Soul Music - Save

'Want to go and get your own, then?' she said, leering behind her beard. 'Why should I do that?'

'Oh, quite a few girls have gone down there today,' said the dwarf. She leaned closer. 'It's the new boy working there,' she said. 'I'd swear he's elvish.'

Something inside Susan was plucked and went twang. She stood up.

'So that's what he meant! Things that haven't happened yet.'

'What? Who?' said Gloria. 'The shop in Three Roses Alley?'

'That's right.'

The door to the wizard's house was open. The wizard had put a rocking chair in the doorway and was asleep in the sun. A raven was perched on his hat. Susan stopped and glared at it.

'And have you got any comment to make?'

'Croak croak,' said the raven, and ruffled its feathers.

'Good,' said Susan.

She walked on, aware that she was blushing.

Behind her a voice said, 'Hah!' She ignored it.

There was a blur of movement among the debris in the gutter. Something hidden by a fish wrapper went:

SNH, SNH, SNH.

'Oh yes, very funny,' said Susan. She walked on. And then broke into a run.

***

Soul Music - p256