‘Oh yes, you are,’ said Joe. ‘Think I wanna be listening to how my friends lied to her for the rest of my life? Every single day? Oh no, mister, you’re coming back! You’re coming back if I have to carry you back, and you’ll take that ugly thing and good riddance!’

Albert looked at him. ‘Oh, all right, I’ll take it. What’s the big deal? I’ll just drop it somewhere and that’ll be the end of it.’

‘Are you mad?’ asked Joe incredulously. ‘You think she’s not going to come and visit it to see how it looks? And keep coming?’

Albert began experiencing the first stirrings of an uneasy feeling. This was becoming more than he had bargained for. ‘Keep coming? What do you mean—keep coming? For how long?’

‘Rest of your life.’

‘Look, forget it now,’ said Colby. ‘Listen, Joe. You know what’s been happening, right?’

‘Aye, I heard. About Marcus. And the girl, too.’

‘Yes, and there’s more. There’s to be a reckoning tonight, so you’re about to get your wish about that leave.’

‘Aye, I know. Runner came by from the Collegium a while back. How did that happen?’

Quickly Colby filled him in on the events of the afternoon. When he had finished, Joe whistled again. ‘Aye, I get it. Ambushed the old man, good and proper, they did.’ He scratched his head. ‘Now about the girl. You want me to ask around?’

‘Later, maybe. If Kieran draws a blank. But I think he’s our best bet actually. Those chaps of his are a lot more, well, tuned in.’

Joe nodded again. ‘Aye, that’s true. So we wait?’

‘We wait.’

25

They hadn’t long to wait. About fifteen minutes later, Kieran strolled along, whistling. When he saw them his face perked up and he came over. ‘There yer are, Cap’n! Been lookin’ all over for yer!’

‘Have you found something?’ asked Colby.

Kieran nodded, his brow wrinkled in thought. ‘Aye. I have, too.’

‘Well, spit it out, man!’

Kieran beckoned them closer and they all crowded round conspiratorially. ‘So I thought about what yer told me, and I asked a few questions, and well, a few of the higher-ups in the Band have been lookin’ mighty flash lately. Word’s that they’ve found a new backer.’

‘Backer?’ asked Albert.

‘Aye. You know, someone who puts some muscle behind ’em. Happiness, most like.’

‘So, the Band has someone funding them,’ said Colby thoughtfully. ‘Who?’

‘Dunno, Cap’n. Even the gangs wanna know. It’s all hush-hush. Nobody knows.’

‘So how’s he paying them, then?’

‘Well, I dunno. Couldn’t find out, I mean. But it’s hard, y’know, unless we can talk to someone from the Band, an’ I don’ got no stooges there.’