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.I snatched the sheet from the typewriter and put it away.As I did, the door flew open.The candle flame shuddered and nearly went out.“Ah, there you are,” Mr.October said, poking his head around the door.“How’s it going?”“Not bad.It’s been fairly quiet till now.”He glared at the working telegraph, blew air through his lips.“It’s bedlam out there today, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down soon.” He came over and perched on the edge of the desk.“My poor old aching dogs.”“Huh?”“Isn’t that slang for sore feet in your neck of the woods?”“Dunno about my neck of the woods.We haven’t been there long,” I said.“Though I did once hear Dad say ‘dog’s barking,’ and I had to ask what it meant.He said it meant the phone was ringing.Dog and bone, telephone; rhyming slang, you know? I’ve always remembered that.”Mr.October looked at me, nonplussed.“Never mind.I’ve been on my feet all day, that’s all.Three 6457S and a frankly bizarre 1312633.Hard to explain.Very complicated.So how’s my star apprentice today? Do you know what they’re calling you around the department now?”“Yeah, Sukie told me.Oh, and she asked to make sure you got those.”“Did she read your mind?” he asked, collecting the cards.“Mine and someone else’s, she didn’t know whose.”“She’ll be a major asset in the field one day,” he said.“We’re still undecided about how to put her talents to best use, but we’ll have a better idea when she learns to distinguish one voice from another.”He rifled through the cards, a grave expression deepening the Y on his pirate’s brow until his eyebrows met in the middle.“Not good.Very nasty.Oh dear,” he said as he read the last card.“Looks like you’ll have to join me tonight, Ben.”“OK.But what about this?”The telegraph rocked away, spitting out names and smoke.“We’ll draft someone in,” he said.“Don’t worry about it now.Get yourself ready while I talk to dispatch.I’ll meet you outside.”Pushing himself off the desk, he went out.The noise of the still-working telegraph chased me out a minute later.The smell of stale varnish followed me downstairs.As I stepped outside the main door and started down the steps, a figure moved out of dark cover across the alley, giving me a start when it spoke.“Ben? Is that you?”She took one tentative step forward, then hurried toward me.Light from the gas lamps fell across her face, but it still took me a second to place her.“Becky? What’re you doing here?”“What do you think? I followed you.” She looked anxiously around.“Ben, what is this place, and why is it night?”“There’s no time to explain.If they see you.I don’t know what they’ll do.How long have you been here?”“Seems like ages.I’m not sure.I found my way in, but then couldn’t find a way out.Where’d it go, that place between the walls?”I shook my head, trying to think.Mr.October would be out any minute.“I’ll walk you back,” I said.“The entrance is still there.You just have to know how to look.” We started across the cobbles to the far wall.“Listen.You’ve got to promise not to breathe a word of this.You can’t tell anyone, not even your friends.”“I won’t.” She dug in her heels, stopping halfway across the alley.“But I don’t want to leave, either.Now that I’m here, I want to know more.”“It isn’t up to me,” I said.“Then who?”“You should be going.”I took her arm, a little more firmly than I meant to.She brushed me away.“Becky, I’m serious.”“So am I.”“Yeah, but —”“Why shouldn’t I see?” She looked at the starlit sky, then at me.She wasn’t afraid; she was about to burst with excitement.“Besides, if I leave now, I won’t be able to tell you the news.”“It can wait.”“No, it can’t.”“Then hurry.What news?”“Hold on, it’s best if I show you.”She rummaged through her bag, picking out loose papers and tissues, pushing them back.“Where is it?” she said.“I know it’s here somewhere.You won’t believe it, Ben.I could’ve kicked myself when I found out.It’s all about —”The main door thumped behind us.Becky clutched at me, nearly dropping her bag.We turned to see Mr.October coming down the steps, still in the guise of the raggedy man, the pirate.Nests of shadows swarmed around his head as he strode toward us.His boots clicked and squeaked on the cobbles.With the streetlamps at his back, I was seeing him as I’d never seen him before: a sinister silhouette.Stopping short of us, he craned his upper body closer, then still closer until we were almost nose to nose.“What’s the meaning of this?” he said.His dark gaze skipped between me and Becky.“Shall I call the Vigilants, tell them we have an intruder?”“I.I can explain,” I mumbled [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]