Page 104 of New Storm Rising
“Um…” Cautiously, Nelly leaned over towards me. “Are you sure that coming here was a good idea?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t saygood, exactly.” I couldn’t keep my mouth from twitching. “I’d rather use the word ‘adequate’.”
“Err…sorry?”
“Never mind.” I patted her on the back. “You’ll understand soon enough. Everything will be all right.”
At least I bloody well hope so! Mr Ambrose has a plan, right? A brilliant one?
They continued down the street unhindered. Up ahead, the town hall loomed, its dark silhouette outlined against the bright, burning hot sky.
Lowering my voice, I leaned closer towards Mr Ambrose. “Um…everythingwillbe all right, right?”
“Certainly.”
“And…the fact that we’re surrounded by dozens of thugs, while we don’t have a single guard with us, won’t be a problem at all?”
“Exactly.”
“And you know this how, exactly?”
“Because everything is proceeding according to my plan.”
“That brilliant plan you still haven’t really explained to me?”
“Yes, that one.”
“Oh. How…reassuring.”
Doing my best to ignore the ominous feeling bearing down on us from all directions, I threw Mr Ambrose a wifely glare. When it proved to be completely ineffective, I harrumphed and ignored the son of a bachelor. Making a mental note to make him suffer for this later, I continued to trudge alongside him towards the town hall. Or at least I did until a voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Oh, hello there!” We all halted at the sound of that strangely, insanely cheerful voice. Turning my head in the direction where it had come from, I caught sight of the smiling figure of Angus Angleton, who came walking over with his sample case clutched under his arm. “What a wonderful day, isn’t it? Are you all going somewhere?”
“Yes.” Mr Ambrose gave a grim nod, reaching under his tailcoat to where he kept his revolver. “The mayor’s office. We have…matters to discuss with him.”
“The mayor? How splendid!” The little man rubbed his hands, his ears practically wiggling with excitement under those little tufts of hair of his. “I think I’m going to come along. I haven’t told them about the amazing qualities of Fizzlewiz remedies yet.”
I stared at the man. Some people really had anamazingtalent for reading a situation.
“Yes.” I cleared my throat. “Yes, I think you should. It should be…interesting.”
“Indeed,” Mr Ambrose confirmed. “Let us proceed.”
Not long after, they came to a halt in front of the town hall. Pushing open the door without bothering to knock, Mr Ambrose stalked into the dark interior. The rest of us hesitated for a moment—then followed. None of the thugs did, however. Yet I did see one of them rush off towards the mansion the Spaniards resided in. He seemed to be in quite a hurry.
So everything is proceeding according to plan, is it? Well, Mr Ambrose, I hope whatever your plan is, it’s bloody fast!
Mr Mayor, We Have a Bullet List of Complaints…
Striding across the entrance hall, Mr Ambrose stepped up to the desk behind which an unfortunate clerk was sitting, waiting to greet guests. Or rather, to judge by his facial expression, waiting to greet any guest whose name wasn’t Rikkard Ambrose.
“Announce us,” Mr Ambrose stated, gazing down imperiously at the clerk. “We have come to discuss a serious matter with the mayor,”
“And to see whether we can interest him in some digestive medicine and hair products,” Mr Angleton added brightly. “I have the most amazing baldness cure!”
“Um…” The clerk swallowed. “The mayor isn’t bald.”
Narrowing his eyes, Mr Rikkard Ambrose leaned forward across the desk, until his face was only inches away from the sweating clerk’s. “He’s about to be. Now. Announce us.”
