There was a large tavern at the northern edge of the market with empty benches outside and the Spook headed straight for it. At first I thought he was going in and wondered if we were going to buy lunch. If he intended to leave because of the Quisitor, there’d be no need to fast. But instead he turned into a narrow, cobbled blind alley, led me to a low stone wall and wiped the nearest section with his sleeve. When he’d got most of the beads of water off, he sat himself down and gestured that I should do the same.
I sat down and looked around. The alley was deserted and the walls of warehouses hemmed us in on three sides. There were few windows and they were cracked and smeared with grime so at least we were out of the way of prying eyes.
The Spook was out of breath with walking and this gave me a chance to get the first word in.
The Quisitor’s here,’ I told him.
The Spook nodded. ‘Aye, lad, he’s here all right. I was standing on the opposite side of the road but you were too busy gawping at the cart to notice me.’
‘But didn’t you see her? Alice was in the cart—’
‘Alice? Alice who?’
‘Bony Lizzie’s niece. We have to help her ...’
As I mentioned before, Bony Lizzie was a witch we’d dealt with in the spring. Now the Spook had her imprisoned in a pit, back in his garden in Chipenden.
‘Oh, that Alice. Well, you’d best forget her, lad, because there’s nothing to be done. The Quisitor has at least fifty armed men with him.’
‘But it’s not fair,’ I said, hardly able to believe that he could stay so calm. ‘Alice isn’t a witch.’
‘Little in this life is fair,’ the Spook replied. The truth is, none of them were witches. As you well know, a real witch would have sniffed the Quisitor coming from miles away.’
‘But Alice is my friend. I can’t leave her to die!’ I protested, feeling the anger rising inside me.
‘This is no time for sentiment. Our job is to protect people from the dark, not to get distracted by pretty girls.’
I was furious - especially as I knew the Spook himself had once been distracted by a pretty girl - and that one was a witch. ‘Alice helped save my family from Mother Malkin, remember!’
‘And why was Mother Malkin free in the first place, lad, answer me that!’
I hung my head in shame.
‘Because you got yourself mixed up with that girl,’ he continued, ‘and I don’t want it happening again.
Especially not here in Priestown, with the Quisitor breathing down our necks. You’ll be putting your own life in danger - and mine. And keep your voice down. We don’t want to attract any unwelcome attention.’
I looked about me. But for us, the alley was deserted. A few people could be seen passing the entrance but they were some distance away and didn’t so much as glance in our direction. Beyond them I could see the rooftops at the far side of the market square and, rising above the chimneypots, the cathedral steeple. But when I spoke again, I did lower my voice.
‘What’s the Quisitor doing here anyway?’ I asked. ‘Didn’t you say that he did his work down south and only came north when he was sent for?’
“That’s mostly true but sometimes he mounts an expedition up north to the County and even beyond.
Turns out that for the last few weeks he’s been sweeping the coast, picking up the poor dregs of humanity he had chained up in that cart.’
I was angry that he’d said Alice was one of the dregs because I knew it wasn’t true. It wasn’t the right time to continue the argument though, so I kept my peace.
‘But we’ll be safe enough in Chipenden,’ continued the Spook. ‘He’s never yet ventured up towards the fells.’
‘Are we going home now then?’ I asked.
‘No, lad, not yet. I told you before, I’ve got unfinished business in this town.’
My heart sank and I looked towards the alley entrance uneasily. People were still scurrying past, going about their business, and I could hear some stallholders calling out the price of their wares. But although there was a lot of noise and bustle, we were thankfully out of sight. Despite that, I still felt uneasy. We were supposed to be keeping our distance from each other. The priest outside the cathedral had known the Spook. The housekeeper knew me. What if someone else walked down the alley and recognized us and we were both arrested? Many priests from County parishes would be in town and they’d know the Spook by sight. The only good news was that at the moment they were probably all still in the churchyard.
‘That priest you were talking to before, who was he? He seemed to know you so won’t he tell the Quisitor you’re here?’ I asked, wondering if anywhere was really safe. For all I knew that red-faced priest outside the cathedral could even direct the Quisitor to Chipenden. ‘Oh, and there’s something else.
Your brother’s housekeeper recognized me at the funeral. She was really angry. She might tell somebody that we’re here.’
It seemed to me that we were taking a serious risk in staying in Priestown while the Quisitor was in the area.
‘Calm yourself, lad. The housekeeper won’t tell a soul. She and my brother weren’t exactly without sin themselves. And as for that priest,’ said the Spook with a faint smile, ‘that’s Father Cairns. He’s family, my cousin. A cousin who meddles and gets a bit excited at times but he means well all the same.
He’s always trying to save me from myself and get me on the path of “righteousness”. But he’s wasting his breath. I’ve chosen my path - and right or wrong it’s the one I tread.’
At that moment I heard footsteps and my heart lurched into my mouth. Someone had turned into the alley and was walking directly towards us!
‘Anyway, talking of family,’ the Spook said, totally unconcerned, ‘here comes another member. This is my brother Andrew.’
A tall man with a thin body and sad, bony face was approaching us across the cobbles. He looked even older than the Spook and reminded me of a well-dressed scarecrow, for although he was wearing good quality boots and clean clothes, his garments flapped in the wind. He looked more in need of a good breakfast than I did.
Without bothering to brush away the beads of water, he sat on the wall on the other side of the Spook.
‘I thought I’d find you here. A sad business, brother,’ he said gloomily.