all up and we budget on five each a day, that should give us just
over five days to find Dad and get this whole mess sorted out.”
“What do you mean?” I
said, frowning at him “We’ll find them today, Wiltsdown’s not that big. Come
tonight, everything will be pretty much back to normal.”
I paused, remembering the
business about the smuggled snakes. “Well, maybe not completely normal, but
there’s got to be some sort of reasonable explanation. I’m sure things will get
sorted.”
Bede looked at me in a
way that made it clear he thought I was being way too optimistic.
“It might not work out like
that,” he said.
“I don’t see why not,” I
said, stubbornly.
Bede shrugged. “Let’s just
see, shall we?” he said.
I frowned at him some
more. “C’mon, I can’t believe this much weird stuff can happen in such a short
space of time without there being some sort of logical explanation,” I said. “I
mean, seriously, how else would the world work if random stuff just kept
happening?”
Bede was now fiddling with
a buckle on his bag and smiling quietly to himself. I knew that look. It was
the kind of a smug smile I used to see when we were kids, when Mum and Dad
would tell him stuff simply because he was older and would understand it
better.
“How about we go and track
down some food?” he said, obviously trying to change the subject. “The market
should be setting up by now.”
I paused, deciding
whether or not to let the subject drop. It was pretty clear that Bede wasn’t
going to listen to a word I said, at least not right now.
“Okay, so we’ve got five
each to spend, right?” I said, gathering up all the money. I shoved a ten note
in his hand, then crammed the rest into my shoes and pack. “For
safe keeping,” I said.
Bede shifted his weight
awkwardly.
“Umm…I wasn’t exactly
thinking of spending anything this morning,” he said.
I looked at him,
confused. “I don’t get it? We’ve both just been saying how hungry we are.”
“Yeah, I meant, we’ll get
some food. We just won’t pay for it. You know, the ole ‘five-finger discount’.”
I shot Bede a look that went
well beyond mere scepticism. I was accusing him of downright idiocy.
“We’re on the run for one
day and you’re already turning feral?” I said. “Since when was stealing stuff okay?
Besides, are you crazy? We’ve already got the police looking for you and
chasing us half to death last night. Do you really want to do something
that could show them where you are? Why can’t we just buy the food like normal people?”
Bede sighed impatiently. “Look
at us Clare, we aren’t exactly ‘normal’ people at the moment, are we? It’s not
like we can just go and ask Dad for more money if we run out. If we’re careful
with it now, we’ll have more to spare if things get tight.” He paused to
stretch his shoulders. “As for the police, they’re not going to stop looking
for me no matter what we do. We could stay put and they could still find us.”
“I still think you’re
crazy,” I said.
“Look, Clare, I get what
you’re saying, but honestly, it’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing, we’re not
going to get caught. Besides, if you still feel bad about it later, you can
always come back and pay the money once all this crap’s died down.”
I tried to put my moral
objections to one side and think about what Bede was saying from a purely
practical point of view. As much as I hated to admit it, I could see his
argument. If I could convince myself that it was just a loan that I could pay
back later, then maybe it would be okay. But there was still one slight
problem.
“I don’t actually know how
to, you know, just take stuff without people noticing,” I said.
Bede smiled knowingly. “Don’t
worry, I’ve done it loads of times before. Like I said, I’ll take care of it.”
I arched my eyebrows.
“Don’t ask.” He laughed
sheepishly. “Look, it’s easy. If you go up to the
over five days to find Dad and get this whole mess sorted out.”
“What do you mean?” I
said, frowning at him “We’ll find them today, Wiltsdown’s not that big. Come
tonight, everything will be pretty much back to normal.”
I paused, remembering the
business about the smuggled snakes. “Well, maybe not completely normal, but
there’s got to be some sort of reasonable explanation. I’m sure things will get
sorted.”
Bede looked at me in a
way that made it clear he thought I was being way too optimistic.
“It might not work out like
that,” he said.
“I don’t see why not,” I
said, stubbornly.
Bede shrugged. “Let’s just
see, shall we?” he said.
I frowned at him some
more. “C’mon, I can’t believe this much weird stuff can happen in such a short
space of time without there being some sort of logical explanation,” I said. “I
mean, seriously, how else would the world work if random stuff just kept
happening?”
Bede was now fiddling with
a buckle on his bag and smiling quietly to himself. I knew that look. It was
the kind of a smug smile I used to see when we were kids, when Mum and Dad
would tell him stuff simply because he was older and would understand it
better.
“How about we go and track
down some food?” he said, obviously trying to change the subject. “The market
should be setting up by now.”
I paused, deciding
whether or not to let the subject drop. It was pretty clear that Bede wasn’t
going to listen to a word I said, at least not right now.
“Okay, so we’ve got five
each to spend, right?” I said, gathering up all the money. I shoved a ten note
in his hand, then crammed the rest into my shoes and pack. “For
safe keeping,” I said.
Bede shifted his weight
awkwardly.
“Umm…I wasn’t exactly
thinking of spending anything this morning,” he said.
I looked at him,
confused. “I don’t get it? We’ve both just been saying how hungry we are.”
“Yeah, I meant, we’ll get
some food. We just won’t pay for it. You know, the ole ‘five-finger discount’.”
I shot Bede a look that went
well beyond mere scepticism. I was accusing him of downright idiocy.
“We’re on the run for one
day and you’re already turning feral?” I said. “Since when was stealing stuff okay?
Besides, are you crazy? We’ve already got the police looking for you and
chasing us half to death last night. Do you really want to do something
that could show them where you are? Why can’t we just buy the food like normal people?”
Bede sighed impatiently. “Look
at us Clare, we aren’t exactly ‘normal’ people at the moment, are we? It’s not
like we can just go and ask Dad for more money if we run out. If we’re careful
with it now, we’ll have more to spare if things get tight.” He paused to
stretch his shoulders. “As for the police, they’re not going to stop looking
for me no matter what we do. We could stay put and they could still find us.”
“I still think you’re
crazy,” I said.
“Look, Clare, I get what
you’re saying, but honestly, it’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing, we’re not
going to get caught. Besides, if you still feel bad about it later, you can
always come back and pay the money once all this crap’s died down.”
I tried to put my moral
objections to one side and think about what Bede was saying from a purely
practical point of view. As much as I hated to admit it, I could see his
argument. If I could convince myself that it was just a loan that I could pay
back later, then maybe it would be okay. But there was still one slight
problem.
“I don’t actually know how
to, you know, just take stuff without people noticing,” I said.
Bede smiled knowingly. “Don’t
worry, I’ve done it loads of times before. Like I said, I’ll take care of it.”
I arched my eyebrows.
“Don’t ask.” He laughed
sheepishly. “Look, it’s easy. If you go up to the
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