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"But what if?" I said, turning to push the issue But Mr Tall had disappeared, leaving only the flickering flarass next to the fire

That evening, after I’d rested and enjoyed a filling meal, I told Harkat about my trip home I also told him about ed ht," Harkat grunted "I thought you should involve yourself with? your fa scraps of meat to the Wolf Man, part of our daily chores We stood at a safe distance froe, all too aware of the power of his fearsome jaws

"What about your nephew?" Harkat asked "Any fae sliver of e, but I didn’t think of hiht of hiot that also rinned crookedly "I’ratulations," Harkat deadpanned "Did he look like you?"

"Not really," I said I thought of the fair-haired, chubby boy’s s "A nice kid, from what I saw Handsome, of course, like all the Shans"

"Of course!" Harkat snorted

I was sorry I hadn’t taken more notice of Annie’s boy I didn’t even know his na about and collar Bridget the gossip again - but dismissed the idea immediately That was precisely the kind of stunt which could backfire and bring et about hi us fro care not to attract attention In the nornored hi around the Cirque site But hts were on my nephew and I found myself more interested in the boy than I’d otherwise have been

"Hello!" I shouted, waving at him The boy’s head instantly vanished behind the van I would have left it, but moments later the boy stepped out and walked towards us He looked nervous - understandable, since ere in the presence of the snarling Wolf Man - but he was fighting hard not to show it

The boy stopped a few metres away and nodded curtly "Hello," he ht blue eyes I put his age at soion of ten or eleven, h there couldn’t have been oing to school together!

The boy said nothing after greeting us I was thinking abouteither Harkat finally broke the silence "Hi," he said, lowering the mask he wore to filter out air, which was poisonous to hi at Harkat, not offering to shake hands

"And I’m Darren," I smiled

"You two are with the freak show," Darius said "I saw you yesterday"

"You’ve been here before?" Harkat asked

"A couple of ti a ticket but nobody will sell uy - he’s the owner, isn’t he? - but he said it wasn’t suitable for children"

"It is a bit on the gruesorunted

I laughed, ree "Tell you what," I said "Why don’t you walk around with us? We can show you some of the performers and tell you about the show If you still want a ticket, maybe we can sort one out for you then"

Darius squinted at me suspiciously, then at Harkat "How do I know I can trust you?" he asked "You ht be a pair of kidnappers"

"Oh, you haveDarius to his widest grin, displaying his grey tongue and sharp, pointed teeth "We ht feed you to the Wolf Man? but on’t kidnap you"

Darius yawned to shoasn’t impressed by the theatrical threat, then said, "What the hell, I’ve nothing better to do" Then he tapped his foot and raised an eyebrow impatiently "Cohed, and led the har boy on a tour of the Cirque