Burton & Swinburne 1 - The Strange Affair Of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder Page B

avenue to the other; trailed first one man then the next; stopped by a doorway and eyed passersby; and all the time his skillful fingers remained in plain view. They didn't plunge into a single pocket, not even his own.
    After a while, Trounce grew bored, so he walked over to the petty crook and stood facing him.
    “What ho, old son! What do you think you're up to, then?”
    “Oh bleedin' 'eck, I ain't up to nuffink, am I!' whined Dennis. ”Jest givin' me Sunday best an airing, that's all."
    “It's Wednesday, Dennis.”
    “No law agin' wearin' a Sunday suit on a Wednesday, is there?”
    The crook's rodentlike eyes swivelled right and left as if seeking an escape route.
    Trounce unhooked his truncheon from his belt and pushed its end into Dennis's chest.
    “I'm watching you, laddie. Those fingers of yours will be slipping into where they're not welcome before too long, and, when they do, nay fingers will be closing over your shoulder, mark my words. We'll soon have you out of that suit and wearing the broad arrow. There are no pockets in prison uniforms, did you know that?”
    “Yus. But you ain't got no cause to threaten me!”
    “Haven't I, now? Haven't I? Well, see it stays that way, Dennis my lad. Now hop it! I don't want to see you in this neck of the woods again!”
    With a vicious look at the young constable, the pickpocket spat onto the pavement and scurried away.
    Constable Trounce grinned and resumed his beat.
    At the end of the Mall he passed Buckingham Palace and turned right into Green Park. Rather than walk along Constitution Hill itself, he preferred to pace along on the grass, thus positioning himself behind any crowd that might gather along the queen's route. In his experience, the troublemakers usually hid at the back, where they could more easily take to their heels should anyone object to their catcalls.
    Her Majesty's carriage, drawn by four horses-the front left ridden by a postilion-was already on the path a little way ahead. There were four outriders with her, two in front of the vehicle and two some yards behind it.
    Trounce increased his pace to catch up, walking down a gentle slope that gave him an excellent view of the scene.
    Despite the mild weather, the crowd was sparse today. There were no protests and few hurrahs.
    He jumped at the sound of a gunshot.
    What the hell?
    Breaking into a run, he scanned the scene ahead and saw a man wearing a top hat, blue frock coat, and white breeches walking beside, and to the right of, the slow-moving carriage. He was throwing down a smoking flintlock and drawing, with his left hand, a second gun from his coat.
    In an instant, horror sucked the heat from Trounce's body and time slowed to a crawl.
    His legs pumped; his boots thudded into the grass; he heard himself shout, “No!”
    He saw heads turning toward the man.
    His breath thundered in his ears.
    The man's left arm came up.
    The queen stood, raising her hands to the white lace around her throat.
    Her husband reached for her.
    A second man leaped forward and grabbed the gunman.
    “No, Edward!” came a faint yell.
    The scene seemed to freeze; the two men entwined; their faces, even from this distance, so similar, like brothers; each person in the crowd poised in midmotion, some stepping forward, some stepping back. The queen standing, wearing a cream-coloured dress and bonnet. Her consort leaning forward, in a top hat and red jacket. The outriders turning their horses.
    Christ! thought Trounce. Christ, no! Please, no!
    Suddenly a freakish creature flew past him.
    What the hell? A-a stilt-walker?
    Tall, loose-limbed, bouncing on what seemed to be spring-loaded stilts, it stopped just ahead of the constable, who stumbled and fell to his knees.
    “Stop, Edward!” the weird apparition bellowed.
    A bolt of lightning shot from its side into the ground and the lean figure staggered, groaning and clutching at itself.
    Below, the two struggling men turned and looked up.
    A puff of smoke from the