"You're sure you want to do this?" Catherine asked.
"Positive," answered Vincent.
They were seated in Father's study, staring across the table at each other. Seated at his desk, Father looked on, mildly annoyed.
"But if you're afraid," he said smoothly, "it's not too late to change your mind."
She looked deeply into his eyes. "Do I look like I'm afraid?" she returned just as smoothly.
He raised an eyebrow: was it courage, or recklessness? He extended his closed fists. She tapped his left hand. He opened it to reveal the white queen.
"Yours will be the first move," he said. "You see we each have a light-colored square at the bottom, on our right-hand side. Do you know how each piece moves?"
She touched the pieces as she spoke of them. "Pawns, forward to progress, diagonal to capture, one space at a time."
"Except on their first move, when they can move two forward spaces."
She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know that. Thank you." She smiled, and he bowed his head. "The rook moves forward and backward, and side to side, as many spaces as he wants. The knight moves two spaces, then one to the left or right. He's the only one that can jump over other pieces. The bishop can move any number of space he wants, on the diagonal. The queen can move any direction, any number of spaces, but she can't jump over pieces. The king can move any direction, but only one space at a time."
"So, the king is the most important piece, because he determines win or loss. But the queen," he picked up the black queen, and stayed focused on it as he spoke, "the queen is the most powerful piece."
She remained silent, as Vincent appeared to be lost in thought.
"Sorry," he said, coming to himself. "My mind wandered. I was thinking about the Griffins. This is true of the Griffins as well, Bishop is the most important person, but Moira is the most powerful." He paused for a moment longer. "Let's move on to basic strategy."
Cullen strode in, and surveyed the scene. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded. "What are you doing? Our lives are on the line, and you're playing chess?"
"I am trying to think of options, Cullen," answered Vincent.
Cullen flopped down in an armchair. "Unbelievable. Father?"
He sighed. "I'm taking a break from thinking."
Pascal emerged from the stacks, browsing through the book he'd chosen.
"I'll set up the board with the pieces in various positions, and we'll discuss the best strategic move that can be made," Vincent said to Catherine as he arranged the board. Breadcrumbs fell down and landed on the table beside her hand; Catherine glanced up and saw Mouse and Jamie, observing from the balcony above. Mouse was still eating toast from breakfast.
She returned her attention to the board. Vincent had finished his arrangement, and sat with his hands folded. "Survey the board, Catherine. Now, tell me what move you would make?" She hesitated.
"Think of it like this, Catherine: give the pieces pretend point values," volunteered Jamie. "Play like the pawns are worth one point, the bishops and the knights are worth three, the rooks are worth five, and the queen is worth nine."
"What's the king worth?" she asked.
"No points for the king," said Mouse. "Capture king, game over."
"When did you start playing chess, Mouse?" asked Cullen.
"Mouse never played chess," he answered. "Mouse watches."
"Also keep in mind your objectives," added Father. "Your main objective is to mate the king. After that, you try to win a piece, and if that is not possible, you try to promote a pawn."
"So much good advice," said Vincent, eyes twinkling with amusement. "So, Catherine, what move will you make?"
She touched a knight. The entire room sucked in its breath. She re-examined, and realized her king would've been mated immediately by a rook. She pulled back her hand. She touched her king—they all howled and waved their hands. She pulled back her hand. She took a breath. She moved her queen, and took his bishop. The room cheered, and she smiled.
"Bet you never saw that coming, Vincent!" said Jamie.
He looked up to see Mary, Mac and Sarah had entered the room, and were also watching the lesson. "No," he said. "I never saw it coming." He covered one of Catherine's hands with his own. "Let's have some tea."
He rose and moved to the desk where Father had a pot, and poured a mug. He offered it to Catherine, and poured another for himself. "What if there were a way we could attack the Griffins, where they could not see us coming?"
"No way, Vincent. There's only one way in there," answered Mac.
"What if the attack came from within? What if they were to attack each other?" asked Vincent.
"They always fight each other," said Mouse.
"What if this fight was worse than usual? What if…jealousy is one of the most powerful feelings we have. What if one of them became jealous of another?"
"I'm sure they're already very jealous of each other," said Mary.
"What if one of them thought Bishop was playing favorites?" asked Catherine.
"What if Moira thought Bishop was favoring someone else's kids over hers?" asked Sarah.
"Bishop fathered children with another woman beside Moira?" asked Catherine.
"At least," quipped Pascal. "He had Don and Robert with his first wife—"
"'Wife'?" interjected Father.
"Figure of speech, Father—then he had Kyle with Moira, then there was an indiscretion, or two."
"What ever happened to his first wife?" asked Catherine.
"After Moira was made Number One, no one ever saw his first wife again," answered Pascal.
"It's most likely that Moira either killed her or had her killed," added Mary.
"She might still be trying to compete with a memory," Catherine pointed out, "and jealous of any attention or favoritism Bishop shows to Don or Robert over Kyle."
Vincent floated the idea, "What if we could make Moira think that Bishop had given Don a gift, but had not given one to Kyle?"
"What kind of a gift could we use?" asked Mary.
"We could paint a rock black—if Kyle saw Don with it, he'd go out of his mind," said Father.
"Let's do that," said Vincent. "Mouse, you have that beautiful piece of black obsidian, can we use it?"
"Sure!" Mouse readily agreed.
"Fine. Can you mount it on a brass setting, and make a chain for it?"
"Can do!"
"I can help make the chain," volunteered Jamie.
"I think we could sneak it to one of the children," said Mac.
"I know!" exclaimed Sarah. "We sneak it to Samantha, tell her to give it to Don, and then spread a rumor that Bishop gave it to Don!"
"Perfect!" exclaimed Catherine. Winslow, Mouse and Jamie worked together to create the piece, and when it was finished, it was exquisite. Mouse had carved the obsidian into an oval shape, and mounted it in the middle of a brass Cross of St. James that Winslow helped forge. Jamie had worked brass wire into a beautiful, thick, twisted chain.
Once again, Randolph and Emily, Scott and Elisa, with Mac, Sarah, Winslow and Mary lagging at their fringe, made the crossing to Charing Cross to beg the same guards to let them visit their children. And this time, Sarah and Mac sidled, slid, squeezed and crawled through the fissure to where they could see the children playing. Mac saw Samantha, and tapped pipe code to draw her over. He quickly gave her instructions, and gave her the necklace. She scampered quickly back to the games, before she was missed.
They returned to the staging area, all wearing broad smiles. "Mission accomplished," announced Elisa to the gathered community.