Page 94 of Only a Monster

The river washed in and out. A bird chirped and was answered by another. Morning was coming upon them fast. And still Aaron just looked at Joan. ‘Aaron?’ she said uncertainly.

His gaze left her finally, turning to the water. ‘There’s a safe house in Southwark,’ he said. ‘The Court doesn’t know about it.’ ‘How do you know?’ Ruth said.

‘My mother told me,’ Aaron said. His tone was final. It was clear that no more questions were allowed. He turned and walked up the stairs.

NINETEEN

The sky was still mostly grey as they walked from Wapping, being even more careful than usual not to get caught by security cameras.

Beside Joan, Ruth was quiet. Joan was worried about her. Ruth had already been exhausted back at the palace, and now she was out of breath just from walking.

Joan put an arm around her, trying to take some of her weight. But she knew that if anything happened, Ruth wouldn’t be able to run.

‘How far is the safe house?’ she asked Aaron.

‘Not far.’ Aaron glanced at Ruth. If Joan didn’t know better, she’d have said he was worried too. ‘But we’ll have to cross the river.’ To Tom, he said: ‘Are you sure your family can’t spare a boat?’

‘They can’t,’ Joan said flatly.

Aaron blinked, but to Joan’s surprise, Tom backed her up. ‘We’d be seen crossing the river by boat.’

Joan could feel the wary tension between them. She hadn’t told the others what had happened at the watermen’s stairs. She didn’t even know why. The sensible thing would be to get herself and the others away from Tom.

The message was meant for me, Tom had said. Joan had been turning those words over and over in her mind. It hadn’t even been the words; it had been the way he’d said them.

She couldn’t make sense of it all. Gran’s key to the Monster Court. The cover-up of Nick’s killings. Rumours of a device that could change the timeline. An empty prison cell where the device should have been. The message was meant for me.

Joan felt as though she’d found pieces of a puzzle but didn’t understand the picture they’d make when fit together. There was still something missing. Something she didn’t understand. But what?

‘It’s almost dawn,’ Aaron said. ‘We need to get to the other bank before daybreak.’ He chewed his lip. ‘We’re close to Tower Bridge.’

‘The bridges will be watched,’ Ruth said.

‘We might be lucky,’ Aaron said.

As they approached Tower Bridge, Aaron swore under his breath. Blue lights flashed from parked police cars. There was a police checkpoint at the bridge. Cars and pedestrians were being questioned and searched. ‘Those police are monsters,’ Aaron whispered. ‘Most of them, anyway.’

‘How is that possible?’ Joan said.

‘The Court places monsters high up in human circles.’

‘Won’t all these Londoners find this strange?’ Joan said.

‘They’re used to it,’ Tom said. ‘In this time, there are IRA bombings for years on either side of us.’ He ran a hand over his face. ‘If there’s a checkpoint here, there’ll be a ring of security around London. Court Guards will be all over the Tube.’

It was true that the motorists weren’t asking questions as the supposed police peered through their windows. As Joan watched, a car was allowed to roll through. A police officer beckoned the next car with a gloved hand. ‘They’re letting people through,’ Joan said. ‘What if we just walked down the footpath? How would they know we were the ones?’

‘We can’t be seen,’ Aaron said tightly. ‘There are Olivers and Griffiths among the guards.’

Ruth breathed a curse. ‘The Griffith family can induce truth,’ she whispered to Joan tiredly. ‘Any monster who passes through will be stopped and questioned.’

‘We’re losing night,’ Tom said.

‘We could try the tunnel to Rotherhithe,’ Ruth said. ‘It isn’t far.’

‘That tunnel was closed to foot traffic more than a century ago,’ Aaron said. ‘Only trains use it now.’

‘There are still ways through it,’ Ruth said. ‘If we’re quick, we’ll make it before the first train.’

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