Free Blue Like Friday by Siobhan Parkinson Page A

reason.”
    The pencil poked the air in front of my nose again.
    â€œOh, I have a genuine reason,” I said.
    â€œI mean, a reason we would consider genuine,” she said sternly.
    â€œYes,” I said. “I understand.” I licked my lips nervously. They tasted of chocolate muffin. I hoped my tongue wasn’t all brown. I tucked it quickly back into my mouth.
    â€œSo, who is this person you are looking for information about?” she asked officiously, licking the point of the pencil
and holding it over a sheet of paper. “Is it a member of your family?”
    â€œNo,” I said. “It’s a member of his family.” I pointed at Hal. I was glad I’d got him to come in this time. “But he’s too shy to ask himself.”
    â€œAh, I see,” she said. “Well, that’s understandable. Now, what’s this gentleman’s name? If you have quite decided, that is.”
    â€œDenham,” I said.
    â€œDenham,” she said, and wrote it down.
    Well, at least she hadn’t suddenly shrieked in recognition. That looked good.
    â€œFirst name?”
    How many Denhams did she think might have been arrested in Balnamara in the last hour and a half? But I didn’t say that. I just said, “Alexander.”
    â€œAnd are you a Denham too?” she said, turning to Hal.
    â€œNuh-o,” he stammered. “I’m a King.”
    â€œYou don’t look like a king,” she said, and laughed.
    Hal has heard this joke before. He didn’t smile.
    â€œNot even a prince,” she went on.
    Still there was no reaction from Hal.
    â€œWhat’s your first name?” she asked, more gently.
    â€œHal.”
    â€œAnd you’re sure you’re not a King?”
    â€œI am, it’s a Denham I’m not.”
    â€œOh, right, yes, I see. And what is Hal short for? Hallelujah?”

    I started to giggle.
    â€œHaldane,” muttered Hal.
    I giggled some more at that. She frowned at me, but it looked like a frown she’d just put on, like a mask.
    â€œI can’t help it,” said Hal. “It was my mother’s idea.”
    The guard gave a little tinkly laugh. But then she frowned again and said crisply, “People in the same family usually have the same surname. Is this man some in-law of yours or what? Or a cousin maybe, on the mother’s side?”
    â€œNuh-o,” stuttered Hal.
    â€œGood. For a moment there, I was under the impression you were related to this person. The one you say was arrested.”
    We hadn’t said that. We’d only asked if he had been. But I thought we shouldn’t argue. She wasn’t such a walkover as I had hoped she was going to be. Being children, and moderately cute, wasn’t working the way it does with some adults.
    â€œWell?” I said, after a moment. “What is … I mean, can you tell us … ? I mean, what’s the … situation?”
    She opened up the top of the counter and jerked her head. “You’d better come into the day room and have a cup of tea,” she said. “I’m just going off duty, so we can have a chat without being disturbed. One of the others will be minding the shop.”
    Maybe she was going to be OK.
    I looked at Hal. He was very pale, and the two little pink spots on his cheeks looked even pinker.

    He shrugged at me. I shrugged at him. Then we both trooped in behind the counter and went into this room they have behind the scenes. I wondered why it was called the day room. Then I wondered if they had a night room, too. Maybe not. Maybe it’s like the Low Strand, even though there isn’t any High Strand.
    There were a few other guards sitting around. Two of them were playing cards, and one in a corner was doing something on a computer. I recognized the guard on the computer as the bicycle guard we’d met earlier. He gave me a big grin and a wave.
    Uh-oh, I thought. Now he’s going to want