As it turned out, Winston need not have bothered dropping them off at The Three Swords. When they had asked if the barman knew where they might be able to find Thomas, he had almost thrown them out there and then. Lewis had only been quick enough to mention that Winston had suggested they ask him. After that, he had become slightly more pleasant, although he still maintained that he didn’t know Thomas. With the eyes of the twenty or so patrons in the pub on them, Lewis and Emily had left The Three Swords.

To his relief, Lewis found that Winston and his cart had disappeared. He didn’t particularly want to be questioned about his ties to Sebastian. Now, without a guide, Lewis and Emily wandered in what they hoped was the direction of The Red Clover.

‘Over there,’ Emily said suddenly, pointing at a building across the grassy expanse they had seen as they had entered Eraea. It was a moment before Lewis noticed the giant red clover that had been painted on the side of the building.

‘I hope we get somewhere here,’ Lewis muttered as they cut across the grass. The few people they had passed in the streets had been giving them suspicious looks already.

‘Maybe you should mention Winston first this time,’ Emily suggested. ‘At least then they might not try to throw us out right away.’

Rubbing his shoulder, Lewis glanced back in the direction they had come, as if he could still see the pub. ‘I was thinking that as well.’

Sharing one last glance with each other, Lewis pushed the door of The Red Clover open. To his relief, it was a lot brighter inside than it had been at The Three Swords. Unlike The Three Swords, it was also a lot quieter here.

‘Let’s get this over with,’ Lewis muttered as he spotted the bar on the far side of the room. Running a hand through his hair, he walked over. Just as he was about to call out to the barman, he disappeared through a door behind the bar.

Sighing, he leant against the bar, glancing at Emily, who was tapping her fingers idly. He knew it wasn’t busy, but surely they had more than one person working. It seemed as though their appearance had gone largely unnoticed. Aside from an old woman with grey hair who was sitting a little way along the bar, the only person watching them was a man in his sixties who was sitting in a dark corner.

‘What can I get you, Mrs. Miller?’ asked a young girl with long blonde hair as she stood up from behind the bar, a pint glass in one hand. For a moment, Lewis wondered if she actually worked here, then he spotted a name tag sewn on to her black top. She looked as though she was about the same age as them.

‘Just a white whisky for me today,’ Mrs. Miller replied, glancing suspiciously at Lewis, who was watching them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Emily roll her eyes as she turned away from the bar.

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‘Coming right up,’ the girl said as she turned to the bank of bottles that stood on the shelf behind the bar, plucking a dark green one from the back. ‘I haven’t seen you here in a few days.’

‘I’ve been out of town for a few days,’ Mrs. Miller said. ‘My grandson just moved into his new house in Arcis. I managed to pick up something for Thomas’ birthday as well.’

‘The man in the corner hasn’t stopped watching us,’ Emily whispered as she turned back to the bar. Shushing her quickly, Lewis flicked his eyes in the direction of the old woman.

‘You know Thomas wouldn’t expect anything from you, Mrs. Miller,’ the young girl said as she placed a small glass of what Lewis presumed to be white whisky on the bar.

‘I know he wouldn't, Amanda,’ Mrs. Miller said as she downed the glass in one. ‘I will have to insist if he complains, though.’

‘Is there anything else?’ Amanda asked as she took the empty glass back, picking up the silver coin from the bar in the other hand.

‘No thank you; I have to get going,’ Mrs. Miller said. ‘It was good to see you.’

‘You should,’ Amanda said as Mrs. Miller turned away from the bar, her eyes lingering on Lewis and Emily. ‘What can I get you?’

Blinking, Lewis turned back to the bar to find the girl standing before them, the white writing of the name badge catching his eye. Amanda Clark. ‘I was wondering if you could help us,’ Emily said before he could say anything.

‘Depends what it is,’ Amanda said quickly as she began wiping down the bar with a dirty cloth. ‘I have customers to serve.’

Looking away, Lewis saw that the bar was deserted except for the two of them. Raising his eyebrows at her, Lewis leaned forward. ‘We were wondering if you could help us. We’re friends of Winston.’

‘What can I do for you, friend of Winston?’ Amanda asked quietly, chucking the cloth aside as she leant towards him.

‘I’m looking for someone; he said you might be able to help,’ Lewis said, leaning back slightly.

‘What’s your name?’ she asked, changing the topic suddenly.

‘Lewis,’ he said slowly, caught off guard.

‘I’m Amanda,’ she said quietly. Throughout the conversation, her hazel eyes hadn’t left his.

‘I’m looking for a man, Thomas Vandemark,’ Lewis said, taking a step back as she leant further forward. ‘Do you know where I can find him?’

‘What do you want with him?’ Amanda inquired, moving quickly back from the bar.

‘Just to talk,’ Lewis said. ‘We think he might be able to help us with something.’

Before she could reply, there was a bang behind them. Spinning around, Lewis saw the man who had been watching them earlier pick up a chair. With a muttered apology, he hurried out the door of the pub.

‘It doesn’t seem like he wants to talk to you,’ Amanda said as she watched the door swing shut behind the man.

‘Wait! That was him?’ Lewis demanded as he turned to Amanda. Silently, she nodded.

Without waiting for Amanda to say anything else, he grabbed Emily’s arm, pulling her out the door after the man. Turning, first one way and then the other, Lewis just caught sight of the man hurrying round the corner at the end of the street.

‘Come on,’ Lewis said quickly. Letting go of Emily’s arm, he ran down the street in the direction the man had been going. Behind him, he could hear Emily running after him.

Skidding to a halt, Lewis looked down the empty street. The man was gone. ‘Where did he go?’ Emily panted as she caught up with him.

‘I don’t know,’ Lewis replied as she slumped against him, breathing heavily. ‘Let’s keep looking.’