Aiden heard the strangled gasp
behind him. None of the whelps could see him, so he rolled his eyes up, asking
for patience, before he turned around. “Aye, an’ what’s that then?” he asked
the boy behind him.
“I…I’ve run out! I’m sorry, Aiden,
I was being careful, I swear I was, but—”
“Well, Brey with an e and not like
a donkey…”
One of the other boys laughed, and
Aiden shot him a sidelong look. He shut up and clenched his bag, suddenly very
interested in the trash at his feet.
“Well, Brey,” he continued,
“that’s why fractions and rations are so important. You think I make you school
for nothing? This is where you need to know.” He pitched his voice to carry to
the other boys. “I told you all before I left. Six blocks, twenty steps each side.
So how do you know how much to carry?”
Brey shifted from one foot to the
other and looked at the other boys for help. A couple were counting on their
fingers or scratching their heads. Aidan knew they’d never be masters. Only
young Ian on the far edge of the circle was jumping up and down with
excitement. Aidan knew he had it; he just liked to torment the boy a bit.
Before he pointed to Ian, though,
Brey’s face lit up. He’d got it. Well, how 'bout that. Aidan nodded approval and
held out his bag. Brey reached in and grabbed a double fistful, pushing it into
his own bag.
“All right, everyone on the go
then?” Aidan turned and whistled, pulling a sodden coffee cup out of his bag
and tossing it on the ground.
“You wants to be a trash man, you
got to learn more than throwing trash on the ground, boys.”
Softer, to Bley, he said, “Well
done, lad. Well done.”
Dogs in house
|
Houdini
|
Time writing:
|
20 minutes
|
October word
count:
|
12,658
|
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