the ’orses, then.”
Kim glanced at Mairelon’s face, then looked away. “I’ll help,” she said quickly as Hunch rose.
To her surprise, Hunch did not object. He simply looked at her andnodded. Kim blinked and followed him out of the wagon. They started toward the end of the market where horses could be stabled for a fee. As soon as they were well out of earshot of the wagon, Kim looked up and demanded, “What was that about?”
“It ain’t your affair,” Hunch growled repressively.
Kim was ready to argue, but Hunch’s forbidding expression made it clear that she would get no further information from him. She resolved to question Mairelon himself as soon as she could find a good opportunity. She looked up. Hunch was chewing on his mustache again. Kim snorted quietly and turned her attention to considering what little she had learned.
Mairelon the Magician knew more than stage magic, that was plain enough. And she’d bet every farthing she was carrying that he was the “Merrill” that the skinny toff at the Dog and Bull was so anxious to find. Odds-on, Mairelon was gentry, too, or at least very well breeched. Ordinary market performers didn’t have brothers who owned houses in Grosvenor Square.
Then there was the matter of the men who had tried to follow Hunch. He and Mairelon seemed to consider it more of a nuisance than a threat, which implied that they were used to dealing with such things. And Mairelon knew Renée D’Auber well enough to expect a welcome at her home.
The whole thing had a havey-cavey look about it. Frowning, Kim considered piking off with her five pounds and leaving Hunch to explain her absence to Mairelon. The trouble was, she didn’t want to go. She liked Mairelon. Furthermore, she trusted him. Whatever it was that he was involved in, she was certain he hadn’t lied when he’d told her it wasn’t illegal.
It might be dangerous, though. Kim’s frown deepened. She didn’t know anything about magic, but she’d been involved in smoky dealings before. Mairelon might be able to use her help. She blinked, surprised by the strength of her desire to go along with the magician, then pressed her lips together, determined to be objective. She shouldn’t be staying with a couple of culls on a queer lay without a good reason. She’d had more than her share of close calls already. Her luck wouldn’t last forever.
For a moment, she wavered, then she remembered Dan Laverham.With a feeling of relief, Kim stopped trying to convince herself that she ought to abandon Mairelon. She had to get away from Dan Laverham, and that meant getting out of London. That was a good enough reason for anything! Besides, if she sherried off now, she’d never find out what was really going on. Kim grinned to herself and hurried to catch up with Hunch.
6
They were on their way out of London within the hour. Hunch drove from a tiny ledge on the front of the wagon, while Kim rode inside with Mairelon. She would rather have been outside with Hunch, despite his suspicions, for she disliked the closed-in feeling of the darkened wagon. Mairelon’s assurance that it was only until they were out of London, and her own thoughts of Dan Laverham, were all that stifled her objections. Kim was not anxious to be seen by anyone who might take word back to that slimy character, small though the chance might be.
The jolting of the wagon made her queasy at first, but the feeling passed quickly. Mairelon watched her closely. “All right now?” he said after a time.
“Right enough.” Kim peered at him. “You couldn’t do somethin’ to make a bit of light in here, could you?”
Mairelon laughed. “I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to the dark. No wagoneer would keep a lamp lit while the wagon’s moving, not even on the best road in England.” The wagon jounced across a rut and Mairelon grimaced. “Which this manifestly is not.”
Kim hadn’t been thinking of a lamp, but she let it pass. Mairelon’s point
Kim glanced at Mairelon’s face, then looked away. “I’ll help,” she said quickly as Hunch rose.
To her surprise, Hunch did not object. He simply looked at her andnodded. Kim blinked and followed him out of the wagon. They started toward the end of the market where horses could be stabled for a fee. As soon as they were well out of earshot of the wagon, Kim looked up and demanded, “What was that about?”
“It ain’t your affair,” Hunch growled repressively.
Kim was ready to argue, but Hunch’s forbidding expression made it clear that she would get no further information from him. She resolved to question Mairelon himself as soon as she could find a good opportunity. She looked up. Hunch was chewing on his mustache again. Kim snorted quietly and turned her attention to considering what little she had learned.
Mairelon the Magician knew more than stage magic, that was plain enough. And she’d bet every farthing she was carrying that he was the “Merrill” that the skinny toff at the Dog and Bull was so anxious to find. Odds-on, Mairelon was gentry, too, or at least very well breeched. Ordinary market performers didn’t have brothers who owned houses in Grosvenor Square.
Then there was the matter of the men who had tried to follow Hunch. He and Mairelon seemed to consider it more of a nuisance than a threat, which implied that they were used to dealing with such things. And Mairelon knew Renée D’Auber well enough to expect a welcome at her home.
The whole thing had a havey-cavey look about it. Frowning, Kim considered piking off with her five pounds and leaving Hunch to explain her absence to Mairelon. The trouble was, she didn’t want to go. She liked Mairelon. Furthermore, she trusted him. Whatever it was that he was involved in, she was certain he hadn’t lied when he’d told her it wasn’t illegal.
It might be dangerous, though. Kim’s frown deepened. She didn’t know anything about magic, but she’d been involved in smoky dealings before. Mairelon might be able to use her help. She blinked, surprised by the strength of her desire to go along with the magician, then pressed her lips together, determined to be objective. She shouldn’t be staying with a couple of culls on a queer lay without a good reason. She’d had more than her share of close calls already. Her luck wouldn’t last forever.
For a moment, she wavered, then she remembered Dan Laverham.With a feeling of relief, Kim stopped trying to convince herself that she ought to abandon Mairelon. She had to get away from Dan Laverham, and that meant getting out of London. That was a good enough reason for anything! Besides, if she sherried off now, she’d never find out what was really going on. Kim grinned to herself and hurried to catch up with Hunch.
6
They were on their way out of London within the hour. Hunch drove from a tiny ledge on the front of the wagon, while Kim rode inside with Mairelon. She would rather have been outside with Hunch, despite his suspicions, for she disliked the closed-in feeling of the darkened wagon. Mairelon’s assurance that it was only until they were out of London, and her own thoughts of Dan Laverham, were all that stifled her objections. Kim was not anxious to be seen by anyone who might take word back to that slimy character, small though the chance might be.
The jolting of the wagon made her queasy at first, but the feeling passed quickly. Mairelon watched her closely. “All right now?” he said after a time.
“Right enough.” Kim peered at him. “You couldn’t do somethin’ to make a bit of light in here, could you?”
Mairelon laughed. “I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to the dark. No wagoneer would keep a lamp lit while the wagon’s moving, not even on the best road in England.” The wagon jounced across a rut and Mairelon grimaced. “Which this manifestly is not.”
Kim hadn’t been thinking of a lamp, but she let it pass. Mairelon’s point
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