over.
‘They’re the newest,’ he said as he handed the first glass to Tom. ‘And they gotta learn on someone, ain’t they? I’d wager yer Lily was about that age when she first went to work here.’
Bolter was sort of creature what was begging to be punched in the face at the best of times and so I was all fixed to stand up and oblige him then and there. The other champagne glass was still in his outstretched hand and he was waiting for me to take it. I just stared back at him and thought on how satisfying it would be to drag him over to the harp and shove him through it like a slicer. Bolter sensed my aggression and altered his tone.
‘There’s others upstairs, yer know,’ he told me with a less steadyvoice. ‘Older ones. Yer can have whatever yer care for, Dodge. It’s like the man said – we got all the poisons.’
It was Tom who broke the silence.
‘We’re thieves, Bolter,’ she told him after taking a strong swig of her champagne. ‘And we don’t pay for nothing. We got women at home what sleep with us for the pleasure of it – something I doubt you could ever boast of. Now give me a refill and run off. We’re both sick of the sight of you.’
Bolter scowled back at her and looked ready to retaliate with his own verbal assault but – before we was treated to what no doubt would have been a glorious display of silver-tongued gallantry towards the opposite sex – he was interrupted by the door swinging open again. From the perturbed look on Bolter’s face, we was once again in the presence of the master of the house.
‘Morris, Morris, Morris,’ Slade said with a small chuckle. ‘Hospitality just isn’t your gift is it, old son? But then I find myself wondering – as I often have before – just what on Earth your true gifts could ever be.’ He stepped across the room and waved off Bolter’s attempts to defend himself as he took the champagne glass from out of his hand and took a sip. ‘Introductions, I suppose,’ he then said as he turned and looked towards Tom and myself. ‘I never would have known that the striking young man at the dance last week was the famous Artful Dodger if you hadn’t been there to enlighten me. But beyond that you’re really just a waste of skull and bones.’
Slade winked at me then and – in spite of my wariness of the man – I found myself smiling back at him. There was a natural presence about him in close proximity, a charisma what I had not been ready for. I wanted him to like me even though I had been told many repulsive things about his cruelty by Lily and had just moments before been outraged by the age of the children he set towork. He was an evil bugger, this was plain, but then so was most of the people I had grown up with so I struggled to hold it against him. I envied his clothing, the black waistcoat he had on looked expensive and the shirt was a fine cut while his whiskers was thick but well-barbered. I was even finding the northern accent to be somehow exotic.
‘It’s a nice crib you got here, Mr Slade,’ I said by way of conversation. ‘I’ll give you that. You must be doing well for yourself.’
‘I keep the wolf at bay,’ he said and smiled at some men what had entered the room behind him. ‘And you can call me Billy if you don’t mind me going by Christian names also, Jack,’ he nodded and then looked to my lieutenant, ‘and Tom. I’ve heard good things.’
‘It’s Jack if you like, Billy,’ I said. ‘But my real friends call me Dodger.’ I felt a small wince of guilt as soon as I said that. I was glad that Lily could not see me being so free with her old bawd.
‘Dodger, then,’ Slade grinned back at me.
Slade then signalled for those girls to take the elderly man upstairs now to where a more comfortable room had been prepared and the harpist was told to stop playing and leave us too. Once these had all left us Slade had his men move the furniture around so we could sit in a circle and discuss our
‘They’re the newest,’ he said as he handed the first glass to Tom. ‘And they gotta learn on someone, ain’t they? I’d wager yer Lily was about that age when she first went to work here.’
Bolter was sort of creature what was begging to be punched in the face at the best of times and so I was all fixed to stand up and oblige him then and there. The other champagne glass was still in his outstretched hand and he was waiting for me to take it. I just stared back at him and thought on how satisfying it would be to drag him over to the harp and shove him through it like a slicer. Bolter sensed my aggression and altered his tone.
‘There’s others upstairs, yer know,’ he told me with a less steadyvoice. ‘Older ones. Yer can have whatever yer care for, Dodge. It’s like the man said – we got all the poisons.’
It was Tom who broke the silence.
‘We’re thieves, Bolter,’ she told him after taking a strong swig of her champagne. ‘And we don’t pay for nothing. We got women at home what sleep with us for the pleasure of it – something I doubt you could ever boast of. Now give me a refill and run off. We’re both sick of the sight of you.’
Bolter scowled back at her and looked ready to retaliate with his own verbal assault but – before we was treated to what no doubt would have been a glorious display of silver-tongued gallantry towards the opposite sex – he was interrupted by the door swinging open again. From the perturbed look on Bolter’s face, we was once again in the presence of the master of the house.
‘Morris, Morris, Morris,’ Slade said with a small chuckle. ‘Hospitality just isn’t your gift is it, old son? But then I find myself wondering – as I often have before – just what on Earth your true gifts could ever be.’ He stepped across the room and waved off Bolter’s attempts to defend himself as he took the champagne glass from out of his hand and took a sip. ‘Introductions, I suppose,’ he then said as he turned and looked towards Tom and myself. ‘I never would have known that the striking young man at the dance last week was the famous Artful Dodger if you hadn’t been there to enlighten me. But beyond that you’re really just a waste of skull and bones.’
Slade winked at me then and – in spite of my wariness of the man – I found myself smiling back at him. There was a natural presence about him in close proximity, a charisma what I had not been ready for. I wanted him to like me even though I had been told many repulsive things about his cruelty by Lily and had just moments before been outraged by the age of the children he set towork. He was an evil bugger, this was plain, but then so was most of the people I had grown up with so I struggled to hold it against him. I envied his clothing, the black waistcoat he had on looked expensive and the shirt was a fine cut while his whiskers was thick but well-barbered. I was even finding the northern accent to be somehow exotic.
‘It’s a nice crib you got here, Mr Slade,’ I said by way of conversation. ‘I’ll give you that. You must be doing well for yourself.’
‘I keep the wolf at bay,’ he said and smiled at some men what had entered the room behind him. ‘And you can call me Billy if you don’t mind me going by Christian names also, Jack,’ he nodded and then looked to my lieutenant, ‘and Tom. I’ve heard good things.’
‘It’s Jack if you like, Billy,’ I said. ‘But my real friends call me Dodger.’ I felt a small wince of guilt as soon as I said that. I was glad that Lily could not see me being so free with her old bawd.
‘Dodger, then,’ Slade grinned back at me.
Slade then signalled for those girls to take the elderly man upstairs now to where a more comfortable room had been prepared and the harpist was told to stop playing and leave us too. Once these had all left us Slade had his men move the furniture around so we could sit in a circle and discuss our
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