MARY by Kate Cunningham

Author:Kate Cunningham [Cunningham, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781913338121
Publisher: Reading Riddle

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One week on, things had settled into a new normal.

Barb sat at the desk in the room that used to belong to Matron. She could see why the old spider had set herself up here – you could watch exactly what was going on and who was coming and going. She’d never realised what a great spying spot it was. She watched Helen and Will organising things around the Bank, not quite coordinated yet, as they sent different children off to do the same jobs without consulting each other. She’d have to persuade them to talk more and agree what was the priority for themselves if this was going to work. The new Barb and Scratch, she thought, although neither had the same easy way with the younger kids, or the fun, playful spirit he’d had.

Pursing her lips, she felt the anger inside her, pulsing with her heartbeat and growing so that she could use it when the time came. She was going to get that girl that had caused all this trouble and pain. What had Vander been thinking? Or more to the point, had he been thinking at all? She had never liked him.

Although it was a hot day, she crossed the room to close the window to block the smell of the fresh grave. It should have been further from the building, she realised now, but at the time, it was all they could do to get them out and buried. Besides, it was an unpleasant but important reminder of why she needed to leave soon. She had wanted to see things settle before disappearing, but they were as settled as they were going to get, and every day, that girl was probably spreading the disease and infecting more people.

There was a quiet knock on the door. Fix sidled in. It was an unimaginative name, but it represented him very literally. No one could remember if he was officially a resident at the Child Bank, but he’d been allowed to come and go for years, though where he went in between visits was a mystery. However, it suited everyone, as Fix found things people needed: objects, food, information. He had a knack for appearing when something needed sorting out, and vanishing when it all went wrong.

‘Hi, Fix. I need you to do something for me.’

He nodded as if there had never been any doubt that this wasn’t a social visit.

She hesitated. Would this put Fix in danger? Meanwhile, he looked around the room as if sizing it up.

‘I need a gun. Something I can put in a pocket. Would you have any idea how I could get one?’ She wasn’t sure if she really wanted him to say yes or no.

He nodded. ‘I could get one in exchange for the lollipops.’

‘Lollipops?’

‘Yeah.’ He nodded earnestly. ‘They’re really hard to get hold of now. My supplier likes them.’

Barb hesitated. The lollipops had been there for many years, and they got given out in real emergencies, if a child needed to be extra brave.

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