now, Leah has been to see me, so I know.’ He looked up to the ceiling and muttered tohimself, pointing at invisible list items in the air. He looked back at Sylvia. ‘Yes, that’s right.’ He’d always found the ‘he said, she said’ enormously complicated at the best of times.
‘Max, you know the old saying about webs and tangles?’
‘Yes, yes, I know, Sylv. But this has moved on somewhat quickly. I’m glad that Leah came to me, because at least that’s one secret I don’t have to keep any more. But unless the other three do, I’m a bit hamstrung.’
‘Do you think it is only three others?’
‘I haven’t really thought about that. Do you think there will be more?’
‘I should think there will be
loads
more, Max. These kids spend half their lives on computers, phones and what have you. You see four girls walking down the road and they will all be on the phone, talking to four other people. Communication has gone mad.’
‘Sylv!’ Maxwell was ecstatic. ‘I’m not alone!’
‘Well, you are, Max, pretty well.’ Illusion shattered. Moment gone. She chuckled. ‘I at least use my phone and computer.’
‘So do I.’ He did a little wriggle, learnt from Nolan, who had learnt it from Metternich. Although in the latter case, it was a precursor to a pounce on a small and unsuspecting rodent. ‘In fact, I had a call from Jacquie just this morning. That’s how I know about the other girls.’
‘You mean you checked your phone?’
‘Umm …’ Maxwell could lie with the best of them, but never to Sylvia Matthews. Her skills had been honed over years of games-evaders, faux headaches and the occasional mock broken leg, although the last did not really take that much expertise to spot. ‘I was passing the drawer and it rang.’
‘Passing the drawer?’ The buck she had heard of, but this was a new one.
‘Looking for a biscuit, if you must know. My small and secret stash is in the next drawer down.’
Sylvia smiled. ‘Your secret is safe with me.’
‘I know.’ He looked at her fondly. It occurred to him that of all the people he knew, she had known him for the longest. She knew him when the loss of his wife and daughter was a gaping wound he wore for the world to see, because to hide it would be an insult to their memory. She had seen it scab over, she had seen it heal. She was one of the few who knew that there was still a scar, a silver thread now, all but invisible, which wound around his heart.
‘Computer?’
‘Yes. I have one of those.’ He looked round the room and awe crept into his voice. ‘
Several
of those.’
‘Logged on today?’
‘Not so’s you’d notice, no.’ His tone was airy, but wary. ‘My name is Peter Maxwell and I am not a technoholic.’
‘So no one knows where anyone in your classes have been this morning.’
‘I know.’
‘I don’t think Pansy will think that that is good enough. I would imagine she has put Nicole on your case already.’
‘Pansy? Who, for heaven’s sake, is Pansy?’
‘Pansy Donaldson. In the office.’
‘Mrs Donaldson is called
Pansy
?’
‘Max, let’s not get sidetracked.
‘But—’
‘I really think you’re going to have to come to terms with this laptop business, Max. Just let’s say … well, I have overheard a few things as I make my quiet way around the school.’ She held up one foot to display her rubber-soled shoes, nurses for the use of. ‘I think there is an element here who are out to get you.’
He flung himself back in the chair and laughed until she thought he would never stop. Finally, wiping his eyes, he said, ‘Sylvia Matthews. You always know how to make me laugh. Of
course
there is an element trying to get me. I wouldn’t be doing my job properly as Leighford High School’s Official Subversive if there wasn’t. Legs could have wallpapered his office a dozen times with complaints about me. I am the fly in the ointment, the African-American in the woodpile, the wind in the willows,
‘Max, you know the old saying about webs and tangles?’
‘Yes, yes, I know, Sylv. But this has moved on somewhat quickly. I’m glad that Leah came to me, because at least that’s one secret I don’t have to keep any more. But unless the other three do, I’m a bit hamstrung.’
‘Do you think it is only three others?’
‘I haven’t really thought about that. Do you think there will be more?’
‘I should think there will be
loads
more, Max. These kids spend half their lives on computers, phones and what have you. You see four girls walking down the road and they will all be on the phone, talking to four other people. Communication has gone mad.’
‘Sylv!’ Maxwell was ecstatic. ‘I’m not alone!’
‘Well, you are, Max, pretty well.’ Illusion shattered. Moment gone. She chuckled. ‘I at least use my phone and computer.’
‘So do I.’ He did a little wriggle, learnt from Nolan, who had learnt it from Metternich. Although in the latter case, it was a precursor to a pounce on a small and unsuspecting rodent. ‘In fact, I had a call from Jacquie just this morning. That’s how I know about the other girls.’
‘You mean you checked your phone?’
‘Umm …’ Maxwell could lie with the best of them, but never to Sylvia Matthews. Her skills had been honed over years of games-evaders, faux headaches and the occasional mock broken leg, although the last did not really take that much expertise to spot. ‘I was passing the drawer and it rang.’
‘Passing the drawer?’ The buck she had heard of, but this was a new one.
‘Looking for a biscuit, if you must know. My small and secret stash is in the next drawer down.’
Sylvia smiled. ‘Your secret is safe with me.’
‘I know.’ He looked at her fondly. It occurred to him that of all the people he knew, she had known him for the longest. She knew him when the loss of his wife and daughter was a gaping wound he wore for the world to see, because to hide it would be an insult to their memory. She had seen it scab over, she had seen it heal. She was one of the few who knew that there was still a scar, a silver thread now, all but invisible, which wound around his heart.
‘Computer?’
‘Yes. I have one of those.’ He looked round the room and awe crept into his voice. ‘
Several
of those.’
‘Logged on today?’
‘Not so’s you’d notice, no.’ His tone was airy, but wary. ‘My name is Peter Maxwell and I am not a technoholic.’
‘So no one knows where anyone in your classes have been this morning.’
‘I know.’
‘I don’t think Pansy will think that that is good enough. I would imagine she has put Nicole on your case already.’
‘Pansy? Who, for heaven’s sake, is Pansy?’
‘Pansy Donaldson. In the office.’
‘Mrs Donaldson is called
Pansy
?’
‘Max, let’s not get sidetracked.
‘But—’
‘I really think you’re going to have to come to terms with this laptop business, Max. Just let’s say … well, I have overheard a few things as I make my quiet way around the school.’ She held up one foot to display her rubber-soled shoes, nurses for the use of. ‘I think there is an element here who are out to get you.’
He flung himself back in the chair and laughed until she thought he would never stop. Finally, wiping his eyes, he said, ‘Sylvia Matthews. You always know how to make me laugh. Of
course
there is an element trying to get me. I wouldn’t be doing my job properly as Leighford High School’s Official Subversive if there wasn’t. Legs could have wallpapered his office a dozen times with complaints about me. I am the fly in the ointment, the African-American in the woodpile, the wind in the willows,
Similar Books
