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The third item on the list, birdspit, was a country euphemism, and a much less effective route to the power, but then, power wasn’t the point of the exercise.
Crane kept him company with a glass of wine and a story he didn’t want to tell.
Including the services of a firm of lawyers who are more like moray eels than human beings.”
I’m going to call in some obligations and do a bit more work on Rackham’s affairs. Buy up some debts. Revive some old grudges. See how fast I can get him to the verge of ruin.” “Ah,” said Merrick, satisfied. “That kind of civilised.”
“Earl Crane. Shouldn’t there be an ‘of’ in that?” “No. It’s like Earl Grey.” “The tea?” “The lord.”
“No, most of them aren’t dead at all.”
“You’d need to speak to him about it.” “I’ll do that, the next time I want to hear a pack of bare-faced lies.
“This is typical of you, Steph,” said Dr. Gold bitterly. “Typical. Of course you can’t just be unnatural like everyone else. Go on, get this overgrown magic lantern out of my way, this is a surgery, not a circus. Out!”
“Blame Leo. She bled all over me.” “That’s the Hawkes and Cheney suit!” said Merrick, outraged. “I’ll never get that stain out.” “I’ll bleed more carefully next time,” Leonora assured him. “Hello, Frank.”
“Well, you don’t see shamans in a whorehouse much, sir.
“In the general way,” Stephen said carefully, “we don’t often want people dead.” “Speak for yourself,” said Esther.
“Since when did you talk to the law?” demanded Leonora in Shanghainese. “Since his nobility’s been fucking it,” Merrick returned. “You want the shortarse on your side.”
“Maybe. But you could follow Tom to hell and not notice where you were going till your shoes caught fire.”
“I like to make you know your master,” Crane said. “It’s only fair. The rest of the time, you’ve got me so thoroughly enslaved, I might as well be wearing a collar with your name on it.”
“I swear, we will have a proper conversation at some point today if I have to do murder to make it happen. We couldn’t just go home, I suppose?”
“I plan nothing,” Crane said.
My life changed four months ago, and I utterly failed to understand that until just recently, and therefore...I may have omitted to tell you that I love you.” He took a breath. “That’s all.”
Merrick says you’re held together by spit and pride.” “Thank him for me.”
Oh, hellfire. I love you, Lucien. It wouldn’t be so nerve-wracking if I didn’t.”
“God, sweet boy. I love you. I think I need to say that quite a lot.” “Any time.” Stephen’s voice was a little shaky, his eyes bright.
“I hope not. It’s nine for a funeral, isn’t it?” Crane let the back of his hand brush Stephen’s arm. “Try, ‘Nine for a lover as true as can be’.”
Crane was after him before he had time to think. It wasn’t a rational decision. Monk ran and Crane chased, his mind catching up with his body as he ran.
