Chapter One part Two

The Hansome cab rattled under the iron arch of the gateway, barley missing the stone gateposts that stood either side of the entrance. The fog swirled around the court yard but with the moons light it had turned the vapour into a shallow white sea. The carriage swung in a wide arc and drew to a halt beyond the tall wooden doors.

The Porter swallowed his fear and focused on the guinees he would soon have in his pocket. He would be rich. "Rich" he wheezed in the darkness. But how rich? That would depend on exactly how important the boy was to Lasendby. Licking his cracking lips, he reasoned that people who came to buy apprentices from the poor house certainly didn't come in the night - not usually. He wrapped one gnarled hand over the other, wringing them together as he watched the horse dance impatiently outside. He would need to be careful of Lasenby if the rumours were true.

Glancing over his shouder, his peered into the shadows. Pausing to listen and only when he was sure that there was no one watching, he shuffled through the door and down the stone steps to the yard.

"Lasenby, I have been expecting you," he dropped into a low bough beside the cab.

The door of the Hansome cab swung open and a polished shoe stepped onto the footplate. A grey gloved hand clasped the door frame and then a top hat appeared. Slowly Lasenby raised his head, his eye catching the moonlight and turning them momentarily silver, like a cats in the night. The Gentleman blinked and the Porter suppressed a shudder.

"I received your message," Lasenby said. The Porter felt the gentleman's eyes slide over his face like it was searching out the secrets of his soul. Rumours dark doings filled his mind but he pushed them away quickly. Magic and the occult might be the fad of the rich and famous but where he came from, money was what mattered. Lasenby's wanted something he had and that meant it had a price. Trying to avoid the penetration of the mans eyes the Porter gestured to the steps.

"Please this way sir," he said trying to school the sudden thought of wealth from his face.

The horse danced and the small carriage rocked but Lasenby remained seated.

"You have the boy?"

"Yes, yes," the Porter hissed gently "oh yes." He turned, shuffled up the steps and waited in the shadows of the door. He could feel Lasenby's gaze on him. Almost hungry, he thought and suppressed a smile before turning to beckon the Gentleman inside.

The horse shifted it's weight, the harness danced and jingled. For a heartbeat the Porter thought the man might ask the driver to move on and his chance of a furtune would disappear but then Lasenby gave a curt nod.

"Keep the beast still man," he ordered swinging down from the carriage. Straightening to his full height the Porter was glad he was stood at the top of the stairs. The broad shoulders of the man and his height made him instantly intimidating and that would never do for the bartering of a price.

Lasenby walked to the front of the cab and handed the driver some coins. The moonlight glinted on the polished metal. "Wait here for my return," he said fixing the driver with his irradecent gaze. The man nodded slowly but his face looked confused. The Porter narrowed his eyes, suspiscion began to burn inside him. He needed to be very careful, but he wasn't going to let Lasenby work any mind games on him.

Crack.

The Porter's attention jummped to the cane in the gentleman's hand. It still seemed to vibrate with the force of striking the stone cobbles at Lasenby's feet.

"Well take me to the child then," Lasenby instructed. The Porter inclined his head,

"Financial compensation will be required for the loss of a worker."

Lasenby tapped the metal base of the cane against the stones.

"There will be no talk of money before I see the boy," he said with conviction but the Porter could see the man's hands tightening on the head of the cane.

Suppressing a smile of triumph the Porter backed away into the building.

"In that case you must follow me."