Read Online The Glass Kingdom by Chris Flynn - Free Book Online

sent him, for fuck sake.’
    Ange padded back out through the screen door, carrying a tray with two steaming mugs of tea and a plate of chocolate biscuits. She beat a hasty retreat. I picked up one of the biscuits, dunked it in my tea and began sucking the chocolate off it.
    â€˜Not bad. But unless these are the fanciest fucken biscuits money can buy, I believe you owe me seven large, Freddy.’
    â€˜Sure, sure. I’ve got it for you. Well, not all of it, but I’ll have it for you in a day or two.’
    I laughed quietly and shook my head, popping the rest of the biscuit in my mouth and swallowing.
    â€˜Now that I think about it, you actually owe me fourteen thou, since you gave away seven grand’s worth of my glass.’
    â€˜Yeah. Suppose that’s right enough. I can’t really get that back for you, though.’
    â€˜I know Freddy, I know.’ I took another biscuit and dipped it in the tea. ‘These are pretty fancy. Ange has good taste in bickies.’ I waved to his kids as I sipped the tea. Earl Grey, it was. Really hit the spot. ‘That’s why I’ll be content to take the seven grand in cash and the other seven out of your useless fucken hide.’
    I set the mug down on the tray and rose to walk to the edge of the pool. I crouched down by the water and the kids swam over to me.
    â€˜Listen, you boys better go inside and dry off. That’s enough swimming for now.’
    The lads exchanged a puzzled look, then to his credit the older one said, ‘Fuck off, mister, you’re not my da.’ That tickled me, it really did.
    â€˜Ah well, have it your way. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’
    Freddy was out of his chair by then, unsure whether he should run or stand his ground. He probably didn’t really believe I’d give him a hiding right there in front of his kids. He was frantically trying to work out how much physical damage equated to seven thousand bucks, and if he could afford it. He tried to fight me off and backed into the plastic table and chairs, sending them flying. One of the chairs skittered away and slid into the pool. The kids were frozen in the water, their mouths hanging open in shock. Thomas the Tank Engine looked on impassively, stupid grin still plastered across his face as he watched me slap the not-so-Fat Controller around.
    Ange came running just as I was administering some blows to Freddy’s kidneys. She was squealing for me to let him go and for a second I thought I was going to have to whack her one too, which I really didn’t want to do. I have principles. Fortunately the two blokes in Freddy’s crew also made an appearance. The big one threw his hands up in the air and turned away, shaking his head. The other bloke in the singlet had his shottie at the ready. Fair play to him, he met my eye as I angled Freddy’s body between us just in case, his neck in the crook of my arm. He surprised me then by making a real smart move. Ange was making a beeline for me, her thongs flapping against the concrete, painted fingernails at the ready. Casual as you like the young bloke stepped up sharply and grabbed her by the arm. She cursed him and tried to break free so he flung her onto the grass and turned the shotgun on her.
    â€˜Stay there, Ange,’ he said coolly, ‘the boss is in a meeting.’
    Shit, I was so impressed I let Freddy go after only a thousand bucks’ worth of a hiding. He couldn’t take much more than that anyway. He sprawled forward and almost fell in the pool, collapsing in an unruly heap by the water’s edge. I nodded to the bloke with the shotgun and he lowered it, allowing Ange to crawl to her husband.
    â€˜Remind me of your name,’ I said to the young guy.
    â€˜It’s Patrick. Patrick Gray, from Nowra.’
    â€˜Your friends call you Paddy?’
    â€˜Not within earshot, if they know what’s good for them.’
    How could I not like him? If I