She had to travel further to find someone selling sausages, and by the time she was on the way back into Seven Dials, it was dark. She held her basket tightly, her wrapped sausages and four apples hidden away under a worn tea towel. She was nearing home when two men stepped out in front of her. She steppedback, sliding her hand out of her pocket and down against her leg.
“Out of my way,” she said, pulling her dagger free of her skirts.
“Now that’s not very nice,” said a voice behind her.
Violet tensed. She recognized that voice. Adjusting course, she moved to put her back toward the building beside her and glanced over at Ferryman.
“It’s not nice to have your boys scare me like that.”
“Oh, I doubt very much you’re scared, Vi. Nothing much scares you,” Ferryman said, smiling. He had thin lips and large teeth yellowed from tobacco. He wore a black hat tipped back on his greasy brown hair, and his coat was a muted purple. His clothing looked expensive enough to belong to King, especially the ruby jewel glinting from his neckcloth.
He was wrong that nothing scared her. She had a long list of things that scared her, and he was at the top of that list. “What’s this about?” she asked, lifting her chin. “I paid my taxes.”
“That protected you last week. What about this week?”
“I have two more days left in my week. Unless weeks are only five days long now.”
Ferryman inclined his head. “A little mouse told me you won’t be able to pay in two days.”
“I wouldn’t believe what you hear from the mice. They like to squeak, but they can’t be trusted.”
“And you can? Be trusted?”
“I’ve always paid you before.”
“Yes.” He looked disappointed in that fact. Violet thought he probably was. If she didn’t pay, he could take payment in other forms, and that was exactly what he hoped for. He reached out a hand gloved in black and touched the tip of her dagger with one finger. “There’s a first time for everything.”
“May I pass?” she asked.
“There’s something else,” Ferryman said, leaning close enough that she could smell the tobacco on his breath. “Another squeak from a little mouse.”
“What’s that?” Violet asked, trying not to breathe too deeply.
“One of my little mice told me your brother was at the Black Bear today.”
“Joshua was with me all day. He had no reason to go to the Black Bear.” No reason at all, but she would have a few words with him if she ever got back.
“I didn’t say which brother,” Ferryman said. “And yet you knew immediately who I meant.”
Violet wanted to kick herself for making such a stupid mistake. “I assumed. But except for a game of kicking the ball, Georgie was with me as well.”
“I advise you to keep them both close. I have little mice watching everywhere and quite a few rat traps ready to spring.” He clapped, and Violet jumped. Ferryman stepped back. “Hurry home, Miss Baker,” he said. “It’s dark, and I can’t spend all of my time protecting you.”
He waved a hand, and his two boys stepped aside. Violet forced her legs to move. She wanted to run. She could feel Ferryman’s strange ice-blue eyes boring into her back, but she made herself walk quickly.
She rapped on the door to the Silver Unicorn. It seemed to take years as Ferryman and his gang moved slowly up the street, coming closer and closer. Finally, Joshua opened the door, and she shoved inside, pushed him aside, and slammed the bar down on the door again.
“What happened, Vi?” he asked.
The next moment, King was beside her, taking her basket. “You’re white as snow. Sit down.” He offered her a chair, but she waved it away and glared at Joshua.
“You.”
“What did I do?”
“You went to the Black Bear again, didn’t you?”
He shook his head, but she’d surprised him and saw the flicker in his eyes. “No.”
