The Enemy

‘Then what are you doing here, Maxie? Living under my roof ? Eating my food?’

‘I’m sorry? Your roof ? Your food? I thought we were all playing on the same team.’

‘We are. But if you prefer not to, then why don’t you just leave?’

Maxie looked out over London. From up here there was a view clear down across St James’s Park to Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square beyond. There was a whole world out there.

She wondered where Sophie and her archers might be now. It took guts to leave somewhere safe like this and go back out on to the streets.

Did Maxie have the guts to do it?

‘What do you think you’ll find out there?’ said David. ‘Other wandering bands of kids, living like savages, scavenging for food. Is that what you want? Because that’s what it’s like.’

‘I know, David, I’m not stupid. I’ve seen more of all that than you have.’

‘I don’t think so,’ said David, a cold edge to his voice. ‘You don’t know half of what I saw on my way to the palace. I saw things you couldn’t even dream of. I’ve done my fair share of killing. It’s different here in the centre, but I fought my way through a total nightmare to get to where I am now. And I don’t want to go back to all that. I want to build on what we’ve achieved.’

‘Killing grown-ups is one thing,’ said Maxie. ‘They’re diseased. They’re crazy. No longer human. We have to defend ourselves from them. But killing other kids. That’s wrong.’

‘I agree,’ said David. ‘But with some kids it’s the only language they understand.’

‘Maybe you’re one of those kids, David.’

‘As I say, if you don’t like it here, why don’t you leave?’ The smug, superior tone had come back into David’s voice.

‘Maybe I will,’ said Maxie quietly. ‘And maybe I’ll take my crew with me.’

‘Maybe they won’t want to go,’ said David, his voice flat and bland and irritating. ‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Maxie, but your kids like it here.’

‘If I say we’re going they’ll come with me,’ said Maxie.

‘Are you so sure of that?’

‘Stop trying to undermine me, David,’ Maxie snapped. ‘I know my kids.’

‘And what about Blue’s lot? The kids from Morrisons?’

‘What about them?’

‘Can you speak for them as well? Maybe you’d better go and see Blue, see what he thinks about all this.’

‘He’s sick. Your nurse, Rose, won’t let anyone up to see him.’

‘Rubbish. You can go and talk to him any time you want. He’s well enough now. You’re seeing plots and conspiracies everywhere. I’m not an evil person.’

Maxie shook her head slowly. She felt suddenly dog-tired. The day had been very stressful.

‘I know you’re not evil, David. But we’re all so young. We can’t always know the best thing to do.’

David put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. The action felt clumsy and calculated.

‘You do what you think’s best, Maxie,’ he said. ‘I’ll respect your decision. Now, shall we go in? I think it’s going to start raining again.’

57

‘This would be so much easier if you’d come up to the sick-bay clinic. I’ve got all my proper equipment up there.’

‘No way, man, it’s too much like a hospital.’

Achilleus was slouched in one of the big chairs up on the dais in the Throne Room with his shirt off. Rose was inspecting his damaged ear. She’d given him some painkillers and was trying to clean his wounds with disinfectant. Achilleus was wincing and flinching and complaining and generally making her job difficult.

It hurt like hell.

‘Don’t you like hospitals?’ Rose asked, dabbing at the wound.

‘Nope,’ said Achilleus. ‘Spent too long in them when I was a kid.’

‘You were ill?’

‘Not me, my mum. She had MS. Multiple sclerosis. Bad news, man. That’s how I remember her, as a sick person. Hated hospitals ever since. The only good thing about Mum being ill. She died before everything went bad. I never had to see her go crazy. Ow! What you doing there?’

‘Sorry. It’s your ear.’

‘What about it?’

‘I’m going to have to try and stitch it,’ said Rose.

‘You done stitching before?’

‘No, not really.’

‘You know what to do?’

‘No, not really.’

‘What are the chances you’ll make a good job of it?’

‘No chance at all,’ said Rose. ‘But at least it won’t fall off. Eurgh. It looks really nasty. It’s going to be ugly whatever I do.’

John’s blade had cut through the top of the ear, so that it was only attached by the bottom centimetre or so of skin.

‘I shoulda killed Just John.’

‘I’m glad you didn’t.’

‘I’m not. I’ve got a enemy now.’

‘You had an enemy before.’

‘That’s right enough.’

There was a knock at the door and they looked over to see two of David’s guards escorting a boy into the room. A stocky little lad with cropped black hair. He looked a little shy and nervous, but was masking it with a macho swagger.

‘Sorry to bother you,’ said one of the guards. ‘But this squatter kid’s been hanging around, we can’t get rid of him, says he wants to talk to you.’

‘I’ll come back in a minute if you want,’ said Rose, putting down her equipment.

‘No. You stay,’ said Achilleus. ‘Get stitching.’

Achilleus turned his attention to the squatter.

‘What d’you want?’ he said.

‘Can I shake your hand?’ said the boy, with a broad Irish accent.

Achilleus gave a snort of laughter.

‘What you want to shake my hand for?’

‘I think you’re cool.’

‘Yeah?’ Achilleus laughed again and held out his hand.

‘This ain’t a trick?’

‘Nope.’

The little lad came up on to the dais and pumped Achilleus’ hand up and down.

‘That was awesome out there,’ he said, his eyes transfixed by Rose as she started to push a needle and thread through Achilleus’ ear.

‘Shouldn’t you have gone home with the others?’ said Achilleus. He was determined to show no pain in front of the boy, even though it was agony.

‘Nah,’ said the lad. ‘You were right, what you said. John’s a loser. I’m coming over to your side. Jesus, that must hurt…’

‘Meh.’ Achilleus gave a dismissive shrug.

‘Don’t move,’ Rose warned.

‘Just keep stitching,’ said Achilleus.

‘I think I’d faint,’ said the boy.

‘What’s your name?’ Achilleus asked.

‘Pat. Patrick. Don’t mind what you call me. I want you to teach me everything you know. How to fight like that. I’ll help you. I’d be like your servant. I’ll look after your weapons for you. Sharpen them. Carry them into battle. You know, like when you look after a knight, like a… What do you call it? A caddie.’

‘Paddy the caddie?’ said Achilleus. ‘All right. You got yourself a job, soldier.’

58

Callum pressed Play on his boogie box and Abba came on. ‘Wi

‘Dancing Queen’ when she was happy. ‘Wi

She always said that you needed sad music when you were feeling down. ‘Last thing you want is someone trying to cheer you up. You want to know that someone else is as miserable as you are and knows how you’re feeling. Lets you know you’re not alone.’

Callum wasn’t exactly feeling sad. Inside he felt quite calm and peaceful really. But he didn’t want to listen to happy music. He remembered how his mum would sit on the sofa and put her arms round him and not say anything. Just the two of them sitting there.

His mum was often sad. Sometimes she’d stay indoors for weeks on end with the curtains drawn. Not wanting to see anyone. Not even answering the phone. Callum had to be the man of the house then. He had to look after her. So they’d sit and listen to Abba together. He supposed that’s where he’d got his fear of going outside from. From his mum.