"This way," I croaked, scooting into a nearby laneway which was tight and uncomfortable to scoot down. Poppy held onto my arm, trotting behind me to keep up. Her face was bright red.
We'd been running for almost an hour.
And every time I thought I'd lost her, Madeline's face would appear in the crowd once more.
Looking around to be sure we weren't followed, I pulled Poppy into a small shop. The shop sold candles.
Lots of candles.
"Good morning to you, sir," a slim gentleman said as he lifted his nose above the counter. "Can I be of assistance?"
"You might, yes," I said. "I'm looking for some particular candles."
"Oh? Well, you've come to the right place, then. That's all I sell."
"I know." I glanced back at the doorway, half expecting Madeline to be standing in it. "I'm looking for felflame candles."
"What? This is a reputable business, sir! I would traffic in no such foul and perverse items!"
"Really?"
"Absolutely! Felflame candles are illegal. Highly illegal." He squinted at me. "Are you with the guard?"
"No, I'm not." I put a small bag of gold on the counter. "Here. This is my identification."
"That's a rather hefty sum," he said. "But felflame is still very illegal. I feel I really ought to summon the guard and have you arrested for attempting to consort with demons. I'm not sure why you came here in the first place. I would never consider trading in such demonic items. The mere idea is most offensive."
"I never meant to suggest you did," I said, ignoring Poppy's strangled gasp as I put another similar sized bag on the counter. "Here, let me offer an apology."
"Well…" He eyed the two bags warily. "You do seem genuine enough with it. I suppose I shouldn't hold it personally. You weren't to know how illegal they are. You know, toying with the demonic arts can only lead to tragedy."
"I would never!" I took a step back, looking as shocked as I could. "What kind of gentleman would consider such a thing? I had merely been seeking a candle with a suitable greenish glow, and had heard felflame might suit. Perhaps you have an alternative I might use?"
"Alternative?" He pursed his lips. "You know, I think I might. Provided you weren't using it to summon demonic entities."
I lifted a hand to my heart. "And damn my soul for all eternity? No, thank you. I am an upright citizen."
"As am I."
"Then let us agree we never raised the topic."
"I can agree with that."
"And I never saw you."
"Nor I you."
"Now, do you by chance have any candles which might give off a greenish glow?"
"I do indeed!" He brightened, pulling out a small locked box from under the counter, which he hastily opened with a complex little key from around his neck. "Of course, if I were you, I wouldn't show these to just anybody. They might mistake them for felflame."
"They're for my personal study."
"Then you should be safe."
I took the candles and dropped them into my spatial bag. He nodded as they disappeared and quickly tucked the box back under the counter. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to help."
"That's alright," I said. "I'll just have to forget all about them. Maybe I will get white ones instead."
"I have some with a lovely vanilla fragrance," he offered, glancing at Poppy. "The lady might like them."
I took half a dozen in a nifty little paper bag, then we ducked out of the shop and squirreled quickly into another street. I couldn't see Madeline, but I felt her eyes on me. I knew she was around here somewhere.
Had she seen me go into the candle shop? I hoped not.
"This way," I said, cutting through a tavern and squeezing out the back and into he alley behind it.
Rats scurried out of our path.
A few mooks gave me a sideways look but seemed to recognise me. One wet himself while the others had a sudden desperate need to tie their laces. Even if they didn't have any.
I led Poppy through a maze of streets, deliberately confounding both her and myself. The poor girl was struggling to keep up.
"It's not far," I said, giving her a pat on the head.
She gave me a tired look. "What isn't?"
"Leviathan Lane."
"Oh?" She blinked, her eyes looking a little foggy. "What's that?"
"It's where we'll find Snuggington's Pets."
"Oh!" She brightened suddenly, then chewed her lip. "Should we got there now? I mean, with Lady Westingham… Is it safe?"
"It's as safe as we can be," I told her. "In any case, I need to pick up something from him, too."
"You do? Are you getting a pet, too?"
"No. But he also sells other supplies."
"Like snacks for Noodle?"
"Noodle wouldn't eat anything Snuggington sold," I said. "At least, not on purpose. He's much too fussy."
I felt a cold chill run down my spine and turned. Knowing what I would see.
Standing almost directly behind us and about ten strides away, Madeline had her arms crossed and a furious scowl burned into her face.
Around her, every single person had paused whatever they were doing as though too afraid to move. The silence stretched like a taut bowstring which, if plucked, would let out a scream so loud it would break everyone's ears.
"Taran," she hissed.
"Poppy!" I squawked. "Run!"
"Eep!"
The girl flopped in my arms, and I scooped up her snoring body and tore off through the crowd who were reluctant to get out of my way but soon learned to respect my elbows and knees.
Honestly, with the way I was feeling, they were lucky I wasn't sending them all into the void.
I felt a heavy pressure as the Old Twit hunched over me. He was writhing as he watched me run, destroying entire galaxies with every anxious turn. I felt him jabbing at me, sending me down this lane or that. His insistence made me obey without question.
Behind me, I heard a rush of sound. Like a flutter of delicate wings.
I didn't look back.
Kicking through a door, I pushed my way through a crowded eatery and back into another street which I crossed in two steps before shouldering into another tavern and climbing up the stairs. At the end of a hall, a window was half-open. I squeezed out of it in a rush and picked my away across the rooftop before leaping over to the next.
Eventually, I found my way to a small apartment building and was able to kick through another door to get inside. Down the stairs and out the door.
Into a little courtyard which led to a bustling street.
Ducking my head to reduce my height, I did my best to carry Poppy as fast as I could towards Leviathan Lane.
Suddenly, I felt the Old Twit tug at me, and I swept into a laneway and behind a crowded clutter of bins. I dropped down behind them, closing my eyes and whispering a dozen thankyous to the Elder God as a freezing wind screeched past the laneway's mouth.
Madeline's voice howled with it; "Taran! Where are you?"
Shaking a little, I realised I desperately needed a gin and tonic.
Perhaps with less tonic.
Madeline's shrieks faded into the distance and I rose quickly, Poppy stirring lightly in my arms.
"Nearly there," I whispered to her, although I think my reassurances were mostly for myself. The warmth of her body felt oddly comforting and I wasn't sure I wanted to let her go just yet. I gave her a gentle squeeze as her eyes fluttered open and she gazed up at me in confusion. "Not far now."
"She's everywhere," Poppy said with a frightened swallow.
"I know." I tiptoed down the laneway towards a street I hoped would take us to Leviathan Lane. "It does seem that way. But we'll get a few minutes break soon."
"We will?"
"Of course," I assured her. I knew my ex-wife's habits. I knew them very well. "It's almost half-past ten, so she'll be forced to stop for morning tea. Madeline would never miss her scones with whipped cream and jam. Not for anything."
***
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