The Spin Read Free

you?’
    â€˜There wasn’t one,’ Stormy said, quickly, pulling out the pincers. ‘I got these. I hope they’ll do. Otto’s going to go crazy when he finds out!’
    â€˜Fierce is he, this Otto?’
    Stormy nodded. ‘Can be.’
    â€˜Well, I’m grateful to you, and sorry. There. Can’t say fairer than that. I’ve done nothin’ wrong and shouldn’t be locked up, and that’s a fact. I needs my freedom. What about you?’ The grubbin stuffed the last of the sausage into his mouth and nodded at him. ‘Know what it’s like to need something? Need it bad?’
    â€˜I do. Yes. I
need
to be a sky-rider,’ Stormy blurted.
    â€˜Ah ha. Good, good,’ and the grubbin held out a dirty hand for the tools. ‘Got a dream, lad, hold it. Now give me them.’ He weighed the heavy pincers in his palm. ‘Good. Done well.’
    â€˜Can I go now?’ Stormy whispered.
    â€˜Yes. Thank you. You can go. Away to your bed before my men come back. ’Ere, give me the coat.’
    Quickly Stormy stripped off the coat and the grubbin put it on. It was huge on him too, drooping off his shoulders and long on the ground, but he hugged it round himself gratefully.
    â€˜You done me proud, young man. Thank you. Thank you for your help and I hopes you get your dream. Brave lad. Here – don’t forget this.’ He scooped up the fallen paper and thrust it into Stormy’s hand. ‘Might be important.’
    He shut off the light and limped away into the darkness, hardly clinking at all, and was eaten up by the shadows.

4
Guards
    Stormy could not sleep. His night was tormented by fearful dreams where Otto roasted him slowly on the spit above the fire or fed him live to Sponge, in bite-size pieces.
    He kept waking, thinking he heard the door to the dormitory open, thinking Otto was coming to get him, imagining he heard the low growl of Sponge as he padded up to the bed, his wet nose sniffing loudly, scenting stolen food.
    He was amazed when he woke at six o’clock to find he was still all in one piece, safe in his narrow bunk and not dead. Images of the escaped prisoner came swiftly into his mind along with the paper he’d handed him, which, after briefly glancing at the night before, he’d pushed under his pillow.
    Now he pulled it out. It was a faded handbill, much creased and fingered. He unfolded it quietly and read:
    Cosmo’s Circus
    Wonderful Wild Winged Horses
    THE GREATEST SPITFYRE SHOW ON EARTH!
    COME AND SEE OUR DAREDEVIL
DEATH-DEFYING ACTS!
    SEE THE MOST SPECTACULAR SPITFYRES IN THE WORLD!
    Cosmo’s Circus presents the Great Renaldo!
    The Great Renaldo was a young man, as round and sleek as a well-fed seal. He had a large black moustache with twirled-up ends and was wearing a sort of string vest through which his muscles bulged.
    RENALDO
    THE STAR OF THE SHOW!
    TERRIFIC Tricks and Dazzling FEATS of Bravery!
    Spitfyres tamed to submission!
    Renaldo is fearless!
    Don’t miss the Great Renaldo!
    Stormy stared at the confident spitfyre master with wonder and awe. To be in a spitfyre circus looked even better than being a sky-rider in the Academy.
    Behind Renaldo were some of the tiny folk with very round faces and spindly legs known as
littles
. They wore tights and elaborate hats. They cartwheeled round the ring or rode on miniature ponies with star-studded harnesses.
    Tex was stirring in the bunk below and quickly Stormy folded the handbill up again and slipped it inside a book.
    â€˜What happened to you last night?’ Tex asked him, poking his head round from the lower bunk. ‘Did Otto keep you?’
    â€˜Tummy trouble,’ Stormy said. ‘Stuck in the bathroom.’
    Tex laughed. ‘What did you eat?’
    â€˜I didn’t eat anything! I wouldn’t dare.’ Stormy got up and started to dress. ‘Otto has eyes in the back of his spotty old head.’
    Tex laughed again.