Time of Trial by Michael Pryor Read Free Book Online

Wedged between Caroline and George in the back seat, Aubrey did his best to regain his faculties, while simultaneously feeling ashamed and furious.
    I nearly shot Bertie.
    His too-active imagination conjured up images of giant newspaper headlines: ‘PRINCE SHOT BY PRIME MINISTER’S SON’. He saw grim police officers, handcuffs, magistrates, barred cells and judges. Judges with black caps, full of righteous wrath, condemning him to be hanged by the neck until dead.
    He shuddered, successfully this time.
    He saw his parents, grey and disbelieving, broken by the events. He saw Albion in turmoil as the Prime Minister resigned. He saw Holmland moving, the Continent at war with blood and flames and destruction. He saw one person, only one person, standing happy at the horror unleashed.
    Dr Tremaine.
    Hot anger slowly began to replace the sick hollow inside him.
    â€˜I was up early,’ George was saying. ‘Thought I’d dash off a few words about the affair at the old cricket game, mentioning the sterling work of a few individuals.’ He looked pleased with himself. ‘When I saw you sloping off without me, I thought it odd, especially after you asked me to spend today with you in the city.’
    â€˜George telephoned me at my college,’ Caroline said. ‘Despite your confidence that you’d made the Beccaria Cage safe, I had my doubts. So did George. He followed you.’
    â€˜How?’ Aubrey’s tongue still felt thick. Single words worked best.
    â€˜A combination of stealth and uncanny ability, old man. By the time I dressed and ran to the main gates, you were still in sight, not making much of an effort to cover your tracks either. Whistling, too, if I wasn’t mistaken.’
    â€˜Ghastly?’
    â€˜Pretty much, yes.’ George smiled a little. ‘I was curious about your demeanour, so I decided to follow and observe you.’ He shrugged. ‘I’ve learned a thing or two about odd situations, you see.’
    â€˜Caroline?’
    â€˜I missed the train George and you took, but I managed to catch up with him when he lost you in the Mire. He telephoned from there and I immediately bicycled to join him.’
    â€˜We raced up and down the streets of the Mire looking for you,’ George said. ‘I was ready to give up when we almost stumbled on your little transaction.’
    â€˜George was very nervous,’ Caroline said. ‘Especially when you started waving that pistol around.’
    George rubbed his chin. ‘It became plain as day that you were heading for the Palace. We kept back until you were admitted, then we rushed over and managed to get to Sommers.’
    â€˜I was going to shoot Bertie,’ Aubrey said slowly.
    â€˜So it appeared,’ Caroline said. ‘Whatever were you thinking?’
    â€˜Not much.’ Aubrey remembered the blissful, purposeful state he’d been in. He closed his eyes as a wave of nausea rolled through him. ‘Trigger words. I was sent trigger words. After that, I surrendered everything.’
    Aubrey was both angry and ashamed. He liked to think that he was responsible for his own actions, for better and for worse. Successes and failures belonged to him, and he was prepared to take the good with the bad. But propelled on his deadly mission, he’d been turned into an automaton, a puppet controlled by...
    â€˜Dr Tremaine,’ he said softly.
    Caroline sat back and crossed her arms. ‘You’re sure?’
    â€˜Oh yes.’
    He shivered, then the trembling seized his legs and quickly turned to cramp. He grimaced and massaged his calves, feeling the knots of muscle under his fingertips.
    â€˜Are you all right?’ Caroline asked.
    â€˜No,’ he said simply, for he could tell that – without the Beccaria Cage – his body and soul were once again at odds. The physical symptoms were dismayingly familiar: weakness, trembling, pain in his muscles and joints. He