Page 23 - Brokenclaw - John Gardner

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spending an evening with her.

The door led to the street, and he made her look out to ensure there was
nobody lurking in the shadows. When it seemed safe, Bond told her again that
she should keep her mouth shut. ‘It would be very bad joss for me to have to
return and alter that pretty face.’ Con
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going on in his head, Bond considered that he sounded pretty mean.
‘I promise. Not foolish. Do not wish for trouble, particularly as my father is
owner of this store.’
‘Good girl! Just keep that pair of Chinese cabbages off my back.’

In spite of the trembling hands and the flicker of fear in her eyes, the girl
gave a little giggle. ‘Those cabbages my brothers,’ she said, and the giggle
stayed with him as he closed the door behind him.
There was nobody in the alleyway which led to another dark and narrow
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passage at the end of which he could see, like a light at the end of a tunnel, the
bustle, noise and glare of the main street.
Hugging the right-hand side of the passageway, Bond moved softly towards
the street, pausing at the top, flattening his body into the shadow and giving

himself a small view of the front of the store through which he had gone. The
girls were still outside, but there was no sign of Porpoise. Instinctively he
looked back down the passageway, fearing that the tail had gone through the
store after him and was now behind him. But nothing moved or stirred in the

darkness.
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As he turned to look again at what he could see of the store front, Porpoise
came into sight. It seemed possible that the man had entered the store and
discovered his quarry gone to earth, for he stood looking about him, his face

showing perplexity, eyes darting all over the place. Finally he gave a deep
sigh, shrugged his shoulders, turned and joined the crowd, hurrying back in the
direction from whence he had come.
Bond started after him, for he was now anxious to know two things. Why

was he being followed? Who had put this surveillance on him? He spotted
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Porpoise quite quickly on the other side of the street though the man appeared
to be in a hurry and moved through the crowd with long strides, twisting his
body this way and that to avoid too much jostling and bumping.

Remaining on his side, Bond followed, well behind for a couple of blocks,
then pushed on faster as he saw Porpoise take a sudden right at an intersection.
Perhaps he was heading towards Nob Hill, Bond thought; possibly setting up a

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