changed his mind. Cosi seemed to be so very nervous that he decided to put Olivia up first, just to give Cosi some confidence.
“Actually, let’s get Livy to play the scene when Wendy flies into Never Land and gets shot down by the Lost Boys,” said Jon.
“But you said I was flying first,” said Cosi, looking stricken. “Please let me fly first.”
Jon was so surprised to hear Cosima volunteering to fly that he decided to do what she wanted, but then Jasper Wood snarled, “Zip it, Cosi. Watch and learn from that other kid. She actually knows what she’s doing.”
Jasper, who had made no connection between the girl he’d insulted over supper at the Savoy and the one employed as his daughter’s flying double, had never bothered to learn Olivia’s name, or the names of any of the other children. He kept calling Tom “that boy”. He nodded at Jon. “Don’t listen to my daughter. Do what you want to do, just don’t spend all day doing it. I don’t want to be here at midnight.”
Jon bit back a reply and nodded at Olivia.“Up you go, Livy. Use Cosi’s harness; it’s all set up.” Cosima went and sat in the front stalls, chewing her front lip furiously.
“Positions, please,” called Jon. He nodded to the children playing the Lost Boys. “From ‘Did you see the pirates?’, please.”
“Did you see the pirates?” asked Jonah Nicholls, who was playing the First Twin.
“No,” said Dom Carrick, who played Nibs, “but I saw a wonderfuller thing. I saw the loveliest great white bird. It is flying this way. It looks so weary, and as it flies it moans ‘Poor Wendy’.”
“I remember now, there are birds called Wendies,” said another of the Lost Boys as Olivia appeared framed against a sky-blue backdrop, drooping convincingly as if she’d flown thousands of miles through the night and straight on until morning.
“There’s Tinkerbell. She says that Peter wants us to shoot the Wendy bird,” cried Tootles. He got out his bow and arrow, aimed it at Olivia and let the arrow fly. It hit her and as it did Olivia felt herself slip. The wire jerked sharply and instead of dropping straight to the floor in the controlled manner she was meantto, she was swung violently against the scenery. The noise her head made as it hit the surround made all the adults wince. There were shouts from the stagehands who rushed to help her, but Ali, the little boy playing Slightly, didn’t realise that something had gone badly wrong and went ahead and delivered his line. “That’s no bird. It must be a lady,” he shouted.
“And I’ve killed her,” cried Cosima as she clambered on to the stage. She kneeled by Olivia, who was out cold. “Oh, Livy, Livy, please wake up. Please don’t be dead.”
Jack had rushed on to the stage from the wings. He was as white as a ghost. “Someone call an ambulance,” he shouted.
Olivia began to stir.
“We’ll take you to hospital, Liv darling,” said Jack, holding her hand and stroking it gently.
“No!” protested a confused-sounding Olivia very crossly. “I’m not Liv Darling. I’m Wendy Darling and I want to see the mermaids. Peter promised that he’d show me the mermaids.”
Chapter Fifteen
Olivia was sitting up in bed in exactly the same room she’d been in after she’d fallen off the trapeze the previous term.
“You do seem to lead an exceptionally dangerous life,” said the ward sister, tutting loudly. “It’s lovely to see you again, Olivia, but I do wish you’d stop hitting your head. It’s not good for it. At least it’s only a touch of concussion this time. We’ll have you out and about again tomorrow but the doctor wants you to stay in overnight so we can keep an eye on you.” She turned to Jack. “Mr Marvell, could I have a word, please?”
“She’s going to tell him off. She’s got a really stern look in her eye,” whispered Olivia as Jack followed the ward sister looking like anaughty boy being sent to the head teacher.
“I think
“Actually, let’s get Livy to play the scene when Wendy flies into Never Land and gets shot down by the Lost Boys,” said Jon.
“But you said I was flying first,” said Cosi, looking stricken. “Please let me fly first.”
Jon was so surprised to hear Cosima volunteering to fly that he decided to do what she wanted, but then Jasper Wood snarled, “Zip it, Cosi. Watch and learn from that other kid. She actually knows what she’s doing.”
Jasper, who had made no connection between the girl he’d insulted over supper at the Savoy and the one employed as his daughter’s flying double, had never bothered to learn Olivia’s name, or the names of any of the other children. He kept calling Tom “that boy”. He nodded at Jon. “Don’t listen to my daughter. Do what you want to do, just don’t spend all day doing it. I don’t want to be here at midnight.”
Jon bit back a reply and nodded at Olivia.“Up you go, Livy. Use Cosi’s harness; it’s all set up.” Cosima went and sat in the front stalls, chewing her front lip furiously.
“Positions, please,” called Jon. He nodded to the children playing the Lost Boys. “From ‘Did you see the pirates?’, please.”
“Did you see the pirates?” asked Jonah Nicholls, who was playing the First Twin.
“No,” said Dom Carrick, who played Nibs, “but I saw a wonderfuller thing. I saw the loveliest great white bird. It is flying this way. It looks so weary, and as it flies it moans ‘Poor Wendy’.”
“I remember now, there are birds called Wendies,” said another of the Lost Boys as Olivia appeared framed against a sky-blue backdrop, drooping convincingly as if she’d flown thousands of miles through the night and straight on until morning.
“There’s Tinkerbell. She says that Peter wants us to shoot the Wendy bird,” cried Tootles. He got out his bow and arrow, aimed it at Olivia and let the arrow fly. It hit her and as it did Olivia felt herself slip. The wire jerked sharply and instead of dropping straight to the floor in the controlled manner she was meantto, she was swung violently against the scenery. The noise her head made as it hit the surround made all the adults wince. There were shouts from the stagehands who rushed to help her, but Ali, the little boy playing Slightly, didn’t realise that something had gone badly wrong and went ahead and delivered his line. “That’s no bird. It must be a lady,” he shouted.
“And I’ve killed her,” cried Cosima as she clambered on to the stage. She kneeled by Olivia, who was out cold. “Oh, Livy, Livy, please wake up. Please don’t be dead.”
Jack had rushed on to the stage from the wings. He was as white as a ghost. “Someone call an ambulance,” he shouted.
Olivia began to stir.
“We’ll take you to hospital, Liv darling,” said Jack, holding her hand and stroking it gently.
“No!” protested a confused-sounding Olivia very crossly. “I’m not Liv Darling. I’m Wendy Darling and I want to see the mermaids. Peter promised that he’d show me the mermaids.”
Chapter Fifteen
Olivia was sitting up in bed in exactly the same room she’d been in after she’d fallen off the trapeze the previous term.
“You do seem to lead an exceptionally dangerous life,” said the ward sister, tutting loudly. “It’s lovely to see you again, Olivia, but I do wish you’d stop hitting your head. It’s not good for it. At least it’s only a touch of concussion this time. We’ll have you out and about again tomorrow but the doctor wants you to stay in overnight so we can keep an eye on you.” She turned to Jack. “Mr Marvell, could I have a word, please?”
“She’s going to tell him off. She’s got a really stern look in her eye,” whispered Olivia as Jack followed the ward sister looking like anaughty boy being sent to the head teacher.
“I think
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