Death Drop

Woolly Bear had been Ruth's name for it when she had picked it off his face. Woolly Bear. Wolly as the six-year-old David had spelt it. Wolly as the twelve-year-old David had spelt it now.

Two

"MAY i HAVE permission to go into Marristone Port, sir?"

Bra

"You know the procedure, Durrant. If you need to go into Marristone Port for any reason, you ask your housemaster."

Durrant licked his thick lower lip. "I can't find Mr. Hammond, sir. I don't think he's on the premises."

Bra

"It's my mother's birthday, sir. I want to get her a card and a present."

Bra

"When is your mother's birthday, Durrant?"

"Tomorrow, sir."

Bra

He tried to remember Durrani's Christian name and at last it came to him. "Unless you're a lightning shopper, Steven, you're likely to miss the post."

"I have my bike, sir. It won't take me long to get into Marristone Port and I know what I want to buy."

"Something you can parcel up quickly?"

Durrani's stoop became almost more pronounced. He was five foot eleven when he stood straight, but in moments of embarrassment lost several inches. "A book of Keats' poems, sir." It came out as a mumble.

Bra

"Mr. Hammond normally acts as banker for the House. As he's not around what are you using for cash?"

Durrant shuffled his feet. "I was wondering if you could spare the time to come across to the House office, sir, and get me five pounds from my account?"

Bra

"Yes, quite light, sir."

Bra

Durrant pocketed the money. "Thank you, sir. No, sir."

Bra

"Yes, sir."

"Then see to it."

As Durrant turned to go he called after him. "At fifteen you're old enough to go into Marristone Port without a prefect, and you're old enough to ride that bike of yours with due care and attention. Just a warning."

"Yes, sir."

"Well, go on then, or you'll miss the shops."

And for God's sake heed the warning, Bra

Once off the school premises Durrant rode his bike with panache. He had no illusions at all about Bra

Now, as he rode his bike towards Marristone Port, he was at the controls of an interplanetary space machine. The glimpses of the coast as the road wound downhill towards the town were Martian scenes hazed over with red. The occasional glitter of the sea was the, shine of enemy space craft approaching faster than light. The overtaking cars were capsules under his control and sent on as an advance combat force. Oncoming traffic was so much debris in space to be carefully avoided.

He looked briefly at Je

Unfriendly little beast, Je

"I wouldn't say that. You can't write off all the staff like that. They're ordinary caring people."

"Then why the hell didn't they see what was happening to him?"

"But you can't be sure what was happening to him… this sketch…"

He interrupted her. "Shows six years' regression – what sort of mental agony brought that about?"

She was silent. If he were right then she would fight his battle with him, and resign from the school if that was the only way to do it. In the meantime she had to keep everything balanced and await events. Bra