A Matter of Magic by Patricia Wrede

that drifted from the folded paper. “I do wish he’d stop using that Egyptian Light-Lock,” he complained. “I never manage to get my eyes shut in time.”
    Hunch grunted. Kim realized that he had turned his head away before Mairelon broke the seal, and so escaped the temporary blindness. She glared first at him and then at Mairelon. One of them might have warned her what to expect.
    Mairelon shook the letter open and began to read. A moment later he straightened with an exclamation. “Tomorrow!”
    “What’s that?” Hunch said.
    “Shoreham wants us to meet him tomorrow evening.” Mairelon looked up. “How long was this waiting?” he demanded, waving the note.
    “Since yesterday. Where’s ’e looking to be? Same place as last time?”
    “Yes.” Mairelon shook his head. “He’s in a rush again. Blast the man!”
    Hunch considered. “We’ll ’ave to leave early,” he said at last.
    “I know,” Mairelon said irritably.
    “What about ’er?” Hunch said, jerking his head in Kim’s direction.
    “What?” Mairelon looked up from rereading the note. “Oh. You wouldn’t mind leaving London a little earlier than we’d planned, would you?” he asked Kim.
    “No,” Kim said, remembering Dan Laverham and his unpleasant crew. She thought of mentioning them to Mairelon, but caution made her hold her tongue. If he knew about Dan, he might change his mind about letting Kim accompany him.
    “That’s settled, then,” Mairelon said. He folded the note and tucked it in an inner pocket, then picked up his top hat. “I’ll be back in an hour or so.”
    “You ain’t never just leaving without telling me where you’re off to!” Hunch sounded outraged.
    Mairelon looked back over his shoulder and smiled angelically at Hunch. “Exactly,” he said, and the door closed behind him.
    Hunch glared at the door. After a moment, he transferred the glare to Kim. “And what’s ’e want me to do with you?” he muttered.
    “I’ll just go doss under the wagon,” Kim offered, sidling toward the door. She wanted to think about what she’d overheard, and she wanted to get away from Hunch. She also wanted to retrieve the shillings she’d left in her hidey-hole; she might need them once she left London.
    “No, you ain’t,” Hunch said, leaning against the door. “
’E
may be willing to let you go jauntering about, but I ain’t ’aving you blabbing things all over London.”
    “What things?” Kim asked scornfully. “You ain’t told me nothin’, neither one of you.”
    “Hah.” Hunch squinted at her, and his mustache seemed to droop even more. “You ’eard enough to make trouble. And don’t gammon me you don’t know it, neither.”
    “Maybe.” Kim studied Hunch. She was rapidly acquiring a good deal of respect for him; despite his appearance, he was no fool. “But I ain’t no troublemaker.”
    “ ’Ow do I know that?”
    “You’ve had time enough to ask questions about me all round Hungerford,” Kim said shrewdly. “And if you ain’t done it, I don’t know a sharp from a Robin Redbreast.”
    Hunch did not reply. He also did not move away from the door.
    Kim heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Well, I ain’t goin’ to stand here arguin’ with you all night,” she said. “And I ain’t leavin’ London half asleep, neither. If you ain’t letting me out, I’ll doss here.”
    She sat down on the chest with more confidence than she felt, remembering her previous experience. No explosions or purple sparks followed, so she swung her feet up and stretched out on top of it. It wasn’t as comfortable as it might have been, but it wasn’t cold and there weren’t any rats looking to share it with her. It’d do.
    She grinned at Hunch’s fulminating expression and closed her eyes. He’d think she was shamming it, and he’d watch her closely to see that she had no chance to slip away. So she wouldn’t sham. There was no point in wasting however much time Mairelon planned to take, and no reason