Page 28 of The Dark Mirror

Maria soon returned and sat beside me, handing me a paper bag. ‘Hungry?’

‘Thanks.’

‘A pity we didn’t stop in Vienna. Best coffeehouses in Europe, if I remember correctly,’ she said. ‘Then again, I may not. I was quite drunk in Vienna.’

‘Oh?’

‘I wanted to learn more about clairvoyance, and I’d heard that London was the place to do it. I found a smuggler who claimed he could get me into Scion,’ she said. ‘A Dutch voyant named Jorien was making the same journey. We had given most of our money to the smuggler, but we spent our last week in the free world together, having the cheapest fun we could. Anything we wouldn’t be allowed to do in Scion.’ She popped a can open. ‘The smuggler abandoned us halfway, and Jorien was shot dead. I barely made it into France.’

‘You really went through the wringer to get to London.’

‘And now you know why I would prefer to avoid smugglers.’

We ate and drank in silence. I realised how little I was speaking at all of late, too confused or drained to follow conversations.

Once we had curbed our appetites, Maria got back out and switched on her electronic cigarette. I paced up and down the street, trying to stay awake.

When Radomír returned, a car was trailing him. It stopped on the other side of the street, and the window slid down, revealing a pale amaurotic in his forties. He wore a hardshell jacket over a fleece.

‘Harald,’ he said, giving me a nod. ‘I will be taking you to Command. Hello again, Nina.’

Maria retrieved her bag. ‘How are you, Harald?’

‘Well enough. Sorry to hear about Yousry.’

‘Yousry will be all right,’ Radomír said. ‘He has survived worse. I will visit him tomorrow.’

‘Send him my best. Dovizhdane,’ Maria said to him. ‘Thank you, once again, for bringing me to Prague. I would never have reunited with Verca if you hadn’t seen a spark in me.’

‘Less of a spark than a furnace. Please try not to burn any bridges with Command.’

‘We will do our best.’

A third car suddenly pulled up. Verca climbed out of the right side, a jersey thrown over her blouse and trousers.

‘Wait.’ Maria frowned. ‘What’s happening?’

‘Sorry, Radek,’ Verca said. ‘We came as quickly as we could.’

She strode towards us with a holdall. Harald looked at Radomír. ‘You didn’t mention another passenger.’

‘Command called my secretary just after we left,’ Radomír said. ‘They learned of an Italian employee at the Libuše Institute and asked if I could send Veronika along. I have no idea why.’

Harald nodded, but his mouth thinned. Verca opened the boot and tucked her bag into it.

‘I missed you, too,’ Maria said gravely.

‘Stop it.’

‘I will see you in a few days, Veronika,’ Radomír said. ‘Flora, Nina, I wish you the best for your onward journey.’

He returned to his car, while the one that had brought Verca flashed its headlamps and drove off. Harald watched us pile into the back seat.

‘Put us out of our misery, Harald.’ Maria put her seatbelt on. ‘Where in Italy is headquarters?’

‘I can’t tell you,’ Harald said.

‘Even though we’re going there?’

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