Page 191 of The Mask Falling

It took some time for Ménard to make it out of the chamber, since everyone wanted to shake his hand and offer their good wishes. Eventually, however, he vanished through a door with Cade. I glanced over my shoulder to see Léandre, who gave me a nod from a dark corner.

Beyond the door was a flight of steps. Halfway up, another door stood ajar. Cade waited outside.

“Go in,” he said. “He wants me to stay here. To subdue you if you try to attack him.”

“And will you?”

“You’re not going to find out, because you’re not going to attack him. Are you?”

“No comment.”

I brushed past him. With an amused sigh, he closed the heavy door behind me.

Georges Benoît Ménard waited in the room beyond. A table and a single lamp stood between us, and his mask lay on the table.

“My guards expect me to return within ten minutes,” he said. “In my hand is a personal alarm.” His thumb was on it. “Should I activate it, you will not escape this room.”

“I’ve no intention of assassinating you, Inquisitor Ménard. And be aware that I have voyants outside, awaitingmyreturn.” I made no move to take off my own mask. “Apologies for interrupting your party, but I didn’t think your personal secretary would be able to squeeze me in.” I moved farther into the room. “You must have known it was me who set the fire, yet you never seized the opportunity to blame the Mime Order.”

Ménard blew out a slight huff through his nose. “After I saw that you had broken into my office, I knew you must be responsible for it, even though I left no information as to the whereabouts of Sheol II,” he said. “I can only assume you were able to access my safe.”

“Correct,” I said. “Has the Suzerain been in touch?”

He clasped his hands on the table.

“She has,” he said. “France must make significant financial reparations to England for the loss, and Minister Auclair awaits execution for her failure to defend the colony. I hope you sleep well when you think of her six-year-old child, who will have no mother by next week.”

“I was six when Scion marched on Dublin. I doubt that keeps you up at night.” I took another step toward him. “You are now on very thin ice with the Suzerain, Inquisitor Ménard. If she decides to replace you with someone more unwaveringly loyal, you’ll never live out your fantasy of a Scion without its masters. You’ll either be dead, imprisoned, or stripped of your power and sent away to rot somewhere. You need leverage. A way to cling to your title.”

“And you can provide this?” Ménard spoke in a soft voice. “Have you reconsidered my offer?”

“I have one of my own,” I said. “The anormales of London and Paris have agreed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder against Scion. Le Vieux Orphelin is my partner in this endeavor.”

His face changed in a way that chilled me.

“You have struck an alliance with Ignace Fall,” he said, toneless. “He survived the fire, then.”

“He did. I ensured his safe return from Sheol II.”

“Good.” A faint smile. “I would hate to imagine that he had burned without my knowledge.”

“I confess, I was always surprised youdon’t?burn people. They used to do that to us, you know,” I said. “The witches and the warlocks. The people society blamed for their ills.”

“What happy days,” Ménard said.

I walked past his table, skirted my fingers along it. His dark gaze was nailed to my mask.

“Le Vieux Orphelin is alive and well. Together, he and I command a significant army of clairvoyants. Enough to fan our small flames of revolt into an open war against Scion,” I said. “Now, we could turn our attention to you first. Make public threats. Eliminate your supporters. Destroy any sense of internal safety in France. The French syndicate will certainly want that.” I stopped. “Or . . . you and I could come to an understanding, as you suggested when I was your guest. A temporary, mutually beneficial arrangement.”

Ménard did not break my gaze. It was like staring into a void.

“I am listening,” he said. “What is it that you propose?”

“A truce.”

The two words hung in the air between us.

“In the months and years to come, Le Vieux Orphelin and I want to dismantle Scion. If you like,” I said, “we can start at the nucleus—England. We can ensure that, for a time, our syndicates and allies are focused on overthrowing Frank Weaver. For the time being, we will not attack you, nor those Scion leaders who wish to stand against the Rephaim.”

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