Read Online The Fourth Estate by Jeffrey Archer - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeffrey Archer
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him.
On Tuesday
morning, during a lesson on British History 1815-1867, he calculated on the
back of a copy of the 1832 Perform Bill that at this rate it would take him
only another three weeks to raise the tio he needed to test Lucky Joe’s
infallible system.
It was in a
Latin lesson on Wednesday afternoon that Keith’s own infallible system began to
falter. The headmaster entered the classroom unannounced, and asked Townsend to
join him in the corridor immediately.
“And bring your
locker key with you,” he added ominously. As they marched silently down the
long gray corridor Mr. Jessop presented him with a single sheet of paper. Keith
studied the list he could have recited far more fluently than any of the tables
in Kennedy~ Latin Primer. “Minties 8d, Chips 4d, Cherry Ripes 4d, Marchants’
Lemonade one shilling. Be outside Locker 19 in the senior changing room on
Thursday at five o’clock sharp. Our slogan is ‘First come, first served.’”
Keith managed to
keep a straight face as he was frog marched down the corridor.
When they
entered the changing room, Keith found his housemaster and the sports master
already stationed by his locker.
“Unlock the
door, Townsend,” was all the headmaster said.
Keith placed the
little key in the lock and turned it slowly. He pulled open the door and the
four of them peered inside. Mr. Jessop was surprised to discover that there was
nothing to be seen other than a cricket bat, a pair of old pads, and a crumpled
white shirt that looked as if it hadn’t been worn for several weeks.
The headmaster
looked angry, his housemaster puzzled, and the sports master embarrassed.
“Could it be
that you’ve got the wrong boy?” asked Keith, with an air of injured innocence.
“Lock the door
and return to your class immediately, Townsend,” said the headmaster. Keith
obeyed with an insolent nod of the head and strolled slowly back down the
corridor.
Once he was
seated at his desk, Keith realized that he had to decide on which course of
action to take. Should he rescue his wares and save his investment, or drop a
hint as to where the tuck might be found and settle an old score once and for
all?
Desmond Motson
turned round to stare at him. He looked surprised and disappointed to find Townsend
back in his place.
Keith gave him a
huge smile, and immediately knew which of the two options he should take.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE TIMES
9 MARCH 1936
G erman Troops in
the Rhineland IT WAS NOT until after the Germans had remilitarized the Rhineland
that Lubji first heard the name of Adolf Hitter.
His mother
winced when she read about the Fuhrer’s exploits in the rabbi’s weekly paper.
As she finished each page she handed it on to her eldest son.
She stopped only
when it became too dark for her to see the words. Lubji was able to go on
reading for a few more minutes.
“Will we all
have to wear a yellow star if Hitler crosses our border?” he asked.
Zelta pretended
to have fallen asleep.
For some time
his mother had been unable to hide from the rest of her family the fact that
Lubji had become her favorite – even though she suspected that he was
responsible for the disappearance of her precious brooch-and she had watched
with pride as he grew into a tall, handsome youth. But she remained adamant that
despite his success as a trader, from which she acknowledged the whole family
had benefited, he was still destined to be a rabbi. She might have wasted her
life, but she was determined that Lubji wouldn’t waste his.
For the past six
years Lubji had spent each morning being tutored by her uncle in the house on
the hill. He was released at midday so that he could return to the market,
where he had recently purchased his own stall. A few weeks after his bar
mitzvah the old rabbi had handed Lubji’s mother the letter informing him that
Lubji had been awarded a scholarship to the academy in Ostrava. It was the
happiest day of Zelta’s life. She knew her son was clever, perhaps
On Tuesday
morning, during a lesson on British History 1815-1867, he calculated on the
back of a copy of the 1832 Perform Bill that at this rate it would take him
only another three weeks to raise the tio he needed to test Lucky Joe’s
infallible system.
It was in a
Latin lesson on Wednesday afternoon that Keith’s own infallible system began to
falter. The headmaster entered the classroom unannounced, and asked Townsend to
join him in the corridor immediately.
“And bring your
locker key with you,” he added ominously. As they marched silently down the
long gray corridor Mr. Jessop presented him with a single sheet of paper. Keith
studied the list he could have recited far more fluently than any of the tables
in Kennedy~ Latin Primer. “Minties 8d, Chips 4d, Cherry Ripes 4d, Marchants’
Lemonade one shilling. Be outside Locker 19 in the senior changing room on
Thursday at five o’clock sharp. Our slogan is ‘First come, first served.’”
Keith managed to
keep a straight face as he was frog marched down the corridor.
When they
entered the changing room, Keith found his housemaster and the sports master
already stationed by his locker.
“Unlock the
door, Townsend,” was all the headmaster said.
Keith placed the
little key in the lock and turned it slowly. He pulled open the door and the
four of them peered inside. Mr. Jessop was surprised to discover that there was
nothing to be seen other than a cricket bat, a pair of old pads, and a crumpled
white shirt that looked as if it hadn’t been worn for several weeks.
The headmaster
looked angry, his housemaster puzzled, and the sports master embarrassed.
“Could it be
that you’ve got the wrong boy?” asked Keith, with an air of injured innocence.
“Lock the door
and return to your class immediately, Townsend,” said the headmaster. Keith
obeyed with an insolent nod of the head and strolled slowly back down the
corridor.
Once he was
seated at his desk, Keith realized that he had to decide on which course of
action to take. Should he rescue his wares and save his investment, or drop a
hint as to where the tuck might be found and settle an old score once and for
all?
Desmond Motson
turned round to stare at him. He looked surprised and disappointed to find Townsend
back in his place.
Keith gave him a
huge smile, and immediately knew which of the two options he should take.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE TIMES
9 MARCH 1936
G erman Troops in
the Rhineland IT WAS NOT until after the Germans had remilitarized the Rhineland
that Lubji first heard the name of Adolf Hitter.
His mother
winced when she read about the Fuhrer’s exploits in the rabbi’s weekly paper.
As she finished each page she handed it on to her eldest son.
She stopped only
when it became too dark for her to see the words. Lubji was able to go on
reading for a few more minutes.
“Will we all
have to wear a yellow star if Hitler crosses our border?” he asked.
Zelta pretended
to have fallen asleep.
For some time
his mother had been unable to hide from the rest of her family the fact that
Lubji had become her favorite – even though she suspected that he was
responsible for the disappearance of her precious brooch-and she had watched
with pride as he grew into a tall, handsome youth. But she remained adamant that
despite his success as a trader, from which she acknowledged the whole family
had benefited, he was still destined to be a rabbi. She might have wasted her
life, but she was determined that Lubji wouldn’t waste his.
For the past six
years Lubji had spent each morning being tutored by her uncle in the house on
the hill. He was released at midday so that he could return to the market,
where he had recently purchased his own stall. A few weeks after his bar
mitzvah the old rabbi had handed Lubji’s mother the letter informing him that
Lubji had been awarded a scholarship to the academy in Ostrava. It was the
happiest day of Zelta’s life. She knew her son was clever, perhaps
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