Free Two Weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman Page B

frogs.’
    Thirty?
    Colin thought he’d heard wrong, but there was the woman, grumpily counting out thirty of the little chocolate frogs in silver paper that you were supposed to buy while you waited for your change.
    There were thirty-four in the box and Ted took the lot.
    They found an empty table and put their teas on it. Then Ted handed the box of frogs to Colin and climbed on to the table himself
    â€˜Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen,’ he said, ‘excuse me.’
    The low murmur of conversation in the room went even lower. People stared up at Ted.
    Colin stared up at Ted. That’s all he needed. A cup of tea with a loony.
    â€˜We’re all here for the same reason,’ said Ted to the frowning and suspicious faces looking up at him, ‘and we’ve all got people in there who need us very much. What they don’t need is for us to turn into misery-guts. If anyone here thinks they might be turning into a misery-guts, I’d strongly recommend a chocolate frog from my young friend.’
    Colin felt the blood rush to his cheeks as all eyes turned to him.
    For a moment there was nothing but a sea of frowning and suspicious faces.
    Then a face just to his left broke into a smile and a hand reached into the box and took a frog. Another smile. Another hand. A murmur went round the room and smiles were breaking out all over the place.
    â€˜Go on, Col,’ said Ted, jumping down, ‘do the rounds.’
    Colin took the box around the cafeteria and in two minutes there wasn’t a frog left.
    â€˜Have to get some more of those in,’ said the woman behind the counter, grinning hugely at Colin.
    Colin didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t enjoyed himself so much for months.
    He and Ted sat down and drank their tea.
    â€˜I’ve been thinking,’ said Ted. ‘I know a couple of the doctors here pretty well. What if I have a word to them about Luke?’
    A jab of excitement hit Colin in the guts.
    â€˜Yes,’ he said, ‘please.’
    â€˜OK,’ said Ted. ‘Tomorrow’s Saturday. I don’t know if they’re rostered on for the weekend. Why don’t you meet me here at midday on Monday and we’ll go and see them then.’
    â€˜Thanks,’ said Colin, ‘thanks a lot.’
    â€˜I’ve got to go back to my friend now,’ said Ted. ‘Write the name of Luke’s hospital down for me.’
    Colin was so excited he could hardly hold the pen.
    He went back to the house, replaced the back door lock, calmed Alistair down, and by the time Aunty Iris and Uncle Bob got home, he was sitting in an armchair looking as though he’d just had a quiet day with the Do-It-Yourself magazines instead of swinging punches at pathologists, meeting incredible blokes who blubbed and gave away chocolate frogs, and arranging to see doctors who were going to save Luke’s life.
    After tea Mum and Dad rang.
    â€˜I haven’t said anything about the Buckingham Palace business,’ said Aunty Iris as she handed the phone to Colin, ‘and if you carry on behaving yourself I hope I won’t have to.’
    Mum asked Colin how he was and he said fine. He asked how Luke was and she said that Luke was as well as could be expected. She said she and Dad were as well as could be expected too.
    Colin could hardly hear her because she wasn’t using her usual long-distance voice. Her voice sounded small and very weary and very sad.
    He glanced round to make sure Aunty Iris had gone back into the living-room.
    â€˜Mum,’ he said, ‘everything’s going to be OK. You don’t have to worry any more. I’m going to see one of London’s top cancer doctors on Monday and he’s going to cure Luke.’
    He waited for her relief and delight to come pouring out of the phone. But all he heard were faint sobs coming from the other end.
    â€˜Mum,’ he said, ‘are you all right?’
    Then he remembered that