Then there's Mr Aberford, whose desire for the platter is the
only one that appears simple and straightforward I therefore
distrust it on principle, particularly given Mr Aberford's, ah,
unorthodox attempts to retrieve the thing "
"You weren't above breakm' into that Bramingham cove's
library yourself," Kim reminded him "Unless that ain't—
isn't—what you meant by 'unorthodox '"
"Everyone broke into Bramingham's library," Mairelon said
testily "Including Renee Everyone who was anywhere near
Ranton Hill, that is 1 suppose I should be glad St Clair
didn't arrive until a day later, or we might have seen him
bumbling around with everyone else "
173
Kim suppressed a shiver "! don't think so He didn't look
like no humbler to me, and for sure he's no flat"
"Quite true," Mairelon said with another sidelong glance at
Kim "1 stand corrected, I've been acquainted with St Clair
long enough to know better He would undoubtedly—"
Mairelon broke off as they came within sight of the wagon
A curt of smoke was rising past the far side of the roof, and
Maireton looked reproachfully at Kim
"I put the fire out before I left'" Kim protested "I'm not
sapskulled "
"Then it appears we have company," Mairelon said His
stride lengthened, and Kim had to skip twice to catch up
"Perhaps Renee has found us, after all "
Kim, who had been thinking of Jasper Marston and his
sister, or the unpleasant Lord St Clair, was surprised and not
altogether pleased by this suggestion She was even more sur-
prised, but considerably relieved, when they came around the
corner of the wagon and found Hunch feeding medium-sized
sticks into a new 6re A placid-looking roan, presumably
Hunch's means of transportation, was tied to the back of the
wagon, chewing quietly on an invisible wisp of hay
"Hunch'" Mairelon said, stopping short "Well, that was al-
ways a possibility You haven't seen Renee around anywhere,
have you?"
"If you mean that Miss Doo-bear rnend o' yours, no, I
ain't," Hunch answered "Nor I ain't likely to She's in
London, laid up with a chill "
"No, she isn't," Mairelon said, frowning "She's a house-
guest at one of Mrs Bramingham's interminable parties I've
seen her myself I wonder why she thought she had to pre-
tend she was staying in London?"
"You've seen 'er^' Hunch frowned "Now, 'ow would you
'ave done that when you was supposed to be a-staying 'ere out
of trouble while 1 was gone?"
174
"These things happen," Mairelon said, waving a hand in
airy dismissal
"Don't you gammon me, Master Richard," Hunch said se-
verely "What 'ave you been up to now?"
"This and that," Mairelon answered "What did Lord
Shoreham have to say^ Or did he send you off without any
information? ! hope not, 1 did tell you to wait "
"'E 'ad a lot to say " Hunch's expression was gnm, and he
paused for a moment to chew on the right side of his mus-
tache "And I ain't repeating any of it til you tell me what
you've been doing'"
"Oh, we've been keeping busy, haven't we, Kin?"
"Don't go draggin' me mi" Kim said quickly "It ain't none
of my lay "
Hunch scowled at Kim, then turned his attention back to
Mairelon "You 'adn't ought to—what 'ave you got there?"
Mairelon shifted the parcel under his arm and smiled
This? I'm not sure Kim says it's the Saltash Platter, but I
haven't looked yet to see whether she's right "
"I never—" Kim gasped, only to be cut short by a look
from Mairelon
"Let's find out, shall we?" Mairelon said, holding the parcel
out to Hunch
Hunch tried to glare at Mairelon, but his eyes kept return-
considerable muttering, he sat down on the step of the wagon
and began undoing the knots Kim realized suddenly that
Hunch was just as curious about things as she was, and as
little able to resist the opportunity to find something out
The stnngs felt apart and Hunch unfolded the wrappings
A silver platter lay across his knees, shining even in the
leaden sunlight that crept through the clouds It was very like
the one Kim had glimpsed at Bramingham Place, but she
175
wouldn't have wagered a farthing one way or the other on
this being the same article
"Where did you come by this?" Hunch demanded sus-
piciously
"One thing at a time, Hunch," Mairelon responded "Let
me have a look at it first"
"No, you don't," said a new voice as Mairelon reached for
the platter
The surly tone was unmistakably Jack Stower's, and Kirn's
stomach sank as her head swiveled in the direction of the
voice There was no chance that he wouldn't see her now
Then she got a good look at him, and froze where she stood
Jack Stower was standing at the rear corner of the wagon
beside the roan He had a large sack strapped over one shoul-
der In each hand he held a pistol, and his face wore a forbid-
ding scowl "I'll have that there wicher cheat, and no
gammon," he snarled
"Just so," said Mairelon without moving "Do I bring it to
you, or do you come and get it?"
"Put it on the ground, there," Stower said, gesturing with
one of the pistols "Then you and the turnip-pated cove get
over by the fire. Hop it!"
With exaggerated care, Maireton lifted the platter and set
it in front of Stower Then he backed away, his eyes fixed on
Stower's face "Hunch," he said without turning, and the dour
servingman rose and joined him
Slower stuck one of his pistols through his belt and swung
the sack down from his shoulder The coarse fabric stretched
and shifted around something large and flat and rectangular as
he lowered it to the ground Kirn stared at the sack in sudden
wild surmise
"Now you, boy," Stower said, taking the second pistol
from his belt and aiming it at Mairelon and Hunch once
more "You take that wicher cheat and—Kim!"
176
1 "Surprise," Kim said sourly "Long way from London, ain't
it, Stower?"
Stower's face darkened "I'll London you' You think you're
going to nick a few of the yellow boys Laverham's offering,
' don't you^ Well, you ain't getting nothing This is my lay,
' see? How'd you get here ahead of me, anyways"? You didn't
follow the old cove from the inn I'd a seen you "
"Just luck," Kim managed She felt sick After Stower's
• hints, Mairelon and Hunch would never trust her again
"Sorry, Master Richard," Hunch said in tones of chagrin "I
thought as I 'ad shook 'em off the trail in London "
"But Mr Slower wasn't in London," Mairelon said, and
Kim nearly jumped when she felt the unmistakable crystalline
quality of the words Surely Mairelon couldn't mean to try a
spell on a man holding two pistols at his
head^
"He was in Ranton Hill," Mairelon went on, and the sharp
i edge of magic was clearer and more threatening than before
i "He should still be in Ranton Hill He should go back to
Ranton Hill before something happens to him, tzay mm po,
fedteefi"
Jack Stower's face contorted, as if in fear or pain He gave
' a strangled cry and hurled one of his pistols at Mairelon
, Instantly Hunch dove sideways, knocking Mairelon out of the
. way as Slower turned and plunged into the wood behind the
! • wagon Kim threw herself down as the pistol hit the ground
! and went off, sending a bullet whistling through the empty
air where Mairelon's chest had been a moment before
"The shotgun, Hunch," Mairelon said, panting slightly
. "He's still got one pistol, and that spell was only a makeshift
It won't hold him long "
Hunch rolled to his feet and ran for the wagon without
wasting time on words of acknowledgment Kim picked her-
self up and followed, pausing Just long enough to scoop up
Jack's bag and the silver platter that lay beside it. Mairelon
177
was the last one inside He barred the door behind him, then
reached up and pressed a knothole in the ceiling
There was a barely audible click. Mairelon set his palms flat
against the ceiling and pushed, and a two-foot section lifted
up half an inch, then slid back out of the way "The gun and
a lift, Hunch, if you please," Mairelon said softly
"You 'adn't ought to be doing this, Master Richard," Hunch
grumbled, but he handed Mairelon the shotgun and knelt
Maireton set a hand on the edge of the opening in the ceiling
and a foot in Hunch's cupped hands, and a moment later slid
noiselessly out onto the roof of the wagon
Kim watched this performance with considerable admira-
tion The speed and smoothness with which it was done
spoke of much practice, and she was impressed by the fore-
thought that had designed the hidden panel in the ceiling
After a moment, it occurred to her to wonder just how often
Mairelon and Hunch had had to make use of this particular
device It threw a whole new light on their possible doings in
the past
The minutes ticked slowly by At last, Mairelon's head re-
appeared in the opening "No sign of him," the magician said
"He's gone for now Here " He handed the shotgun down to
Hunch, then climbed down through the hole. "I'll have to see
about setting up some wards, we can't have people popping in
and waving pistols around whenever they feel like it It's be-
coming altogether too popular a sport to ignore "
"Like that Aberford cove the other night," Kim said, nod-
ding
"And just what 'as that got to do with all this?" Hunch
demanded "What 'ave you been at while I've been gone,
Master Richard?"
"Back to that again? Really, Hunch, I'm beginning to think
you're pmdish, and I see no reason for Kim and me to elabo-
rate on our relationship merely to satisfy your vulgar curi-
178
osity Particularly when we have more important things to
do " Mairelon smiled beatincally at Hunch's outraged expres-
sion and waved toward the sack Kim was holding "Just open
that up, Kim, so we can see what our Mr Slower has been
hauling about the countryside "
Kim deposited the silver platter on the floor and began
wrestling with the knots at the mouth of the sack She got
them loose at last and reached inside A moment later she
held up a large silver platter, to all appearances identical to
the one on the floor
"Well, well," said Mairelon "What have we here?" He
reached out and took the platter from Kim, and a frown
creased his forehead
"It looks like this other one," Kim said, nudging the first
platter with her toe
"That's exactly what it is," Mairelon said "Exactly"
"What does that mean?" Hunch said in a resigned tone
"It means that it's another fake," Mairelon replied
179
EIGHTEEN
~^ff^ I y unch stared at the platter in Mairelon's
JH^^^ 1 1 hands "Another fake?" he said at last "You
ft ' mean that one—" he nodded at the platter on
the floor, "—ain't the Saltash Platter, either''"
"That is correct," Mairelon said He turned the second
copy over in his hands, studying it with a thoughtful expres-
sion "Kim," he said suddenly, "bring it over here and hold it
up so I can look at them both "
Kirn did as she was instructed Mairelon peered intently at
a section of the platter he held, then turned to Kirn's After a
moment, he returned to the first platter and repeated the pro-
cess There was a smear of dust above his left eyebrow, and
Kirn wondered how he could keep from noticing it, even if
his reflection was blurred by the intricate patterns incised on
the surface of the platters
Finally Mairelon set his platter on the counter With^a re-
lieved sigh, Kim did the same; Saltash Platter or not, all that
silver was heavy Mairelon stared absently down at them both
"Well?" Hunch demanded
'Two copies," Mairelon said, more as if he were thinking
— 180—
aloud than as if he were answering Hunch "Two identical cop-
ies Identical right down to the scuffs and scratches Whoever
made these wasn't working from a description or from draw-
ings "
"Then he had the real one to copy?" Kim said tentatively
"I would be willing to bet on it," Mairelon replied "So if
we find the silversmith, we'll find the Saltash Platter "
Hunch snorted "Sounds to me as if you're back where you
started, Master Richard "
"Not quite," Mairelon said, and smiled "There's only one
person in this area who's had the platter long enough to make
copies Freddy Meredith "
"Meredith?" Kim said incredulously "You're bammin' me'
That sapskull?"
"I'll admit ft doesn't sound likely," Mairelon conceded "But
who else is there? Bramingham only had the platter for a day
or so, he couldn't have gotten one copy made in that time,
much less two None of the other, er, interested parties has
even been in Ranton Hilt long enough, much less had the
piatter in his possession "
"What about that Aberford cove?" Kim objected
"Well, yes, 1 suppose he ought to be considered a pos-
sibility," Mairelon said "But I don't think he would have tried
to burgle Bramingham Place the other night unless he
thought the platter there was the real one "
"Burgle Bramingham Place?" Hunch said His lips tight-
ened, causing his mustache to wiggle alarmingly "Master
Richard—"
"Yes, I hadn't forgotten about you," Mairelon interrupted.
He seated himself on top of the chest and looked at Hunch
with an air of expectancy "1 assume Shoreham told you
something worth hearing, or you wouldn't have come back so
promptly Let's have it "
Hunch rolled his eyes Kim suppressed an impulse to
grin,
181
as much at Mairelon's tactics as Hunch's reaction She won-
dered how long Mairelon would be able to keep from explain-
ing to Hunch }ust what he had been doing in his henchman's
absence She sat down cross-legged on the floor and waited
for Hunch to begin
"'Oo do you want to 'ear about first?" Hunch asked
"Jack Slower, since he has intruded on us so recently "
"'E's a nasty piece o' work," Hunch said '"E lives in St
Giles, far as anyone can tell, thieving and suchlike Lord
Shoreham says 'e ain't no different from most of the scum as
follows 'is profession, and the most interesting thing about 'im
is 'is master "
"Who is Dan Laverham," Mairelon said "We'll have him
next, but not before we're finished with Mr Slower Did
Shoreham find out when Stower left London?"
"'E left the day after we did," Hunch replied "Lord
Shoreham found someone 'oo was drinking Blue Ruin with 'im
the night afore 'e left, and 'e says Slower was mumbling 'ints
about some errand 'e was going to do for Mr Laverham "
Mairelon looked interested "Hints? What sort of hints?"
"Mysterious 'ints," Hunch said. "Lord Shoreham didn't say
no more than that "