Switchers (5 page)

Tess almost got off the bus at the stop before her own. She knew that there had to be a way through to the park from there, and once she had reached it, she couldn’t go wrong. She pictured that stupid Kevin’s face as he realised she wasn’t on the bus. He could stand there and freeze for all she cared. But at the last minute, Tess’s courage failed her. She might well freeze herself if she got lost and had to wander around the streets for too long.

She hoped that he wouldn’t be there, but he was, on her side of the street this time. He was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, watching for her. She noticed that his face brightened for an instant the moment he caught sight of her, but then it took on the familiar, shifty expression. Tess thought of crossing the street, but she knew it was useless. Instead she looked straight ahead and walked briskly past. Kevin fell into step beside her.

After a minute of strong silence, he said: ‘Ready to tell me your name yet?’

Tess swung around and faced him. ‘Look, why don’t you just clear off and leave me alone!’ She was shouting louder than she meant to, and a woman on the other side of the street gaped at them as she passed.

Kevin looked away, to hide the apprehension in his face. After a minute or two, he said: ‘What kind of manners are those for a young lady?’

‘What would you know about manners?’ said Tess. ‘With your whinging and scrounging.’

‘Scrounging?’ said Kevin.

Tess walked on, and he followed.

‘Who’s scrounging?’ he said.

‘What are you doing, then, if you’re not scrounging?’

Kevin sighed deeply and took out a cigarette. ‘You’re being ridiculous, you know,’ he said.

‘Listen who’s talking! I’ve already told you I don’t want anything to do with you. You’re not getting my name and you’re not getting any money, either. If you want to get something, then get lost.’

Kevin laughed. ‘That’s a good one,’ he said. ‘Did you think of that one on the spot?’

Tess didn’t know whether to be infuriated or flattered, and when Kevin stopped and turned to the wall to light his cigarette, she almost stopped as well. But she didn’t get caught out this time. Instead she quickened her pace, almost to a run. Kevin caught her up. ‘You won’t help, then?’ he said.

‘No.’

‘But you don’t even know what I’m asking you for.’

‘Whatever it is I haven’t got it. And if I had I wouldn’t give it to you.’

‘But you have got it. In fact, you’re the only one who has.’

‘Rubbish.’

They were walking so fast now that they were nearly at the edge of the park. Suddenly, Kevin dodged in front of Tess and blocked her way. She tried to sidestep, but he threw away his cigarette and grabbed hold of her shoulders. She was shocked at the sudden movement, and surprised by his strength, but it was the look on his face that stopped her from trying to break away. There was no slyness there now, no fear. He was looking at her straight on, and his eyes were bright and keen and completely serious.

‘Is it really possible,’ he said, ‘that you haven’t worked this out yet?’

Tess tried to think of something clever to say, but she couldn’t. For some reason she knew it wasn’t the time for being clever. Kevin spoke slowly, as though she were a rather dim child. ‘Do you really believe that there are chipmunks in the Phoenix Park?’

Tess felt her mouth drop open. Her mind flew back to Saturday. She had been so careful. It was impossible that he had seen. He took his hands from her shoulders and blew on them to try and warm them. Tess remained motionless, open-mouthed, staring. Kevin put his hands in his pockets, and the sly gleam returned to his eye. And just as she remembered that same look in the bright little eyes of the chipmunk, Kevin took hold of her gloved hand and dropped something into it.

It was the silver ring.

Tess was afraid that her emotions would show on her face. All those years of silence and secrecy and guilt were over, and she was no longer alone. She would almost have hugged Kevin then, despite his scruffy clothes, but he began to talk before she had the chance.

‘You’ll help, then?’ he said.

Tess was bewildered. ‘But how? What?’

‘I’m not sure, yet, said Kevin, gazing out across the park. ‘But if you meet me tonight we’ll find out.’

‘Meet you? Where?’

‘Connolly Station. One o’clock.’

‘One o’clock?’

‘Is that too early?’

‘Too early?’

‘Use your head,’ he said. ‘You’ll have to get out, won’t you? And you’ll have to get there.’

‘But I can’t,’ said Tess. ‘How can I?’

Kevin blew on his hands again and shrugged. ‘If you can’t, you can’t,’ he said, and he began to walk away. ‘But I’ll be there anyway.’

She watched him as he went. She knew nothing about him, nothing at all. Then she remembered the little chipmunk racing with her, playing, staying close, and she felt that she did know him, at least as well as she needed to.

‘Kevin?’ she called.

He turned back. ‘Yes?’

‘My name is Tess.’

He smiled and gave her a thumbs up. But her heart was heavy as she walked towards her house. How could she possibly do as he asked?

T
ESS LAY AWAKE, LISTENING
to her parents getting ready for bed. She could hear their voices through the wall, but not the words. From the tone of their conversation she could tell that all was well with them, and the house was relaxed and comfortable as long as they were content. But it didn’t make Tess any happier. Kevin had asked her for help and she had let him down. The clock on the wall said twelve twenty-five. Even if she had the courage to cross the city at this hour, there was no way she could do it. The last buses would be on their way out of the centre of town and they would not be bringing passengers back in. A taxi, even if she could find one, would be too expensive. If she had meant to be there, she would have left an hour ago or more. But it was impossible. Couldn’t he understand that? What parent would allow their thirteen-year-old daughter out in the dead of night to meet a boy they had never set eyes on?

If she had any friends in the area, she might, just might, have pretended to be staying with them. If she had gone with someone to a disco or a film, she could have risked her parents’ alarm by going on from there and coming back late. But there was no one for her to go with and nowhere to go. She couldn’t even sneak out. Just ten minutes ago her father had put his head around the door and listened, as he did every night. She had made her breathing as deep and regular as she could. It was dreadful, being an only child.

Twelve thirty-five. Poor Kevin. He would be there, soon, all alone among the homeless people and the winos, looking round for her, waiting. And here she was, lying in her comfortable bed, wretched, feeble, worthless.

She turned over on to her side, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep for a long time. The clock on the wall ticked with infuriating monotony. Outside, an occasional car passed along the road, and in the tree opposite a barn owl began to call.

Tess listened, slightly calmed by the familiar sound. It seemed strange tonight, different somehow. Her nerves were on edge. She sighed and turned again in the bed.

‘What a fool,’ said the owl. ‘What a foo-ool.’

Tess sprang up, almost before she understood why. Of course! She would have laughed and shouted out loud if she hadn’t been afraid of waking her parents. As quietly as she could, she opened the window and climbed up on to the sill. The freezing night air blew into the room. She wouldn’t be able to close the window behind her, but it was too bad.

A moment later, a barn owl was speeding towards the centre of the city, high above the houses and offices. It was a young owl, healthy and strong, and singularly delighted by the power of flight.

Tess knew Connolly Station well. Although they had lived in Dublin for less than three months, they had often visited the city in the past to do some special shopping or to go to a show or a play, and as often as not they had come by train.

It was easy enough for her to find the station from above. The city was spread out like a map beneath her, and once she had found the railway lines where they crossed the North Strand, she could not go wrong. The difficulty would be finding somewhere to land and change her shape without being seen. But her attention was drawn from the problem as she flew down over the station, because she was joined by another owl. It swept in from somewhere above and behind her, and as it drew level it bumped into her and knocked her off balance, so that she fluttered wildly in the air for a moment or two. As soon as she was steady again, the other owl returned to fly beside her. Tess was afraid that she had broken some territorial rule and offended the other bird. It would not be a problem if it allowed her to fly away, but she was afraid that if it continued to be aggressive she would either fall or be forced too far away from the station to get to Kevin on time.

But it didn’t collide with her again. Instead it flew alongside for a while, then moved a little ahead and veered across her so that she had to swing to her right. As soon as she did so, it dropped back beside her and turned its head carefully to look at her. It was then that Tess realised it was Kevin, and if an owl could have smiled, she would have done. Instead, she nodded her head in recognition, and he blinked three times, then flew on ahead. She followed as he swept over Busaras and the Custom House, then swung away from the river and back towards the north side. They followed streets which became darker and narrower until they came to a few blocks of dilapidated flats built around dark, rectangular courtyards. Above the first of these they flew in diminishing circles until they were sure that no one was around, then Kevin dropped into the courtyard and swooped straight in through an open window on the second floor. It was a lovely piece of flying. Feeling slightly reckless, Tess let go and followed.

By the time she had got her bearings in the room, Kevin had already turned back into human shape. Tess followed suit. As an owl, with her good night eyes, she had seen him quite clearly, but for a girl, the dark in the room was almost impenetrable. For a moment or two, she was quite unnerved. The place smelled bad, of mouldy mattresses and soot and stale beer. But there was something even worse.

‘Kevin?’ she said.

‘Yes?’

‘Can you see me?’

‘Not really, no.’

‘I’m in my pyjamas.’

She heard his laugh ring out around the room. It was hard and scornful, and it hurt.

‘Shut up,’ she said. ‘I didn’t have to come here, you know. You don’t know what it cost me to get here.’

‘What did it cost you?’

But she didn’t tell him, because then he would know that it mattered to her not to let him down. Instead she said, as unkindly as she could: ‘Is this where you live, then? Is this your house?’

He struck a match and lit a candle and a cigarette from it. ‘I don’t live anywhere,’ he said.

‘Don’t be stupid,’ said Tess. ‘Everyone lives somewhere.’

‘Who’s everyone?’ he said.

Tess shivered. In the candlelight she could see the stained mattress in one corner, surrounded by a jumble of newspapers and empty tins and bottles. There was an untidy heap of dark blankets in another corner, but Tess would not have touched them, let alone put one around her shoulders.

‘Do you live here?’ she asked. ‘Seriously?’

‘Of course not!’ Kevin sounded bitter. ‘What do you think I am?’

‘Where do you live, then?’

‘I already told you that.’

‘Then who does live here?’

‘No one. Some old tramps use it sometimes, when they can’t get into the hostel.’

The cold was beginning to hurt. Kevin didn’t seem to be aware of how bad it was. By the flickering light of the candle, she could see him looking from one corner of the room to another with that familiar nervousness. She was suddenly close to tears.

‘What are we doing here?’ she said. ‘I don’t understand any of this. How am I supposed to help you?’

Kevin shrugged. ‘I’m not even sure myself, yet,’ he said, ‘but I know it’s important. There’s a rumour going around. The rats want to bring me somewhere.’

‘Rats!’

‘Yes. You got something against rats?’

Tess had. A rat was one of the things that she had never been and had no desire to be. But before she could say anything, Kevin went on.

‘A rat is about the best thing to be in a city like this. They have the run of the place, you know? They never go hungry.’ He smiled at the distaste clearly evident on her face. ‘They have a lot of fun, too. More often than not I’m a rat.’

He watched closely for her reaction. Tess tried not to show it. The idea filled her with unease. For although she had spent a lot of her time being all kinds of other creatures, she had never considered herself to be anything other than human. But if Kevin spent most of his time being a rat, then what did that make him? It made sense of the way he behaved when he was human, though; his nervousness, the sense that she had when she was with him of there always being an enemy somewhere close at hand.

‘Never been a rat, huh?’ he said.

‘No.’

‘Don’t worry. You’ll enjoy it. But there’s quite a stir going on about this cold weather. At least, I think that’s what it’s about. Everybody’s suffering, you know, not just the people. That’s why I came looking for you. They want me to meet somebody. I don’t know who it is, but it’s a long way.’

As Tess watched him, the tense expression left his face, and there was a momentary confusion in his eyes as he said: ‘I didn’t want to go there on my own.’

There were suddenly too many questions. There was too much to share with this strange boy, and possibly too much to cope with. And it was too cold to face any of it.

‘I have to go home,’ said Tess. ‘I have to get warm and think it over.’

‘But there’s no time to think it over. This thing is important, Tess. This weather’s getting worse all the time.’

‘Do you think I don’t know that? Don’t you realise I’m getting frostbite standing here?’

Kevin bit his lip. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t thinking.’ He began to take off his coat.