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Back Cardinal Black Save as PDF
Chapters (44)
  1. Title Page
  2. One: Into the Storm
  3. One
  4. Two
  5. Three
  6. Four
  7. Five
  8. Six
  9. Seven
  10. Two: London Calling
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Three: The Malignant Seven
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. Twenty-Three
  28. Four: Squirrels and Cats
  29. Twenty-Four
  30. Twenty-Five
  31. Twenty-Six
  32. Twenty-Seven
  33. Twenty-Eight
  34. Twenty-Nine
  35. Thirty
  36. Thirty-One
  37. Thirty-Two
  38. Five: Revelation
  39. Thirty-Three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. About the Author

The idea hit Matthew like a washbasin of freezing water in the face, because he could tell what was going through Julian’s mind. “Are you mad? That would never work!”

“Why not? I’ll wager neither Cardinal Black nor the admiral have ever laid eyes on these two. The only one who saw Pellegar was the man at the door. It was a quick exchange, and you saw that Pellegar had a muffler over most of his face. Brux likely didn’t even get a glance. Pellegar is English-born, and if Brux only speaks the Prussian language, then you—”

“You?” Matthew interrupted. “How easily that’s said!”

“I was going to say … if Brux only speaks the Prussian language, then all you have to be is silent. I’ll do all the talking.”

“If you happened to notice,” Matthew said, “Pellegar had eyes as black as coals and he is completely bald. Now … the man at the door may or may not think he didn’t register the correct eye-color, but your mop of blonde hair might—just saying might, you understand—tip the game.”

“I’ll buy a wig on the morrow.”

“Fine. Then you’ll look even less like Count Pellegar.”

A cloud passed across Julian’s face. “Damn,” he said quietly. “You’re right.”

Matthew wandered over to another chair, where he could view both the bodies, and sank down into it. Was it possible? The size of clothing might be a problem. Definitely the boot size.

The style of clothing would have to be outlandish and so would the makeup, not just in keeping with the two original Prussians but as a way of preventing too close an inspection. No, it was impossible!

Or was it?

“You’d have to shave your head,” Matthew said after another few moments of reflection. “I would have to wear a thick white face makeup. If Cardinal Black is present at this meeting, he would recognize me … and certainly by my scar.”

Julian didn’t reply, but he was listening.

“I would be the one to wear the mile-high wig,” Matthew continued. “We could go through the luggage and see what might be used. I’m thinking we would both need to go buy new pairs of boots. And expensive ones. Ours are not fitting for titled Prussians. I would wear gloves to hide the Black-Eyed Broodie mark, which I’m sure Cardinal Black would also recognize. If anyone in that house speaks Prussian, we would both be dead. Any slip-up, however minor … we would both be dead. You understand that, don’t you?”

Julian levelled his slate-colored eyes at Matthew. “Do you understand it? I mean … really?”