Free The Women of Nell Gwynne's by Kage Baker Page B

doubtless to the tower above. Yielding to her intuition, however, she turned back and slipped through the gap into the second tunnel.
    Here the walls seemed of greater antiquity still, indeed, scarcely as though shaped by human labors at all; rather burrowed by some great animal. There was an earthy damp smell and, distantly echoing, the sound of trickling water. Mrs. Corvey peered into the depths and spotted something scarlet ahead in the green gloom, an irregular mass against one wall.
    She lifted her cane to her shoulder and went forward cautiously, five feet, ten feet, and then there was a sudden burst of hectic illumination and a blare of—sound? No, not sound; Mrs. Corvey was at a loss to say what sensation it was that affected her nerves so painfully. She swayed for a moment before regaining her balance. Two or three deep breaths restored her composure before she heard a groan in the darkness ahead. And then:
    "You know," said a male voice, "If I'm to die here I'd much rather be shot. All this blinding me and chaining me to walls and so forth is becoming tedious."

     

----

     

    THIRTEEN:
    In which Mr. Ludbridge tells a Curious Story
    T HE SCARLET MASS had shifted, and resolved itself now into the shape of a man, slumped against the wall of the tunnel with one arm flung up awkwardly. As she neared him, Mrs. Corvey saw that he was in fact pinioned in place by a manacle whose chain had been passed about one of the ancient roots.
    "Mr. Ludbridge?" she inquired.
    His head came up sharply and he turned his face in her direction.
    "Is that a lady?"
    "I am, sir. William Reginald Ludbridge?"
    "Might be," he said. She was within a few paces of him now and, opening a compartment in her cane, drew forth a lucifer and struck it for his benefit. The circle of dancing light so produced proved to her satisfaction that the prisoner was indeed the missing man Ludbridge. "Who's that?"
    "I am Elizabeth Corvey, Mr. Ludbridge. From Nell Gwynne's."
    "Are you? What becomes of illusions?"
    "We dispel them," she replied, relieved to remember the countersign, for she was seldom required to give it.
    "And we are everywhere. If you're wondering why your match isn't producing any light, it's because of that damned— excuse me—that device you tripped just now. It'll be at least an hour before we can see anything again."
    "In fact, I can see now, Mr. Ludbridge." She blew out the tiny flame.
    "I beg your pardon? Oh! Mrs. Corvey. You're the lady with the...do forgive me, madam, but I hardly expected the GSS to send the ladies' auxiliary to my aid. So the flash hasn't affected your, er, eyes?"
    "It does not appear to have, sir."
    "That's something, anyway. Er...I trust you weren't sent alone?"
    "I was not, sir. Some of my girls are upstairs, I suppose you'd say, entertaining Lord Basmond and his guests."
    "Ha! Ingenious. I don't suppose you happen to have a hacksaw with you, Mrs. Corvey?"
    "No, sir, but let me try what I might do with a bullet." Mrs. Corvey set the end of her cane against the root where the manacle's chain passed over it, and pressed the triggering mechanism. With a bang the chain parted, and white flakes of root drifted down like snow. Ludbridge's arm fell, a dead weight.
    "I am much obliged to you," said Ludbridge, gasping as he attempted to massage life back into the limb. "What have you found out?"
    "We know about the levitation device."
    "Good, but that isn't all. Not by a long way. There's this thing in the tunnel that makes such an effective burglar-catcher, and I suspect there's more still."
    "What precisely is it, Mr. Ludbridge?"
    "Damned if I know, beg your pardon. You saw the laboratory, did you?"
    "Indeed, Mr. Ludbridge, I entered that way."
    "So did I. Crawled through and had a good look round. Took notes and made sketches, which I still have here somewhere..." Ludbridge felt about inside his coat. "Yes, to be sure. Had started up the other tunnel when I heard the trap opening above and someone starting down the