Undercover - Steam Power - Book 5

Part 16 - The Royal Oak

We made slow progress the next day over the muddy roads and Dr Zhang became increasingly worried that we would not make it to Plymouth before sunset. And then we had to wait for the carriage ferry. 

 However, we arrived with time to spare. Dr Zhang paid off our coachman while we walked into the Royal Oak. Squire Trevelyan seemed not to have moved from his comfortable chair by the fireplace and he stood up unsteadily to greet us.

'Well met. Well met,' he said. 'I am so glad to see you all . . . But, I must tell you,' his voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, 'the officers of the CURIOUS have already visited this inn looking for deserters. They asked if anyone had seen four boys with an elderly man.' 

 Squire Trevelyan looked puzzled and counted us twice. You've lost two boys and gained one girl . . . or I've had too much wine this evening.'

We quickly explained that Lee was in disguise and we had left Alfie with Mr Watt but Squire Trevelyan still looked puzzled and counted us again. 

 'They said the ring leader was a boy with red hair . . . And, I must also report, some concern about the strange lights that appeared at the inn during the past week. One of the locals claims we are haunted. He is said to have seen a man walk through the wall,' he said to Dr Zhang.

 'However, he is a notorious drunkard and few believe him. But, come, I am sure you must be hungry. Let me order dinner.'

'We shall be leaving soon,' Dr Zhang said. 'We came only to thank you and bid you goodbye but perhaps we have time for some bread and your excellent cheese. 

 'How long have we got to wait?' I asked Dr Zhang. He looked out of a window at the sunset. 'I guess about half an hour.' 

 Licia was also looking out of the window. 'We may have to leave the inn sooner than that,' she said. 'I just saw Zooming Carpet talking to Lieutenant Shovelle and they are heading up the street toward us.'

 'They'll recognize Denny, Miguel and me,' I said to Squire Trevelyan. 'May we borrow your room. They don't know Dr Zhang and they won't recognize Licia, I mean Lee, in that dress.'

 The front door started to open. 'Quickly,' Licia hissed. Denny and Miguel were already out the door but there was no way I could make it across the room. I looked around quickly. 'Squire Trevelyan, sir, may I borrow your wig.'

'You need a disguise?' he said quickly. 'Certainly. Borrow my pince-nez too.' He stood up and handed me the wig and a pair of small round lenses dangling from a black ribbon. In my haste I put the wig on backwards with the pig tail dangling over my nose. Squire Trevelyan smiled as he turned it around and clipped the eye glasses on my nose. I sat down snatched up his newspaper - the Times of London - and pretended to read. 

 Denny and Miguel disappeared through the back door just as Harpetzoon Tromp's hip and shoulder squeezed sideways through the front door. These were followed by his head an the rest of his body.

'TWO FLAGONS OF ALE,' he bawled as he sat down on a bench next to us with Lieutenant Shovelle. The bench groaned under his weight as the landlord trotted over to take their order. They both looked inquisitively at Dr Zhang but soon resumed their conversation and ignored us.

 'Two flagons, surrz,' The landlord repeated as he poured the ale from a huge wooden jug into two large porcelain mugs. I listened while they chatted about the hunt for deserters and showed every sign that they intended to drink a lot of beer. A few more patrons walked in and Harpetzoon began staring at Dr Zhang who eventually got up and walked out through the front door. 

 'Who let that Chinee monkey in here,' Harpetzoon grumbled contemptuously. 

 I felt like slugging him but that would have been like a mosquito biting an elephant. I raised the newspaper a little higher as Licia whispered, 'Dr Zhang is holding ten fingers against the window. I guess that's a ten minute warning. We'd better get ready.'

She pressed her face against the window glass and giggled. On the other side, Uncle Dunc was break-dancing and making goose faces at her and Triple Oh was beckoning, come quickly.

I spoke to Squire Trevelyan in a low voice. 'When we come back, could you distract them long enough for us to get out the front door?' He nodded as I followed Licia casually through the back door. 

 Squire Trevelyan's room was only just big enough for the bed and four of us. Denny and Miguel had already changed and were wearing their eighteenth century coats on top. Licia started to untie the laces of her dress. 'You three look the other way,' she ordered as she pulled her dirty jeans from the bundle.

 I dutifully looked at the wall while I dropped Squire Trevelyan's wig and pince-nez onto the bed, kicked off my buckled shoes, pulled off my britches and wriggled into my jeans and running shoes.

'Drat . . . double drat,' Licia exclaimed. 'And drat . . . I can't get these laces undone.'

I turned around. 'Can we help? We're running out of time . . . er, no pun intended.'

'Don't look!' she snapped. 'I just have to unlace the petty coat.'

'Just grab your stuff and let's go,' Miguel urged impatiently.

'Uuugh!' Licia snorted. 'I am not going to walk into Silverwood School in my underwear.'