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SILVER

Outside a public house on the corner of Wardour Street, t-born street flowers discreetly offered thenised their silent protector as the dacoit fro velvet coat Wherever he went in the city, in the world, he could never escape the webs of the shadow people The dacoit gave no sign of noticing hiirls knew not to bother him

The address was in D&039;Arblay Street, an unobtrusive shop-front between a cabinet-maker&039;s and a jeweller&039;s The cabinet-maker&039;s had a selection of caskets, froeously-finished iteus A new-born couple cooed over an especially fine coffin, large enough for a fah to cow a provincial alderman&039;s wife into a fit of silent envy The other pres in the shapes or insignia of bats, skulls, eyes, scarabs, daggers, wolfsheads, or spiders; trinkets favoured by that type of new-born who styled theatroyds, after the faore, the Savoy Opera of last year that so successfully lampooned the breed

The denizens of Soho were more eccentric than their desperate cousins in Whitechapel Murgatroyds concerned the as the sun set were foreign; French or Spanish, even Chinese They favoured shroud-like dresses, thick cobweb veils, scarlet lips and nails, waist-length coils of glossy black hair Their beaux followed the fashions set by Lord Ruthven; high-waisted, iian cuffs; ruffle-fronted shirts in scarlet or black; ribboned po-streaks Quite a few vah graveyard shadows in batwing capes and fingerless black gloves as an Edinburgh gentlerandparent athes himself in kilts and tartan sashes, prefaces every remark with quotes frois &039;Basingstoke,&039; ic word supposed to render the atroyd a meek suburban mediocrity

He walked to Fox Malleson&039;s establishment and entered The shop was empty, all the counters and shelves taken down The as painted over green A va to the works Beauregard presented the new-born with his card The vampire stood, considered for afor him to enter The room beyond was full of opened tea-chests, in which were packed, amid quantities of straw, an assortment of silverware: tea and coffee pots, dinner services, cricket cups, creas and necklaces, geht his attention, the gouged-out hollow at its centre like an empty eye-socket He wondered if Fox Malleson were in partnership with the jeweller next door

&039;Mr B, welcoed froory Fox Malleson had sobetween his ood-humoured, kindly look, and wore a dirty apron, black silk sheaths over his sleeves and green-tinted protective goggles shifted up on to his forehead

&039;It is always a pleasure to see one of the gentleenes Club&039;

He ar else The new-born outside would not dare to venture into the interior of Fox Malleson&039;s works The silver particles in the airdeath

&039;I think you&039;ll be pleased e&039;ve done for you Come, come, this way, this way&039;

He drew aside the curtain and adard into the workrooms A bed of hot coals burned forever in a sawky apprentice wasit link by link into a pot

&039;So hard to get raw ulations But we h, Mr B, oh yes we do In our oay&039;

Silver bullets cooled on a bench, like scones on a baker&039;s tray

&039;A commission from the Palace,&039; Fox Malleson said, with pride He picked up a bullet between thuers all had hard burn-calluses &039;For the Prince Consort&039;s Carpathian Guard&039;

Beauregard wondered how nosferatu soldiers loaded their pistols Either they had warloves

&039;Actually, silver&039;s not et the best effect with a core of lead Silver-jackets, they&039;re called Burst in the wound That&039;d polish off anyone, un-dead or not Very nasty&039;

&039;A costly weapon, surely?&039; he asked