Page 94 of Of Fate and Phantoms
My voice seemed to startle him, and he stilled. "You?" He squinted past the men at me. "Bloody hell."
"These are my friends. We're not here to harm you. Lincoln, let him up."
Gawler threw up his arms, dislodging Seth and Gus, but not Lincoln. He slowly stepped back of his own accord and held out his hand. Gawler hesitated then took it and stood.
"Do you always greet guests by assaulting them?" I asked.
"Guests don't usually enter without knocking," he said, rolling his shoulders forward. "I don't get many guests anyway. Not until last night."
"Was that my friend Harriet the shape shifter? Was she here?"
"Aye. Bloody toffs. I knew this would happen. Ain't get no peace with you lot, demanding this and that. Clear off! Go on. I don't want nothing to do with any of you."
"Mr. Gawler," I said, "please. If you know where she is, you have to say something. She's not used to places like this. She could find herself in a great deal of trouble."
"Aye, she could, if she didn't make it to King's in one piece. Pretty thing like that would fetch a good price around here. If I were a different sort—"
"You sent her to King's?" Lincoln cut in.
Gawler shrugged. "Why wouldn't I? She wanted to speak to him and the other pack members, so I sent her. It weren't me she wanted, it was them. They're welcome to her, I say. She's got too many questions for my liking."
"But she wanted to speak to women," I said. "So why not introduce her to one of the females?"
"Theyallwent to King's last night," Gawler said. "When I told her they were meeting there, she decided to go. Said she wanted to meet the leader too, and ask to be in his pack." He wiped his nose on his sleeve. "They always want to meet King, see. They can't help themselves. It's in their nature to want to run with the leader, and it's in his nature to take 'em."
I put up my finger. "Let's be clear. By take them, you mean…couple with them?"
"Aye, but she's a toff so he won't. King's got principles, I give him that." He snorted. "Principles and manners. Guess that's why they all like him. Even me," he added, quieter.
"What about a lad?" I asked, indicating Mink's height with my hand. "He was with me last night, too. Did he come here?"
"No."
If Mink hadn't come here, where was he? What had happened to him? Why had he and Harriet both gone missing at the same time?
I headed down the stairs, but when Lincoln didn't follow I stopped.
"How does King change into the form of others, but not you?" he asked Gawler.
"I don't know. No one does." Gawler backed up a step. "You got to go. I ain't going to talk about King with you. You want answers, you speak to him yourself."
"He impersonated the prince consort," Lincoln told him.
Gawler huffed out a humorless laugh. "So he finally managed it."
"Managed what?"
"To shift into the prince's form." Gawler looked at Lincoln like he was a fool. "Ain't that what you just said he did?"
"Why did he do it? What's he up to?"
"How'd I know? He don't tell me nothing no more. Doubt he tells any of the pack, neither. He don't confide in no one, these days."
"Why not?" I asked.
"He got secrets, and he keeps 'em close to his chest."
"Whatkindof secrets?" If he couldn't tell me what the secrets were, perhaps he could tell me that much.
