The Osiris Curse by Paul Crilley

dead?”
    â€œI’m afraid so.”
    Octavia could barely believe it. Nikola Tesla was…he was the father of the modern age, even more so than Babbage or Lovelace. He was responsible for almost every technological advance the British Empire had enjoyed over the past few decades. It was his inventions that enabled them to move information wirelessly between computing devices, his Tesla Towers that supplied power to the country, his inventions that drove the new turbines.
    â€œWe didn’t see a body,” said Tweed.
    â€œIt was there. Shoved up against a wall. But I’m afraid it gets worse. You see, Tesla had been given new orders. To develop weapons to protect the country against invasion. With all the trouble from the Tsar, and the rumblings from Germany, it was thought wise for him to turn his thoughts to defense.”
    Chase turned away from the window. “He was developing various weapons. One of them was a machine that could cause earthquakes. Another was a death ray that could be built along the coast to shoot enemy airships out of the sky.”
    â€œHow close was he to perfecting these weapons?” asked Tweed.
    â€œHe was in the prototype stage already,” said Temple. “All Tesla’s notes were taken. All his plans for these weapons.”
    â€œDo you think it’s the Russians again? The Tsar trying for revenge?”
    â€œWe have no idea,” said Chase.
    â€œCan you think of anything else you might have seen?” pressed Temple. “Anything at all?”
    Octavia glanced at Tweed and raised her eyebrows. He frowned, then headed over to the desk and sketched something on a piece of paper.
    â€œWe found this,” he said, handing it to Temple. “It was on a ring. The one called Sekhem dropped it.”
    Octavia frowned, wondering why Tweed wasn’t just giving Temple the actual ring. She was about to say something, but Tweed looked at her and shook his head slightly. She sighed and closed her mouth.
    â€œEgyptian,” said Temple, sounding surprised. He gave it to Chase, who inspected it with interest.
    â€œWhere is the ring now?” asked Chase.
    â€œAt my house. I didn’t want to carry it around with me.”
    â€œWhy would the Egyptians want Tesla dead?” asked Octavia.
    â€œThe same reason anyone would want him dead. To reduce the power of the British Empire,” said Temple.
    â€œThere is someone else who knows about this symbol,” said Octavia. “An archeologist called Stackpole. Apparently, he found it out in Egypt. He’s been asking his colleagues at the museum to help him identify it.”
    â€œInteresting,” said Temple. “We’ll look into it.”
    â€œSo what do you want us to do?” asked Octavia.
    Chase looked at her in surprise. “ You ? What do you mean?”
    â€œYou’re training us up. On the orders of the Queen. We can help.”
    Chase laughed. “No. I think not. Whatever Her Majesty has planned for you it does not involve working on Secret Service missions. You’re both just children. What could you possibly do to help?”
    â€œWe saved the Queen. And the prince. And stopped a world war,” said Tweed quietly.
    Chase waved this away. “As I’ve said before, a fluke. You will both return to your homes. Your training is on hiatus until this is all sorted out.”
    â€œBut Wilberforce is my only lead to finding my mother,” protested Octavia.
    â€œBad luck. Tesla’s plans are much more important. Your mother is not a mission parameter.”
    â€œA mission parameter?” said Tweed. “Do you even hear yourself speak? That’s a human being you’re talking about. A real person.”
    â€œI know,” said Chase coldly. “But when weighed against the potential deaths of thousands should our enemies construct even one of those weapons, a single person just isn’t that important.”
    â€œYou