Black Powder by Ally Sherrick

Author:Ally Sherrick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicken House

Chapter Twenty-three

It was nearly midnight when they finally arrived at the lodging house. The Falcon had taken so many twists and turns in the dark streets and alleys, Tom had no idea how far they were from the Duck and Drake. He rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn.

The Falcon helped him down from Shadrach then unhooked the bags from the saddle. ‘Let’s get inside and I’ll show you your sleeping quarters. We’ve a long day ahead of us tomorrow.’ He unlocked the door and gestured for him to enter.

Tom was about to cross the threshold when a small square of parchment caught his eye. He bent down and picked it up. There was a message scrawled across it in charcoal.

The provisions are in the attic.

‘Here, give me that.’ The Falcon snatched the parchment from him. He scanned the words, grunted and screwed it into a ball.

‘Is it from Mister Browne?’

The Falcon gave a brisk nod then pushed past him and disappeared inside. Tom took a deep breath and followed. A dark passageway ran through the middle of the house, with doors to the left and right. The air smelt of soot and damp. The Falcon came to a stop at the foot of a narrow staircase. ‘Up here.’

The wooden slats creaked and buckled under their weight. Tom gripped tight to a piece of rope tacked up the side of the cracked plaster wall. At the top of the steps, on a landing of rough floorboards, a rickety ladder stood propped against an open hatch in the ceiling.

‘The attic. But you’ll not be needing to venture up there.’ The Falcon jerked his head at a door opposite. ‘And that room is for the use of our out-of-town comrades who have no London lodgings of their own.’

Tom’s heart missed a beat. Did he mean Harry Browne? He hoped not. He’d had his fill of him.

‘’Tis empty at the moment, except for some stores. But’ – the Falcon pushed open a door on their left – ‘you can join me in here if you like.’

Tom stepped inside. A shaft of moonlight shone through a small square window hole in the opposite wall. The room was about the size of his bedchamber at home and bare, apart from a heavy oak chest in the corner and a straw mattress tossed down on the floor. As he turned, he noticed someone had nailed a rough wooden crucifix above the door.

‘How many others are there?’

‘I’ve lost track. Since I’ve been gone, it would appear Mister Cat has been on another recruiting drive. I doubt you’ll meet them all anyway. Not in the time we have left. Here.’ The Falcon opened the lid of the chest and threw a rough woollen blanket at him. ‘You’ll be a mite saddle-sore after our ride. You have the mattress. I’ll take the floor.’ He pulled off his cloak and boots and unbuckled his belt, lay down on the floorboards and closed his eyes.

Tom took off his own boots, dropped down on the mattress and reached inside his bundle for Jago’s box.

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