LITMIR.BIZ

      

       Project Mercury

      ed’s heart was racing. Finally an answer, some clue as to where his parents had been taken, or at least why.

      “What’s happened to my parents?” he asked. “What’s going on?”

      In reply, the Farseer only clapped her hands, and two men in pinstripe suits entered the tent.

      “These are …” began Madame Oublier.

      “Mr Cook and Mr Smalls,” said Ned. “We’ve met before.”

      “Indeed,” said Mr Smalls, with a nod.

      The pinstripes acted as spies on Ned’s side of the Veil. They infiltrated every level of the josser world, from its newsrooms and government right through to its police. It was their job to alert the Twelve of any issues ahead of time.

      Mr Cook cleared his throat.

      “Ladies, gentlemen, George. You all know how bad things have been of late. It would appear that someone is helping Darklings to cross over to the josser side of the Veil. There have also been several sightings of Demons, though their aversion to daylight has at least kept the sightings brief, and their impact minimal. Like you, the other circuses under the Twelve’s command are struggling to keep up and we are at the point of needing outside assistance.”

      Ned shifted uncomfortably. On the countless occasions back at the house that he’d argued to see his old friends at the circus, not once had his mum and dad told him about the trouble they were clearly having.

      “It points to a much larger conspiracy,” said Mr Smalls. “And one that has both the Twelve and their allies extremely concerned. Master Armstrong, the liquid you found has been seen elsewhere and it is because of this that we have come to see you. I’m afraid the incident at your home today was but one of many.”

      Ned felt the hairs on his skin stand on end. His mum and dad had been kidnapped, that much the nit inspector had made quite clear. What Ned didn’t know yet was what the creature intended to do with them. He saw Lucy grabbing on to George’s fur so hard that the ape gave a genuine flinch, and even Benissimo was on the edge of his seat, whilst also clearly annoyed that there was intel he had not been told about.

      “Well, go on, man, spit it out!” said the Ringmaster.

      “Well, the link, sir, is in the liquid itself, or rather its presence at the scene of the crimes. Several months ago, we caught wind of some abnormal robberies. Abnormal because of the techniques employed, and the target: always gold, never cash or other valuables. At first we thought little of it, till the larger banks started to report similar incidents. Things came to a head when entire national gold reserves went missing. We are talking about thousands of metric tonnes of gold here, disappearing in mere minutes. The last robbery took place in Fort Knox, America. Gentlemen, ladies, erm, George, all of the world’s gold reserves – and I do mean all of them – have been … stolen.”

      As shocking as the news was, Ned still didn’t understand how it had anything to do with the disappearance of his parents.

      “Naturally the media have kept very quiet,” said Mr Cook, taking over. “If this news were to become public, the effect on the world’s stock markets would be disastrous. It is the motive that concerns us more.”

      There was a long pause.

      “Which is …?” asked Benissimo.

      A pause, as Mr Cook blinked. “Oh,” he said. “You misunderstand. We have no idea what the motive could possibly be. That is what bothers us.”

      “And now the same liquid we found at Fort Knox, and all the other gold robberies, has been found at Master Ned’s house,” said Mr Smalls. “Presumably, the culprit is the same. Just as with the other kidnappings.”

      “The other kidnappings,” said Ned. “You mean the ones on the news?”

      “Oui,” said Madame Oublier. “It is not only gold zat is missing but people, very particular kinds of people, who have been taken from their homes and always in their wake a trail of zis liquid metal. Ned, your father is ze last in a long line of scientists, engineers and construction workers who have been taken from their homes. As soon as we saw ze connection in disappearances we sent word for your parents to come into our care. Zey would not budge.”

      Ned thought back to all the reports on the telly. Even as he faced the bargeist at home, the radio had been doing a piece on kidnapping. And all the while his parents had known.

      “They knew they were in danger?!”

      “Oui.”

      Ned’s rising concern over his parents’ safety started to shift into something else. Why make him train night after night and then, when they knew trouble was near their door, say nothing?

      He felt the ring at his finger crackle and to his left a cup rose from its saucer without him trying to lift it. Madame Oublier’s eyes sharpened.

      She turned to Mr Cook and Mr Smalls.

      “Sank you, gentlemen, you may leave.” She motioned for her bodyguards to follow and waited till the tent’s opening was properly closed before turning back to Ned with a kindly expression.

      “Monsieur Ned! Remain calm. Have you asked yourself why your parents did not seek shelter with the Hidden?”

      The cup clattered back down to its saucer.

      “No, no, I haven’t.”

      “For you, Ned. Zey wanted

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