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Must say, I hadn’t reckoned on my own dear little wife being involved, though. Nice bonus. Perfect excuse to get shot of her.”
     
    I met his gaze. “Didn’t go running to the police, then, I see. Got yourself a little band of cheap thugs. That makes sense, I suppose. I reckon that the law and you have had more than a few altercations in the past. They’d only turn a blind eye so far, eh, Tone?”
     
    I’d been trying to keep my calm. The diminutive had just slipped out, but it had a marked effect on the man. Even in the dim light of the gas-lamps, it was easy to see his brows knitting and his colour rising. He spat his words out.
     
    “That’s Mr. Willans to you, you shabby little prodnose!”
     
    I risked a glance back at the Vapours. Many of them had produced pick-handles and coshes of their own. Others simply balled their fists. The possibility of an outright battle was growing by the second.
     
    Jessica stepped forward. Her voice was strained, but she kept control. “Anthony. Please listen. Let these people go. Not even onto the ship. Just let them go free to make their own way in this country. As for me — I’ll agree to a divorce. I’ll even take the blame for it happily. Your business goes on unaffected, and I leave you to live your life as you please. There doesn’t have to be any bloodshed. Just let them go.”
     
    Good words. With a reasonable man, they might well have worked.
     
    Anthony guffawed. “You’re more of an idiot than I thought you were. And this matter isn’t open to negotiation.” He raised his voice. “Get ‘em, lads!”
     
    Smirking, he stepped to one side as his mob raised their weapons and charged. The Vapours behind us stepped forwards, readied their own arms, and braced for battle. I grabbed Jessica by the arm and pulled her clear of the field of combat, very aware of the weight of my pistol in its holster.
     
    The opposing forces met in a frenzy of blows. Anthony had presumably hoped for comparative discretion, which probably explained the lack of firearms, but the ensuing battle was no less brutal for that. Fists, clubs, and coshes smashed down again and again. Harsh yells of fury and pain rang off of the warehouse walls.
     
    I saw three of Anthony’s thugs gripping one gigantic Vapour, wrestling him to the ground with their weight. Their arms rose and fell relentlessly. With a sudden bellow and a great blast of steam, the trio were hurled aside, thumping to the flagstones. The Vapour, bleeding profusely from his head, staggered defiantly to his feet, and then promptly collapsed.
     
    The two Vapour dancers were fighting back to back, their cudgels arcing and jabbing, connecting with heads, bellies and groins, circling and weaving elegantly. I vowed never to get on the wrong side of a ballerina.
     
    Jessica pulled away from me. From her jacket, she produced a heavy wrench, and threw herself into the fray, choosing her targets carefully, bludgeoning unsuspecting men, evening the odds, dashing to safety again and again.
     
    One of the largest thugs was caught in a remorseless bear-hug with a massive stevedore Vapour. Each applied merciless pressure to each other, attempting to crush the life out of the other’s body.
     
    I snatched up a fallen pick-handle and made myself useful wherever I could.
     
    The struggle was savage, but the Vapours were clearly gaining the upper hand, the combination of the stevedores’ superior strength and all of the Vapours’ determination turning the tide. More and more of the thugs were sprawled on the flags, motionless. I saw several turning on their heels and fleeing, deciding that whatever they’d been offered wasn’t enough.
     
    That was when I saw Anthony slinking towards the watch tower, then climbing its rungs. If he managed to evade capture, then all could still be lost. Throwing my handle aside, I pursued him as quickly as I could.
     
    He reached the platform a few rungs ahead of me, only then becoming aware of my