Chapter 66

Mount Ben Nevis, known to the locals simply as the Mountain, takes its name from the Gaelic word ben, meaning "peak"—so the Mountain might be freely rendered as "the mountain among mountains."

On the road to the Mountain, when Constantine pursuers closed in, Jack volunteered to draw them away. When Baron asked why, the golden baboon spoke in a voice so mournful that few humans could ever muster: "I just want to live."

Baron said nothing. Jack was right; the risks of staying with him were too great, and Baron had no right to share them. Besides, Jack had yet to reach this month's quota; to edge from D-rank up to C-, he still needed to pull off a few more jobs.

So, in the end, Baron climbed alone.

He had no idea where Zophy was on the Mountain, but according to Miss Emerald, Zophy had once told her he planned to mine ore for his alchemy. Some alchemists, seeking better odds of success, prefer to dig the metals themselves. Baron reasoned that veins usually run along fault lines and the backs of mountain folds, so he need only press deeper into the heights. Whether he would ever find Zophy—only the mountain knew.

Partway up, a sudden spasm clutched Baron's heart. Instinct guided his hand into his ring, and he drew out the Greedy Notebook. It felt heavier than before—perhaps only his imagination. He opened it, expecting to pay ten pence for news, but instead of the usual payment page the leaves spilled messages at once:

[Number One: Are you there?]

[Number Two: Older Brother? Is that you? You're still alive, right? Are you the one using the Secret Notebook?]

[Number Two: Edward Older Brother and I are worried, but don't tell me where you are or what you're doing. I'm afraid the alchemists will divine it.]

[Number Two: Edward Older Brother says strange people are gathering outside our house—they must be enforcers sent to capture you. Don't worry about us. You must stay safe.]

[Number Two: Today a woman claiming to be a Westminster agent came. She said Edward Older Brother and I are now protected under the Westminster Family Safeguard Ordinance. She also said you're still working to rid yourself of your sentence. I'm happy—because you're alive. Even if I can't see you, I can almost hear you breathing.]

[Number Two: Please hold on.]

The messages stopped. The timestamps showed they had arrived shortly after Baron's own last note—yet yesterday he had felt no tell-tale thump in his chest. The latest message had just come.

Something was wrong. Yesterday's notes had arrived without warning, yet today's had triggered the usual jolt. He flipped to the index and found every date that once demanded payment now lay open. He tapped one at random:

[Number Two: Older Brother, don't be sad or angry. I'll stay with you always. Freya-Lancelot can't destroy us. Just like we promised when we were small, we'll keep walking, side by side.]

The original Number One had never answered.

He switched dates.

[Number Two: Older Brother, have you really decided to leave? Please don't abandon me—take me with you.]

Another date:

[Number Two: Inner London is raining. I've boarded the dragon-train. I hope to see you soon.]

[Number Two: Edward Older Brother wrote back—he'll take us in.]

After skimming the rest, Baron closed the notebook and exhaled. Part of him was moved by the bond between the original body and his younger sister, Yelena; the greater part, however, sensed something amiss. He reached with his spirit into the ring, and his expression slowly darkened.

He might be a Dragon-Knight, a Blood-Sect demon-hunter, a Westminster agent, a fugitive, a hijacker, an atheist—but never again a young millionaire on the run. The damned Secret Notebook had devoured every last pound of his fortune.

As fury threatened to burst his veins, rustling came from the surrounding forest. The keen hearing of a Dragon-Knight told him Constantine pursuers had closed in faster than expected. For a moment he wondered: he had taken no trail, and his draconic strength let him race through the underbrush like a shadow; yet he felt as though he had run for miles only to stand still.

He thrust the lost fortune from his mind. Escape came first. He quickened his pace and vanished.

Five minutes later, dozens of lions burst from the trees. At their head rode Solon, astride a silver lion that snorted white mist. Silver lions were the Lion-Pupil Knights' badge: only Black-Iron ranked contract knights accepted by such a beast could join. Yet contracting a lion did not guarantee mastery; often one beast bonded with several riders. For the lion, the difference between choosing one person or many was trivial—all that mattered was the courage to meet the lion's gaze. Unless your bravery far surpassed the lion's, earning its willing submission—like Knight-Commander Wild of the Knights Templar—or unless you could afford its upkeep, which sometimes equaled a small town's annual taxes—like the old-blood Constantines.

Solon ordered the silver lion to track Baron's scent, then commanded the pack bearing the servants to follow. Two servants were left behind to guide the arriving griffin-knights.

Half an hour later they surrounded Baron.

The moment they met, Solon drew his wand, flicked out a spell card, and tapped the card to release the spell. A deep-purple cage crashed down and clamped Baron inside. The silver lion growled low; Solon's voice turned savage. "Baron Constantine, you can deceive anyone—except me."

His hand hovered over his dead right eye. "I've waited far too long. I'll tear out your eyes the way you tore out mine!"

Inside the cage, Baron only sighed. "So that's the price of the Forbidden Object."

---

Westminster Bank European Headquarters, Deputy Director's Office.

Howard Davis rubbed his chin. "By now Constantine should be paying for the Cocoon of Delusion, shouldn't he?"

Secretary Stella, annotating a file titled Demolishing the Pyramid of Khufu to Contain the Mummy, replied without looking up. "According to the layers he reported, he still has eight random jumps left."

"Did you tell him about the price?" Howard asked.

Stella closed her notebook. "I forgot."

"Eight jumps," Howard murmured. "Let's hope he survives."

—

Secret Notebook of Baron Constantine (original body)

8 April 1975 / Plains / Cloudy

Mother is dead. Father is heartbroken. To keep Yelena from crying, I smiled all day and Master Zophy beat me for it.

Later Master Zophy gave me a glass bead. He said it's the greatest alchemical craft in the world. Yelena loved it, so I traded it for the crystal necklace Mother left her. She agreed—I'm such a fool. It was the greatest alchemical craft in the world!