The Street and other stories (15 page)

Gerry finished in triumph, pointing at Hugh and his little cardboard shoebox.

“A bloody paratrooper!” he repeated.

Hugh’s face fell.

Someone at the back shouted, “Kill the bastard!”

Hugh clutched the shoebox to his chest. He heard the mouse scraping inside.

“Have you anything to say?” wee Jimmy asked.

Hugh shook his head.

“This court will now adjourn to consider its verdict. A majority verdict will suffice,” wee Jimmy announced. He avoided Hugh’s gaze. “The prisoner has to be put into the custody of the cage authority. The court will now rise.”

The panel of judges left to consider their verdict. Hugh got slowly to his feet as the cage OC approached to take custody of the mouse. As he did so Hugh stumbled. It was obviously a contrived stumble, awkwardly and amateurishly executed. The mouse’s box fell from his grasp. It bounced on to the table and fell to the floor. The OC made a Herculean effort to catch it, but he failed. The shoebox burst open and the mouse scampered free.

Pandemonium reigned. The mouse darted towards the body of the court, the door beyond it and freedom. His escape route was blocked by a mob of squealing, screaming men. He darted back again, back towards Hugh and then, turning suddenly, made another valiant charge at the mob. Hugh yelled encouragement.

The mouse stopped again, disoriented by the noise. He turned once more but too late! A size ten Doc Martin boot descended on him and he was stomped, savagely and repeatedly, underfoot.

Hugh let out a long, anguished scream of rage and flung himself towards the culprits. It was a full three minutes before things settled down. It took two men to restrain Hugh, but eventually order was restored.

The panel of judges returned. The OC tried to tell wee Jimmy that the mouse was dead, but wee Jimmy wouldn’t let him talk.

“We have reached our decision,” he shouted down the hut, before turning towards where Hugh sat. “The mouse is innocent. By a majority vote we find him not guilty as charged. Set himfree.”

Wee Jimmy smiled at Hugh. It was the smile, the happy, innocently compassionate smile, which comes to the lips of the doer of a good deed. It was a smile of quiet self-satisfaction, of inner contentment, of a man who surprised himself by doing the noble thing and making the right decision. Wee Jimmy was pleased because he knew Hugh had faith in him. Wee Jimmy had kept that faith. He was pleased because he knew Hugh also would be pleased. He had lived up to Hugh’s belief in him. Wee Jimmy smiled his smile again at Hugh.

Hugh stared blankly back at him. Then he lifted the empty shoebox and, without a word, he walked out of the hut.