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Stevie led the ith the industrial torch Cadge had nicked that hts Jazz and Hattie stayed on either side of Harry, just in case he stu, he needed to rest and recuperate, but he refused to do so --re-fused even to let the to their new sanctuary--until Cadge had been seen to

Marco and Switch had gone with Stevie to get the body Yeah, the body Not Cadge It's not Cadge anyured if she kept telling herself that, sheto scream every time she had to be near his corpse In the shelter, their old ho --the kind business travelers carried--and zipped hiht not have felt so wrong if it had been black, but the bag was a bright cobalt blue Marco and Switch carried it between theh the others offered to take a turn, they re-fused to share the burden

They passed through a stone archway at the end of the corridor and eed on a stone-and-earth eht filtered down through grates above them to see perfectly well

A river flowed beneath the streets of London, thirty feet wide and deep enough that the water churned as it sped by Jazz stared at it in a foundations of the walls on either side, at the newer stone supports, and above at the concrete and steel in the roof that hung above the river

"Where the hell did this come from?" she asked

"Didn't co at the water "River came first Y'know Fleet Street? Naround, but they buried it Must run for four or fiveout to put one hand on Jazz's shoulder and one on Stevie's

"True, Mr Sharpe The River Fleet's got a great many stories, some of them full of mystery and some of sorrow This part of the river here used to be called the Holbourne, which lo-Saxon That's where inated, with the river But like so many other pieces of London's history, the river has been buried and forgotten"

Silence descended The kids all gathered on the river-bank Marco and Switch set down the suit bag with Cadge's body in it

"Take a th, his voice a rasp of eood lad One of the sweetest boys, one of the kindest hearts we'll ever know The world above otten hireed

"Never," the others all echoed, Jazz included

Her chest tightened and she wiped et what Cadge did for us nor as done to hi if he would cry But instead his face was grim and cold He did not look like the kindly old thief she had always seen hiht, lads," he said, and nodded

Marco and Switch picked up the suit bag, swung it once, and launched it as far out into the river as they could It struck the water and went under, dragged by the weight of the dead boy inside, but then bobbed up again, an, but her voice broke She cleared her throat and looked at Harry "Where does the river come out?"

The old thief reached into his pocket and came out with ahandful of coins He shook theether

"Depends what you believe The River Fleet goes along under the city, all the way to the Thaure there's another river here, and that's the Styx, Jazz girl Runs beneath the surface of everything, all the way to the underworld"

Harry hurled the handful of coins into the river They plinked into the water and were gone

"What was that for, Mr F?" Gob asked, wiping at his eyes

"To pay the ferryot to pay the ferryman"

Several ood-bye to Cadge in their oay

Jazz found it hard to accept that he was gone --that she would never see hi shyly at her, stealing a momentary touch of her hand But she'd seen hi that they'd made of him

Death cae Before that, when she'd been just an in-fant, her father had been taken from her just as abruptly It was a lesson she wished she had never had to learn

Stevie began herding the others back into the corridor Time for the would begin But as theyfor the labyrinth of the forgotten Underground, Harry touched her shoulder

"A h the archway, then studied Harry's face "What is it?"

"Curiosity, really You've been quiet I wondered if thaton now? Many do, you know Some let the Crown care for them, others live on the streets No way to live, really I won't stop you, of course Godspeed and all that But I hope you'll stay with us"

Jazz turned fro it churn away and disappear into darkness and stone

"Cadge said he heard you talking, that you had big plans for me Grand a it You're a natural I think we could accos involve hurting the e?"

Harry narrowed his eyes His face betrayed no trace of his usual smile What she saas a different man, per-haps ais e do, Jazz We steal to survive To live We make a life for ourselves that others would deny us, and we do no real harift that it makes a man ambitious It may be possible to do better than merely survive, and I'd like to provide those opportunities for all of you But there's a way to do that and to hurt Mayor Bro the way I swore I would make the bastards pay, and I will To our benefit, and their detriment And so yes, there is a role for you to play in all of this"

The river see anywhere"

Chapter Ten

finding cruel patterns