sitting in a circle as Ollie gave them an arrow-making workshop.
Paddy tried to give the sallet back to Achilleus.
‘You can keep it for now,’ saidAchilleus, walking away. ‘I got to go to some boring meeting. Bring it me back later when you’re done.’
A meeting. They were all getting ready for a big fight. Sam was trying not to think about it. But there was a feeling in the air. People were on edge. Waiting.
Sam went over and sat next to Lettis, who was with Ollie on the top step. He smiled at her.
‘Shall we make sometogether?’ he said. Lettis turned to him, but said nothing.
Sam felt a whack across his arm and turned angrily to see that it was The Kid.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Stop your daydream believer, private. Get your head down from the clouds and concentrate on the matter in hand. This is a battle without humour or humanity. The last battle. The apocalypse disco. We’re going down withall hands.’
Sam laughed and belted The Kid with his pole and soon they were chasing each other around, laughing and yelling, and Sam had forgotten all his worries.
16
‘So that’s why we got you all together.’ Jester looked around at the assembled kids. ‘Why we’re all here. So I could tell you about what Shadowman showed me …’
Maxie felt out of place here. She’d never realized quite how posh the Houses of Parliament were inside. She’d seen the place on the television, bits of boring debates on the news, MPs shouting at each otherabout stuff she didn’t really understand. You never really looked at the building when it was on TV, but it was like a palace inside. One of the local kids had told her that’s what the place was actually called – the Palace of Westminster.
They were in the big chamber where the lords used to meet – the clue was in the name, the House of Lords. There were red benches, a huge goldenthrone down one end, wood panelling and carved stone everywhere, stained-glass windows, giant paintings and fancy hanging lights. It was like a cross between a cathedral and a throne room.
And a girl called Nicola was sitting on the throne. When Maxie arrived, Nicola had told her that she was the prime minister, which Maxie had thought was a joke. Apparently it wasn’t, even thoughMaxie didn’t remember voting for her. Nicola had long red hair and was oneof those confident, clever girls who made Maxie feel a bit stupid and useless. She was glad she had Blue with her. Blue didn’t take any bullshit and wasn’t impressed by the set-up.
Nicola stood up again. She’d been running the meeting, using phoney adult language.
‘Thank you, Jester,’ she said.‘There’s a lot to debate. But, before we do, I’d like to say a few words …’
Blue leant over and whispered to Maxie. ‘You could take this lot out in a second if you wanted, babe,’ he said. ‘This is all just play-acting.’
Maxie couldn’t take any of it seriously either – the OTT decoration, the titles everyone gave themselves, the idea that anyone could claim to be prime minister… What she did take seriously was what they were actually talking about.
An army of grown-ups.
She didn’t know whether to be scared or excited. The idea was pretty intense. The picture Jester had painted of the army – how many they were, how organized they were – had been way too vivid. But the idea that the kids might actually be able to beat them had given her a tiny shiverof hope.
Jester had managed to get most of the local London kids to turn up. Or at least a representative from each camp. David was here with some others from the palace. Maxie recognized Pod, who was in charge of palace security; Franny, who looked after the gardens; and Rose, who ran the sick-bay. They sat apart with some of David’s red-blazered boys, his personal guard. Maxie,Blue, Whitney, Jackson and Achilleus had come from the museum, escorting Justin and Einstein. Maxie had tried to persuade Ollieto join them, but he’d explained that little
Paddy tried to give the sallet back to Achilleus.
‘You can keep it for now,’ saidAchilleus, walking away. ‘I got to go to some boring meeting. Bring it me back later when you’re done.’
A meeting. They were all getting ready for a big fight. Sam was trying not to think about it. But there was a feeling in the air. People were on edge. Waiting.
Sam went over and sat next to Lettis, who was with Ollie on the top step. He smiled at her.
‘Shall we make sometogether?’ he said. Lettis turned to him, but said nothing.
Sam felt a whack across his arm and turned angrily to see that it was The Kid.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Stop your daydream believer, private. Get your head down from the clouds and concentrate on the matter in hand. This is a battle without humour or humanity. The last battle. The apocalypse disco. We’re going down withall hands.’
Sam laughed and belted The Kid with his pole and soon they were chasing each other around, laughing and yelling, and Sam had forgotten all his worries.
16
‘So that’s why we got you all together.’ Jester looked around at the assembled kids. ‘Why we’re all here. So I could tell you about what Shadowman showed me …’
Maxie felt out of place here. She’d never realized quite how posh the Houses of Parliament were inside. She’d seen the place on the television, bits of boring debates on the news, MPs shouting at each otherabout stuff she didn’t really understand. You never really looked at the building when it was on TV, but it was like a palace inside. One of the local kids had told her that’s what the place was actually called – the Palace of Westminster.
They were in the big chamber where the lords used to meet – the clue was in the name, the House of Lords. There were red benches, a huge goldenthrone down one end, wood panelling and carved stone everywhere, stained-glass windows, giant paintings and fancy hanging lights. It was like a cross between a cathedral and a throne room.
And a girl called Nicola was sitting on the throne. When Maxie arrived, Nicola had told her that she was the prime minister, which Maxie had thought was a joke. Apparently it wasn’t, even thoughMaxie didn’t remember voting for her. Nicola had long red hair and was oneof those confident, clever girls who made Maxie feel a bit stupid and useless. She was glad she had Blue with her. Blue didn’t take any bullshit and wasn’t impressed by the set-up.
Nicola stood up again. She’d been running the meeting, using phoney adult language.
‘Thank you, Jester,’ she said.‘There’s a lot to debate. But, before we do, I’d like to say a few words …’
Blue leant over and whispered to Maxie. ‘You could take this lot out in a second if you wanted, babe,’ he said. ‘This is all just play-acting.’
Maxie couldn’t take any of it seriously either – the OTT decoration, the titles everyone gave themselves, the idea that anyone could claim to be prime minister… What she did take seriously was what they were actually talking about.
An army of grown-ups.
She didn’t know whether to be scared or excited. The idea was pretty intense. The picture Jester had painted of the army – how many they were, how organized they were – had been way too vivid. But the idea that the kids might actually be able to beat them had given her a tiny shiverof hope.
Jester had managed to get most of the local London kids to turn up. Or at least a representative from each camp. David was here with some others from the palace. Maxie recognized Pod, who was in charge of palace security; Franny, who looked after the gardens; and Rose, who ran the sick-bay. They sat apart with some of David’s red-blazered boys, his personal guard. Maxie,Blue, Whitney, Jackson and Achilleus had come from the museum, escorting Justin and Einstein. Maxie had tried to persuade Ollieto join them, but he’d explained that little
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