The Game Masters of Garden Place by Denis Markell

Author:Denis Markell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2018-07-17T18:19:39.087909+00:00

Ralph winced. He knew that voice. It belonged to one of the workmen on the street. Brooklyn Heights was a charming place filled with old brownstones, as the buildings were called (after the sandstone that was used to cover the bricks that made up most of the houses). Because the houses were all old, inevitably one or more of them were being restored at any time. The workmen on this particular house were big and burly and talked loudly, making nuisances of themselves, especially at lunchtime. Usually they were off on weekends, but sometimes the bosses brought them in on Saturdays to finish a job before the owners came back.

The man who spoke was wearing a sweat-stained sleeveless T-shirt and a yellow safety helmet. He was holding a hammer and a chisel. He was leering at Jandia.

He had two buddies. One had a bandana wrapped around his head and no shirt. His pink belly gleamed with sweat, and he was pushing a wheelbarrow filled with wet cement. The other had a baseball cap on backward and was wearing overalls. He held a trowel.

“Niiiiiiice!” Bandana said.

Jandia stopped. Gerontius held up his hand, keeping the rest of the party back from Jandia.

“This isn’t going to end well,” whispered Cammi to Gerontius.

“We shall see,” answered the wizard with a small smile.

Overalls made kissing noises. Yellow Helmet put down his tools and cocked his head. “Smile, beautiful!”

Jandia coolly looked from man to man.

“Whatsamatter, honey? We’re telling you you look good,” said Overalls. He stood in her way.

“I would suggest you let the lady pass,” Jojo said in the nicest way possible.

Yellow Helmet laughed. “I don’t see no lady here. I see a chick in skintight shorts showing off everything she’s got!”

“This is going to be good,” said Torgrim.

Jojo smiled grimly and started backing away toward the others.

“And she’s got a lot to show,” said Overalls, guffawing as if it were the funniest thing anyone had ever said.

“Come on, sweetie. Don’t you got anything to say? We’re just being friendly.” Yellow Helmet took a step toward the barbarian.

Ralph felt he had to do something before things got ugly. “Guys, I really wouldn’t mess with her—”

Bandana answered Ralph without taking his eyes off Jandia, a nasty look on his face. “Nobody asked you, kid. Besides, we’re just playin’. Right, boys?”

The others laughed, but it wasn’t a good laugh. It was an ugly laugh. Filled with something gross and dirty.

It felt like it took less than a second.

Jandia picked up the man in the yellow helmet by the scruff of his neck like he was a puppy. She shook him and threw him into the wheelbarrow of cement. The gray muck splattered his two friends, who moved toward her. With a growl, she grabbed Bandana by the waistband of his jeans and the other man by the back straps of his overalls. She held them up for a moment, like two wriggling fish.

“I don’t like the way you talk,” she growled. She dropped them to the ground in a heap.

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