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Sebastian sighed He’d been so looking forward to a good bout of fisticuffs, but Hal wasit difficult to hate him unreservedly

“Tell me where Jed is Perhaps I can persuade him of the error of his ways”

“And what’d Angela do to us if she found out I’d told?”

“Isn’t the risk worth it? Anyway, it’s not Jed I want, it’s her I can stop her I can have her arrested and jailed Isn’t that what you want? You said you despised her and wanted to save your son? This e both win”

“She’ll know!” He looked terrified “She’ll send her creatures after me”

“Why should she? I’o away somewhere and keep your head down until it’s over”

“You askedover his shoulder as if he expected to see Angela Slater leering in the shadows “He called hih no one re a preacher say the words over the babes in Lon’on, years ago Too , and there was nasty talk Folk said she was letting the babes die, and keeping t’money she was paid for their upkeep for herself Solect Well, her husband, he gave her up to the istrates to save his own skin But she had friends—she has friends everywhere, Mr Thorne, never forget that The court let her off, and next thing her husband was dead,

dragged up out of the river, with his tongue cut out Some folk said the fishes ate it out, but we kneas her revenge on hi eyes “If she’d do that to her ine what she’d do to us”

“All the more reason why she needs to be stopped, Hal You have to help htened of shadows for the rest of your life Do you want that? I don’t think you’re a bad man, Hal I think you’re loyal to your son, and that loyalty has forced you into an intolerable position But that doesn’t change the fact that you tried to o to the constable now and have you arrested You’d hang for it, or else see out your days at Botany Bay”

“I didn’t want to trick you into t’mire,” Hal said sullenly “I told you—”

“Then prove it Save yourself Save Jed”

Hal sluht, and that there was no other way

“She has a house in Mallory Street That’s the one Jed’s in charge of, or so he boasted to me Turned my stomach, it did” He took a deep breath “Number forty-four Mallory Street There are other places, but that’s the only one I know about”

“Thank you, Hal You’ve done the right thing I’ll keep Jed out of it if I can” Excite point!

Hal atching hi to do now?”