"No, you can't do it, dear, because the Neva River is already frozen."
Agares laughed heartily, his tail wagging even more enthusiastically.
It was clear that the Red Devil was quite pleased with his own wit.
Arthur slapped his forehead, feeling that lately, misfortunes had been piling on.
The news that a British citizen had illegally entered Russia was already a headache.
And this British citizen happened to be Sir David Eckett, the First Secretary in Constantinople, an Oxford alumnus who had cultivated deep friendships with King William IV and several British political figures during his university years.
Moreover, Sir David went to the heavily blockaded Caucasus Mountains to connect with resistance leaders, sympathizing with the Circassians who opposed Russian rule.
Most importantly, none of these decisions were reported to the Foreign Office or the Constantinople Embassy, nor did they receive approval from any minister.
