should hide then thinks, what’s the point? He’ll find me anyway. He remembers that the show is tomorrow and curses his bad timing.
Luke’s father stands at the door, his face like thunder. Luke puts a hand to his forehead. He can feel it twitch, the blood pounding in his veins like waves. He watches his father cross the room …
‘Cold callers!’ says his father, thumping the table. ‘Always asking for money!’
Luke sags in his chair, the pounding in his chest and head ease to a mere tugging. ‘Blood suckers,’ he says in agreement.
His father chuckles. ‘That’s right, Lukey. Leeches!’
When Luke wakes up the next morning his heart is light. He hums as he climbs out of bed and pullson his clothes. Thoughts of Hamish and chook poo hide in the recesses of his mind because today is the day of the show! As Luke steps out from his door, the glare of the sun turns to gloom. Hope it’s not going to rain, he thinks to himself as he squints at the sky. But it’s not rain that hides the glare.
It is hundreds of pigeons, gliding and swooping together in a great tapestry of flight. The pigeon race has started.
Wonder which one’s Pretty Boy? thinks Luke watching the flock of birds, the white ones stark against a sea of grey.
Pretty Boy. Pretty Boy means Mrs Sully. And Mrs Sully means …
Luke shivers and pulls his jacket tighter.
Chapter Five
‘Six shots for two bucks! C’mon boys, show us what you’re made of.’
Luke looks at Zac. ‘Time for another gnome?’ he asks.
Zac’s pulling out his money before Luke’s even got to
gnome
. ‘Sure,’ he says. It’s one hour later.
‘I’ve had enough!’ says Luke. ‘Let’s go.’ His pockets are lighter and the two gnomes he’s won he has given to Zac.
Karl lies on the ground, resting against the tent pole with his hat over his face. Luke is pacing up and down like a dingo at a boundary fence.
And Zac?
Zac’s won rent-a-crowd. He has Sleepy and Sneezy and Dopey and Bashful. Happy and Grumpy are there, too.
‘Time,’ says Luke.
Zac swivels around. He puts his hands up as if to beg. ‘Not yet, please. There’s only
one
Doc left. I just wanna win that Doc, then I’ll be done.’
‘Broke, more like it!’
Just then, Hamish, Eli and Oscar wander up.
Luke frowns. What’s Hamish doing here? ‘Aren’t you meant to be grounded?’ he asks Hamish.
‘What Mum doesn’t know won’t hurt.’ Hamish narrows his eyes to slits reminding Luke of a pig dog.
‘Six,’ says Hamish, holding out two dollars to the man. He turns to Zac. ‘Pretty good stash you’ve got there.’ He gets down on his haunches to inspect the gnomes then asks, ‘What are they? The seven dwarfs?’
‘Yeah,’ says Zac. ‘All I need is Doc.’
‘Doc, huh?’
‘Then I’ve got the set.’
Luke nudges Zac to shut up.
Karl is on his feet, looking as uneasy as Luke. ‘Let’s go,’ he says in a quiet voice and goes to grab Zac’s arm.
Hamish pushes between them and reaches for the rifle. He aims, then fires six shots in quick succession. Six ducks topple over.
The man in the gallery whistles, then grins. ‘Not bad,’ he says. He points to the shelves of prizes. ‘What do you want?’
Hamish laughs, a hair-raising laugh. To Luke it sounds like a finger in an electric pencil sharpener. Hamish inspects the prizes. He rubs his chin, pretending to make up his mind. He takes his time. Eventually, he says, ‘I’ll have — Doc.’
‘No!’ Zac stands there, looking like he’s won the lottery, then lost it all on one bet.
Hamish reaches for Doc. ‘Ooops!’ he says, in a voice as fake as vinyl. Plaster shatters everywhere.
Doc’s hat lands at Luke’s feet. Luke sees Hamish wink at Eli and Oscar. He can’t believe it! But then again, he can.
‘No-o-o!’ wails Zac, bending down to pick up the pieces.
Luke grabs Zac’s arm. With a gentle voice he says, ‘Don’t bother. It’s no good.’
Karl reaches for a plastic bag to start packing the other
Luke’s father stands at the door, his face like thunder. Luke puts a hand to his forehead. He can feel it twitch, the blood pounding in his veins like waves. He watches his father cross the room …
‘Cold callers!’ says his father, thumping the table. ‘Always asking for money!’
Luke sags in his chair, the pounding in his chest and head ease to a mere tugging. ‘Blood suckers,’ he says in agreement.
His father chuckles. ‘That’s right, Lukey. Leeches!’
When Luke wakes up the next morning his heart is light. He hums as he climbs out of bed and pullson his clothes. Thoughts of Hamish and chook poo hide in the recesses of his mind because today is the day of the show! As Luke steps out from his door, the glare of the sun turns to gloom. Hope it’s not going to rain, he thinks to himself as he squints at the sky. But it’s not rain that hides the glare.
It is hundreds of pigeons, gliding and swooping together in a great tapestry of flight. The pigeon race has started.
Wonder which one’s Pretty Boy? thinks Luke watching the flock of birds, the white ones stark against a sea of grey.
Pretty Boy. Pretty Boy means Mrs Sully. And Mrs Sully means …
Luke shivers and pulls his jacket tighter.
Chapter Five
‘Six shots for two bucks! C’mon boys, show us what you’re made of.’
Luke looks at Zac. ‘Time for another gnome?’ he asks.
Zac’s pulling out his money before Luke’s even got to
gnome
. ‘Sure,’ he says. It’s one hour later.
‘I’ve had enough!’ says Luke. ‘Let’s go.’ His pockets are lighter and the two gnomes he’s won he has given to Zac.
Karl lies on the ground, resting against the tent pole with his hat over his face. Luke is pacing up and down like a dingo at a boundary fence.
And Zac?
Zac’s won rent-a-crowd. He has Sleepy and Sneezy and Dopey and Bashful. Happy and Grumpy are there, too.
‘Time,’ says Luke.
Zac swivels around. He puts his hands up as if to beg. ‘Not yet, please. There’s only
one
Doc left. I just wanna win that Doc, then I’ll be done.’
‘Broke, more like it!’
Just then, Hamish, Eli and Oscar wander up.
Luke frowns. What’s Hamish doing here? ‘Aren’t you meant to be grounded?’ he asks Hamish.
‘What Mum doesn’t know won’t hurt.’ Hamish narrows his eyes to slits reminding Luke of a pig dog.
‘Six,’ says Hamish, holding out two dollars to the man. He turns to Zac. ‘Pretty good stash you’ve got there.’ He gets down on his haunches to inspect the gnomes then asks, ‘What are they? The seven dwarfs?’
‘Yeah,’ says Zac. ‘All I need is Doc.’
‘Doc, huh?’
‘Then I’ve got the set.’
Luke nudges Zac to shut up.
Karl is on his feet, looking as uneasy as Luke. ‘Let’s go,’ he says in a quiet voice and goes to grab Zac’s arm.
Hamish pushes between them and reaches for the rifle. He aims, then fires six shots in quick succession. Six ducks topple over.
The man in the gallery whistles, then grins. ‘Not bad,’ he says. He points to the shelves of prizes. ‘What do you want?’
Hamish laughs, a hair-raising laugh. To Luke it sounds like a finger in an electric pencil sharpener. Hamish inspects the prizes. He rubs his chin, pretending to make up his mind. He takes his time. Eventually, he says, ‘I’ll have — Doc.’
‘No!’ Zac stands there, looking like he’s won the lottery, then lost it all on one bet.
Hamish reaches for Doc. ‘Ooops!’ he says, in a voice as fake as vinyl. Plaster shatters everywhere.
Doc’s hat lands at Luke’s feet. Luke sees Hamish wink at Eli and Oscar. He can’t believe it! But then again, he can.
‘No-o-o!’ wails Zac, bending down to pick up the pieces.
Luke grabs Zac’s arm. With a gentle voice he says, ‘Don’t bother. It’s no good.’
Karl reaches for a plastic bag to start packing the other
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