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Authors: Janis Mackay
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imagining myself cut in lots of parts. “The chimneys are due a sweep too. He’s to sleep in the bunker room next to the kitchen. I want this house ready soon. And I mean soon! The American guest is due any day.”
“Yes, sir,” said Noble, robot style. So far he hadn’t even flicked his eyes towards me.
“He’ll take his meals with you and Elsie. And watch him. He’s a thief.” “Yes sir.”
“Doesn’t have a name. Call him Blackie! He’ll be blacksoon enough, working with the fires. And tell Elsie to run up fitting articles of clothing. Nothing fancy. At least, not till the important guest arrives. Then we’ll have to have him presentable looking.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gaunt nodded. We were dismissed.
I followed the boy called Noble down a narrow corridor. The stone floor was cold, which was alright for him, he didn’t have bare feet. I wondered where Agnes was. Still up a tree probably, planning my escape. She didn’t know the terms and conditions. The only safe escape would be a fast one back to the future. My head was buzzing. My teeth were chattering. Noble stopped suddenly and I almost bumped into him. We had come to the end of the narrow passageway. He slipped a key in a lock and turned it, pushed open a creaking door and we stepped into a dimly lit and damp-smelling cupboard of a room.
“Welcome tae yer humble home,” he said.
14
“Clean the grates.” Noble was speaking to me. “Ash goes oot the back on the compost heap. Guid for the grass. Some fires hav’nae been swept for months. Once they’re a’ swept, black them and polish them. Then hoik the coal up. Set a’ the fires. Dinnae drop coal dust. Dinnae get grubby fingerprints on the wa’s.”
I stared at him. I’m sure my jaw was falling open. It was like he was reciting a weird poem to his boots. I didn’t understand anything. I felt like laughing and saying, ‘Ok, joke over. Let’s go out on our bikes. Let’s go and see a movie. Let’s stuff our faces with popcorn and fizzy drinks then play the Xbox.’ But he just kept going.
“Dinnae dae onything tae fash sister Elsie. She’s no been well. Dinnae dae onything tae fash the housekeeper. She’s got a right short temper on her. The gardener keeps his own company. And for God’s sake, dinnae look the wrong way at Gaunt. Dinnae dae onything against the…” then he stopped in his flow and actually looked at me, “terms an’ conditions.” Then he looked back at the floor.
My mind raced. Robbie’s mum had a wood-burning stove. That was a fire. Will’s granny had a coal fire. He said it kept her fit, cleaning it every day. He said sometimes the wind blew down the chimney and smoke blew into the house. You could buy plastic sacks of coal from the garage. But it was summer now. What were they doing having fires in the summer time?Though it was kind of chilly and damp in that huge house. ‘Dinnae fash…’ Dad said that sometimes. It meant ‘Don’t annoy…’ or something like that. My head hurt. I shivered. My knees were shaking. I couldn’t hold myself up. I heard this whimpering noise, and realised it was coming from me. The room was spinning. I was going to fall…
Noble was towering over me.
“Tea.” His lips were moving. “Cup o’ tea fir yea, Blackie.” Who was Blackie? “A good cup o’ tea. That’ll see ye right.”
I was in a heap on the floor. Maybe I fainted. My head was still spinning. I felt sick. I couldn’t move. Make this end. Make it all a bad dream.
“Aye,” I heard him mumble, “a wee bit sugar in it and ye’ll be right as rain.” I heard the teaspoon clink. “Aye, Gaunt pits the fear o’ God in folks.” There he was with a cup in his hand. “Proper good stewed tea!”
I didn’t even like tea. ‘Give me Irn Bru,’ I wanted to yell, but I groaned and hoisted myself up onto my elbows. Then I managed to sit up. What I liked and didn’t like counted for nothing. Irn Bru probably wasn’t invented yet. “Thanks,” I mumbled,
“Yes, sir,” said Noble, robot style. So far he hadn’t even flicked his eyes towards me.
“He’ll take his meals with you and Elsie. And watch him. He’s a thief.” “Yes sir.”
“Doesn’t have a name. Call him Blackie! He’ll be blacksoon enough, working with the fires. And tell Elsie to run up fitting articles of clothing. Nothing fancy. At least, not till the important guest arrives. Then we’ll have to have him presentable looking.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gaunt nodded. We were dismissed.
I followed the boy called Noble down a narrow corridor. The stone floor was cold, which was alright for him, he didn’t have bare feet. I wondered where Agnes was. Still up a tree probably, planning my escape. She didn’t know the terms and conditions. The only safe escape would be a fast one back to the future. My head was buzzing. My teeth were chattering. Noble stopped suddenly and I almost bumped into him. We had come to the end of the narrow passageway. He slipped a key in a lock and turned it, pushed open a creaking door and we stepped into a dimly lit and damp-smelling cupboard of a room.
“Welcome tae yer humble home,” he said.
14
“Clean the grates.” Noble was speaking to me. “Ash goes oot the back on the compost heap. Guid for the grass. Some fires hav’nae been swept for months. Once they’re a’ swept, black them and polish them. Then hoik the coal up. Set a’ the fires. Dinnae drop coal dust. Dinnae get grubby fingerprints on the wa’s.”
I stared at him. I’m sure my jaw was falling open. It was like he was reciting a weird poem to his boots. I didn’t understand anything. I felt like laughing and saying, ‘Ok, joke over. Let’s go out on our bikes. Let’s go and see a movie. Let’s stuff our faces with popcorn and fizzy drinks then play the Xbox.’ But he just kept going.
“Dinnae dae onything tae fash sister Elsie. She’s no been well. Dinnae dae onything tae fash the housekeeper. She’s got a right short temper on her. The gardener keeps his own company. And for God’s sake, dinnae look the wrong way at Gaunt. Dinnae dae onything against the…” then he stopped in his flow and actually looked at me, “terms an’ conditions.” Then he looked back at the floor.
My mind raced. Robbie’s mum had a wood-burning stove. That was a fire. Will’s granny had a coal fire. He said it kept her fit, cleaning it every day. He said sometimes the wind blew down the chimney and smoke blew into the house. You could buy plastic sacks of coal from the garage. But it was summer now. What were they doing having fires in the summer time?Though it was kind of chilly and damp in that huge house. ‘Dinnae fash…’ Dad said that sometimes. It meant ‘Don’t annoy…’ or something like that. My head hurt. I shivered. My knees were shaking. I couldn’t hold myself up. I heard this whimpering noise, and realised it was coming from me. The room was spinning. I was going to fall…
Noble was towering over me.
“Tea.” His lips were moving. “Cup o’ tea fir yea, Blackie.” Who was Blackie? “A good cup o’ tea. That’ll see ye right.”
I was in a heap on the floor. Maybe I fainted. My head was still spinning. I felt sick. I couldn’t move. Make this end. Make it all a bad dream.
“Aye,” I heard him mumble, “a wee bit sugar in it and ye’ll be right as rain.” I heard the teaspoon clink. “Aye, Gaunt pits the fear o’ God in folks.” There he was with a cup in his hand. “Proper good stewed tea!”
I didn’t even like tea. ‘Give me Irn Bru,’ I wanted to yell, but I groaned and hoisted myself up onto my elbows. Then I managed to sit up. What I liked and didn’t like counted for nothing. Irn Bru probably wasn’t invented yet. “Thanks,” I mumbled,
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