Consequences 1

Introduction

I waited in the little used tunnel for the servant to retrieve the bottle of wine he'd been sent for then followed him a short distance to the secret door my sources had told me would be there. Quickly and silently I slipped into the small opening, waiting for the door to close to switch on my single point pencil thin LED torch. Finding the steps that led upwards, I proceeded up the steps mindful, as always of any sound I was producing. I had no intention of drawing attention to myself.

I got to the other end of the passage and paused, my ear to the door. It was supposed to open out into a private office but there may have been changes made since my source was created. Not hearing any telltale sound, I quietly opened the door and slipped into the dark office. Soft-padding over to the door, I made sure it was shut securely and made my way to the case that held my target.

It was a ruby cabochon in the shape of a heart and the biggest one I'd seen yet. I was tempted to say it was fake, manufactured, but my buyer would easily get a valuer in to value its intrinsic value. Rumour had it that it was worth in the tens of millions but I questioned the rumour.

I moved up to the casing. It was a pedestal-type with a glass domed canopy over the stone itself. I examined every part of the pedestal and was surprised to see just an ordinary alarm system that I easily bypassed. I was used to much more sophisticated systems and I nearly laughed aloud until I remembered where I was. Being in the palace probably made them think they were much more secure than the museum or Aleuetta Banking and Investment.

Working through the security system one digit at a time frazzled my nerves until I was at a high tension level. Before I removed the dome casing, I sat on a nearby chair and breathed slowly until I was calm again. I wasn't going to take a risk with the casing let alone getting the stone out. When I was ready, I stepped up to the pedestal again.

Lifting the dome took a little more than I thought. It was heavier than it appeared and I placed it on the carpeted floor beside me gently. Without placing my hands on the stone I studied the stand and its surrounds visually. The only thing I couldn't tell was if there was a pressure switch. Turning my attention away from the Heart of Radiance, I turned to the desk that also resided in the room and studied the objects on its surface. Finding a suitable paperweight, I moved back to the pedestal and, once my nerves were steady, swapped the cabochon for the paperweight. I stood perfectly still for a few seconds, counting to ten seconds, then slipped the Heart of Radiance into a pocket and quickly returned the dome to its original position, reactivating the security system attached to the pedestal.

Backtracking my steps, I headed back to the secret passage and slipped inside, again waiting until the door had closed before activating my pencil torch. As I raised the light to eye level I almost dropped it at the sight that met my eyes.

In front of me stood Crown Prince Hector and two of his guards. They were the last people I expected to see.