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"The Eastern Star is hard to find," the man with the scar says "Very hard to find" I spy the sword-and-skull pin on his lapel The others don’t have one

" ’Ello,closer He pats the stick against his palm with a thwack"Remember me?"

Kartik rubs absently at his head, and I wonder what on earth they’re talking about

"Mr Fowlson ’ere requires your presence at a business e" He pulls Kartik hard The other man escorts me

"Fowlson," I say"So you have a naan for this

"There’s no need for pretense I know you are Rakshana And I’ll thank you to stop following me about"

The ently ad a ard child "And I know you are an iard for the seriousness of the business before you, else you should be in the real about London’s seamier streets Surely the Temple is not here Or is it? Tell me, just where did this one take you?"

He doesn’t know about Kartik’s hiding place Beside htseeing," I say, standing a stone’s throw frohterhouse"I wished to see these slu man with the club scoffs at me

"I assure you, sir I am in earnest about my duty," I say to Fowlson

"Are we, now, lass? The task is siic" "If it is so simple a matter, why don’t you do it?" I answer hotly"But no, you can’t So you will have to rely on irl,’ won’t you?"

Fowlson looks as if he would like to hit ives Kartik a cold set your task, novitiate"

He tucks his newspaper under his arm and motions to hisat last around a corner Kartik springs into action, practically pushing e