24

There’s no way you can leave without the tiny cheese wheels.

You push yourself upright, rubbing a shoulder grown stiff from leaning against the wet brick of the wall near Hermelin’s stall, and step around to the front.

“I’ll take two of these, please,” you say. You’re almost tempted to ask for that bottle of red as well, but you resist the temptation. After all, you have no idea how long you’re going to be out here or what you’ll end up doing and the last thing you want is to have to drag a heavy bottle of wine around with you all day.

Even so, Hermelin gives you a cheery smile and throws in an extra tiny cheese wheel for you. As he’s wrapping them, he says conversationally, “The candlehops are behaving so strangely today!”

You glance over your shoulder at the one standing in a darkened alcove at the end of the street. “I hadn’t noticed,” you reply.

He hands you the paper-wrapped packet of cheese and says, “You should take a look.”

• Turn to page 26.