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Five one zero three zero four one dot seven eight n coht four nine dot nine one w

It was nearly h the house and into the library At least, Lesley and I stealthily h the house Xemerius had flown on ahead

Wethe shelves for more clues The fifty-first book in the third row … the fifty-first row, thirtieth book, page four, line seven, word eight … but wherever we tried beginning to count, nothingbooks out at rando for more notes to drop to the floor But Lesley was confident, all the same She’d written the code down on a piece of paper, and she kept taking it out of her jeans pocket and looking at it "Itto find out what"

After that we finally went to bed My alar--and fro but the soirée

"’Ere co --the reticule, that would be--and I wondered whether to setable knife into it at the last moment after all I’d turned down Lesley’s advice to tape it to h With my luck, I’d probably have hurt no one butunder the huge skirt in an ee cae, lavishly embroidered shawl around my shoulders She kissed me on both cheeks "Good luck,’er back to ave a rather forced smile He didn’t seem quite as friendly as usual "I’, Gwyneth There are a few people ant to meet you"

It was already early afternoon ent another floor up to the Dragon Hall Getting dressed and having e was unusually silent, and I concentrated on not tripping over the hem of hteenth century and thought how difficult it was going to be to escape from any men armed with swords in all these bulky clothes

"Mr George, could you tell me about the Florentine Alliance, please?" I asked on a sudden ie stopped "The Florentine Alliance? Who mentioned that to you?"

"No one, really," I said, sighing "But now and then, I catch people saying so because … well, I’uys who attacked us in Hyde Park, wasn’t it?"

Mr George looked atfor you to be afraid of I don’t think the two of you need fear an attack today Together with the count and Rakoczy, we’ve taken all iinable precautions"

I opened ot in first "Oh, very well, or you won’t give me any peace: we do indeed have to assu the Guardians, maybe the same man who leaked information in previous years that led to the attempts on Count Saint-Germain’s life in Paris, Dover, Amsterdam, and Germany" He passed his hand over his bald patch "But that h the count successfully crushed the Florentine Alliance, the traitor a the Guardians was never unmasked Your visits to the year 1782 are intended to put that right"

"Gideon thinks Lucy and Paulto do with it"

"There are indeed indications that such an idea isn’t too wide of the on Hall "But there’s no tio into more detail now Whatever happens, keep close to Gideon, and if you do happen to get separated, hide somewhere you can wait safely until you travel back"

I nodded Suddenly e opened the door and let et past hi at me, and I felt so embarrassed that the blood shot into my face Apart from Dr White, Falk de Villiers, Mr Whitman, Mr Marley, Gideon, and the unspeakable Giordano, there were five otherunder the huge dragon on the ceiling I wished Xemerius was here to tell me which of them was the home secretary and which was the Nobel Prize winner, but Xemerius had been sent off on another mission (By Lesley, not me, but more about that later)

"Gentlemen, may I introduce Gwyneth Shepherd to you?" announced Falk de Villiers solemnly It was probably a rhetorical question "She is our Ruby The last time traveler in the Circle of Twelve"

"This evening traveling under the name of Penelope Gray, ward of the fourth Viscount Batten," added Mr George, and Giordano , as the Lady Without a Fan"

I glanced quickly at Gideon, whose dark red ereat relief, he wasn’t wearing a wig, because all tensed up as I was, I’d probably have burst into hysterical laughter at the sight of it But there was nothing ridiculous about him He looked simply perfect His brown hair was tied back in a braid behind his head; one lock fell over his forehead as if byup his injury As so often, I couldn’t really interpret the expression on his face

I had to shake hands with the unknown gentlemen one by one Each told ht out of the other; Charlotte was right aboutlike "How do you do?" or "Good evening, sir," to each of them All in all, they seemed a very serious bunch Only one of them smiled The others just looked as if they were about to have a leg athan other people, it’s part of the job

Giordano lookedsohed very heavily Falk de Villiers wasn’t sh at least he said, "That dress really suits you beautifully, Gwyneth The real Penelope Gray would have been glad to look as good as that Madame Rossini has done wonderful work!"

"That’s true--I’ve seen a portrait of the real Penelope Gray No wonder she never married and she spent her life out in the wilds of Derbyshire," Mr Marley blurted out Next ht red and stared at the floor in embarrassment

Mr Whitly suspected it was Shakespeare Mr Whitraces in my love do dwell, that she can make a heaven into hell? "No need to blush, Gwyneth," he added

I gave hione red before, it was certainly nothing to do with him Apart from which I didn’t understand the quotation--you could take it equally well as a compliment or the opposite

Unexpectedly, Gideon came to my aid "The conceited man overestimates his own deserts," he told Mr Whitman in a friendly tone "Aristotle"