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‘Nothing Nothing Time to leave’

The transition fro clutter of Mr Soane’s house to the dark silence of the square was disorienting Sah it was not cold Edge was a dark as la the road

‘That went better than expected, no?’

He laughed, a warm sound in the darkness

‘Is that your version of I told you so?’

‘No I’e I noticed you evaded their questions about whether you plan to write another book’

Her own question trailed away and he stopped

‘I evaded their questions because it was none of their concern It is yours If you wished to knohy didn’t you ask me?’

‘Of course I wish to kno could I not?’

‘Then why not ask?’

‘I ah, but it sounded like a crow’s croak He touched her cheek

‘Of what, Sam?’

‘I told you There are three things that matter in my world and you are now at the centre of two of them I’ve lived with uncertainty all my life, but somehow I hoped my mythical Mr Bunny would always need er play that game I’ve lost aa crutch and I’m afraid to reach for another because it may not be there’

She rushed the words out before the gates of her good sense closed

‘Sam Even if I did not write another hich I hope is not the case because I seeth of those books alone you could secure enough commissions to keep you busy until you are a hundred I kept expecting to hear from Durham you’d been teine es I feed off them From the first book you made Gabriel and Leila’s worlds more real towhich parts would co to see what you would, and if I didn’t feel there was anything there to give you, that part withered and died I’m not certain I can enter Gabriel and Leila’s world without your drawings any longer’