The Mammoth Book of Historical Crime Fic - By Mike Ashley Page 0,125

and the powder-plot priests captured with him, were taken to the Tower of London where, like the rest of the conspirators, they were tortured. Owen’s suffering was enhanced by his disability, and he was kept alive only through the application of a military breast plate, which prevented his intestines from spilling out of his body. With no confessions extracted, all of them were dragged to their place of execution, and there hanged until almost dead, before being disembowelled and cut into quarters. In 1970, Owen was canonized by the Catholic Church, and today is regarded by magicians and escapologists as their patron saint. On his death, in the grounds of Hindslip Hall, Peter Quick, agent to his Catholic Majesty Philip III of Spain, disappeared from the pages of history, as did what came to be known as the Quicksilver Crucifix. Thanks to Quick’s efforts, England and Spain were to remain at peace with one another for over a hundred years.

The Fourth Quadrant

Dorothy Lumley

When not occupied as a literary agent with her Dorian Literary Agency, Dorothy Lumley writes romance novels and stories, usually under the name of Jean Davidson. Her latest historical romance is House of Secrets (2010), and she also contributed the crime novel Lost and Found (2009) to the Black Star list, as Vivian Roberts. The following story marks her first appearance under her own name.

For this anthology, Dorothy was fascinated with the life of Ada Lovelace, who was a mathematical genius, and daughter of Lord Byron. Ada became involved with Charles Babbage, the creator of the Difference Engine – regarded as the world’s first computer – and assisted him in the creation of his new Analytical Engine. Although this was not completed, Ada’s notes include what experts have called the first computer program. The following story takes place early in Ada’s involvement with Babbage, in 1834, before she married William King, later the Earl of Lovelace.

Robert hefted the truncheon in his hand, feeling the warmth of the wood under his fingers. It was heavy, but then it needed to be to do this evening’s work. Inwardly he sighed. It was not work that he enjoyed, and it was not why he had joined the newly formed Metropolitan Police. But, judging from the expressions of some of the men around him, they were looking forward to this night’s work.

He cast his eyes over the police unit surrounding him. Some refused to meet his gaze. They were the nervous ones, often the youngest. Others, like him, had a set look that said: Come on, let’s get started, get it over with, then we can go home to our wives and sweethearts. But some met his gaze with a wink and a smirk. They and their sticks and cudgels would get pleasure from this night’s outing.

“All right Bob?” his friend Will, standing next to him, murmured.

“It still doesn’t seem right, breaking up a peaceable meeting, just because they’re talking about unions.”

“You’re in the Police now. Can’t take sides. Anyway, Sergeant says this ’un’s illegal.”

“Right boys, time to move forward.” Sergeant Cummings at last gave the order. Robert felt his pulse quicken. Gaslight flickered and hissed overhead – the lamplighters had already been abroad along Holborn and the Gray’s Inn Road on this damp October evening. The usual hubbub of carriages and carts and hansom cabs all fighting it out in the London street carried on. But he and the rest of his unit were about to enter a dark and unlit alley, right on the edge of a notorious Rookery. The notorious Rookery, in fact, where most of the poor Irish lived. Fortunately, the White Hart public house they were heading for, where the meeting was being held in a back room, or so they’d been informed, was nearby.

“You six go into the yard in the back, lay into anyone who sneaks out that way.” Sergeant Cummings picked the most eager-looking men. “Rest of you, follow me. Two short blasts on the whistle and we’re in. Right, boys?”

A flicker of white caught Robert’s eye as he moved into the alley behind Will. “Feargus O’Connor of the Northern Star and Robert Owen to speak concerning the Conditions and Plight of the Working Man …The Iniquity of the New Poor Law …” – he had to move on before he could read more of the poster. That would be a legitimate meeting, one they would not be called on to break up as had been happening so many times this past year all