“Oh, I can’t believe it, Niki,” Justina said. “I can’t believe that they’d disappoint me.”
“There he goes, there he goes,” D’Alba said as Moses, who had been crouching in the dark, made for the shelter of the clock tower.
“Where?”
“There, there.”
“Get Mrs. Enderby,” Justina said. “Get Mrs. Enderby and have her call Giacomo and tell him to bring his crow gun.”
“You’ll kill him, Justina.”
“Any man who does such a thing deserves to be shot.”
What Moses felt while he listened to their talk was extreme irritation and impatience, for having started on his quest he did not have the reserve to brook interruptions, or at least interruptions from Justina and the count. He was safe in the shelter of the tower and while he stood there he heard Mrs. Enderby and then Giacomo join the others.
“She’sa nobody there,” Giacomo said.
“Well, fire anyway,” Justina said. “If there’s someone there you’ll frighten them. If there isn’t you won’t do any harm.”
“She’sa no good, Missa Scaddon,” Giacomo said.
“You fire, Giacomo,” Justina said. “You either fire or hand me that gun.”
“Wait until I get something to cover my ears,” Mrs. Enderby said. “Wait until …”
Then there was the ear-clapping blast of Giacomo’s crow gun and Moses heard the shot strike on the roof around him and in the distance the ring of breaking glass.
“Oh why do I feel so sad?” Justina asked plaintively. “Why do I feel so sad?” D’Alba shut the window and when his lights were turned on and his pink curtains drawn, Moses continued his climb. Melissa ran to him weeping when he swung down onto the balcony of her room. “Oh my darling, I thought they’d shot you,” she cried. “Oh my sweetheart, I thought you were dead.”
