“We’re probably wasting our time even talking to this guy.”Adam began to steer a slightly bewildered Ellie toward the door.
“I am a critical part of this mission!”Dawson called after them indignantly.
“That right?”Adam tossed back as though only half paying attention.
“I will have you know that I was specifically requested to come lend my expertise to this endeavor,” Dawson asserted defensively.
Adam raised his eyebrows in a poor imitation of being impressed.“Were you, now?”
Ellie bit her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud.
“Well, some mere colonial administrator can hardly be expected to know about the relevant ancient history and linguistic problems posed by such an expedition,” Dawson elaborated self-importantly.
“Suppose not,” Adam easily agreed.“Borthwick must have been real glad when you turned up.”
“He is not the most effusive person, but I believe my value will become clear enough as things move along,” Dawson returned, brushing at the lapel of his dinner jacket.
Ellie wondered if he realized that he had just mindlessly confirmed that he was working with the secret police chief.
“And just how long has he had to appreciate your value?”Adam dryly pressed.
Dawson frowned.“Three days?”
“Somebody wired you guys in Egypt?”Adam guessed.
“It was a telephone call, actually,” Dawson returned with a conceited frown.“One can hardly trust these sorts of matters to the wires.”
Ellie considered the number of operators required to connect a call from London to Cairo, all of whom would have been capable of listening in on it.
She refrained from commenting.
“Has Borthwick been a part of your order for long?”Adam casually prompted.
“What—him?He hardly knows anything about the ancient world.”
“Then how’d he become interested in the Brahmastra?”Ellie cut in impatiently.
Dawson waved a dismissive hand, apparently unconcerned to learn that his enemies knew the name of the arcanum that he had been sent to India to find.“Word of it popped up in one of his intelligence networks, and the colonel could hardly leave something like that simply lying around for anyone to pick up, could he?The thing might be used to start a revolution.Thankfully, he at least knew enough about what was going on to reach out to—”
Dawson clamped his mouth shut, his eyes finally narrowing with suspicion.
“Pretty sure it was Aldbury,” Adam offered helpfully.
The professor crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.“I know what you’re doing.You can’t make me tell you anything!”
Adam took a step toward him.The loose, lazy way he moved gave the lie to the civilized veneer of his formal dress.“Pretty sure I could,” he drawled.
Ellie wondered if the room had just grown a little hotter.
Dawson scrambled back until he bumped up against a shelf of linens, arms splayed out to grip the stacks of towels.
Adam tilted his head as he contemplated the sweating academic.“What do you think, Princess?”
“I think we need to know where Borthwick has gone with the manuscript,” Ellie replied—finding that she was rather enjoying this.
“Couldn’t agree more.”Adam had come close enough to Dawson that he now glared down at him with a looming air of obvious threat.
Ellie frowned.“Though I can’t say that I approve of torture.”
