Julius and the Soulcatcher by Tim Hehir Read Free Book Online Page B

he and Crimper retreated to a barrel that served as a table.
    ‘Cigar?’ said Crimper.
    ‘No, thank you,’ said Julius. He had turned green and vomited the last time he tried one.
    The two boys took a sip from their tankards and tried not to gag at the vile taste.
    ‘Did you tell Mr Flynn about last night, Higgins?’ said Crimper.
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Did you tell him I was going to steam in if they caused any trouble?’
    ‘No, I forgot.’
    Just as Crimper was about to protest, Mr Flynn appeared. ‘I hope I find you well, Master McCready,’ he said.
    ‘Yes, Mr Flynn, very well, thank you,’ spluttered Crimper.
    ‘Julius, you’ll never guess who I’ve just met. You last saw him in St Paul’s Cathedral.’
    Julius looked up.
    Not Jack Springheel?
    ‘He has information about Rapple and Baines and he’s eager to sell it. What do you think?’ said Mr Flynn.
    Jack Springheel’s back. Cripes, Higgins.
    Julius felt the Badger’s Piss chill and shift in his stomach.
    A familiar face came through the crowd.
    ‘Julius Higgins,’ said the man.
    ‘Clements?’ said Julius.

CHAPTER 6

    Friday 19th January 1838
    10:12 PM
    ‘The very one,’ said Clements. ‘How are you, my boy? My goodness, you’ve grown a full three inches since I saw you last. Clements clamped his cigar between his teeth, freeing his hands to vigorously shake Julius’s.
    ‘I’m very well, thank you,’ said Julius, relieved and astonished at the same time.
    He noticed Clements’s frayed shirt cuffs. His suit was the same one he was wearing when he stood at the doors of St Paul’s Cathedral with a pistol in his hand when he was working for the time-criminal Jack Springheel. He looked as if he had been living in it ever since.
    ‘Mr Flynn tells me you’re involved in another case,’said Clements. He appeared to be genuinely pleased to see Julius. He had changed sides and helped bring Springheel’s downfall by putting a bullet in the villain’s shoulder that day at St Paul’s. He was one of the few people in London who knew about the realities of time-travel and the Guild of Watchmakers—the band of gentlemen sworn to protect the timeline.
    ‘Yes, er…you’re looking well, Clements,’ said Julius, somewhat amazed by the exuberant greeting. His nose twitched. He sniffed, trying to identify the odour lingering malignantly amid the cheap cigar smoke.
    ‘Well? Couldn’t be better, Higgins,’ said Clements. ‘I see by the crinkling of your nose that you’re onto the secret of my success. Ha, ha.’
    ‘Er…’
    Clements chuckled at Julius’s confusion.
    Mr Flynn slapped Clements on the back. ‘I’m glad to see that your unfortunate acquaintance with Jack Springheel hasn’t dented your spirit,’ he said.
    Julius took a sip from his tankard of Badger’s Piss to distract his senses from the disagreeable smell that was setting up home in his nose.
    ‘It takes more that the likes of Jack Springheel to put a good man like me down, Mr Flynn,’ said Clements.
    ‘And on the subject of putting good men down, tell young Julius here what you told me.’
    ‘I know where Rapple and Baines are hiding, Higgins.’
    ‘He’s agreed to take us there for a small fee,’ said Mr Flynn. ‘Master McCready, you’re welcome to join us. We’re going to call on those two bruisers who came to the bookshop. Julius and I are going to sort them out.’
    ‘Er, thank you, Mr Flynn but, er…I must get home to do some schoolwork, I’m a bit behind,’ said Crimper.
    ‘Oh well, maybe next time,’ said Mr Flynn.
    ‘Sure thing, Mr Flynn,’ said Crimper with relief. He sucked on his cigar and doubled over in a coughing fit.
    ‘Julius, it looks like it’s just the two of us,’ said Mr Flynn. ‘Finish your pint and we’ll be off.’
    ‘It’s all right,’ said Julius. ‘Crimper can have it, I’ll need a clear head.’

    Outside the warehouse, the biting cold lifted Julius from his cigar-smoke torpor. ‘We’re not really going to sort Rapple