The Case of the Saddle

The Case of the Saddle

Author: Deirdre Fitzpatrick

The ship set sail from Budapest headed West towards Vienna. Maisie was standing on the top deck watching the fireworks burst overhead. This was her third trip to the region, and she was familiar with the local customs, fireworks always saluted the Impresario as she left the port. The captain strode across the deck greeting the passengers and assuring one and all that this would be the trip of a lifetime. The lights faded and complete darkness took over. The ship was silent venturing towards the future. Maisie went below to the lounge and found Gaga, seated in a large brown leather chair scouring his maps. The two had an important meeting scheduled in Vienna and there could be no mistakes. Maisie pulled up a seat and slipped a carved pencil with etchings on it to the Gaga. The Gaga is one-of-a-kind, he's the oldest in the business, an octogenarian with a vast skill set, who is also one of Harvard's top art history scholars. Maisie was honored to have been chosen as the youngest agent to work with Gaga on this very important mission.

Gaga took the silver pencil in his right hand and rolled it in his fingers. He stopped suddenly and looked intently at Maisie and said, “This is going to change things.”

The plan had been to go to the Spanish Riding School at 5:00 AM to meet with the instructor of the royal dressage. The rumor in the most select of circles was that a gold and silver lined saddle belonging to The Sun King Louis the XIV, which had been stolen with a fake being put in its place. Yet the message carved into the pencil said otherwise.

“We will still meet with the instructor, but he has been sent to throw us off the trail. We will have to go in disguise.”

This thrilled Maisie to no end. She loved the endless supply of disguises that the duo had waiting for them in the state room and was very skilled at the application of fake noses and chins. Maisie left the table after the final toast of the evening and headed to the state room. The ship, the Impresario on which the two were sailing, was grand and ornate. It had been built in 1930 for the very elite crowds of Europe. It had three levels of rooms. The bottom level was for the crew and the third-class passengers. These rooms were respectable but had no windows and the bath was only a shower. The second level had rooms with full beds, bath, closets, and tables, with full windows just above water level so the passengers could sit and watch the sights go by as the crew commented on the history of the countryside. The third and top level was a sight to behold. The halls were lined with plush red carpets and real wood paneling on the walls. There were maps and pictures of a few of the dignitaries who had been guests on the ship. The rooms were large and luxurious. There were two full beds which were decked with fine linen and feather blankets. There was a full bath made of porcelain and a special heated rail so that the towels would be always warm. There was an art deco vanity with a full-length mirror in its center, but the crowning feature was the balcony. Each of the staterooms had glass French doors that opened out onto a private balcony. Here the passengers could sit in privacy and view the beauty of the countries through which the vessel carried them. It was on the balcony where the agent was waiting for Maisie and Gaga. He was an unwelcomed guest. Maisie turned the handle to enter the room. As she entered the room it was dark, but Maisie could see that the room had been sacked. The beds were disheveled, the drawers were opened and the disguises that had been on the vanity were on the floor. Gaga came in behind Maisie and knew what had taken place.

“You wait in the hall while I check the room Maisie, this may not be over.” said Gaga.

Maisie reluctantly stepped back. Gaga entered the room and shut the door. At that moment the man who had been hiding on the balcony pulled the French doors open and in a heavy Russian accent yelled,

“Hand me that pencil now or there will be trouble.”

The man charged at Gaga who was ready. Gaga, who still had his dinner jacket on raised his arm instantly then flicked his wrist in a downward motion. The thin blade that was strapped to Gaga's arm on a spring, jutted out of its sheath towards the Russian agent. Before the agent could make it off the balcony the blade flew forward and entered the man's right eye, smashing through the back of his skull. The man's body toppled back and hit the balcony railing before falling into the river. One of the neighboring passengers heard the splash and yelled that someone had fallen overboard. Gaga swung around and opened the door for Maisie.

He said, “we must contact Lowenstein and get out of here. Pack what you can; he will be here within the hour.”

“This is the captain speaking. All passengers must stay in their rooms as we have the Polizei here to investigate. Apparently, a body has been discovered in the river. I apologize for this inconvenience but those are my orders.”

Maisie and Gaga moved quickly in the room, packing only what they would need for the rest of the mission. Before the captain’s announcement, Maisie had gotten a call out to Lowenstein. The pair would have to listen for the rescue boat as it approached the ship. They would have to jump off the balcony where the incident with the Russian had taken place, and hopefully make it into the small speed boat before the officers made their entrance. If the room was searched then Maisie and Gaga would be detained until the agency could bail them out, missing their meeting in Vienna and compromising the life of one or all the famed Lipizzaner horses. If the duo failed to meet with the instructor of the dressage the device planted by the Russians would explode certainly killing the horses and any tourists who were there to see the morning exercises. Maisie heard the Polizie in the room next to theirs.

She turned to Gaga and said, “we must jump now. Lowenstein will either be here, or he will be here in a few minutes, either way we must jump.”

Gaga agreed. The two went out onto the balcony as the police began to knock on the door. The pair climbed up on the railing and jumped.

“Heavens!” Exclaimed Lowenstein as he struggled back to his feet. Gaga and Maisie had landed in the speeding boat right on top of Lowenstein.

“Next time try not to throw dead Russians overboard, eh mate.” Said Lowenstein jokingly as the boat sped down the river carrying Gaga and Maisie to Vienna.

Lowenstein was a British agent who had worked with Gaga for 10 years in East Berlin. Maisie loved to listen to the stories that would come out over dinner between Gaga and Lowenstein. The two had helped the allies bring an end to the Berlin Wall after meeting with President Reagan. If anyone looked closely at the crowd when the president gave his famous “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” speech, they could see Lowenstein. Gaga was next to Lowenstein disguised as an old woman but Maisie knew that it was him.

“How long will it take us to get to Vienna?” questions Gaga. “Well, we should be there by dawn. Try to get some rest.” stated Lowenstein.

With that Lowenstein pushed the throttle to the Max and the three flew through the night towards Vienna. At 4:00 AM the speed boat came to a stop on the bank 3 miles east of the center of Vienna. Lowenstein had arranged for a gypsy named Shashlik to meet Maisie and Gaga with his carriage. This was the quickest way to negotiate the cobble stone streets of the center without drawing attention. The Russians would be crawling all over the stables hoping to get the saddle and flee the country before the bomb went off. Maisie and Gaga bid farewell to Lowenstein and got into the carriage. The gypsy yelled a command in Hungarian and the horses broke into a gallop. The excitement was building as the carriage bounced over the cobblestones and entered the city center. It felt as if the duo were in the 18th century as the town was slowly coming to life. The vendors were all setting up for the day outside the stables as the carriage came to a stop.

“Good luck,” muttered the gypsy as Gaga and Maisie prepared themselves and left the carriage headed quickly towards the back entrance of the stables. “Follow my lead. If it looks bad, get out of there. Leave them to me.” Said Gaga as the two entered the back room.

The stable was brimming with activity as the horses were being prepared for the morning exercises. Riders were running about costumes were being put on, horses were being groomed but the two were oblivious to all the action; they were searching for the saddle.

“The pencil stated that the rumor about the saddle being a fake was just a ruse. The real saddle is here, and it will be stolen now if we do not get there first.” Gaga was saying this as he and Maisie made their way to the equipment room.

The two guards charged with controlling entree to the specialized equipment had already been killed; their bodies were lying on the cold stone floor. 

“Get ready for a fight.” Said Gaga as he drew his fencing blade from his cane.

Maisie had a small gun with a silencer out as the two stepped over the bodies and entered the tack room. There in front of them stood 2 Russians holding two identical saddles, the only difference was that one was fake, and one was priceless.

“Ha! Now you must choose,” boasted one of the Russians. “And don't forget the bomb. We may all die here Pindos. “Make your play Gaga!” Yelled the other Russian.

Gaga perused both saddles and made his choice. “I will take him. He has the real saddle. Shoot the other and go to the ticket office. That is where the bomb is,” said Gaga who began sword fighting with the Russian.

Maisie did as she was told. She quickly shot the other Russian in the arm, causing him to drop the saddle and flee the room. Maisie then ran out as the clinking of the foils continued between Gaga and the surviving Russian. Maisie ran up the marble staircase to the ticket office. The room was filled with tourists who were eagerly waiting for the chance to see the famed Lipizzaner horses in action.

“CIA! Everyone out now.” yelled Maisie.

She shot the lock off the door then kicked it open. Inside was the ticket agent bound and gagged on the floor next to the bomb. Maisie showed her badge and quickly took out her tools to disengage the bomb. In a matter of seconds, the job was done. Maisie ran back to the stairs to help Gaga but there was no need. There was Gaga holding the saddle. He had a cut on his face but was otherwise unharmed.

“The gold braid on the fake was all wrong. Typical first year mistake.” He laughed.

The room was swarming with police by this point all eager to thank Maisie and Gaga. Gaga turned over the saddle and said, “let's go and have a pastry, eh? I know the best cafe in town.”

Gaga entered the courtyard and whistled. There was Shashlik and his carriage, ready to take Maisie and her beloved eccentric Grandfather on to their next adventure.