Free The Parliament of Blood by Justin Richards Page B

Museum,’ he added, nodding. ‘Yes, I’d like that.’
    But George hardly heard him.

CHAPTER 5

    The morning was as cold and bleak as their mood. Eve was pale, and Mikey wouldn’t look at any of them. Jack, for once, was not grinning. He wasn’t even smiling, and that seemed to Eddie to be the most poignant expression of grief from any of them.
    â€˜Did anyone say what happened?’ Eddie asked.
    â€˜They just found him,’ Eve said. ‘Down by the river. Reckon he fell in.’
    â€˜Once a mudlark, always a mudlark,’ Jack said. ‘Wouldn’t let us see him. Poor Charlie lying dead and they wouldn’t let none of his friends go and look.’
    â€˜So, what happened – he drowned?’ Eddie asked. It seemed so unreal. He could remember laughing and joking with Charlie just the other day. Could remember the lad’s cheeky grin and mop of tangled sandy hair. Charlie was about the same age as Eddie, and that just made it so much more unfair.
    â€˜Connie says they don’t know how it happened,’ Eve was saying. ‘She was there when the peelers found him on thebank. She says he looked just like he was asleep or resting. Only pale – so pale.’ Eve swallowed and blinked back her tears. She was staring down at her feet as she spoke. ‘Connie says the man with the peelers, the man they took to see Charlie, said he’d been dead all night, maybe longer. And something else too, though I think Connie made it up.’
    â€˜What?’ Eddie asked. ‘What did she say?’
    Eve looked up, and she was crying properly now. She wiped the back of her hand across her face, smearing the tears away. ‘Connie says Charlie’s body was drained of blood.’
    There was silence for a moment, then Jack laughed. It wasn’t the sort of laugh that meant he thought it was funny. It was nervous and incredulous. ‘Connie’s been listening to those stories,’ he said. ‘She’s been sneaking in the Dog and Whistle again and listening to the gin-talk and the gossip. Everyone’s been talking about it.’
    â€˜About what?’ Eddie demanded. ‘First I’ve heard.’
    â€˜Bloodless bodies,’ Jack told him. ‘There’s a bloke down the market swears it’s Spring-Heeled Jack back for revenge.’
    â€˜I heard it was a plague brought on a ship from China,’ Eve said. ‘But it don’t matter what it is,’ she went on impatiently. ‘Just gossip, probably.’ She shook her head. ‘Time we was going.’
    â€˜Going where?’
    â€˜To church,’ Eve said. ‘We’re all going. It’s Sunday. Going to pray for Charlie’s soul. And you should too, Eddie Hopkins.’
    â€˜And what do you think you lot are doing hiding round here when it’s time for church?’ a voice demanded.
    Eddie swung round to find another boy leaning on the corner of the wall a few yards away. He was tall and lanky – older than Eddie by a few years. There was a sneer of utter contempt plastered across his face. ‘Mr Pearce ain’t going to be too happy with you if you’re late,’ he said. ‘Reckon he’ll learn you a lesson.’ He pushed himself away from the wall and walked slowly towards them. ‘Reckon I’ll learn you a lesson first.’
    Jack was shuffling nervously. Mikey was cowering with visible fear. Only Eve seemed unperturbed – Eve and Eddie.
    â€˜Get lost, John Remick,’ Eve said. ‘We were just coming anyway.’
    Perhaps because he didn’t seem at all scared, Remick glared at Eddie. ‘And who are you?’
    â€˜Who wants to know?’
    â€˜We don’t want no trouble,’ Jack assured Remick as the lad took a step towards Eddie. ‘We’ll be right there.’
    â€˜You’d better be, or I’ll find a use for my belt you won’t like.’ He raised his hand.