I, Coriander (19 page)

Even Gabriel looked twice as I walked into the shop, doing my best to copy his stride.

‘Coriander?’ he said uncertainly.

‘Yes, Gabriel,’ I said.

‘Well, blow me down, you look the part all right!’

And Nell, who had been upstairs all the while, came into the shop and became all flirtatious and skittish. She blushed scarlet when she realised who I was.

‘Oh my! Who would have thought it?’ she said. ‘You make a mighty handsome lad, mistress, better even than Master Appleby.’

And for the first time that wretched day Gabriel, despite himself, smiled.

I
t was dark and still raining when we set off. I felt nervous as we left, with Master Thankless and Danes anxiously watching us as we walked together down Bridge Street towards the church of St Magnus.

‘Take this,’ said Gabriel when we were at the top of Thames Street, and he handed me a dagger. I was so shocked by the glint of the blade that I all but dropped it.

‘Just to be on the safe side,’ Gabriel whispered.

I followed him, doing my best to keep my stride long. The freedom from skirts felt wonderful, though the weight of the dagger and all that it meant reminded me that this was no childish game.

We went past the tavern and down to the river steps and I suddenly wished that I was inside drinking ale and listening to watermen’s tales rather than tackling the task in front of us.

‘Are you ready?’ asked Gabriel.

I nodded.

‘You know you can still go back,’ he said. ‘It is not too late for a change of heart.’

I shook my head, scared to speak lest my voice betray me.

The waterman stood waiting for us on the bottom step.

‘All well, Master Starling?’ asked Gabriel.

He huffed. ‘Now tell me, do people like to go on the river in weather like this? They do not! Not when for the same coin, head or tails of it, they can hire a carriage to take them on their journey in the dry.’

Gabriel handed Master Starling a purse. He tipped the coins into the palm of his huge hand.

‘Very kind of you, sir. Much appreciated,’ he said, handing Gabriel his lantern.

‘We shall be back before the watch calls twelve,’ said Gabriel, climbing into the boat.

‘And who is this lad?’ asked Master Starling, looking at me.

‘A new apprentice,’ said Gabriel, and I clambered on board, unused to doing so without a hand to hold.

‘A bit green behind the ears,’ said the waterman with a laugh, as he walked back up the steps towards the tavern. ‘Do not give him the oars, or you will never get home!’

T
here is something overwhelming about the Thames that cannot be seen from the safety of land. It is a wild and raw river that has a will of its own, untamed by shorelines. I began to understand this as we were pulled downstream by the full force of its angry tide.

Gabriel rowed, doing his best to keep the boat close to the bank out of sight from the houses above us. The rain having now stopped, their windows were open, spilling out half-heard conversations that drifted down through the candlelight. A dog barked, its cry answered by another dog.

My house stood unlit. The water gate was deserted and dank, with green slime clinging to the steps.

‘Perhaps they are not at home,’ I said.

‘They are there all right,’ said Gabriel.

We moored the boat so that we were parallel to the gate. Gabriel stood up and tried to lift it. It would not move. He sat down again, dejected. ‘Now what?’ he said.

Suddenly, a green light shot out from the study window and flashed across the river. Gabriel quickly put out our lantern and we moved the boat away from the water gate to have a better look. We both stared up at the house, unsure of what we had seen. Then it happened again, the green light flashing from the window like a knife across the water.

As if we had both spoken without words, Gabriel turned the boat towards the water gate and this time we tugged as if our very lives depended on it. For a moment I thought the boat would capsize but we managed to steady it and found that we could lift the gate enough to glide under. We pushed our way in, keeping our heads low. Slap, slap, slap went the river as it hit the steps and the wall. Gabriel lit the lantern again as something slithered and flopped heavily into the water near the steps.

‘Hell’s bells, what was that?’ said Gabriel, turning round and lifting the lantern high.

A rat sat staring at us before scurrying away.

It was hard to believe that this dark, dank place with the tidemark etched into its once white stone had ever been a place of excitement, of happy comings and goings. Now it felt abandoned and haunted, the river water swirling darkly beneath our boat.

‘The sooner we find Hester, the sooner we can be out of here,’ whispered Gabriel, tying the boat to a post.

We made our way up the steps towards the door that led into the house. I was surprised to find it locked. For a moment I could only think that we were to be thwarted in our plan from the outset. Then I remembered where we had always kept a spare key. I put my hand up to the ridge where one stone was hollower than the rest and there to my relief my fingers found the key.

Gabriel carefully put it in the door and turned it. It made a clunk which to us sounded as loud as thunder, and I was sure that at any moment Arise would appear before us, sword in hand. We waited with beating hearts but, hearing not a sound, opened the door and let ourselves into the dark hall.

If ever a house could feel sorry for itself it was this one, brought low by grime and neglect. It smelt musty, and it was clear that no one had swept or cleaned here since Hester had gone.

Although I had known the house all my life, it took a while for my eyes to get used to the gloom and make out the familiar shape of the hall. Suddenly, to our consternation, the study door burst open and light spilt out on to the floor. My heart near failed me for I was sure that someone had heard us and was coming to see what was going on. We stayed rooted to the spot, hardly daring to breathe, but nothing happened, no one emerged. Gabriel gave a sigh of relief, then squeezed my arm before slipping up the stairs, as quiet as a cat.

‘Good mistress,’ I heard a voice say from the study, ‘my dear friends here may well have something you want, but they feel that they have been insufficiently paid for all the trouble they have been put to.’

‘Tarbett Purman,’ said a voice I recognised as Rosmore’s, ‘have I not brought back Maud’s daughter for her, to do with as you want? Have I not given these two miserable mortals all that they desired and more over the years? All I asked for in return was the shadow. Where is it?’

I was so intent on listening that I was not aware of the noises that were coming from outside the door behind me, but in the silence that followed I could hear the click-click of claws scraping on stone steps. I began to doubt my courage as the sound grew louder and the door began to heave as if some monstrous beast was trying to break in.

I was terrified, with the kind of fear that makes everything seem like bright white light. I shut my eyes, held tightly on to my dagger, and concentrated hard on not screaming.

‘It be there!’ I heard Maud say.

‘What is there?’ said Rosmore.

‘Nothing, nothing at all,’ replied Arise, his voice sounding near to breaking.

‘You do not deceive me, you snivelling ferret. You know what is there.’

Another flash of light came from her and through the door I saw Arise Fell fall to his knees.

‘Please, no more,’ he said. ‘This is not my fault. You should aim your green light at Master Purman. He is the one who has ruined everything.’

‘Get up, you piece of rotten flesh, and tell me what you have done with the shadow.’

Arise’s voice betrayed his fear. ‘I had it ready for you, but it fell into the mouth of the stuffed alligator.’

‘I tried to get it back,’ interrupted Tarbett Purman, ‘but alas, dear madam, the alligator seemed to come to life and bit hard at my hand. I being in pain did what I could to shake it free, but sadly it fell from the window.’

‘Where is it now?’ she hissed.

‘Down there,’ said Maud, pointing to where I stood hidden in the darkness of the hall. ‘It’s been growing and growing, that it has. And it doesn’t stop. Every day now it knocks louder on the door.’

I was sure that Rosmore would come into the hall and seek the alligator herself. Then I would be done for.

‘Surely it can be got back. You have such powers,’ said Maud in a trembling voice.

‘No, woman,’ said Rosmore, ‘I cannot and I will not get it back, but you three will.’

Green light flashed across the floor and I saw Arise, Maud and Tarbett cower as the massive wings and talons of a raven swooped towards them. Cronus!

In that instant Hester and Gabriel were down the stairs. ‘Quick,’ said Gabriel, grabbing my arm.

‘Who is there?’ shouted Rosmore. ‘Tarbett, go and make sure the girl does not run away again.’

I tried to warn Gabriel not to open the door to the water gate, but everything was happening too fast. He pushed it open and beckoned us towards the steps. I could see no sign of the alligator, only the reflection of the moon on the river’s surface. Hester and I scrambled into the boat and Gabriel grabbed the oars as I pushed us hard away from the steps and towards the water gate.

Too late. The raven was upon us, cawing loudly, swooping above our heads. Gabriel lifted an oar and hit out as hard as he could and we began to spin round and round. The raven flew up immediately above us, getting ready to attack. Then there was a swirl in the dark water and I saw a creamy white jaw with a mouthful of sharp pointed teeth take hold of the rope attached to our little boat.

‘Sit down!’ I shouted. It was just in time, for the boat took off as if we were being propelled by some wondrous machine. We all ducked low under the water gate out into the main flow of the river. The raven circled and flapped his wings but was soon left far behind.

Gabriel seized the oars. As he did so, our furious pace lessened and he soon had control of the boat. I saw the water heave and a dark shape slip back upstream.

‘What in heaven’s name has happened?’ gasped Gabriel.

‘I have no idea,’ I lied. ‘All that matters is that we have found Hester and she is alive and well.’

We landed the boat by the bridge just as the watch called twelve o’clock.

‘That’s what I like to see, a man who keeps his word! Twelve you said and twelve it is.’ And with that, Master Starling patted Gabriel vigorously on the back. ‘Looks as if you’ve done well,’ he said, smiling at Hester.

‘We have indeed, sir,’ said Gabriel, putting an arm round Hester and smiling broadly.

We said our goodnights at the top of the steps and were about to go our separate ways when we heard a cry echo across the water.

‘What was that?’ I said, turning back to the river.

We stood listening.

‘Oh, no doubt just some people quarrelling,’ said Gabriel.

A terrible scream pierced the stillness of the night, followed by an unearthly quiet.

26

Toothmarks

A
t high tide the river is the colour of mercury. Like an alchemist’s stone it daily changes ships’ cargoes into bags full of gold and silver, the wealth and prosperity of the city. With every changing tide it washes away the sins of its citizens, or so men hope and pray. For old Father Thames never judges his spoilt children who waste his riches and muddy his waters with their greed.

At each low tide the river reveals its grimy underbelly, its secrets half hidden in the sludge on its banks. Sometimes the river declines to carry its discarded passengers out to sea and they bob back up like driftwood on the surface, refusing to sink. So it was with the body of Tarbett Purman. He was found floating like a bolted cork under the piers at London Bridge, and the watermen who dragged him from the river found him with his eyes wide open and a thousand small sharp wounds in his flesh.

I was woken early. Danes, looking serious, told me to get dressed fast and come down to the kitchen. I did so, feeling sick in the pit of my stomach, for it had been late when finally we had all got to bed.

Master Thankless was up and dressed and pacing the room. Gabriel and Hester were standing holding hands.

‘What is going on?’ I asked, for everyone looked so solemn.

‘Tarbett Purman is dead,’ said Gabriel.

‘Worse than dead. It is rumoured that he has been murdered, ’ said Master Thankless.

‘Murdered? How do you know?’

‘He was found floating in the river. Master Starling just came to tell us that the constable has been called. Gabriel has been accused of killing him out of jealousy and of eloping with his bride-to-be,’ said Danes.

‘No!’ I said. ‘By whom?’

‘Who do you think? Arise and Maud,’ said Gabriel grimly.

‘But you did not do it. I was -’

‘It makes no difference,’ said Gabriel. ‘No one is going to take the word of an apprentice over that of a preacher. I will be arrested and hanged before you can show that I am innocent.’

Hester started to cry. I wished that I was not so sleepy, for I found it hard to think straight.

‘I am not having it, I tell you,’ said Master Thankless. ‘I am not letting them near you. Why, you are as good as a son to me. I promised your mother and father before they died that I would take care of you and I have and I will. Oddsfish, they shall not get you.’ Tears rolled down the tailor’s cheeks as he hugged Gabriel.

‘You have been the kindest master I ever could have had,’ said Gabriel. ‘I am truly sorry that I have caused such trouble.’

‘Trouble?’ said the tailor. ‘You have caused no trouble. Why, what would we have done without you? Coriander would be dead, Hester lost to us . . .’

‘Captain Bailey!’ I said.

They all turned to me. ‘We must go to Captain Bailey. Maybe he can get Gabriel out of the city,’ I said.

‘An excellent idea, but alas, it will take time to find him and we have no time,’ said Master Thankless.