Stroud, Jonathan - Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 2 - The Golem's Eye by The Golems Eye

Author:The Golems Eye [Eye, The Golems]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Kitty dragged the chair to face the wall, moved slowly around, and sat gingerly

upon it, feeling all the while the little sharpness on her neck. She heard a rustle of

cloth, the squeak of leather shoes, a soft sigh as someone sat and took his ease. She

looked at the wall and said nothing.

The voice came again. "Good. Now we are ready and I hope we can do busi-

ness. You understand that the precautions I take here are merely safeguards? I do

not wish you harm."

Kitty remained looking at the wall. "Nor we you," she said levelly. "Neverthe-

less, we have taken precautions, too."

The voice grunted. "Which are?"

"A colleague of mine waits outside the theater. She carries a small leather bag.

Within it are six small demons trapped in an explosive gel. It is, I believe, an effec-

tive weapon of war and can level a whole building. We stole it recently from a

Ministry of Defense storehouse. I mention this to impress you: we are capable of

remarkable acts. But also because, if I do not return within fifteen minutes, my

friend will activate the imps and toss them into the theater." Kitty's face was ex-

pressionless. This was a complete lie.

A chuckle. "Nicely put, my dear. Well then, we must hurry. As Mr. Hopkins

no doubt told you, I am a gentleman of leisure with many contacts among the ma-

gicians; I have even dabbled in the art myself upon occasion. However, like you I

am sick of their rule!" A note of anger entered the voice. "Owing to a small finan-

cial disagreement, the government has robbed me of my wealth and my estates! I

am now a pauper, where once I slept on Tashkent silks! It is an intolerable situa-

tion. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see the magicians fall. That is

why I will help your cause."

These remarks had been spoken with great emotion; at each emphasis, the sti-

letto point jabbed the back of Kitty's neck. She moistened her lips. "Mr. Hopkins

said you had valuable information for us."

"I do indeed. You must understand, I have no sympathy for the commoners

whose cause you serve. But your activities unsettle the great ones of the govern-

ment, and that pleases me. So, to business. Hopkins has explained the nature of the

proposition?" Kitty nodded carefully. "Well now, through my connections, I have

had access to Gladstone's papers and have made some small study of them. By de-

ciphering certain codes, I discovered details of the Pestilence he left guarding his

remains."

"That seems a meager defense, for one of his power," Kitty said. "If I may say

so."

"You are an intelligent, opinionated girl," the voice said approvingly. "When he

died, Gladstone was old and weak, a spindly husk, capable of nothing more than

that simple spell. Even so, it has done its job. No one has disturbed it, for fear of

being raddled by the Pestilence. However, it can be bypassed, if you bring proper

precautions. I can give you that information."

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