Jim Morgan and the King of Thieves (28 page)

“Do as I say, bird,” the captain growled, and with a shrill caw, the raven took off into the air, following the small pair of footprints in the snow.

TWENTY–SIX

ight about the time Jim and Lacey were making their way toward the raucous court of the King of Thieves, Constable Butterstreet sat at the desk in his office, kept warm by the stove and wondering what his life might have been like had he had become a gardener instead of a King’s Man. But as he pondered turning in his badge for a spade, Deputy Thomas barreled into the office, shivering cold with what looked like an icicle dangling from the tip of his nose.

“S-s-sir!” Thomas reported. He tried to click his heels together sharply, but the poor man was shivering so badly that his heels just kept right on clicking, tapping out some rhythm akin to a jig.

“Thomas!” Butterstreet said, trying not to laugh at his deputy’s ridiculous state. “What have you done with yourself, man?”

“W-w-well,” Thomas stammered. “I-I was going back and forth betwixt watchin’ the docks and watchin’ for the children, then, whilst I was at the docks, the children showed up. Specifically, it was the Ratts and their pal, Jim Morgan, sir.”

“The Ratts and Jim Morgan? At the docks?”

“Y-y-yes, sir! Hung about all day lookin’ like they was runnin’ a scam on some pirates!”

“Pirates?” Butterstreet stood. “What in blazes are they thinking running about with that sort? They could be in for more trouble than they realize!” Now, Butterstreet would never have admitted this to anyone, but the truth was he had actually grown somewhat fond of the pickpockets he chased day in and day out, especially the Ratts. It wasn’t that he approved of what they did, for he still wanted to see them in school robes and singing in the church choir, but he had developed a rather soft spot for them, oftentimes remembering his own rascally deeds as a boy growing up in London.

“T-t-they may already be in trouble, sir!”

“What’s happened, man? Spit it out!”

“S-s-o they was goin’ after this particular pirate’s medallion, and even though he out-tricked them more than once, they kept after it like it was the most important necklace in the kingdom. But that’s when they got caught, s-s-sir.”

“They were caught by the pirates?” Butterstreet rumbled. “Were they hurt?”

“N-n-not so much, sir. But the pirates marched ’em down to a sloop that they must be using as a base, and that’s when he turned up, sir.”

“He who, Thomas? Give me the details, man!”

“W-w-why, Dread Steele, sir.”

“DREAD STEELE?” Butterstreet paced back and forth behind his desk now, the details of the deputy’s story winding him up like a toy soldier.

“Y-y-yes, sir. I barely saw him on the deck, a shadow of a man, sir, like death himself! So, he lets Jim and the girl go, but it seems he kept
the Ratts aboard. Then he sent one of his men to take the medallion to this odd place not far from the docks on Farthing Street.” At this point, the color in Deputy Thomas’s cheeks paled away, and his gaze grew distant. “Strangest building I ever seen, sir. That’s to say sir, it seemed to me you’d never know the door to the place was even there if someone didn’t show it to you, somethin’ not quite right about it… like the city ended at the buildin’s edges, and a new place began, all just in its own four walls. Well, in went the man into this queer house, and then out in just a moment’s time, but I assume he left the medallion there.”

By then, Butterstreet was breathing like a bull raring to charge, his droopy mustache flailing in blasts from his flaring nostrils. “The pirates, the Ratts, Jim Morgan, a mystery medallion, and a haunted house? It sounds like a conspiracy as none other! Almost too much to believe, Thomas - but if what you say is even half true, this is the sort of case a man can retire on, it is!”

“W-w-what do we do, sir?”

“We have to move quickly and take them all together! Now it seems to me that this medallion is at the center of it all, and if my instincts are correct, and they usually are—”

“T-t-that they are, sir,” Thomas agreed hastily, not wanting to be left behind in a case that was busy granting early retirements and all.

“Then I suppose that this odd house on Farthing’ll be the spot where all roads converge, and where we shall strike. Call out the men, Thomas! There’ll be some arrests tonight!”

“W-w-well, sir, beggin’ your pardon…but we are the men, sir, after Bob quit and all,” Thomas said sheepishly.

“Quite right, Thomas, quite right. Then it comes to you and me.”

“A-a-and what about the Captain Cromier, sir?” Thomas asked.

Butterstreet grunted distastefully. He had almost forgotten that it was the black-haired, pale-skinned captain who had assigned him these chores in the first place. “Well, I suppose we shall have to bring him in too, as he said he wanted to deal with Steele and Morgan personally.”

“Not sure I care too much for the captain, sir.”

“Nor do I, Thomas, but you have your orders like I have mine, and tonight we’ll catch Jim Morgan, the thieving Ratts, Dread Steele, and his entire crew all in one swoop. It’ll be a night the city of London will never forget!”

TWENTY–SEVEN

im led Lacey by the arm through the cold, empty streets of London, her blue eyes fixed on the snowy cobblestone beneath her feet, sniffling and choking back an occasional sob, but sparing not so much as a word for Jim. Jim meanwhile shed no tears himself, but that familiar knot, the one that plagued his throat whenever his thoughts wandered back to his father, had returned in force.

Only a few hours ago he had been so close to possessing the amulet, and with that, a step nearer to retrieving his box. But in a matter of moments, Jim had lost all the ground he’d gained thus far. He was certain Dread Steele had played a part in his father’s death, no matter
what the pirate pretended to feel at the accusation. George, Peter, and Paul were now prisoners on that filthy sloop, and worse still, Jim thought, it was he, not Dread Steel who had most hurt his friends. Why hadn’t he just told them about his father’s treasure? Did so much of his old self still remain that he would hide this one secret from those who cared most for him?

Well, Jim thought, his free hand still bunched into a mean fist, this just couldn’t stand. Jim had one card to play, and he was going to play it to win. But as he and Lacey neared the dark hole in the drain that led to King of Thieves’ hidden court, Jim found the first hurdle he would have to clear, a hurdle topped with bright red hair, and commanding a crew of three tough-talking lunks.

The Dragons guarded the drain as though they’d been expecting trouble, and when Big Red saw Jim and Lacey approach, an ugly leer spread across his freckled face. “Well, well, if it ain’t his lordship, Jimmy Morgan. Been havin’ a late night cup o’ tea with the King of England?” Big Red’s face twisted up with so much wicked glee, one would have thought that Christmas had come twice that year.

“Tea with the king! Great one Red!”

“Spot o’ tea! Spot on is what that is, spot on!”

“His lordship, Jimmy Morgan? Brilliant, Red, brilliant!” Red’s yes men laughed a little too hard at what Red hadn’t exactly meant as a one-liner until he snapped his fingers and they immediately shut up.

“So,” Red said, puffing out his chest and stepping up to Jim with that nasty smile still on his face, a smile Jim knew meant nothing but trouble for him and Lacey. “Where’s the rest of your lot? Did the mouse brothers get caught ’n a trap?”

“Just let us pass, Red,” Jim said, but Lacey stifled another sob.

“They did get caught!” Red nearly whooped, and if it were possible, his horrible smile grew even wider, and his lunks laughed even louder, joining in the ridicule.

“Shut up, Red!” Jim spouted. “You’re a right poltroon, you know that? But even worse, you don’t have a clue what’s going on, do you?
The King of Thieves is lying to you. He doesn’t care about you, he’s just trying to get this special amulet all for himself!”

The other Dragons kept right on laughing in Jim’s face, except for Red. His cheeks grew crimson with fury, and the smile burned right off his face. “You’re the liar! The Dragons are the king’s favorites, and of all the Dragons, he likes me best! I’m his right-hand man, he told me so hisself!”

“You’re wrong, Red.” Jim held his ground, trying his best to keep his hands from shaking. One way or the other, he had to get into the King’s court, whether by Red – or through him. “He doesn’t give two bits about you.”

Well, that was it for Big Red. His ears lit up bright pink, and with a howl he drew back his big fist. Jim clenched his teeth, throwing his chest out and his shoulders back. It’s a strange thing about boys: Sometimes they don’t think about ducking or moving or even punching back. The manliest thing to do in Jim’s mind at that moment was to take that punch right on the jaw and show Red that it didn’t hurt one bit. Fortunately for Jim, Lacey had no such issues with pride.

Just as Red stepped in to launch his strike, a small fist sped past Jim’s shoulder, planting itself square on Red’s nose. Much to Jim’s surprise, instead of finding himself on the snowy seat of his pants, he found Big Red at his feet in a heap, floored on his rump in the midst of his gang, holding his nose, tears starting, and eyes wide in shocked surprise.

“Really, Jim,” Lacey said, wiping the tears from her cheeks with one hand and holding up a defensive fist with the other. “Sometimes you just have to
do
something, you know? I’ll never understand boys, really! Now, who else wants some?” she challenged.

The other Dragons looked at Red, nose dripping blood, and then up to Lacey, blue eyes flashing behind her fists.

“After you,” the first lunk said, stepping aside and motioned toward the hole with outstretched hands.

“Thank you,” replied Lacey, and with that, she ducked down and crawled into the drain. Jim looked up at Red’s lunks, who were staring
at him with completely confused expressions, and shrugged. “Girls, right?” he said with a smile, then followed Lacey down the drain.

“She, she hit me!” said Red nasally, holding his face.

“She sure did, Red!”

“Right on the nose!”

“You took that one like a champ, you did! Right in the face! Bravo, Bravo -”