Wrede, Patricia C - Mairelon 01 by Mairelon the Magician (v5.0) Page A

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 not to take full advantage of a
warm, dry, safe place to rest. She grinned again at the thought of Hunch's
probable reaction, and let herself drop into sleep.
               
                The wagon
door opened, and Kim came awake all at once. She gave an instant's consideration
to the possibility of pretending she was still asleep, in hopes of hearing
something of interest, then rejected the idea. She'd
do better to let them know she was awake, as a sort of expression of good
faith. It wouldn't calm Hunch's suspicions, but at least it wouldn't raise any
more of them. She opened her eyes and sat up.
                Mairelon
had just entered the wagon. He carried a large parcel under one arm and there
was a worried crease across his forehead; aside from that, he looked like one
of the grand swells Kim had occasionally seen going into the Drury
Lane theater . He glanced
from Hunch's dour face to hers. Kim grinned and stretched.
                The
worried crease vanished and the corners of Mairelon's eyes crinkled in
amusement. "Wise of you to have gotten some sleep,
Kim."
                "I
thought so," Kim said