to regulations. There’s always someone checking something.”
“Remember, no one at the Big Ear is to even suspect we’re interested,” said the Matriarch. “We don’t want the leak to take fright and run before we know how much damage they’ve done, and who they’ve talked to.”
“Teach your grandmother to juggle eggs,” I said. “Now, what did the Prime Minister tell you that you’re not telling me? What makes the Big Ear so important to us, that we need to get involved?”
The Matriarch chose her words carefully. “Officially, the Big Ear was created to spy on terrorists, but really it’s there to spy on people. All the people, all the time. So the Government can know what they’re doing, what they’re talking about, and what they’re planning . . . so those in power can stop any trouble before it can get started.”
“Trouble?” said Molly, frowning darkly.
“Anything that might make trouble for the Government,” said the Matriarch.
“Listening to everyone, public and private?” I said. “Is that even legal?”
“If the Government does it, it must be legal,” said the Matriarch. “They make the laws.”
“And we don’t like Governments that get above themselves,” I said.
“No,” said the Matriarch. “We don’t. But I’m more interested in this marvellous new device they have that allows them to listen in on absolutely everything. Even we don’t have anything that wide-ranging. I need to know what this device is, Eddie, and where they got it. In case we decide they can’t be trusted with it. At the very least, I expect you to come back with a full set of plans so the Armourer can duplicate it.”
I looked at her thoughtfully. “This new Prime Minister is a bit frisky, isn’t he? Contacting you directly out of the blue and asking for a favour? There used to be whole layers of protocol for people like that to go through before they got to you.”
“In the old days, he wouldn’t have dared,” the Matriarch agreed. “But things have changed. You changed them. As long as he’s still sufficiently respectful, and scared, I’ll settle for that.”
“What,” I said carefully, “are my instructions for this mission? Exactly?”
“Find out the source of the problem,” said the Matriarch, just as carefully. “And then do whatever you feel necessary to bring the situation to a close.”
“Ah, good,” I said. “Nothing at all ambiguous there. But remember, I won’t kill.”
“I’m not asking you to kill,” said the Matriarch. “Just asking you to spy.”
“All right,” I said. “I’ll take the case. As a favour to you. But this is conditional on your agreeing that the family will use all its resources to locate my mother and father.”
The Matriarch nodded quickly. “Agreed. We will find them, Eddie. Wherever they are. After all, no one can hide from us.”
“Charles and Emily have managed pretty well so far,” said Molly.
“Only because we didn’t really care,” said the Matriarch. “But I have a condition of my own, Eddie. And I’m afraid I’m not in a position to negotiate about this. Before you leave on your mission you must hand over the Merlin Glass, into the family’s keeping.”
“Of course,” I said.
The Matriarch looked at me. “What?”
“I’d already decided to give the Glass to the Armourer,” I said. “The damned thing’s been acting up so much recently, it’s no use to me any more.”
“You’re being very reasonable,” said the Matriarch, clearly looking for the catch, and disturbed because she couldn’t see it.
“I am being reasonable,” I said, “so that you will be reasonable. Don’t give me reason to regret it.”
Molly came forward to stand before me. She planted both fists on her hips and glared right into my face. “That’s it? After all we went through to break you free from your family so we could make a life together? You’re ready to go back and work for them again?”
“Only because I have to,” I said. “To get what I want.”
“Give me time and I’ll find your parents!” said Molly. “I have resources your family never even dreamed of. People will talk to me who would never talk to them!”
“I’m not sure my mother and father have time,” I said. “They’ve been gone too long. No arguments, Molly. I’ve made up my mind.”
She sniffed loudly. “That’s what you think. There will be words, later.”
“I’m sure there will,” I said.
The Matriarch started to say something. Molly and I both looked at her, and she thought better of it.
“I’ll go see the Armourer,” I said. “You can ask me one more question before I go,