Meredith hadn't moved in at least a good half hour. What can she do? Wait for a miracle to happen, or just run into the pile and risk failing and getting caught? Her brain was at work, and there was no room for error in this situation, especially in a place like this.
From time to time she would sit down and think and then get up again to spy on the Bostonius which was always swarming with soldiers. The icing on the cake, it was starting to rain. Enough to catch a cold, but that was only a detail at the moment.
For the moment she favored the miracle. The question was what kind of miracle to expect...
Descole was running out of breath.
Where was she?
Constantly he had to make his way through the dark alleys of the Nest to avoid the soldiers as much as possible. Where was Swift anyway?
It's true that he hadn't found him crossed once since they fled. He stopped dead in his tracks and waited behind a wall until one of the groups of soldiers had gone away.
What was he going to do when he found himself in front of her? Tell the truth?
Oh, he would see! The soldiers were gone, so let's go!
He was soaking wet, the rain was getting heavier and heavier, one wondered if a storm would soon be coming.
He stopped in the middle of the race. Was it a piece of purple cloth he had seen?
He looked left, then right and wandered in the direction of what he had seen.
So he hadn't been dreaming. Meredith had her back to him, too busy keeping watch. He approached her at wolf's pace and, with the greatest of delicacy, placed his hand against the young woman's mouth.
Meredith panicked and turned around, her eyes round. Descole withdrew his hand and put his index finger on his lips, a sign of silence.
"-If I expected this kind of miracle..." she whispered, on edge.
"-You'd rather I left you with those lovely soldiers?
-It'll be all right, thank you. Why are you here? Alone, moreover?"
He sent her their brief adventures and what was decided afterwards.
"-Hm, I see." She finally replied in a dry tone.
She didn't dare to admit that she was more reassured now that she wasn't alone. Although, given the situation, she would have preferred Professor Layton...
"-There's no way I'm staying with you. I don't trust you anymore!
-What should I say then?"
A long silence followed. He was right, she had used him. She was beginning to feel some remorse.
She wiped off her glasses whose lenses were covered with multitudes of water pearls. Then she raised her head and stared at Descole, frowning:
"-Is it true what Luke said?"
Descole swallowed. The moment he dreaded...
"-Why are you so concerned about this?
-Your question is stupid.
-Would you believe a kid?
-A kid with more sense and intelligence than you? yes!"
The tone was up. She sighed for a moment and squeezed out her wet hair.
"-I have every right to ask you this at last! I don't know who you are, you who've been so discreet since I met you!
-What about you? Isn't that what you've done?!
-I had a very good reason, I said it loud and clear!
-Meredith, calm down.
-Slow down? We are in the middle of TARGENT's headquarters, crawling with soldiers ready to catch us! Not to mention the fact that you're just sitting there trying to hide behind your stupid mask! And you're trying to lecture me and then order me to calm down!?
-For God's sake, Meree, please!"
She hiccupped, stopping dead in her tracks, her eyes blank in the face of what Descole had just shouted.
"-There's only one person who used that diminutive..."
Descole remained silent in front of the young woman. He just stared into her eyes, her pretty, clear eyes that were fogged with tears.
"-Take off... Take off that mask.
-Meredith, I-
-Take it off!"
She screamed it, it was louder than she could hear. The masked man didn't move and kept looking at her for a brief moment.
Did he have a choice?
Actually, he didn't. He sighed and slowly, with a trembling hand, put his thumb under her mask and carefully removed it, taking care to close his eyes, lest he should cross her gaze.
"-open your eyes.
-Are you sure of-
-I asked you to open your eyes...Please."
And he opened his eyes. Meredith was petrified, paying no attention to the tears streaming down her cheeks.
"-Those eyes of such a special color...I would know them in a thousand..."
He put his mask back on.
"-Professor Sycamore...
-I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I really am. But..."
She wouldn't listen to him anymore. It all made sense now: Sycamore not found, Raymond, the Bostonius, those familiarities, the mask...And then...
"-And a stone, two blows! My friends, we hit hard this time."
The two fugitives turned around, surprised. Swift...With a horde of soldiers. As usual, Descole brandished his sword, which resulted in a dozen guns pointed at him.
"-Guns are stronger than a simple sword, you know that, I hope?
-Swift, please lower those guns!
-Or what ?"
He was all smiles. Meredith figured she needed a second miracle. Unfortunately, we shouldn't take too much of the good stuff.
"-I've waited long enough, I'm not letting you go a second time.
-And I wouldn't let her be at the mercy of TARGENT a second time.
-Look at that. How about a knight Descole?"
He ticked. He wanted to shoot back but he couldn't.
"-Meredith make it easy on me and surrender. I'll leave your professor out of this."
She hesitated, yes, hesitated. Surrender again? It's what she deserved after what she'd done. But everything she'd done so far... She hadn't done all this for nothing!
"-No way, I won't make the same mistake twice!
-All right then, I'll have to do it the hard way, and God knows I don't like that way..."
Swift was always so quiet, with a soft tone. It was almost frightening, disturbing. He snapped his fingers and the soldiers came dangerously close.
Two against... A good ten. A crushing victory. Descole didn't know what to do, the slightest misstep would cost him his life.
"-Master, miss!"
The two challenged didn't have time to turn to their voices, their sight was blurred by thick white smoke.
Meredith felt herself being pulled by the arm, while the soldiers and their boss coughed, caught unawares by what had just happened. She could hear them swearing and Swift screaming her name.
She found herself headfirst into the Bostonius, completely turned upside down.
"-Thank God, Raymond, you and your smoke bombs saved us.
-I only did my duty, master..."
The young woman tried to come to her senses.
"-How...
-Raymond's smoke bombs are still a great help.
-...But where are the Professor and his apprentice?"
Descole looked around. Not a trace of them. He looked approvingly at his butler and headed for the exit.
"-Please Raymond, stay with her.
-Yes, sir."
And he disappeared. Raymond took care to set Meredith up on one of the sofas and loaned her a towel so she could dry off after all that freezing rain. Then he sat down in turn, facing her. He looked at her with his sorry little eyes. She seemed lost, collapsed, tired, sad?
"-Then it was you...
-Raymond...Excuse me!"
She burst into tears.
"-Come on, Miss..."
He handed her a tissue, a sorry look too. He waited patiently for her tears to dry.
"-If you only knew how relieved I am that you are alive...
-I...I had no choice...
-I know that. I don't blame you. The important thing is that you're safe."
She just nodded.
"-Then the professor...Descole...
-He finally told you, so...
-I can't believe it...He's so different...Why...Since when?
-Since you left. He had a lot to deal with. His wife, his daughter...And then you.
-So he finally got his revenge..."
Raymond nodded in his turn.
"-I don't know what to say...
-I understand."
Raymond got up and went to make her a cup of tea, it will help her relax. Meredith thanked him warmly and sipped her tea.
"-I think you should discuss this with him later...
-You're right, Raymond. I'm finally reassured he's still alive..."
Raymond smiled at her.
"-Professor Layton was right... I should have asked him directly for my help, instead of doing all of this scheming...
-I'm sure Victoria didn't mean any harm, not even you."
She looked at him for a moment and put down her cup slowly, now empty.
"-She...was somewhat blinded. And so was I...I'm very sorry.
-Master doesn't blame you. Nobody blames you.
-What do you know, Raymond...?
-In the last few years I've had to deal with a lot of things, each one more surprising than the last. I know the gentleman well and so does Mr. Layton and his apprentice. Mademoiselle, you are not a bad person. You didn't do this just for the fun of it.
-Yes, but... I hurt him... I think he liked Victoria... So to know she was just a disguise...
-So? It's true that master seemed to like her very much. Perhaps you could...leave her alive? Make it more than a disguise? Just see how it turned out with sir."
She thought for a moment. Raymond was not wrong.
The butler turned his head to the dashboard of the Bostonius and smiled a reassuring smile.
"-There they are."