Page 17 (1/2)

Miss Holmes

Wherein Our Heroines Learn the

Meaning of the Word "Debrief"

"If you&039;d just waited awould have been fine," I said, eyeing Evaline with unconcealed resentment

It was three days after the events above the fish-smokers&039; shop at the docks

"If you hadn&039;t shown up,her arms over her middle

"Yes, and you would have been dead"

"That ht be the case, but at least we&039;d be certain of the Ankh&039;s identity Thanks to your ridiculous, overly complicated plan, we still don&039;t knoho she was"

I opened lint of humor in her eyes and relaxed "Quite true," I conceded, and exchanged a glance with Dylan Our plan had been perfectly wrought and flawlessly executedbut in the end, the Ankh had had her own victory

That was the only thing that continued to niggle at me

We still didn&039;t knoho the Ankh was, or precisely why she (at least I&039;d been correct about the gender) had collected young wo to stir up their independence while atteoddess&039;s powers, or had that merely been a byproduct of her ainDylan Ekhert&039;s ti was a testa

We did have a bodybut it was bloated and nibbled beyond recognition Pulled just thisfrom the canal where it met the Thames, the dead woman had been dressed in dark trousers and a loose black tunic-just as the Ankh had been I hadn&039;t been given ample opportunity to examine the deceased, thanks to Inspector Luckworth&039;s insistence that girls had no reason to be sowas certain: even from my brief look, it was clear that the body didn&039;t reserove-Pitt

Aside fro London yesterday with her husband, bound for their country estate It was still inconceivable that I&039;d been wrong about the Ankh&039;s identity, but unless the body wasn&039;t actually the villainess in question, the unthinkable was true: my deductions were incorrect

No one could have survived the fall froround As I would have been such a casualtyand Dylan both grabbing ), I&039;d exa from the ould either have crashed to the cobblestones or landed in the canal No body was found or witnessed on the street, which left the canal And although it took three days, a corpsethe description of the Ankh as we&039;d last seen her had been dragged froe

Thus, as far as Scotland Yard was concerned, the case was closed The only reason I wasn&039;t co that, it wouldAnd that I probably owed Lady Cosgrove-Pitt, as well as Grayling, an explanation And an apology

I turned ht and looked at Evaline Ierror, but Imuch more heroic "You were ready to die," I said "You would have died Willingly"

Our eyes met, and I saariness there, and another emotion I couldn&039;t identify Surprise? Gratitude? Shyness?

Evaline shrugged, but I could see how nored the directions on the o to Fannery&039;s Square Instead, you risked your life to find ain how utterly tied in knots o to Fannery&039;s Square They didn&039;t relax until I saw Sekhhabove the fish-smokers&039; shop Only then was I certain I&039;d done the right thing And only then did I send for Grayling and Luckworth "In the end, I had to listen to lad you did"

That hen I realized that, so Miss Stoker and had becoer a stranger

The unfamiliar sensation of camaraderieSociety of Sekhmet members would have been just as appreciative of your sacrifice if you&039;d actually been able todrew my attention to Miss Adler She, Evaline, Dylan, andin what our friend from the future oddly called a "debrief"

Miss Adler looked around at us, her eyes tired but pleased I wasn&039;t certain when she&039;d returned from whatever had called her away so unexpectedly, but yesterdayI received communication fro is, you&039;re all safe Perhaps in the future, you&039;ll learn to work togetheronly on yourselves" She looked at us fully, and I felt my cheeks warm "Nevertheless, you&039;ve cohness She is very pleased, as aerous h mostly unscathed andI anize your liths"

Evaline and I exchanged glances

"But no one&039;s found any of the Ankh&039;s papers? Her hideout? Anything she left behind about her plans? Any evidence at all?"

I looked at Dylan Defeat showed in his face, and I understood why He&039;d hoped that once we stopped the Ankh, we&039;d be able to find so about the statue&039;s history, her researchanything We&039;d found Sekhements to have the statue delivered here to the museum

We all hoped that once Dylan was in the presence of the artifact again, he&039;d be able to use it to return to his time But e replaced it in the cellar cha happened

"There was a scarab in the base," he said, pointing to a deep indentation where the beetle had once been "It was glowing, and when I touched it, that&039;s when and how it happened But I&039; to do with ti her cereeworth died She was conducting her activity here at the sa scaraba hundred years from now You touched it, andit happened"

"There&039;s no way to sendthe scarab won&039;t work?"

"The ones we found from Lilly and the others don&039;t fit in the spot," I said, placing my hand on his shoulder His muscles trembled beneathain control of his emotions "But there must be one Souess I won&039;t be going hoely muffled

When he stood, I wrapped one arm around him in an aard embrace and patted hier forced to be part of a world in which one didn&039;t quite fit He arainst me, and I realized I couldn&039;t remember the last time I&039;d touched another person with affection

Or was touched