Temple Boys by Jamie Buxton

what? What was it Jude had told him to do? Save the gang and follow Shim? He couldn’t do both. Why couldn’t Jude have been clearer?
    Little Big noticed him. “Oh look, it’s the wimp.”
    â€œYeah, where were you just when things started getting really good?”
    Flea thought quickly. “Oh, I passed out. You know.”
    â€œWhen?” Big asked.
    â€œDon’t know. Too drunk to remember. Hah.”
    â€œWas that before or after you followed your boyfriend out of the hall?” Big sneered. “Oh, Jude, Jude, where are you, Jude?” His snigger was echoed around the gang.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Flea tried to sound outraged but there was not enough force in his voice.
    â€œI don’t like it here with all these big, rough men,” Big whined. “Listen, what are you even doing back here? We kicked you out of the gang, remember?”
    â€œBut Yesh … I just thought—”
    â€œHe just thought. Well, I just thought I might have to punish you. What did I say I’d do if you carried on hanging around?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œI said I’d shove you down the rat hole!”
    â€œYou can’t. You wouldn’t…”
    The twins grabbed Flea’s arms and Little Big and Red each grabbed a leg and hung him over the rat hole at the end of the alleyway. They started chanting, “Sacrifice the Flea! Sacrifice the Flea! Sacrifice the Flea!”
    Flipped upside down, Flea was helpless. He closed his eyes, clamped his mouth tight shut, and held his breath. This time, he wasn’t going to scream.
    â€œCome on, rats!” Big shouted. “We’ve got breakfast for you!”
    They bumped Flea up and down, jerking the breath from his lungs so he had to suck in the thick, musty, rat-stinking air. He could hear rustling, opened his eyes, and thought he could see the dark writhing of bodies and the glimmer of little yellow teeth. Forgetting his promise not to scream, he had just begun to bellow when someone shouted, “Put that child down!”
    Flea turned his head and saw an upside-down Yesh floating in the street outside the alleyway. Flea was dropped. Big started to stammer an explanation, but Yesh cut him short.
    â€œIf you charming little thugs want to make yourselves useful, come with us now. If not, try to treat that poor creature how you’d like to be treated yourselves.”
    Shocked because they had never heard Yesh speak angrily before, the gang trailed out of the alleyway and joined the slow river of men, women, and children jostling sluggishly as they tried to avoid makeshift stalls that blocked the street. Everyone seemed to be going in the direction of the Temple today, the last chance before the feast for people to pay their taxes and make a sacrifice.
    Jude dropped back until he fell into step beside Flea.
    â€œWell?” he said. “Are you all right?” Flea shook his head.
    â€œLook, I know—”
    â€œNo, you don’t. You don’t know anything. They’re having a go at me for…”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou’re always hanging around me and they’re … saying things,” Flea said. “If you left me alone so I could just try to make things better…”
    â€œEven though you’re earning good money?”
    â€œShh! They’ll steal it,” Flea whispered urgently.
    â€œNice friends.”
    â€œYou can talk,” Flea snapped back.
    â€œI walked into that one,” Jude said. “Here. I bought you some dried fruit. Should help keep you going. You’ve got a busy day today, remember?”
    It came to Flea at last. “I’ve got to stick to Shim, and if he goes to a room, remember where it is and tell you.”
    â€œGood. And as I thought, one of Yusuf’s people is trailing us. Think you can slip away without him noticing?”
    Flea glanced behind and saw the water carrier he’d seen