The Long Walk Home by Valerie Wood

Author:Valerie Wood
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Sagas, Fiction
ISBN: 9780750531986
Publisher: Corgi Books
Published: 2008-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

goes out.’

‘An inventory?’ Simon said knowledgeably. ‘Taking stock.’

‘That’s it.’ Tony Manners seemed pleased with the way his plans had been accepted. ‘Here we are.’

They turned off the road and headed towards the wharves. There were hundreds of warehouses, sheds and other buildings as well as masses of crates, barrels, baskets and loading trolleys outside them. No one had challenged Manners as to their business there, and Mikey guessed that he was probably well known in the area. He looked every inch a working businessman as he marched confidently forward. He was dressed in a plain coat, waistcoat and trousers and wore a rather battered top hat. He had given Mikey and Simon each a soft hat to wear, which seemed to be standard for other men going about their business on the wharves.

Manners took a heavy iron key from his waistcoat pocket as he walked towards a building which was approached by a narrow opening between two other warehouses. From the front it couldn’t be seen as one of the other warehouses obscured it.

Just the place for dealing in illicit goods, Mikey thought cynically. He wasn’t convinced that Manners was totally honest, and was watchful as he opened the door. There were two youths inside already, younger than himself, he realized as they stood up from their task of emptying a crate.

‘This is Smith, and this is Brown,’ Manners said casually. ‘Quinn and Simon,’ he said to the youths. ‘They’re going to run things; get a system going,’ he added.

The youths stared at Mikey and Simon but didn’t say anything, and Mikey concluded that perhaps they weren’t very bright. He walked over to look in the crate. Tea, with the sacks already opened. He breathed in the aroma. How my ma would have loved to see this, he thought.

‘We’ve started repacking it, Mr Simon,’ Smith said. ‘We’ve spilt a bit but we’ll sweep it up.’

‘I’m Quinn,’ Mikey said. ‘He’s Simon.’

‘If there’s any spilt, it goes into a separate bag.’ Manners came over. ‘That’s sold off cheap. But be careful not to spill much,’ he warned the two youths, ‘or I’ll have to stop it out of your wages.’

Mikey looked round. There were crates stacked high to the ceiling and other smaller boxes in stacks of three or four placed against the walls. Well, it’s a job of work, and there’s nothing else on offer, he thought. Manners hasn’t mentioned wages yet or what he’s going to charge for our bed and board. Will I make my fortune here? He gave a sigh. I don’t think so, but if I can keep body and soul together then it will do for ’time being. I’ve just got to make ’best of it.

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