Before the Storm by Sean McMullen Page B

back.’
    â€˜First time in me life I’ve thought about goin’ to the coppers. All this got the wind up me.’
    â€˜Will you?’ asked Daniel, who was also feeling increasingly nervous about Fox and BC.
    â€˜Nah, not yet. Never live it down if word got out that Barry the Bag asked a copper for help.’

    Daniel’s school day passed slowly, and he had trouble concentrating on anything at all, but his class was let out early due to some ceremony practise for the opening of parliament. Just after four o’clock he stepped off the train again, and as usual Barry was collecting tickets. Daniel waited until everyone else had left the platform.
    â€˜Ha ha, young squire, d’ya have a tikky today?’ Barry called, although he was not smiling.
    â€˜No, some push stole it!’ muttered Daniel, waving his ticket at Barry. ‘How is BC?’
    â€˜Awake, and Foxy Boy is in with ’im. Yer sister is there too, an’ they’re arguin’.’
    â€˜Arguing? About what?’
    â€˜That benny-thorry-something medicine. Emmy thinks BC should have the last tablet now.’
    â€˜But why?’
    â€˜Search me bag, Danny Boy, I don’t know. It had better be to do with getting BC out of the storeroom before the inspector arrives tomorrow, though. Oh, and yer bossy sister said we was to come in as soon as ya got off the train.’
    Daniel and Barry entered the parcels store in time to see Fox hand a large pile of coins over to BC.
    â€˜Cor, how’d ya ’alf inch that lot from old Aitkinson?’ exclaimed Barry before he could stop himself.
    â€˜Half inch?’ asked BC.
    â€˜Pinch,’ translated Emily, who then added, ’it’s rhyming slang for “steal”.’
    â€˜No theft,’ said Fox as he held up a thin, silvery tube. ‘Legitimate salvage, at beach, mine detector, usage for, metal detection.’
    â€˜Was I supposed to understand that?’ asked Barry.
    â€˜That tube detects coins under the sand,’ explained Emily. ‘Fox spent his lunchtime at the beach and collected the worth of fifteen pounds in lost coins.’
    â€˜Trade ya that for everythin’ in me bag!’ offered Barry at once.
    Emily put a finger to her lips, then turned to BC. BC scanned the four of them, before turning back to Emily.
    â€˜Daniel, Barry, loyal?’ he asked.
    â€˜Loyal but doubtful,’ said Emily. ‘They obey me out of fear.’
    Like everyone else, thought Daniel.
    â€˜Daniel, Barry, need demonstration, as discussed,’ said BC. ‘PLR. Sheer power, will convince, before explaining, who are.’
    â€˜Tactically dangerous,’ advised Fox.
    â€˜Strategically vital,’ countered BC. ‘Danny, Barry, must convince.’
    â€˜Give me a half hour,’ said Emily, picking up a large knitting bag. ‘Danny, Barry, come with me.’

    Emily, Daniel and Barry took the next train south. Emily said nothing on the short trip, but sat cradling her large knitting bag with cane handles. At South Brighton they got off, and Emily led them toward the nearby beach.
    â€˜Hurry, I want to catch the train as it returns from Sandringham,’ said Emily.
    â€˜What are we doing?’ asked Daniel.
    â€˜You two are doing nothing. I, on the other hand, am showing you something.’
    Holloway Bend was a small bay, and a little back from the beach were mounds of shells and charcoal where the natives had roasted shellfish for hundreds of years before European settlement. These were overgrown with bushes now, and it was in the shelter of the bushes that Emily knelt down, opened her bag, and drew out the odd, vaguely gun-shaped weapon that BC had entrusted to her. Daniel watched as she made some adjustments to it.
    â€˜See that buoy a few hundred yards out to sea?’ she said, pointing the weapon without really aiming it.
    â€˜Yes,’ replied Daniel.
    â€˜Shouldn’t ya look through