Robin Jarvis-Jax 02 Freax And Rejex (25 page)

Christina lingered to glower at Lee, but he hissed through his teeth and went back inside.

“You OK?” he asked Charm who was now sitting on her bed, dabbing her face with the towel.

The girl nodded but she really wasn’t.

“Where do Tweedledum and Tweedledumber sleep?” he asked.

She pointed across the room. Lee grabbed handfuls of Jody and Christina’s belongings then threw them out of the door until there was nothing left.

“They ain’t sleeping in here no more,” he said. “They can bunk in with their horizontally challenged friend.”

Charm tried to thank him, but she was shaking too much and was close to breaking down. More than ever she wanted her mother. She missed her so much it hurt far more than Jody’s punch.

“Hey!” Lee told her sternly. “You stop that. If you got tears, you’d best save them for another time. Cos there’s goin’ to be worse than this, this ain’t nuthin’. You gotta be strong. Now you go wash that crap off and I’ll go tell Absolutely Drabulous they’ve been evicted.”

Charm managed a wobbly smile.

Lee left her to it and went back outside.

“Brazil nut,” he told himself.

The music had stopped. He looked around the camp and wondered what the morning would bring.

In Alasdair’s chalet, Tommy Williams, Rupesh and the six other children who had entered the world of
Dancing Jax
that day continued to read, rocking backwards and forwards, their eyes dark and glassy.

Just before dawn, a truck drove out of the camp. Inside were five new arrivals, brought into this world by the Bakelite bridging devices. Within the cabins, the children lay where they had fallen. This time they were not
returned to their beds. Eight of them, however, had slept peacefully. As the truck rumbled up the forest road, it passed a van coming the other way.

The
Busy Needles
vehicle parked in front of Jangler’s chalet, where the old man was waiting to meet it. Two seamstresses got out and took the new costumes they had made into the cabin next to his.

Jangler gazed around at the state of the camp and added to the copious notes he had already made.

Maggie was one of the first up. She awoke hungry and, when she went outside, could smell sausages frying.

“Oh, fantastic!” she said.

Jody and Christina had been compelled to sleep on the floor in her cabin. Lee was adamant they stay away from Charm and no one dared oppose him in the mood he was in. They had spent their energies wrecking the dining hall and the memory of what they had done caused Jody to draw a shameful breath. She couldn’t understand why she had gone so far. It seemed to make sense at the time, but now… She wondered if they would have to pay for the damage. She didn’t have any money and there was no way her parents would cough up.

Then she thought of Charm and couldn’t believe how vindictive and unpleasant she had been. That wasn’t like her. Calling the vapid airhead names was one thing, but physical violence? Jody ran her fingers through her mousey hair. What sort of mindless thug was she turning into?

“Let’s go help tidy that mess up,” she suggested. “It’s the least we can do and might show in our favour if we get prosecuted.”

Maggie raised her eyebrows. “That won’t happen, will it?” she asked. “Was only a food fight.”

“And the model, and those tapestries, they were ancient. We could be in serious lumber.”

They hurried to the main block and were appalled by what they saw in the dining hall. It looked even worse in broad daylight, like the aftermath of a hurricane. No one had started clearing it up yet. There were noises coming from the kitchen and the two girls popped their heads round the door.

“Morning,” Jody greeted three women dressed as medieval cooks. “Just wondered if we could lend a hand clearing up and getting the hall ready for breakfast?”

The women stared back at them. They looked totally out of place in that brushed steel kitchen.

“No breakfast,” one of them said curtly.

Maggie looked at the wide serving dish piled high with sausages and at the large frying pan in which even more were squeaking as they cooked.

“Them’s not for the likes of you,” the woman told her severely.

“I’ll be happy with just cereal,” Jody said. “I don’t eat death tubes.”

“No breakfast,” the woman repeated.

“Who are all those bangers for then?” Maggie asked. “There’s mushrooms there as well.”

There was no answer. The women carried on with what they were doing. Jody realised one of them was removing everything from the fridge and another was doing the same to the storeroom.

“If you’ve got a mop and a brush,” she said, “we’ll make a start.”

Again no reply. It was as if they didn’t exist.

The two girls came away, puzzled.

“I’m starved,” Maggie complained. “That smell is driving me mental. My buds are literally squirting.”

Outside, more children were surfacing. Charm appeared, in her sunglasses, her hair tucked under a pink camouflage BAPE baseball cap. She trawled her fake Louis Vuitton cases across to the gates and perched on one. She didn’t want to have anything to do with the others. She just wanted to go home. Fixing her eyes on the long forest road, she waited.

When Lee came out, he saw her. He took a step forward then stopped himself.

“Why don’t you go over?” Alasdair asked.

“What for?”

The Scottish lad laughed. “I’m no blind,” he said. “Get over there and give the lassie your number at least.”

Lee shook his head. “No point,” he replied. “She ain’t goin’ no place.”

Alasdair didn’t understand what he meant, but at that moment, their attention was diverted by Jangler, who called out the names of the eight children from yesterday. Tommy, Rupesh and the others went into his cabin clasping their copies of the book and soon the cooks entered, bearing the steaming food.

“Private brekky club for the chosen ones,” Alasdair observed bitterly.

Lee hardly heard him. One of the cooks had taken a large plate of sausages into the chalet next to the old man’s.

“Who the hell is in there?” he murmured.

The smell of the breakfast passing by drew comments from everyone. Where was theirs? They went to the dining hall, but returned disappointed and famished. The cooks had left and taken every morsel of food with them. The shelves were completely bare. There wasn’t even a stock cube left. An hour dragged by. Phone numbers and addresses were exchanged. An emotional Jody crossed her heart and promised she would be in touch with Christina every single day and that the seven-year-old could come and visit. Maggie gave everybody, excluding Marcus, a big hug. At half past nine almost all cases, rucksacks and bags were on the lawn. Lee’s was still upstairs on his bed. He hadn’t even packed.

The sound of a coach came rumbling up the road. Charm jumped up, excited to greet her mother. She glanced back to where Lee was sitting outside his cabin and decided that before she left, she should say goodbye to him. The coach pulled into the camp and Kate Kryzewski got out, followed by Sam. They wanted the happy reunion footage.

Jangler emerged from his chalet, flicking his moustache and smacking his lips after a hearty meal. Rupesh and the rest followed him; each of them now wore a playing card, and he guided them to the coach.

“Don’t we get any breakfast then?” Marcus asked as he marched by.

The question went unanswered. Tommy Williams’ parents were next off the coach and the little boy raced over to them.

“I am Tully!” he shouted. “A Two of Clubs!”

Their faces lit up and Sam captured a heart-warming embrace. The other seven new converts experienced the same loving reception from their families. The remaining youngsters looked for their parents on the coach, but there was no one else aboard.

“Couldn’t be bothered then?” Jody remarked. “Typical.”

“I came down on my own anyway,” Marcus said to anyone who was listening. “Fine by me.”

“My folks dinnae even know or care where I am,” Alasdair muttered flatly.

Charm went up to Jangler and asked when the other coach would arrive. He stared at her in surprise.

“Other coach?” he said. “There is no other coach. This is it. Now, Patrick, Beth, Oliver, Mason, Daniel, Tommy and Rupesh, climb inside and have a safe journey. Blessed be to you all.”

The reunited families thanked him effusively and Kate and Sam got back on to conduct closing interviews. No one else was permitted on-board. The doors closed.

“What do you mean there’s no other coach?” Charm demanded. “That can’t be it. Where’s me ma? Is she driving down with Uncle Frank or what? Has she said?”

Around her the other confused children wanted answers too. Where were their parents? Why hadn’t they been allowed on that coach? What time would their transport get here? Why hadn’t there been any breakfast that morning?

The coach’s engine started. Children had to hurry out of the way as it turned around and departed back through the gates.

“What’s goin’ on?” Charm cried.

On the step of his cabin Lee watched the scene unfold pretty much exactly as he had expected. Jangler was surrounded by hungry, impatient and bad-tempered young people. They wanted answers, but he wasn’t giving them.

“This is where it gets ugly,” Lee said.

The noise of a second engine drew their attention back to the forest road. This had to be the second coach.

“This’ll be me ma!” Charm said confidently. But the smile on her face faded and she removed her Gucci sunglasses for a better look.

Lorries were coming towards the camp: four ordinary builder’s trucks, carrying great bales of wire fencing. One van brought up the rear. The vehicles came in and Jangler went over to have words with the foreman. Ten men jumped out of the van.

“What’s going on?” Maggie asked.

The men immediately began unloading the trucks.

“Hey,” Alasdair asked one of them. “What are ye doin’?”

A disgusted expression appeared on the man’s face and he averted his eyes from this aberrant scum. Ladders were carried to the tall wooden posts nearest the gate. Bunting, lanterns and flowers were ripped down and the first bale of fencing was rolled across.

Jody took hold of Christina’s hand. Power tools began to whirr, followed by hammering as the high fences went up. The children watched in confusion, but a horrible suspicion was forming in the older ones.

“You can’t be serious,” Alasdair shouted, rounding on Jangler.

“I don’t… I don’t get it,” Spencer muttered, clutching his Stetson nervously.

“What’s happening?” Charm insisted. “Why ain’t me ma here? What them blokes doin’? What’s them fences for? Can I get a bleedin’ answer?”

Tucking his clipboard under his arm, Jangler made his way back to his chalet. The children followed, some out of anger, the rest because they didn’t know what else to do and weren’t quite sure what this meant. Lee rose from the step and stood among them. As the noise of the workmen continued, Jangler cleared his throat and mimed the removal of invisible gloves.

“Firstly,” he began with even more pompous self-importance than usual, “let me make this perfectly clear. There will be no further transport. You will not be returning to your previous homes. You will no longer
be indulged and tolerated out there. There is no place in society for abominations such as yourselves.”

His audience murmured in disbelief at what they were hearing. The hate in the old man’s voice was unmistakable.

“The tomfoolery of the past few days is now at an end,” he continued. “From this day forward, you are internees. This camp is your only home. You will remain here until the age of sixteen, when you will be relocated to an adult camp. You will not go beyond the boundaries that are being erected right now unless supervised by guards under my strict orders. If you do, there will be punishments.”

“What the hell are you saying?” Jody shouted. “You can’t do this. You can’t make us prisoners.”

“Too right he can’t!” Alasdair supported her.

“He’s gone nuts,” Marcus declared.

“What guards?” Lee demanded.

“I have the full blessing of the Ismus in this,” Jangler told them. “I am the Lockpick, gaoler of Mooncaster. My word is now law here. You will obey me or suffer the consequences. You have no rights except the ones I deem fit to grant. And do not think you can continue idling your days away as you have been doing. You will be made to work, to earn your bed and board. This is not a holiday camp.”

“Could’ve fooled me!” Maggie jeered.

“I repeat. This is not a holiday camp. If you do not work, you will not eat. I have made a list and divided you into groups; these will be your work parties. I will pin the schedule and rota in the dining hall. I suggest you familiarise yourselves with both because ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse for shirking your duties. If you try to avoid the work, you will be punished.”

“Blimey,” Charm exclaimed. “He’s serious. He means it!”

“Indeed I do. And the sooner you recognise that, the better.”

“Up yours!” Maggie called, finishing off with a raspberry.

“I suggest you calm down so we can get on with the business of the
day,” he said. “There is a tremendous amount to get through. Firstly, the condition of this internment camp is an absolute disgrace. That must be attended to immediately. Then there is the very grave matter concerning the wanton destruction of the beautiful model of the White Castle, plus the sheer vandalism and criminality which occurred last night. That will not go unpunished. The ringleader will be made an example of.”

“He’s so getting off on that word ‘punish’,” Maggie commented.

“Why are we even listening to him?” Alasdair cried. “Dinnae give him the oxygen of attention. I am going oot that gate right noo and that jumped-up wee man isnae gonna stop me.”

“Don’t do anything stupid, man,” Lee warned.

“Och, what’s he gonna do? Hit me wi’ his pathetic clipboard? I’ll lamp him if he tries anything.”

The Scot turned to the others. “I’m away,” he told them. “Who else is wi’ me?”

Just about everyone agreed and they headed for the gates. Lee hung back. He knew it couldn’t be that easy. He was right, again.