felt that if he went the errand for Merman, he’d somehow be in Merman’s
power.
And that was the very last thing he wanted. He never wanted to go near Merman ever again. Merman made him want to shiver.
“Gotta get home to me mam,” said Harry, and walked away.
“I’ll remember that,” said Merman.
“Goodnight, kid,” shouted the football players. And went back to kicking the deflated ball about, miserably.
The next day was Saturday. Harry went across to the barrack in the afternoon. As he approached the door, it seemed unusually quiet. But he walked in anyway, and then he wished he hadn’t.
There was nobody there. Except Corporal Merman, sitting on his bunk.
“Where’s everybody?” Harry faltered.
“Your friend Corporal Blenkinsop had to march them down to the airfield for a shower. It was his turn.”
“What about you?”
“Oh, I’ve had my shower. I have a shower every day, if I can. What do they say? Cleanliness is next to godliness?”
“Tell them I’ll come back later.”
“No, no, they’ve been gone over an hour. They’ll be back any minute. Come and sit by me, boy.” He patted the bed beside him. “I’m expecting them back any minute.”
Harry hesitated. One part of him was yelling at him not to go near Merman at any cost. But another part… it was creepy… wanted to make friends with Merman, get Merman on his side, so he didn’t have to be afraid of him any more.
“I’ve got a Mars Bar here,” said Merman. “Like to share it with me? I know all you boys love Mars Bars…”
That decided Harry, against his better judgement. He could never resist a gesture of friendship. Maybe the awful Corporal Merman was human after all.
He sat down. Corporal Merman got the Mars Bar out of his bedside locker, put it on top, unwrapped it neatly, without tearing the wrapping paper, just folding it back like a bedsheet. Then he got out his very sharp shiny clasp-knife and cut it in nine thin slices, like a loaf of bread.
He picked up the first piece, precisely, between fingerand thumb, and held it up to Harry’s mouth. Feeding him like a baby. Harry did not want to open his mouth, but he had to. He did not like the feel of Merman’s fingertips on his lips.
“You’re a big strong lad,” said Merman. “You’re very
brown.
I’ll bet you have lots of girlfriends… no? Not any? Not ever? I would’ve thought you’d have had a girlfriend by your age. Aren’t girls nice to
squeeze
?” He put an arm round Harry’s waist, found a fold of skin and nipped it very playfully.
Harry wriggled violently, and Merman let go and fed him another piece of Mars Bar.
“I’ll bet you have fun with that dog of yours though. Running about the beach, wrestling in the sand…”
Harry had a very nasty idea that Merman had been spying on him, when he hadn’t realised Merman was there.
“And of course you’re a great
friend
of Corporal Blenkinsop’s. You spend a lot of time together, don’t you? Walks in the woods and along the cliffs…”
“We do nature study,” shouted Harry, suddenly furious, for no reason he could quite work out. “We watch birds an’… foxes.”
“Yes, of course. Nature study, of course. You must take me to see all these birds and foxes, some evening…” He fed Harry a third bit of Mars Bar, holding it so high that heforced Harry’s head back. “And… you do other things with Corporal Blenkinsop…”
“Like
what
?” Harry wondered why he was getting so angry and flustered. “We watched gannets,” he added lamely, after a silence.
“Of course. Gannets…”
Just then, there was the crunch of boots on the road outside. Boots approaching at a trot, not a walk.
“Hup two three, hup two three,” came Artie’s urgent voice.
Harry took a quick peep at Merman’s face.
The look on Merman’s face was indescribable.
All the men came barging into the barrack room, hitting each other with wet towels again.
“Hello,
Corporal
Merman. Fancy finding you
power.
And that was the very last thing he wanted. He never wanted to go near Merman ever again. Merman made him want to shiver.
“Gotta get home to me mam,” said Harry, and walked away.
“I’ll remember that,” said Merman.
“Goodnight, kid,” shouted the football players. And went back to kicking the deflated ball about, miserably.
The next day was Saturday. Harry went across to the barrack in the afternoon. As he approached the door, it seemed unusually quiet. But he walked in anyway, and then he wished he hadn’t.
There was nobody there. Except Corporal Merman, sitting on his bunk.
“Where’s everybody?” Harry faltered.
“Your friend Corporal Blenkinsop had to march them down to the airfield for a shower. It was his turn.”
“What about you?”
“Oh, I’ve had my shower. I have a shower every day, if I can. What do they say? Cleanliness is next to godliness?”
“Tell them I’ll come back later.”
“No, no, they’ve been gone over an hour. They’ll be back any minute. Come and sit by me, boy.” He patted the bed beside him. “I’m expecting them back any minute.”
Harry hesitated. One part of him was yelling at him not to go near Merman at any cost. But another part… it was creepy… wanted to make friends with Merman, get Merman on his side, so he didn’t have to be afraid of him any more.
“I’ve got a Mars Bar here,” said Merman. “Like to share it with me? I know all you boys love Mars Bars…”
That decided Harry, against his better judgement. He could never resist a gesture of friendship. Maybe the awful Corporal Merman was human after all.
He sat down. Corporal Merman got the Mars Bar out of his bedside locker, put it on top, unwrapped it neatly, without tearing the wrapping paper, just folding it back like a bedsheet. Then he got out his very sharp shiny clasp-knife and cut it in nine thin slices, like a loaf of bread.
He picked up the first piece, precisely, between fingerand thumb, and held it up to Harry’s mouth. Feeding him like a baby. Harry did not want to open his mouth, but he had to. He did not like the feel of Merman’s fingertips on his lips.
“You’re a big strong lad,” said Merman. “You’re very
brown.
I’ll bet you have lots of girlfriends… no? Not any? Not ever? I would’ve thought you’d have had a girlfriend by your age. Aren’t girls nice to
squeeze
?” He put an arm round Harry’s waist, found a fold of skin and nipped it very playfully.
Harry wriggled violently, and Merman let go and fed him another piece of Mars Bar.
“I’ll bet you have fun with that dog of yours though. Running about the beach, wrestling in the sand…”
Harry had a very nasty idea that Merman had been spying on him, when he hadn’t realised Merman was there.
“And of course you’re a great
friend
of Corporal Blenkinsop’s. You spend a lot of time together, don’t you? Walks in the woods and along the cliffs…”
“We do nature study,” shouted Harry, suddenly furious, for no reason he could quite work out. “We watch birds an’… foxes.”
“Yes, of course. Nature study, of course. You must take me to see all these birds and foxes, some evening…” He fed Harry a third bit of Mars Bar, holding it so high that heforced Harry’s head back. “And… you do other things with Corporal Blenkinsop…”
“Like
what
?” Harry wondered why he was getting so angry and flustered. “We watched gannets,” he added lamely, after a silence.
“Of course. Gannets…”
Just then, there was the crunch of boots on the road outside. Boots approaching at a trot, not a walk.
“Hup two three, hup two three,” came Artie’s urgent voice.
Harry took a quick peep at Merman’s face.
The look on Merman’s face was indescribable.
All the men came barging into the barrack room, hitting each other with wet towels again.
“Hello,
Corporal
Merman. Fancy finding you
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