belly.

But Peter Hoxton, by luck or by foresight, was ready for this. There had been something in the man's stance at the parapet that had looked posed, and poised: perhaps it had roused in Saturn's mind the same suspicions as in Daniel's. Saturn got his left arm well inside of the other's attack, and shouldered it aside. But then he jumped back. For as was now plain to everyone in the Square, the robed man was holding a small dagger in his hand. And as was clear to Daniel and to Saturn, the blade had been smeared with something.

In this brief melee the hood had fallen from the buyer's head to reveal his face. It was not burnt or pox-marked. On the contrary, it was a well-formed head of n.o.ble bearing. He had black hair going silver, and a goatee. That much was obvious as he surveyed the crowd on the Square, which had formed a ring around him and Saturn, well beyond dagger-range. Daniel recognized him (though it took a few moments) as edouard de Gex.

De Gex made a move toward the parapet. Saturn, not very prudently, reached out and grabbed him. That stopped de Gex in his tracks. Or so it seemed for an instant until Daniel stepped forward through a shoal of smoke and perceived that de Gex had gone over the edge into St. Mary's Lock, leaving Saturn standing there alone, holding an empty robe.

Royal Society, Crane Court 24 JULY 1714.

"WHEN I I WAS A BOY, WAS A BOY, traveling the roads of France with my father-may G.o.d have mercy on his soul-and my brother Calvin, we would from time to time overtake a traveling knife-grinder, sweating with the labor of shoving his rig, which was very heavy because of the ma.s.sive round grindstone. My father, G.o.d rest him, was a trader. A merchant. Everything he needed to conduct his business he carried in his head, or in his purse. This Calvin and I considered to be the normal state of affairs. How strange it was, therefore, to see these knife-sharpeners, who could not earn their bread without a great heavy stone! One day Father heard me and Calvin make some mocking comments after we had pa.s.sed one of these poor hard-working men. He chided us for our arrogance, and gave us a lesson: the grindstone was set in motion by a shove, and kept turning by occasional slaps of the grinder's hand. If it lacked weight, it would run down so quickly as to be useless. But because of its tremendous ma.s.s, it continued to turn with the greatest impetuosity once set in motion. The stone acted, my father said, as a sort of traveling the roads of France with my father-may G.o.d have mercy on his soul-and my brother Calvin, we would from time to time overtake a traveling knife-grinder, sweating with the labor of shoving his rig, which was very heavy because of the ma.s.sive round grindstone. My father, G.o.d rest him, was a trader. A merchant. Everything he needed to conduct his business he carried in his head, or in his purse. This Calvin and I considered to be the normal state of affairs. How strange it was, therefore, to see these knife-sharpeners, who could not earn their bread without a great heavy stone! One day Father heard me and Calvin make some mocking comments after we had pa.s.sed one of these poor hard-working men. He chided us for our arrogance, and gave us a lesson: the grindstone was set in motion by a shove, and kept turning by occasional slaps of the grinder's hand. If it lacked weight, it would run down so quickly as to be useless. But because of its tremendous ma.s.s, it continued to turn with the greatest impetuosity once set in motion. The stone acted, my father said, as a sort of banca, banca, storing up the work that the grinder did sporadically with hand-slaps, and releasing it steadily. This faculty was so essential to the knife-grinder's work that he willingly pushed that heavy stone up and down hills every day of his life, like Sisyphus. storing up the work that the grinder did sporadically with hand-slaps, and releasing it steadily. This faculty was so essential to the knife-grinder's work that he willingly pushed that heavy stone up and down hills every day of his life, like Sisyphus.

"When Jack Shaftoe came back to London, he had in his pocket some money given him by the King of France to finance certain schemes and intrigues that Jack was supposed to set afoot here. And, too, there was the promise that more money would be sent to Jack from time to time if Le Roi Le Roi was pleased with his work. The gold he had in his pocket was like the first great shove that sets the grindstone in motion, and the sums promised later would be like the hand-slaps that keep it from losing its speed. But Jack had the wit to understand that he needed a was pleased with his work. The gold he had in his pocket was like the first great shove that sets the grindstone in motion, and the sums promised later would be like the hand-slaps that keep it from losing its speed. But Jack had the wit to understand that he needed a banca, banca, a store-house of wealth and power in London, so that his operations would run smooth and steady, even when the subsidies were balky and sporadic. It was not possible for him to rely upon proper a store-house of wealth and power in London, so that his operations would run smooth and steady, even when the subsidies were balky and sporadic. It was not possible for him to rely upon proper bancas, bancas, and so he had to create one of his own, tailored to his designs. Making the acquaintance of a Mr. Knockmealdown-who in those days was a modestly successful fence, running a Lock in Limehouse, buying goods that had been rifled from ships by mudlarks-he offered up the following Proposition: that he, Jack Shaftoe, would use his 'French gold and English wits' to make Mr. Knockmealdown into a Colossus among receivers, vastly expanding his holdings, and building up his inventory. Mr. Knockmealdown would become a rich man, and his Irish East London Company, as 'twas waggishly called, would become, for Jack, the grindstone that would store up the produce of his labours. and so he had to create one of his own, tailored to his designs. Making the acquaintance of a Mr. Knockmealdown-who in those days was a modestly successful fence, running a Lock in Limehouse, buying goods that had been rifled from ships by mudlarks-he offered up the following Proposition: that he, Jack Shaftoe, would use his 'French gold and English wits' to make Mr. Knockmealdown into a Colossus among receivers, vastly expanding his holdings, and building up his inventory. Mr. Knockmealdown would become a rich man, and his Irish East London Company, as 'twas waggishly called, would become, for Jack, the grindstone that would store up the produce of his labours.

"For the first several years that Jack was back in London, he applied himself to little else. And his wisdom in doing so was demonstrated presently, when the War of the Spanish Succession began to go badly for France, what with all the great blows struck at the armies of Le Roi Le Roi by Marlborough and Prince Eugene. You may be sure that Louis sent Jack very little gold in those grim years. Jack should have been reduced to the estate of a Vagabond, and been rendered useless to by Marlborough and Prince Eugene. You may be sure that Louis sent Jack very little gold in those grim years. Jack should have been reduced to the estate of a Vagabond, and been rendered useless to Le Roi, Le Roi, had he not been able to sustain himself from the profits of the East London Company. As it was, Jack prospered even as Louis declined, and by the time that Marlborough crushed the French at Ramillies, and stood poised to drive into the heart of France (or so it seemed), Jack had built Mr. Knockmealdown up into the most powerful Receiver in Christendom: a sort of Pirate-King, able to absorb into his warehouses the entire contents of a stolen ship as a dog swallows a fly, and, on the same tide, to load the same ship to the gunwales with swag. The East London Company thereby became the Foundation upon which Jack could build his dark Edifice. Only in recent years has he built it high enough for men such as you to note it; but you may be certain it was a-building for many a year before then." had he not been able to sustain himself from the profits of the East London Company. As it was, Jack prospered even as Louis declined, and by the time that Marlborough crushed the French at Ramillies, and stood poised to drive into the heart of France (or so it seemed), Jack had built Mr. Knockmealdown up into the most powerful Receiver in Christendom: a sort of Pirate-King, able to absorb into his warehouses the entire contents of a stolen ship as a dog swallows a fly, and, on the same tide, to load the same ship to the gunwales with swag. The East London Company thereby became the Foundation upon which Jack could build his dark Edifice. Only in recent years has he built it high enough for men such as you to note it; but you may be certain it was a-building for many a year before then."

Here Henry Arlanc paused to sweep his gaze around the table. He gave each Clubb member a searching look in the eye, until he came to Sean Partry, who sat closest to him. Then he dropped his eyelids and bowed his head slightly, showing the thief-taker more respect than any other man in the room-even Sir Isaac. Perhaps this was for the simple reason that Partry had on his ring the keys to the manacles that now encircled Arlanc's wrists, and the fetters around his ankles. Arlanc raised his hands up out of his lap, which required some exertion as they were linked by twenty pounds of chain, and closed them round a mug of chocolate that his wife had brought to him.

Mrs. Arlanc had been horrified horrified but not the least bit but not the least bit surprised surprised when, at the beginning of the Clubb's meeting, as the first item of New Business, Sean Partry had stormed into the room and clapped her husband in irons. The prisoner, by contrast, had been astonished; but once this had faded he had shown no strong emotion, seeming to accept his personal ruin with true Huguenot fatalism. If anything, he seemed relieved. when, at the beginning of the Clubb's meeting, as the first item of New Business, Sean Partry had stormed into the room and clapped her husband in irons. The prisoner, by contrast, had been astonished; but once this had faded he had shown no strong emotion, seeming to accept his personal ruin with true Huguenot fatalism. If anything, he seemed relieved.

"Explain to the Clubb how you became a minion of Jack Shaftoe," Sir Isaac demanded, "and do you speak slowly and clearly, that every word may be p.r.i.c.ked down." For in lieu of Arlanc-who had, until minutes ago, been the Clubb's Secretary-they had brought in a Clerk from the Temple, who was scratching away with a quill as fast as he could, writing in shorthand.

"Very well. You will already have heard many tales of the horrors visited upon the French Calvinists after the Edict of Nantes in 1685, and so I shall spare you another, save to say that my father was caught up in a dragonnade dragonnade and made a galley-slave-but not before he had contrived to smuggle me and Calvin across the Manche to England, packed in barrels, like herring. Later the galley on which my father served was destroyed in a battle against a Dutch fleet in the Mediterranean." and made a galley-slave-but not before he had contrived to smuggle me and Calvin across the Manche to England, packed in barrels, like herring. Later the galley on which my father served was destroyed in a battle against a Dutch fleet in the Mediterranean."

"But that must have occurred several years after the Edict," said Mr. Kikin, ever the student of history.

"Indeed, sir," said Arlanc, "for the War began, by most reckonings, in 1688, when Louis took the Palatinate and William took England."

"We prefer to say that England took William," Orney corrected him.

"Be that as it may, sir, the engagement that destroyed the galley of my father was a part of the said war, and it took place in the summer of 1690, off Crete."

"He was lost at sea, then, as I take it?" asked Mr. Threader, in a touchingly genteel and delicate way.

"On the contrary, sir-he was rescued by a pirate-galley commanded by none other than Jack Shaftoe."

At this claim, Kikin rolled his eyes, and Orney let out a "Poh!" Isaac took no note of them, but sharpened his gaze, which remained locked on Arlanc's face. "It is consistent," he announced. "Jack Shaftoe turned Turk in the late 1680s. His Corsairs are known to have raided Bonanza during the summer of 1690. Thence they fled through the Gates of Hercules into the Mediterranean. By late summer they had reached Cairo, as all the world now knows. Mr. Arlanc's account is plausible."

"Thank you, sir," said Henry Arlanc. "Jack and his band of corsairs rescued my father, and other galeriens, galeriens, from the wrack of that galley. This much Calvin and I knew from letters we received in Limerick. But beyond that-" from the wrack of that galley. This much Calvin and I knew from letters we received in Limerick. But beyond that-"

"Hold. How did you and your brother get to Limerick?" asked Orney.

"I was getting to that, sir. When we were let out of our barrels in England, a pair of young lads, not yet fully grown, we could, I'm ashamed to say, muster very little interest in following our father's example and becoming merchants. We l.u.s.ted after revenge-preferably violent, and if possible, glorious. We joined one of the Huguenot cavalry regiments forming in the Dutch Republic. By the time that William and Mary had come to England, we had risen in the ranks a bit-Calvin had become an a.s.sistant Chaplain and I was a non-commissioned officer. Our regiment was one of those that were despatched to Ireland during the early years of the war, to drive out the Pretender. We partic.i.p.ated in the Siege of Limerick during the winter of '90 and '91, and that is where we received the miraculous tidings that our father-whom we had given up for dead-had been pulled out of the sea by the King of the Vagabonds."

"Did you receive any further communication from him?" asked Isaac.

"Not for several years, sir, as we were all so much on the move."

"If your father remained in the service of Jack Shaftoe, he would have called at such places as Mocha and Bandar-Congo during 1691 and followed the monsoon to Surat the year after," Newton said. "Beyond that it is difficult to reconstruct Jack's movements for several years. It is well known that he partic.i.p.ated in a battle somewhere between Surat and Shahjahanabad in late 1693, and that in 1695 he had begun to organize a ship-building project."

"In February of 1698 our father posted us a letter from Batavia, where that ship had called to take on spices," Arlanc said. "We did not receive it until late in the year. By that time the war was over."

Orney snorted.

"Or so everyone believed at the time," Arlanc hastened to add. "In retrospect, of course, this was nothing more than a brief respite in a war that extended over twenty-five years. But few foresaw this, and so our regiment, like so many others, was disbanded the following year, when the Treaty of Part.i.tion was signed by William and Louis.

"It was difficult to find work in London with so many discharged veterans about, and dangerous to be there for the same reason. Calvin and I were more fortunate than some, for enough time had pa.s.sed since the Edict of Nantes that the Huguenots had established themselves in England, and begun to prosper. Calvin secured a position as a pastor in a Huguenot church just outside of the city, and has been there ever since. I took jobs here and there as a servant to Huguenot businessmen.

"The last letter we received from our father was posted from Manila in August of the year of our Lord 1700, and it stated-"

"That Jack's ship was about to attempt the crossing of the Pacific," said Sir Isaac, "and he would be aboard it."

"Just so, sir. It is uncanny how much you know of Jack's movements about the world. Father said he would write to us again from Acapulco. But he died of scurvy en route, may G.o.d have mercy on his soul."

At this little prayer everyone in the room observed a respectful silence. Even Partry seemed moved. The first to speak was Sir Isaac. "And how, how, precisely, were you delivered this unhappy news?" precisely, were you delivered this unhappy news?"

"Jack told me," said Arlanc.

This information silenced Isaac for a bit longer. Mrs. Arlanc could be heard indistinctly, sobbing into the shoulder of a scullery maid in the Royal Society's kitchen. But presently Isaac stirred again and said, "This would have occurred after his return to London in the last months of 1702."

"Again you are correct, sir."

"Do you phant'sy that Jack Shaftoe arranged this interview with you solely solely to deliver word of your father's pa.s.sing?" to deliver word of your father's pa.s.sing?"

Here Henry Arlanc looked discomfited for the first time-odd, considering he was heavily ironed, and on his way to Newgate. He cast an uncertain glance at Sean Partry, and another at Sir Isaac. Then he answered: "Of course not, sir. However, I must tell you something you ought to know about Jack Shaftoe, which is that he is not utterly black-hearted. Did he have a selfish motive for paying a call on me? Of course, and I shall address that next. But his affection for my father was unfeigned, and when he told the tale of my father's pa.s.sing, and his burial at sea, almost within sight of California, he shed tears. And I believe that the affection may even have been mutual, for by Jack's account, my father's dying words included certain warnings for Jack-warnings he'd have been well-advised to have heeded."

"How touching," Isaac said, very much as if he wanted to skip over this part as quickly as possible. But curiosity had already got the better of Daniel, who asked: "What did these warnings concern?"

This earned him a glare from Isaac, and so Daniel went on: "Forgive me, but it is clear that my father and yours had much in common with each other, Mr. Arlanc, and I cannot guess what sort of warnings a man like my father would have issued to a man like Jack, unless it was that his immortal soul was doomed to the Lake of Fire!"

Orney slapped the table and chuckled silently.

"My father implored Jack to beware of a certain pa.s.senger whom they'd plucked out of the Pacific following the wrack of the Manila Galleon. A Jesuit priest he was-an agent of the Inquisition, named Father edouard de Gex."

Isaac, who had barely been able to hold back a sneer moments ago, was distinctly taken a-back. After a moment to compose himself he asked Partry to take the prisoner out of the room (which he did, a bit roughly) and out of earshot (which was seen to by Mrs. Arlanc, who rushed forth to embrace her husband and wail).

"He knows nothing of what happened yesterday on the Bridge," Daniel insisted.

"It is too soon for accounts to have appeared in newspapers," observed Mr. Kikin, an astute reader of all that spewed forth from Grub Street.

"Could Partry have mentioned anything to him? A slip of the tongue, perhaps?"

"Impossible," said Orney. "Partry and I spent all afternoon, and evening, scouring the banks of the Thames for evidence of de Gex."

"And I came here with Saturn, specifically to keep an eye on Arlanc," Daniel said. "He received no visitors."

"This is a singular piece of news, if it is to be credited," Isaac said. "For years it has been a.s.sumed, by many at Court, that de Gex-who spends much time in London-was an agent of the King of France. And many rumors have reached my ears that he was entangled, somehow, with Jack the Coiner. I had a.s.sumed that de Gex and Shaftoe operated hand-in-glove." He nodded at the place where Arlanc had just been sitting. "But this talk of a warning that went unheeded hints at a conflict of fourteen years' standing between the two of them."

"It hints at something else, too," Orney said. "If it is true that this de Gex survived the destruction of a ship on the open ocean, and stayed afloat long enough to be rescued, it implies that he knows how to swim-which means we cannot simply a.s.sume that he drowned in the Thames yesterday."

"Let us continue the interview," Isaac said.

"WHEN J JACK FIRST RETURNED to London, the war had resumed under its new name of the War of the Spanish Succession. But the armies had not yet been fully mobilized, and so many unemployed soldiers and sailors were still about, making the city infamously perilous. Jack had the wit to see that these men would presently be called back into service, and so he recruited as many as he could during his first months back. His interview with me was partly with an eye towards getting me to work for him." to London, the war had resumed under its new name of the War of the Spanish Succession. But the armies had not yet been fully mobilized, and so many unemployed soldiers and sailors were still about, making the city infamously perilous. Jack had the wit to see that these men would presently be called back into service, and so he recruited as many as he could during his first months back. His interview with me was partly with an eye towards getting me to work for him."

"In what capacity? And did he succeed?" asked Isaac.

"Anyone who has paid the least notice to the newspapers, and to the discourse of Parliament, during the last decade, will know that war breeds corruption as flesh breeds maggots. The vast movements of men and materiel entailed by the maneuvers of the Allied Powers afforded Jack opportunities for profit that were almost inconceivably vast. For every case of peculation that was talked about openly in London, you may be certain there were a hundred others that went unremarked upon-and of those, Jack was probably involved, somehow, in fifty. His method was simple: he recruited soldiers and sailors before the Crown did, and he treated them better."

"You have answered my first question," Isaac said, "namely, in what capacity did Jack wish to hire you. But you have not touched on the second."

"Only because the answer is obvious," Arlanc said, and held up his manacles. "Oh, I did not do terrible things. But I am ashamed to say that I did look the other way when my regiment's deliveries of gunpowder, and other commodities, came up a bit short. This I did less out of a desire for profit than fear of a certain suttler who I'm sure would not have hesitated to cut my throat, or arrange for me to be shot in the back, had I raised any objection. G.o.d in his mercy took me out of this peril, for in ought-five I suffered a wound that forced me to retire from Her Majesty's service. I came back to London and, after I recovered, went to work as a porter for Monsieur Nevers, the horologist-"

"Which led in due course to your knowing several Fellows of the Royal Society, who hired Monsieur Nevers to make instruments," said Daniel.

"Yes, sir, and that is how I ended up working here."

"But you were also working for Jack," Isaac pointed out.

"Yes, sir, after a fashion," Arlanc admitted. "Though it hardly seemed like work. From time to time-perhaps once or twice a year-I was invited to go and meet a certain gentleman at a certain pub, and have a chat with him."

"If the work was all that trivial, why did you bother bother?" Isaac asked.

"Jack had power over me, as a result of our previous dealings," said Arlanc. "With a word he could destroy my marriage or blacken the reputation of my brother Calvin. What he asked of me seemed harmless-so I did it."

"What did you and this man talk about when you met in the pub?" asked Orney.

"He was an educated Frenchman. He professed to be a sort of Enthusiast, an amateur amateur of Natural Philosophy. He simply wanted to know what the Royal Society was like. He asked all sorts of questions about what happened during the meetings, and what the Fellows were like-Sir Christopher Wren, Edmund Halley, and especially Sir Isaac Newton." of Natural Philosophy. He simply wanted to know what the Royal Society was like. He asked all sorts of questions about what happened during the meetings, and what the Fellows were like-Sir Christopher Wren, Edmund Halley, and especially Sir Isaac Newton."

"Did you ever mention to this amateur amateur that Sir Isaac made a practice of coming to Crane Court on Sunday evenings, and working late?" asked Daniel. that Sir Isaac made a practice of coming to Crane Court on Sunday evenings, and working late?" asked Daniel.

"I don't remember for certain, sir, but it is quite possible-that is the sort of thing this fellow loved to hear about, sir." Arlanc then paused, for everyone in the room had exhaled, and some who'd been studying his phizz for the last several minutes were now looking at their fingernails or gazing out the window. "Did I do wrong, sir?" asked Henry Arlanc. He was addressing the question to Daniel. "Foolish question! I know perfectly well I did wrong. But was it a crime? A crime for which a man can be charged, and brought before a magistrate?"

Daniel, moved by sympathy, looked him in the eye and got ready to say, Of course not! Of course not! but Isaac was quicker: "You are guilty of Conspiracy, and to prove as much before a judge shall be simple enough. Mr. Partry, you may take this man away to Newgate Prison." but Isaac was quicker: "You are guilty of Conspiracy, and to prove as much before a judge shall be simple enough. Mr. Partry, you may take this man away to Newgate Prison."

With no more ceremony than that, Partry loomed over Arlanc's shoulder and gathered up a fistful of lapel at the nape of the Huguenot's neck, by which he hauled him to his feet. Partry kicked Arlanc's chair aside and began to drag him backwards out of the room, leg-chains raking across the floor-boards. Approaching the exit the pair halted for a moment so that Partry could open the door with his free hand. Arlanc took this opportunity to say: "Beg pardon, sirs, but if I could add a word or two, concerning the man you seek-?"

"You may," answered Isaac, with a confirmatory nod at Partry. Partry remained in the doorway, watching over Arlanc's shoulder, while keeping a loose grip on the scruff of the other's neck. It seemed then to Daniel that this pair looked like a ventriloquist at a country fair, and his marionette. Arlanc began to speak. "I've been a student, you might say, of Jack for some years now-as Mr. Halley watches the movements of comets, and understands their nature without being able to alter their courses, why, so it is with me and Jack Shaftoe. And I say that if you think Jack is a slave of Le Roi, Le Roi, and dreams only of doing the bidding of Louis, why, you are underestimating the man. That hypothesis-if I may borrow a Royal Society word-does not do the man sufficient credit, and does not explain his actions." and dreams only of doing the bidding of Louis, why, you are underestimating the man. That hypothesis-if I may borrow a Royal Society word-does not do the man sufficient credit, and does not explain his actions."

"And what is your your hypothesis, Mr. Arlanc?" asked Daniel. hypothesis, Mr. Arlanc?" asked Daniel.

"He's gone around the world, Jack has. He's had a pile of gold, lost it, got it back, and lost it again. He's been a Vagabond, a King, and everything in between. He has more swag now than a man could ever need. You must ask yourselves: what could move move such a man? When Jack gets up in the morning, what does he think of? What does he desire?" such a man? When Jack gets up in the morning, what does he think of? What does he desire?"

"You have been given leave to supply us with answers-not to ply us with questions," Sir Isaac pointed out.

"Very well then, sir, I'll tell you the answer. It is love that Jack seeks. The love of a woman. A certain particular woman, whom he loved once, and has never forgotten." Arlanc was looking Daniel in the eye. "She is known to some of you. Her name is-"

"I know her name," Daniel said, to cut off Arlanc's maudlin discourse before he could sully the name of some blameless lady or other; but he needn't have bothered, for Partry at the same instant had jerked back on Arlanc's shoulder so violently as to throttle his wind-pipe and draw him back through the door.

"Thank you, Mr. Partry," Isaac called out as Arlanc was removed with a fantastic cacophony: sc.r.a.ping and clanking of chains, gagging and coughing of the prisoner, curses from Partry, and above all the wailing and sobbing redux redux of Mrs. Arlanc. Doors up and down the hall were being hauled open, and diverse savants and vertuosos were thrusting their heads out to see what was the meaning of this. Kikin did the Clubb the favor of closing the door on that scene. This m.u.f.fled the sound to the point where it was mere noises off: distracting but ignorable. There was a pause for the Clubb to regain its composure. Then Mr. Orney, who was running the meeting, said: "Right. Are there any other items of new business?" of Mrs. Arlanc. Doors up and down the hall were being hauled open, and diverse savants and vertuosos were thrusting their heads out to see what was the meaning of this. Kikin did the Clubb the favor of closing the door on that scene. This m.u.f.fled the sound to the point where it was mere noises off: distracting but ignorable. There was a pause for the Clubb to regain its composure. Then Mr. Orney, who was running the meeting, said: "Right. Are there any other items of new business?"

"I have one," said Mr. Kikin, "which is that we all lie down and take a d.a.m.ned nap."

IF THE OTHERS WENT to sleep, Isaac did not, and neither did Daniel, for Isaac wanted to have words with him. They met in a study off the Library, where Isaac was wont to hold forth as President of the Royal Society. to sleep, Isaac did not, and neither did Daniel, for Isaac wanted to have words with him. They met in a study off the Library, where Isaac was wont to hold forth as President of the Royal Society.

"You will have seen the deficiency in Arlanc's account," was how Isaac opened the conversation.

"What, that nonsense about a woman?"

Isaac got that queasy look signifying that Daniel was being unforgivably slow. "For the Infernal Device to have been placed where it was, it was not sufficient simply for Jack to know that I work late here on Sunday evenings. He must have known, futhermore, that you you were coming, in company of Mr. Threader, and that you should arrive on a Sunday evening." were coming, in company of Mr. Threader, and that you should arrive on a Sunday evening."

"I sent more than one letter ahead, which Arlanc would have seen, to inform the Royal Society of my intentions..."

"Your intentions in general, in general, yes. But the yes. But the specific specific information that you should arrive on a Sunday evening-the fact that the Device was placed in your trunk on Mr. Threader's wagon-all this points to Threader's involvement." information that you should arrive on a Sunday evening-the fact that the Device was placed in your trunk on Mr. Threader's wagon-all this points to Threader's involvement."

"We have been over this before. That Jack has a spy in Threader's retinue I am willing to believe. But to say Mr. Threader himself is a hashishin hashishin is absurd!" is absurd!"

"Did you mark how quiet he was just now?"

"You call it quiet quiet. I call it asleep asleep. We have all been awake thirty-six hours!"

"You have learned from Arlanc how Jack builds power: he wheedles a small favor from someone, then comes back again asking for a larger one, and so on, until that person is ensnared, and has lost the power to refuse. Is it so difficult to believe that such a thing could have happened to an inveterate Weigher such as Mr. Threader?"

"I will consider it," Daniel said, "on the condition that you will entertain another, just as repugnant possibility: that the Royal Society harbors another, of infinitely higher rank than Henry Arlanc, who is working in league with Jack the Coiner."

Clerkenwell Court 27 JULY 1714.

"I CAME AS SOON AS CAME AS SOON AS I I COULD." COULD."

Daniel thought this very like Isaac: to open the conversation by defending himself against imagined allegations of tardiness. Since Daniel was the only man in the room (Saturn's clock-shop along Coppice Row), some might see it as an excess of caution; but when you were him you could never be too sure.

"Stunning alacrity is the phrase I should have used to describe your response to my message," Daniel a.s.sured him. "I did not expect you for another hour, and do not expect the rest of the Clubb to show up at all."

In case Daniel's rea.s.surances were not in good faith, Isaac went on to bolster his reb.u.t.tal. "Some kind of storm has broken over the Court of St. James today. The Quality are all out in the streets-it is as if, at some moment in the middle of the day, every courtier and politician in London suddenly decided he was in the wrong place."

"That is not a bad description of what happened."

"I was at the Royal Society, going over some doc.u.ments relating to Leibniz, and when I received your note, I found it nearly impossible to get out onto Fleet Street. At first I feared the Queen must have died; but the bells do not toll for her."