The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman Page B

knew who he was 'cause I seen him at Gatti s Music Hall one night. What you want him for?"
    "He nicked a watch. But he aint in your class, Dippy—don't worry about competition from him."
    "Oh. Ah. Righto, mate. But you never saw me tonight, remember. And I never seen him. I gotta look after meself "
    "Course you have. Dippy," said Jim. "Another pint?"
    But Dippy shook his head. He couldn't afford to stay too long in any one pub, he said, for professional reasons. He swallowed the rest of his drink and left; and after a mintue or so of flirtation with the barmaid, so did Jim.
    Mrs. Mooney's house was a crazy, stinking, tottering ruin, kept from falling into Allen's Yard only by the fact that there was no room for it to fall into. The little light that reached the court from outside and from the dim windows of the house showed that the floor of it was litde better than a cesspool, but that didn't appear to worry the red-haired child who was playing barefoot on the doorstep, teaching her doll manners by smacking its head and toasting a bit of herring over a smoking lantern.
    "Mrs. Mooney in?" said Jim.

    The child looked up. She sneered at him, and Jim felt tempted to follow the example she was practicing on the doll.
    "I says, is Mrs. Mooney in, rat-face?"
    She looked more interested. "Lost yer barrel organ?" she inquired. "Where's yer little red jacket and yer tin?"
    Jim restrained himself
    "Look, carrot-face, get the murerk, else I'll fetch you a sockdolager what'll lay you out till Christmas," he said.
    The brat took a piece of fish out of her mouth and shrieked "Auntie Mary!" before putting it back. She continued to watch Jim contemptuously as he shifted from spot to spot, looking for somewhere dry to stand.
    "Enjoying yer little dance?" she said.
    Jim snarled and was about to clout her one when a colossal woman rolled into the doorway, blocking almost all the meager light from inside. A powerful wave of gin-laden odor drifted from her.
    "Oo's this?" she said.
    "I'm looking for Mr. Mackinnon," said Jim.
    "Never heard of him."
    "Scottish geezer. Skinny bloke with dark eyes. Been here a couple of days, I was told. A conjurer."
    "What d'you want with him?"
    "Is he in, or ain't he?"
    She thought for a fiiddled moment.
    "He ain't," she said. "And no one can't see him neither."

    "Well, tell him when he gets in as Jim Taylor called. Got that?"
    "I tell you, he ain't here."
    "No, course not. Never thought he was. Only if he turns up one day, tell him I called. Right?"
    She considered again and then rolled away without a word.
    "Drunken flissock," observed the child.
    "You want to mind your manners," said Jim. "Speaking of your elders and betters like that."
    She took the fish out of her mouth again, looked at him steadily for a moment, and then released a flood of the filthiest, richest, ripest, fruitiest, foulest language Jim had ever heard. It went on for an uninterrupted two minutes and a half, without repetition. He, his face, his manners, his ancestry, his clothes, and his mind were compared unfavorably to parts of his body, to parts of other peoples bodies, to parts of animals' bodies, to the stink arising from dead fish, to boils, to intestinal wind, and to several dozen other unpleasantnesses. Jim was completely taken aback, and that didn't happen very often.
    He put his hand in his pocket.
    "Here," he said, holding out a sixpence. "You're a virtuoso, you are. I never heard such a talent."
    She took the sixpence—^whereupon he swiped her around the head and sent her sprawling.
    "But you want to be quicker on your pins than that," he added. "Cheerio."

    She told him what to do and where to go, then called, "y4w^you've missed yer mate. He's just gorn. She told him you was here. Oo's the slow one now?"—and, with a cackle of witchlike glee, fled dripping around the corner of the yard.
    Jim cursed and ran into the house. The only light came from a candle on a rickety table; he seized it and, shielding the flame, tore up the