although she did hear that Goat Cuisine were looking for a cook and a waiter and that the Museum was looking for an expert in Fine Art. He finally finished and looked at them. ‘Any questions?’ he asked cheerfully.
‘Just one. Are you going to see this band tonight?’ asked Rufus, pointing to a small piece of paper on the desk. Elli saw it was upside down and couldn’t make out the words whilst Norman nodded, his face reddening. ‘Can I see that please?’ he asked politely, turning it around. ‘Elvis and the Bushbabies. Sounds marvellous.’
‘Oh they’re amazing, they’re my favourite band. Their latest song Hairy and Horny is all about this ogre that...
‘Well, we really must be going,’ said Rufus, standing up to leave. ‘Thank you for your help. We might see you there this evening,’ he added smiling. ‘Keep on rocking!’ Rufus saw them both look at him blankly and sighed.
They walked back along a different corridor that was clearly signposted Exit . Elli asked why it was so much easier to find your way outside than in. ‘That is another cunning idea,' replied Rufus. 'The harder it is for people to find their way around, the less likely they are to bother you with something trivial. You basically want them to give up and get out as quickly as possible.’ Elli nodded, seeing the logic in what he’d said.
‘I suppose we’re going to have to find jobs now,’ she muttered, chewing on a chicken drumstick thoughtfully. Rufus nodded and walked breezily along.
‘Well we don’t strictly have to but I think we should. Legal ones anyway. What did you think of the jobs at Goat Cuisine? You know my friend Billy runs it.’
‘He seems nice, and his son is the one in the band, isn’t he? I wondered why you were suddenly so interested in music.’
‘Well yes,’ he said squirming, ‘although they’re playing tonight and it just so happens that they’re playing the upstairs of the Dog and Duck. It’s a real coincidence as I’m meeting Josie downstairs. I thought you might like to pop up and hear them, maybe speak with Billy, get him on side. You might have some convincing to show him your cooking skills, it’s hot and heavy work.’
‘And you I take it are going to be a waiter. A waiter who doesn’t eat most of the food before it reaches the table.’
‘Well I don’t see why not. I’ll be very good with the customers, I can be charming when I want to be.’
‘Yes,’ she sighed, watching him stride ahead confidently. ‘I know.’
As they reached the sunlight outside they both squinted and rubbed their eyes. ‘What’s next?’ asked Elli, poised at the top of the stairs and feeling her spirits soar with the cooling breeze.
‘Clothes,’ he said decidedly. ‘We need new clothes. Max gave me some money for them this morning, he said no son of mine is going to walk around looking like a tramp any more. He said that goes for you too.’
‘Charming.’
‘So we’re going to visit Dion and Jones for some new ones.’
‘Rufus?’ she called as she followed him down the stairs. ‘How long do you think we can stay here? Before we have to leave again?’ He shrugged, pulling some coins out of his pocket.
‘We’ll stay as long as we can,’ he answered. ‘Now, let’s go and get dressed.’
Dion and Jones was a tiny, dark shop hidden in an old, cobbled road called Cheese Alley. It was sandwiched between a cheese shop and a butcher's, and Rufus used his sense of smell to find it. ‘I haven’t been here for years,’ he explained, ‘but you never forget that smell. There it is!’ He pointed to a building with bowed windows and cracked stonework. ‘T hese two old ladies are the best seamstresses in Brayston,’ he said, smiling and walking towards it with gusto. ‘They had some trouble once with two men who burst in demanding money, threatening to set fire to the shop. We got here as soon as we heard and found both men sparked out on the floor outside wearing only their boots.
‘Just one. Are you going to see this band tonight?’ asked Rufus, pointing to a small piece of paper on the desk. Elli saw it was upside down and couldn’t make out the words whilst Norman nodded, his face reddening. ‘Can I see that please?’ he asked politely, turning it around. ‘Elvis and the Bushbabies. Sounds marvellous.’
‘Oh they’re amazing, they’re my favourite band. Their latest song Hairy and Horny is all about this ogre that...
‘Well, we really must be going,’ said Rufus, standing up to leave. ‘Thank you for your help. We might see you there this evening,’ he added smiling. ‘Keep on rocking!’ Rufus saw them both look at him blankly and sighed.
They walked back along a different corridor that was clearly signposted Exit . Elli asked why it was so much easier to find your way outside than in. ‘That is another cunning idea,' replied Rufus. 'The harder it is for people to find their way around, the less likely they are to bother you with something trivial. You basically want them to give up and get out as quickly as possible.’ Elli nodded, seeing the logic in what he’d said.
‘I suppose we’re going to have to find jobs now,’ she muttered, chewing on a chicken drumstick thoughtfully. Rufus nodded and walked breezily along.
‘Well we don’t strictly have to but I think we should. Legal ones anyway. What did you think of the jobs at Goat Cuisine? You know my friend Billy runs it.’
‘He seems nice, and his son is the one in the band, isn’t he? I wondered why you were suddenly so interested in music.’
‘Well yes,’ he said squirming, ‘although they’re playing tonight and it just so happens that they’re playing the upstairs of the Dog and Duck. It’s a real coincidence as I’m meeting Josie downstairs. I thought you might like to pop up and hear them, maybe speak with Billy, get him on side. You might have some convincing to show him your cooking skills, it’s hot and heavy work.’
‘And you I take it are going to be a waiter. A waiter who doesn’t eat most of the food before it reaches the table.’
‘Well I don’t see why not. I’ll be very good with the customers, I can be charming when I want to be.’
‘Yes,’ she sighed, watching him stride ahead confidently. ‘I know.’
As they reached the sunlight outside they both squinted and rubbed their eyes. ‘What’s next?’ asked Elli, poised at the top of the stairs and feeling her spirits soar with the cooling breeze.
‘Clothes,’ he said decidedly. ‘We need new clothes. Max gave me some money for them this morning, he said no son of mine is going to walk around looking like a tramp any more. He said that goes for you too.’
‘Charming.’
‘So we’re going to visit Dion and Jones for some new ones.’
‘Rufus?’ she called as she followed him down the stairs. ‘How long do you think we can stay here? Before we have to leave again?’ He shrugged, pulling some coins out of his pocket.
‘We’ll stay as long as we can,’ he answered. ‘Now, let’s go and get dressed.’
Dion and Jones was a tiny, dark shop hidden in an old, cobbled road called Cheese Alley. It was sandwiched between a cheese shop and a butcher's, and Rufus used his sense of smell to find it. ‘I haven’t been here for years,’ he explained, ‘but you never forget that smell. There it is!’ He pointed to a building with bowed windows and cracked stonework. ‘T hese two old ladies are the best seamstresses in Brayston,’ he said, smiling and walking towards it with gusto. ‘They had some trouble once with two men who burst in demanding money, threatening to set fire to the shop. We got here as soon as we heard and found both men sparked out on the floor outside wearing only their boots.
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