influence? The teachers will be on us like flies and we’ll get stuck inside forever.”
“She’s got a point.” This from Jonah Griggs. “Anyway, Cadets signed a contract saying no drugs or alcohol while we’re out here. If we get caught, it’szero tolerance expulsion.”
“Where’s the fun?” Ben asks.
“It’s not as if we have to give up alcohol, Ben,” Raffaela says. “We never had it in the first place.”
“But if we’re going to socialise and there’s going to be live music….”
“Hold on, hold on. What live music?” Santangelo asks.
“As if there isn’t,” one of the Mullet Brothers argues. “We’ve got a band…kind of.”
“What you have is not a band. It’s two guitarists,” Santangelo says to them.
The Mullet Brothers are offended beyond words, staring at Santangelo as if he has betrayed them, and without even having to consult each other they turn and walk away towards the stage in a huff.
“Let’s get back to the plan and work out the lack of entertainment later,” Jonah Griggs says. “We might contemplate sharing the Club House, but it’s them that control most of the space around it.”
Then they’re all looking at me. “Seventy foreigners on our land three nights a week? That’s a lot to agree to.”
“Plus access to the river,” Jonah Griggs persists.
On the stage the Mullet Brothers are rehearsing and the amps are so loud we can hardly hear ourselves.
“I want to know one thing,” I say. “What’s in this for me? For us?” I say, pointing to Ben, hoping he likes the fact that I’m using his line. Except Ben is too wrapped up in what’s happening on stage.
“Put the amps on two. It’ll sound better,” he calls out to them, as if they asked him.
“Ben?” I say, looking at him, reminding him why we’re here. I can tell by the expression on his face that I’ve lost him for the afternoon.
“And put the electric guitar amps lower than the bass amps!” Choi shouts out. Jonah Griggs doesn’t say anything to him. Just stares.
“Find us a venue where we don’t have to put up with this crap,” I say, standing and starting to leave.
“I know the perfect venue,” Santangelo calls out. “It’s called the Club House.”
I swing around. “Once more with feeling. What’s in it for me?”
I realise Ben isn’t even following me. He’s already close to the stage, arguing with Choi and the Mullet Brothers about the amps.
Instead, Jonah Griggs and Santangelo are standing there, almost side by side. Almost.
“Information,” Santangelo says. He has that look again, as if he wants to tell me something but doesn’t know how. He shakes his head, like he’s changed his mind.
“Chaz? What?” Raffaela snaps.
“Nothing.”
“Well, call me when you’ve got something,” I say, walking away again.
“The Brigadier knew your mother,” Jonah Griggs says, dropping what he knows is a bombshell.
I don’t want to stop, but I do. Because I can’t believe his audacity and I’m curious to see where he’s going with this.
“Do you want me to let you in on a little secret?” I say. “Lots of men knew my mother. So don’t go there.”
“You wanted to go there three years ago,” he says, walking towards me.
We are so close we’re almost touching. My fists are clenched at my side, and I’m trying to find the right words.
“Oh, so you think I’m still that person I was onthe train?” I say, seething with anger. “My needs have moved on, thank you very much. It’s what happens when you’re betrayed.”
He doesn’t even flinch. “What I know is a whole lot more than I did back then and I can tell that this dickwit knows something about you, too,” he says, glancing at Santangelo. “And I think it’s pretty obvious that you’re still an emotional mess looking for your mother and you know that if you find her, you’ll find your father as well. So let’s talk about river access and the Club House,” he continues coolly, “and
“She’s got a point.” This from Jonah Griggs. “Anyway, Cadets signed a contract saying no drugs or alcohol while we’re out here. If we get caught, it’szero tolerance expulsion.”
“Where’s the fun?” Ben asks.
“It’s not as if we have to give up alcohol, Ben,” Raffaela says. “We never had it in the first place.”
“But if we’re going to socialise and there’s going to be live music….”
“Hold on, hold on. What live music?” Santangelo asks.
“As if there isn’t,” one of the Mullet Brothers argues. “We’ve got a band…kind of.”
“What you have is not a band. It’s two guitarists,” Santangelo says to them.
The Mullet Brothers are offended beyond words, staring at Santangelo as if he has betrayed them, and without even having to consult each other they turn and walk away towards the stage in a huff.
“Let’s get back to the plan and work out the lack of entertainment later,” Jonah Griggs says. “We might contemplate sharing the Club House, but it’s them that control most of the space around it.”
Then they’re all looking at me. “Seventy foreigners on our land three nights a week? That’s a lot to agree to.”
“Plus access to the river,” Jonah Griggs persists.
On the stage the Mullet Brothers are rehearsing and the amps are so loud we can hardly hear ourselves.
“I want to know one thing,” I say. “What’s in this for me? For us?” I say, pointing to Ben, hoping he likes the fact that I’m using his line. Except Ben is too wrapped up in what’s happening on stage.
“Put the amps on two. It’ll sound better,” he calls out to them, as if they asked him.
“Ben?” I say, looking at him, reminding him why we’re here. I can tell by the expression on his face that I’ve lost him for the afternoon.
“And put the electric guitar amps lower than the bass amps!” Choi shouts out. Jonah Griggs doesn’t say anything to him. Just stares.
“Find us a venue where we don’t have to put up with this crap,” I say, standing and starting to leave.
“I know the perfect venue,” Santangelo calls out. “It’s called the Club House.”
I swing around. “Once more with feeling. What’s in it for me?”
I realise Ben isn’t even following me. He’s already close to the stage, arguing with Choi and the Mullet Brothers about the amps.
Instead, Jonah Griggs and Santangelo are standing there, almost side by side. Almost.
“Information,” Santangelo says. He has that look again, as if he wants to tell me something but doesn’t know how. He shakes his head, like he’s changed his mind.
“Chaz? What?” Raffaela snaps.
“Nothing.”
“Well, call me when you’ve got something,” I say, walking away again.
“The Brigadier knew your mother,” Jonah Griggs says, dropping what he knows is a bombshell.
I don’t want to stop, but I do. Because I can’t believe his audacity and I’m curious to see where he’s going with this.
“Do you want me to let you in on a little secret?” I say. “Lots of men knew my mother. So don’t go there.”
“You wanted to go there three years ago,” he says, walking towards me.
We are so close we’re almost touching. My fists are clenched at my side, and I’m trying to find the right words.
“Oh, so you think I’m still that person I was onthe train?” I say, seething with anger. “My needs have moved on, thank you very much. It’s what happens when you’re betrayed.”
He doesn’t even flinch. “What I know is a whole lot more than I did back then and I can tell that this dickwit knows something about you, too,” he says, glancing at Santangelo. “And I think it’s pretty obvious that you’re still an emotional mess looking for your mother and you know that if you find her, you’ll find your father as well. So let’s talk about river access and the Club House,” he continues coolly, “and
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