“—and a quicker one by sea.”
Solomon’s voice had an edge to it that made Jed want to move mountains to solve his problems for him.“I wouldn’t fret.The gang won’t stay at Minehead forever, now that everyone in the district knows they’re there.They’ll move away to some other hunting ground where they’ll have the element of surprise.Or maybe their Lordships up in London will recall them.”Solomon looked unconvinced, and Jed added, “And anyroad, every step takes us further away from Minehead.”
Solomon was still frowning, and Jed would have liked to lift a hand to Solomon’s face, to brush his thumb over that line between his brows and smooth it away.But it was easier to do such things in the dark than in the light of day.
“All right, then,” Solomon said finally.“Let’s just get to Barnstaple.”
They reached the town by mid-morning.It was market day, and the streets were thronged with traders and villagers from the surrounding countryside.
“I need to find the riverfront,” Solomon said.“I told my friend Wallace to leave word for me at the first tavern south of the bridge.”
“That’ll be the Anchor.I’ll show you.”
Jed spoke briskly, but in truth he was both curious and nervous to meet this friend who seemed to mean so much to Solomon, and about whom he had said so little.
He led Solomon through the streets towards the river.There was one good thing about this, at least: it was a relief to have something to do.A clear goal, instead of floundering in the fog of uncertainty that had been threatening to choke him since he fled his village.
Barnstaple was much as it had been when Jed had last seen it.The first time he came here, he’d been a little boy crouched in his father’s cart, gaping open-mouthed at the sights: the busy streets, with their motley hodge-podge of crumbling medieval buildings and prosperous merchants’ new townhouses; the well-dressed shipowners’ wives; the delivery boys weaving through the traffic; the forest of masts rising above the rooftops where fishing boats and merchant ships were moored along the river bank.
At the Anchor, the landlord stopped polishing glasses long enough to answer Solomon’s enquiry.
“You’re Dyer, are you?Your friend said you’ll find him at the sign of the Boar.”
Solomon looked relieved.“At least I know he made it here from London all right,” he said when they were back out on the street.
The Boar was five minutes’ walk away, a busy inn on the town’s main thoroughfare, with a carrier’s yard attached.In the taproom, a dark-haired woman was serving drinks to the market-day crowd.
When Solomon asked for Wallace Acton, she eyed him curiously.“You must be his friend from London.He’s out back—go on through.”
The door she indicated led to a back alley.A burly young man, as tall as Solomon and much broader, was stacking barrels against the alley wall.
“Wallace!”Solomon called, and the man turned.
He had fair hair framing a pleasant, open face, with melancholic blue eyes that lit up at the sight of Solomon.In a few swift steps, they came together in the middle of the alley, enfolding each other in a tight embrace.
Jed watched them, taking an odd sort of pleasure in the sight of their joy.At least one of them, out of him and Solomon, had something going well in his life.
Finally, Solomon stepped back, holding the other man out at arm’s length to look at him.He was blinking, eyes suspiciously bright.“Thank goodness you got here all right.Are you well?You look well.”
“Now, Solomon, I told you not to worry about me.”
Solomon said nothing, but only gave him a searching look.
The other man squeezed his arm.“Yes, I’m well.Very much so.What about you?I’ve been looking out for you this past week.Did you have trouble leaving Town?”
“No, but I had a few adventures on the way.And… I have good news and bad.I’ll tell you everything, but first—this is Jedediah Trevithick.We met on the road.”Solomon turned to Jed, smiling.“Jed, Wallace Acton.”
Wallace was examining Jed with friendly curiosity.He offered his hand, and Jed shook it.
“Jed’s a carrier,” Solomon added.“He took pity on me and showed me the way here.Meeting him was a rare stroke of luck.”
Jed grunted, rubbing the back of his neck.“Pleased to meet you,” he said to Wallace.
A brewer’s cart rumbled into the alley, and Wallace was obliged to move away to speak to the driver.Solomon turned back to Jed.
“I’ll be off now,” Jed said to forestall him.“Let you catch up with your friend.See you around, eh?”
“Wait.Won’t you stay?Have a drink—?”
