The Grasshopper's Child (22 page)

‘I don't want to, thank you. Shame it's too breezy to play cards.'

‘Yer can sit with me. Get one of them rugs, and sit down here by me.'

‘Later. Now I'm going to fetch you a nice hot mug of tea.'

‘It'll taste 'er garlic!' he snarled after her.

Clancy helped Sorrel with the Gazebo and the hot drinks. ‘George says Cinderella's your girlfriend,' remarked the tattooed girl, as they set up the tea urn. ‘Is that right?'

‘Heidi? Nah,' said Clancy, slinging a crate of mugs, sugar and milk onto the folding table. ‘I just see her around, same as anyone does.'

Sorrel looked at the Hooded Boy with new interest. ‘Okay. I brought some blow, to combat the stress of this pathetic outing. Fancy a smoke?'

Clancy grinned. ‘Don't mind if I do. Let's find somewhere.'

Brook, Challon and Heidi converged on the tea urn, desperate for warmth. They watched as Sorrel and Clancy wandered off together: giggling and looking around furtively.

‘I wonder what
that's
about,' said Chall. ‘I thought Clancy couldn't stand her.'

Heidi shrugged. ‘No idea. I was hoping I'd paddle.' The steely sea, with its buckled, shifting rim of sour-cream foam, didn't look inviting. ‘But maybe I won't bother.'

‘It was fun when there were more of us,' said Challon. ‘Before the Ag. Camps. We'd eat ourselves silly, play games, light driftwood fires, sing, and, well, maybe I was just younger.'

Brook was smiling secretively, and playing with the tassels of her rainbow knitted cap.

‘I want to show you guys something. Come over by the sea-defences.'

The sea defences were giant concrete knucklebones, piled in a long, wide heap at the foot of the cliffs. They took their mugs over there and found shelter, a spit of artificial boulders between them and the breeze. As soon as they were safely out of sight Brook pulled off her cap, and sat grinning at them. Her head was covered in a fine short growth, thick as fur and brown as a field mouse.

‘Oh my God!' gasped Challon. ‘My
God
, and you never told me!'

‘Fantastic!' said Heidi. ‘It looks
great
. When did it happen?'

‘I just woke up this morning . . .' said Brook, and started laughing. ‘It's been a couple of weeks. I didn't want to show it off too soon. But I
feel
better too. Maybe it's the joy of having hair, but it feels as if I'm getting stronger.'

‘
Really
good news—'

‘Yeah, but don't tell anyone,' said Brook, her grin fading. ‘Obviously my parents know, but nobody else, not just yet. Not to tempt fate.' She put the cap back on. ‘The audience with Brooklyn's Furry Head is over. Talk about something else, that's an order.'

Heidi had been waiting for a chance like this, and now she didn't know if she dared. She drew a breath. ‘Here's something different. Can I ask you guys a couple of things, about the Garden House, and my Old Wrecks?'

‘What about them?' asked Brook, immediately looking wary.

I'm scared
, thought Heidi.
You know as well as I do that George and Sorrel's dad is a villain. Did you know he gets into the Garden House at night, and looks at me when he thinks I'm asleep? Well, he did it once. And I think he had my dad killed, and he got me here so he can deal with me, too
—

But it would be useless to blurt out anything like that.

‘I wish somebody would explain what's up with them, that's all. Why they are the way they are. It's like they're in prison in that old house; like they're shunned by everyone. But somebody supplies them with black market goods, and it's not your Mum, Brook. Where does Tallis get her hooch? I know how much she gets through, I see the empty bottles. Who gave her a Chinese i-face? And another thing, why are the Gardens just going to rack and ruin? And there's the cats. Who stuffed the cats?'

Brook and Challon stared blankly: as if fascinated by this mad outburst. Or as if they were trying hard not to give anything away.

‘
Stuffs
?' Brook's poker-face cracked. ‘
Huh?
Stuffs the
cats
—?'

‘The cats in the Grecian Temple,' said Heidi. ‘Come on, you've got to know about
that
. You live here. I think they're Tallis's cats. The cats of a lifetime. There's a Siamese, it's the oldest, one of its eyes has fallen out. A ginger one, a black and white one: I don't remember the rest. They're stuffed. She keeps them in the Grecian Temple folly beside Swan Lake—'

‘You're
kidding!
' yelped Challon. ‘A stuffed cat collection! I had no idea! That is so weird and cool. I've got to see that!'

‘But you haven't,' said Heidi, quickly. ‘You're not allowed, are you?'

She looked from one friend's face to the other, and both were closed against her. ‘I
knew
it. I should have known from the way you acted over coming to doctor the Bad Dream Cat, but I didn't think You guys are totally forbidden to go near the Garden House.'

‘Well, yeah.' Challon looked very uncomfortable. ‘I suppose we
were
. There's no reason, really. It's just a hangover from the past, because of—'

‘Because of what Tallis's brother did,' said Brook. ‘But it's long ago, and we can't tell you anything, you'd have to ask my mum. Hey, I'm starving. Chall, let's go and eat?'

Challon jumped up, falsely bright. ‘Right! Let's get over there! Who cares if it all smells of garlic! The lads have been alone with the feast too long!'

Heidi muttered that she wasn't hungry and walked off alone, feeling confused and bitter. But she'd been walled up in her chores, in the closed world of the Gardens
forever
, and the shining sea lay before her. Despite herself, her mood lifted. Under these wide skies, in the briny tang of the breeze, she felt like a crumpled paper ball: tossed in the air and joyfully unfolding. Runnels of stone reached like fingers up the beach: the tide was filling them. Heidi stepped happily from bar to bar, crouching to peer into pools where shellfish crept, and red anemones waved their tentacles.

Finally she saw Jo Florence, sitting alone on a big rock, and went to join her. They watched three scrambling figures, coming down the cliffs.

‘Isn't that dangerous?'

‘Not really,' said Jo. ‘You're not supposed, but there's practically a footpath if you know the way. I wouldn't have told them, but they're always hungry. I can't keep up. I
said
I'd stash them leftovers, and they could come down and feed when we were gone. I should've known that was too much to expect. Want to see a picture of my boyfriend?'

She pulled out her wallet and flipped it open. Heidi saw the head and shoulders of a pretty girl with stylish, hacked-off strawberry blonde hair, and a lot of freckles—

‘She looks nice,' said Heidi. ‘Cool haircut.'

Jo laughed. ‘No surprise, eh? She's called Sonia. I would've been at the same Ag. Camp with her, but Mum was allowed to keep one of us to help with the pub. She chose me an' I can't say I blame her. Sony was supposed to come home at Easter: she didn't. Too much work on, apparently. I haven't seen her for ten months. Haven't heard from her for a month, and anyway you can't tell. The lovely “video messages” we get could just be faked. They can fake anything, no limit, these days.'

‘That's tough, but I'm sure she's okay.'

‘I'm not,' said Jo gloomily. ‘Who am I going to ask? My idiot bone-head brother?'

Heidi nodded vaguely. She wished she hadn't tried to get Chall and Brook to open up. That had been so stupid. The only person to talk to was the Inspector, if she dared. If it would do any good. She was
absolutely certain
she hadn't packed the rings. She was
absolutely certain
she had seen George's dad peering into her room. But ‘absolutely certain' isn't evidence. Being scared isn't evidence. Evidence has to be something you can touch and measure. That you can check for DNA; for fingerprints—

George landed with a thump on the sand beside their rock, and looked up at Heidi with his goofy, charming grin. ‘Hey, Jo! Hey, Cinderella Laureate—'

‘Excuse me,' said Heidi. ‘I'm going to get something to eat.' She walked away, but it was a useless attempt. Of course Jo stayed where she was and George followed Heidi.

‘Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. You can flirt with Mrs Florence's little girl if you like, it doesn't bother me. I just dropped by 'cos we haven't had a chance for a chat since the Insanitude and there's a naughtie mousie here who's been missing you—'

Heidi couldn't stop herself from looking round. George was making out there was something wriggling in his cupped hands, and doing it quite well. ‘Ooops! He's trying to get away. He's a
magic
mousie Heidi's had since she was teeny weeny—'

‘Shut up and give me that!'

‘Oh yeah? And what do I get? What's my reward?'

‘You
pathetic
pest—!' Heidi grabbed the Rock Mouse and ran.

Highly delighted, George came gambolling after. He caught her at the edge of the sea, and playfully wrestled her arm behind her back. Heidi
wasn't feeling playful
. She broke free, twisted his little finger, kicked his kneecap and stood back, Rock Mouse safe in her hand.

‘That was fun!' crowed George. ‘Admit it! I can always get you going, Cinderella!'

Heidi glared. Overcome with helpless rage, she spun around and flung the Rock Mouse as far away as she could. He vanished into the sea.

‘Now I'll always know where you are,' she whispered.

She marched up the beach, her face hot as fire, George cackling right behind her. Big Joe and the smaller Tower Builders had joined the party. Sorrel and Clancy had returned from their private expedition.
Everyone
was staring.

‘Sorry about that, folks,' said Heidi, furiously embarrassed. ‘I think George—'

A wild cry interrupted her. Corporal Harris came charging along the sands, waving his arms, pointing behind him and shouting something—

Clancy laughed: ‘Hey, look at that! It's the pirates!'

A ship had appeared at the mouth of Maymere Bay. It was black, and strange looking. It had no masts, and no sails. Not the old-fashioned kind, or modern vane arrays either. It seemed to be leaning to one side. The hull was all black except where it was red with rust, and there was no name or number on its bows. Nobody cared about Heidi's scuffle with George. Everyone was riveted by this black ship; which Heidi hadn't even noticed. When Heidi and George reached the others an angry argument broke out. Sorrel wanted to call their dad, George thought that was a
really
bad idea. Some of the other Exempt Teens wanted to
warn the village
. The Tower Builders said
warning the village
was playing into the pirates' hands. Heidi didn't understand any of it. The ship was just passing by: ships must do that all the time. She looked for Clancy, to see what he thought, but the Hooded Boy had moved away from the group. Withdrawn inside his hood he was watching, listening—

The arguments were still going strong when a group of men in seamen's clothes appeared, coming over the sea defences, and quickly, silently, surrounded the Exempt Teens. The men just stood there, without a word. No one knew what to make of this, until the Tower Builders decided to try a break-out. Big Joe, roaring that he would fight any of three of the villains, flung himself on the nearest of them. He was swiftly overwhelmed and knocked down, but the two kids, Bryan and Samedi, took their chance and bolted for the cliffs. One of the seamen levelled a bulky gun and fired.

A small figure crumpled on the sand. And that changed everything.

Maymere Sands

As I went by on Maymere Sands

I met a winkle walking

The sun was falling from the sky,

The small sea waves were talking

The cliff stood up like Indian Cheese

And I stood down below it

I broke a piece to show the snail

But cheese was not his favourite.

The sun not high, the sea not low

The waves so softly talking

Saw me, the pool, and Maymere Sands

And the winkle, went on, walking

19. Pirates!

No one moved, no one spoke. The men's eyes glittered; their weathered faces tense and pitiless. Jo gripped the Coutance shooter, which was stuck in the waist of her jeans. That evil old moll, Bev Coutance, had
noticed that the gun was gone
, who could ever have expected that? She'd been round to the Blue Anchor, asking awkward questions: forcing Jo to carry a loaded firearm around with her, until she thought of a hiding place that was safe from Mum. Jo broke out in a sweat, drops running down her back. She'd taken the famous Coutance pistol to stop her crazy brother getting hold of it, and now
she
was going to be the one who—