Chapter 1
Blackmail
Half way along the north side of the main street of Highmarket an ancient
stone gateway, imposing enough to suggest that it was originally
the entrance to some castellated mansion or manor house, gave access to
a square yard, flanked about by equally ancient buildings. What those
buildings had been used for in other days was not obvious to the casual
and careless observer, but to the least observant their present use was
obvious enough.