Operation_Endgame by Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris & Philippa Ballantine

Author:Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris & Philippa Ballantine [Ballantine, Pip]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Wherein Our Agents of Derring-Do Track a Monster

"I fear I am not very Turkish looking," Wellington grumbled to his reflection.

As promised Aydin had sent up a collection of local clothing, and out of that pile Eliza had chosen loose grey trousers for Wellington to wear. These salvar were worn by both men and women in the Ottoman Empire. Over that she had layered a shirt, pale green vest, and a dark blue robe. Then on his head she placed a scarlet fez, which she draped with a thin white scarf. Glancing down at the long socks she’d pulled over the salvar, he wondered that even with all this, he still couldn’t pass as a local.

In this disguise, he was just a pale Englishman wearing pyjamas several sizes too large.

"I haven't finished yet," she said, resting her hand on his shoulder, "but do remember the more daring of Her Majesty’s subjects are perusing the bazaar tonight. They often put on local clothing and try to blend in with the locals.”

"The so called ‘exotic’ is a worldwide fascination, I suppose," he muttered. Hearing himself, Wellington wondered if he was growing curmudgeonly the longer he worked in the field. Granted, he hadn’t been in the field that long—maybe he was just getting long in the tooth. "I watched one soldier too many lose themselves in such places, so forgive me if I sound..."

"Like a grumpy old man?" Eliza chuckled. "Well, remember that even life in London is far from a storybook fantasy. Think of all the Seven have faced. The Empire has its fair share of iniquity, too. The only reason its citizens seek it in such far-flung places is that here it's exotic."

Wellington had to agree. "And less likely people you play bridge with seeing you."

Eliza stood back and eyed him. "Indeed, now I think we both need a little more in the way of beards."

He blinked. "Beg your pardon?"

Eliza had a polished mahogany case that Wellington had seen in their apartments in Hebden Bridge, but never seen what was in it. His eyes widened when she opened the lid. Doing so, activated a sequence that unfurled a three-mirror array, turning the small case into a portable vanity. The inside of it turned out to be full of a make-up array that would have made a stage actor jealous. Alongside multitudinous sticks of makeup mimicking many skin tones, were several beards of varying hair colours, and a selection of rubberised noses. No wonder that case was so damn heavy, Wellington thought, she's got a whole theatrical company in there.

After much consideration of the contents, Eliza beckoned him over, then opened the lid of a narrow tin to reveal a thick and curly black beard. "I think this one will suit you quite well."

After examining it for a moment, Wellington pressed the opposite tips of the beard into his sideburns as Eliza worked to secure the rest of it under his chin and around his lips.

When finished his new fashion mostly swallowed up his face.

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