Read Online The Quickening of Tom Turnpike (The Talltrees Trilogy) by W. E. Mann - Free Book Online
Authors: W. E. Mann
Ads: Link
on all of the wrong syllables to
give it the intonations of a record being played backwards. “In fact,” he
continued, “what you propose is based on views that are insulting to my
culture”.
“Oh,
honestly!” hissed Barrington. I saw him briefly as he moved across the room
past the gap in the door behind which we hid. “Do not pretend that you have a
special relationship with the Vodun.”
Boateng
replied angrily. “You know just as well as I do that this whole aspect of the
religion was invented by your British Empire as a way of stamping it down and
replacing it with Christianity, tainting the beliefs of your slaves with
accusations of witchery and Satanism. That fact that it is now so popular with
our new masters does not make it any more valid than it ever was.”
“Yes,
yes, yes !” interrupted Barrington impatiently, “I do know these arguments.”
“Even
so, ignoring these cultural arguments, what you have proposed to do is, as you
well know, medically incredibly dangerous. Many of the boys could die. Or worse .”
My
heart jumped and Freddie looked at me with an expression of confusion and
terror. What could it be that Barrington was proposing to do? Was Doctor
Boateng referring to the boys who had already disappeared or was he talking
about all of us? And how could Barrington be plotting something that was worse than death? What could that even be? You hear rumours of gruesome tortures
performed by the Gestapo on Resistance activists...
Freddie
and I started to edge backwards towards the base of the staircase, trying to
contain the panicked instinct to run. Being caught by Barrington now, well, I
just didn’t know what it might mean. But what I was certain of was that being
caught stumbling into the Headmaster’s flat would be a very welcome
alternative.
“Well,”
replied Barrington, with a malevolent calm, “Miss Prenderghast and Head Matron
are already under the spell. The time is coming, and it is a risk I am
prepared to take.”
“It
is not your risk to take!” Boateng shouted furiously.
Freddie
and I were now halfway up the staircase and we could see a very thin sliver of
light up above. Probably emanating from underneath the door to Wilbraham’s
flat. It was becoming harder to hear the discussion continuing below and I did
not know whether some of the words they were using were unfamiliar or whether I
was just mishearing what they were saying:
“ Please listen to me for a moment,” said Barrington, his voice quietened in an effort
to impose some reason upon the discussion. “Have you seen this text before?”
Boateng
paused. In spite of being quite far away by now, I could still hear Boateng
breathing heavily, clearly still angered by Barrington’s determination. “What
is it?” he asked, forcing himself to speak evenly.
“I
was given it by the Witchdoctor in Accra.”
Freddie
stared at me wide-eyed with disbelief.
“After
she...”
“Yes.
After she was taken. He told me to prepare myself for the Bokor . Look,
it is all written down here. Most of this admittedly is nonsense, but this
portion here sets out the prescriptions, the timings and the methods of
administration.”
There
were a couple of minutes when they spoke too quietly for us to hear them.
Freddie and I did not dare to move a muscle. We were still well within earshot
of Barrington and Boateng.
“So
the potion is to be prepared before.... But how do you propose to administer
this to the boys?”
“I’m
planning to gas them!”
Freddie’s
eyes widened even further. At that moment, I leant too heavily on the banister
and it let out a faint creak.
Barrington
and Boateng fell silent. I could then hear one of them stepping quickly
towards the door just below us. I still had my hand on the banister, and loosening
my grip just slightly let out another treacherous creak.
“Who’s
there?” shouted Barrington.
Without
hesitating, we
give it the intonations of a record being played backwards. “In fact,” he
continued, “what you propose is based on views that are insulting to my
culture”.
“Oh,
honestly!” hissed Barrington. I saw him briefly as he moved across the room
past the gap in the door behind which we hid. “Do not pretend that you have a
special relationship with the Vodun.”
Boateng
replied angrily. “You know just as well as I do that this whole aspect of the
religion was invented by your British Empire as a way of stamping it down and
replacing it with Christianity, tainting the beliefs of your slaves with
accusations of witchery and Satanism. That fact that it is now so popular with
our new masters does not make it any more valid than it ever was.”
“Yes,
yes, yes !” interrupted Barrington impatiently, “I do know these arguments.”
“Even
so, ignoring these cultural arguments, what you have proposed to do is, as you
well know, medically incredibly dangerous. Many of the boys could die. Or worse .”
My
heart jumped and Freddie looked at me with an expression of confusion and
terror. What could it be that Barrington was proposing to do? Was Doctor
Boateng referring to the boys who had already disappeared or was he talking
about all of us? And how could Barrington be plotting something that was worse than death? What could that even be? You hear rumours of gruesome tortures
performed by the Gestapo on Resistance activists...
Freddie
and I started to edge backwards towards the base of the staircase, trying to
contain the panicked instinct to run. Being caught by Barrington now, well, I
just didn’t know what it might mean. But what I was certain of was that being
caught stumbling into the Headmaster’s flat would be a very welcome
alternative.
“Well,”
replied Barrington, with a malevolent calm, “Miss Prenderghast and Head Matron
are already under the spell. The time is coming, and it is a risk I am
prepared to take.”
“It
is not your risk to take!” Boateng shouted furiously.
Freddie
and I were now halfway up the staircase and we could see a very thin sliver of
light up above. Probably emanating from underneath the door to Wilbraham’s
flat. It was becoming harder to hear the discussion continuing below and I did
not know whether some of the words they were using were unfamiliar or whether I
was just mishearing what they were saying:
“ Please listen to me for a moment,” said Barrington, his voice quietened in an effort
to impose some reason upon the discussion. “Have you seen this text before?”
Boateng
paused. In spite of being quite far away by now, I could still hear Boateng
breathing heavily, clearly still angered by Barrington’s determination. “What
is it?” he asked, forcing himself to speak evenly.
“I
was given it by the Witchdoctor in Accra.”
Freddie
stared at me wide-eyed with disbelief.
“After
she...”
“Yes.
After she was taken. He told me to prepare myself for the Bokor . Look,
it is all written down here. Most of this admittedly is nonsense, but this
portion here sets out the prescriptions, the timings and the methods of
administration.”
There
were a couple of minutes when they spoke too quietly for us to hear them.
Freddie and I did not dare to move a muscle. We were still well within earshot
of Barrington and Boateng.
“So
the potion is to be prepared before.... But how do you propose to administer
this to the boys?”
“I’m
planning to gas them!”
Freddie’s
eyes widened even further. At that moment, I leant too heavily on the banister
and it let out a faint creak.
Barrington
and Boateng fell silent. I could then hear one of them stepping quickly
towards the door just below us. I still had my hand on the banister, and loosening
my grip just slightly let out another treacherous creak.
“Who’s
there?” shouted Barrington.
Without
hesitating, we
Similar Books
