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Back The Art of Dying Save as PDF
Chapters (90)
  1. PROLOGUE
  2. 1849
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. EDINBURGH
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. SEVENTY-SEVEN
  81. SEVENTY-EIGHT
  82. SEVENTY-NINE
  83. EIGHTY
  84. EIGHTY-ONE
  85. EPILOGUE
  86. HISTORICAL NOTE
  87. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  88. Extract from A Corruption of Blood
  89. 1850
  90. ONE

‘On balance, I suspect that is not true. Don’t worry yourself. It was time I roused. I thought sleep the best use of my time while I waited for McLevy to let me go.’

‘Why would he let you go?’

Gregor let out a deep, booming laugh in response to the confused look on Raven’s face.

‘He has nothing to charge me with.’

‘Then why are you here?’

‘Half the men in here, and in the cells next door, McLevy has brought in because he thinks they might tell him something about the recent mail-coach robbery. Even if he suspects they know nothing about it, if he can make them think he is planning to charge them with it, they will be suddenly forthcoming on other matters in order to stay on the right side of him.’

It fleetingly crossed Raven’s mind that he might inform McLevy of what he knew about the robbery, but it wouldn’t count for much against a murder charge, and would most likely come at the cost of a death sentence from Flint.

‘And are you planning to tell him something?’ Raven asked, unable to mask his surprise at the notion he would betray his employer.

‘I don’t need to. McLevy is tenacious, he’s wily and he knows how to play one man off against another, test their loyalties and probe for their weaknesses. But he’s also clever enough to know his men made a mistake in even bringing me in. A robbery carried out by masked men? Put a mask on me and I’m still the most recognisable man in Edinburgh.’

Gregor laughed again, and Raven did too, despite himself.

‘I only wish I had such a simple way of making McLevy see my innocence,’ Raven said.

He told Gregor his situation. The giant listened intently, silently contemplating for a while after Raven had finished speaking. Then he nodded solemnly to himself, as though reaching some unspoken resolution.

‘Dr Raven,’ he said, ‘there will come a time, perhaps not so long from now, when I must ask something of you.’

Raven met his gaze. ‘I think I can guess what that might be.’

‘Then I will endeavour to put myself in your good graces before that day should come.’

SEVENTY-TWO

logo missinghen Dr Raven had not returned by nightfall, I knew that providence was smiling upon me. I had feasted upon such exquisite anguish when I told her about her husband, but I had not thought I would be alone with her when Mrs Banks succumbed. It had been tantalising to know that her death was nearing and yet that I would most likely be sent from the house before it happened. If he had been detained elsewhere, then I had a precious opportunity.