The Middler by Kirsty Applebaum

Author:Kirsty Applebaum [Kirsty Applebaum]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788003469
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Published: 2019-09-04T16:00:00+00:00

Shame upon any who holds back an eldest

And shame upon their kin.

Most of all,

Shame upon the wanderers.

Let peace settle over the Quiet War,

Truly and forever.”

They really are heroes. And special. And brave.

It felt true and good to say the chant. Truer and gooder than it had ever felt before. It was true and good that I was going to be painting portraits of eldests.

The mayor mouthed something to Neel Parker. He dodged round the side of the house.

After this I’d go straight to the cemetery.

Find Una.

Shame upon the wanderers.

I’d carry on with my plan to hand her in. It was the right thing to do. I touched Grandad Cruise’s watch, its curved, smooth edges.

Ter-rutt-terutt-trutt. The sound of the mayor’s jeep, choking into life. It chuggered round the corner into sight, Neel in the driver’s seat.

Jed held out his hand to Lindi. She grabbed it, and they climbed in together.

My body lurched forwards.

Dad pulled me back.

Don’t go, Jed. Don’t go.

Lyle took the sock out of the trumpet and gave the gramophone a good wind-up. The music screeched. Trig covered his ears.

Lindi’s face – still neat, still proper, still bruised – stared from the back window. Mrs Chowdhry cried out. The crowd wrapped itself around her, hushing her down.

Dad’s grip hardened on my shoulders.

The music swung round the sides of the square.

Neel got out of the jeep and held the door open for the mayor. She lifted a solemn palm to us, and climbed in.

Neel gave the jeep’s roof a couple of goodbye smacks. Thwack, thwack.

Churrrrrrr-utt. Black smoke belched from the back. As they drove off, Jed wrapped an arm round Lindi.

I’m sure he did.

I’m sure.

The crowd murmured and shuffled and loosened.

Mrs Chowdhry sobbed.

Mum took hold of Trig’s hand.

“Our eldests are heroes,” she said. “Let’s go home.”

I squirmed out of Dad’s grip.

“I’m not coming.”

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