Ribblestrop Forever! (7 page)

Doctor Ellie nodded. ‘Well, I can see that there’s no point standing here contradicting a fool,’ she said quietly. ‘You’re not a man who listens, and I should save
my breath. But I can tell you now what I told you yesterday: no court in the land would uphold your fraudulent claim and, if you molest and bully me, then I’ll be bringing a civil action
against you. The land is free and part of our heritage. I’ve been showing these lovely children living history, and I defy you, sir. You should be looking after your own pupils, not harassing
mine.’

Mr Ian had turned crimson and his lips twitched. He turned to see that the cluster of blue joggers had come close. They had overheard every word – and one or two were smiling happily. They
were gazing at the Ribblestrop pupils with fascination.

‘Get back to the house!’ barked Mr Ian. His voice was a curiously high squeak. ‘Get into your togs – greys only – and get to prep.’

‘It’s Monday, sir,’ said a boy. ‘Shouldn’t we wear our—’

‘Get back to the house!’ roared Mr Ian, and the children fled without another word.

Doctor Ellie broke the short silence that followed with a cool line of contempt. ‘You know, I have always despised grown men who shout at small children,’ she said. ‘Herodotus,
writing in 429 BC, tells of a tutor in third century Athens. The man was stoned out the city for that offence, because it was seen as an affront to civilised values. It also suggests mental
infirmity.’ She turned to the security guard. ‘Unlock the gate, please.’

The guard did as he was told and wrenched off the chain.

Mr Ian stood aside. ‘You are all on camera, you know,’ he said. ‘We shall be circulating your images.’

‘Completely illegal,’ said Doctor Ellie as stepped into the lay-by. ‘Any film you’ve shot is protected material and cannot be circulated by civilians.’

‘Now you listen to me!’ said Mr Ian, pushing through the gate after her. ‘We have a duty of care here to all our pupils. Who are these . . . ruffians, anyway? Look at the state
of them!’

His eye had been caught by Anjoli, who had one arm round Sam and the other round Israel. He was bare-chested, his blazer tied round his waist. He stuck his tongue out rudely.

‘I will have your names, every one of you,’ hissed Mr Ian. His hands were clenched into fists and he snatched a pen from his jacket pocket. ‘I will be making a formal complaint
to your so-called school.’

‘Shall I call the police, sir?’ asked the security guard.

Mr Ian swung round and glared at him. ‘Yes!’ he cried. ‘I thought they were on their way!’

The man muttered into his radio and the children pushed through the gate towards the van. Doctor Ellie strode ahead to its rear doors and pulled them open. The first orphan struggled up onto the
step.

‘All aboard!’ she cried.

‘Do not attempt to leave!’ shouted Mr Ian. ‘I need names and addresses!’

‘It’s all right, sir,’ said a voice. ‘I’ve got her.’

Everyone looked down to see who had spoken. There was a second security guard who had been hidden by the side of the vehicle. He was kneeling close to the back wheel and was smiling grimly.

‘Two-hundred and fifty pounds,’ he said. ‘That’s just the release fee.’

‘They’ve clamped us,’ said Doctor Ellie, quietly. ‘How typical.’

‘College property, madam,’ said the man. ‘Signs up for all to see.’ His radio squawked like a bird and he spoke into the microphone. ‘Unit Foxtrot reporting. Blue
van immobilised, driver and passengers apprehended. Can you send recovery asap – need a ten-tonne flat-bed, couple of crew. Police alerted – she’s about to get nasty, by the look
of it.’

‘Do you have a tool kit?’ said Sanjay, quietly.

‘What for?’ said Doctor Ellie.

‘Get Cuthbertson,’ said the first guard. ‘Might need a bit of muscle.’

‘Miss,’ said Asilah, ‘we don’t really want to meet up with the police right now. It would be best to get out of here.’

‘I don’t either, but I’m not sure we’ve got much choice.’

Even as she spoke, Israel was emerging from the driver’s door with a long metal box in his arms. The wheel-clamper stepped back as the boys pressed in to look at his work. The tyre was
encased in yellow bars and familiar letters were stenciled over their centrepiece:
SSS
.

‘Stay away from that!’ said the guard. ‘Don’t even think about interfering – that’s another offence.’

Seconds later, however, Podma had a crowbar slotted behind the clamp. One quick jerk twisted the main hinge clear of the hubcap.

The guard was outraged. ‘That is vandalism!’ he cried. ‘Come and look at this, Brian! They’re forcing the metal!’

The children took no notice for, once again, they were working together. Podma bent the second part of the mechanism, while Miles added his weight. Vijay moved in under them with a large spanner
and eased it in over one of the wheelnuts. A number of other boys had dragged suitable stones from under the hedge, and Sam and Israel had crawled beneath the chassis on their bellies with a jack.
In half a minute, a large rock had been rolled into position and slid through the mud. The jack was under the axle, and the corner of the van was rising into the air.

‘Do not remove that wheel!’ said the guard. ‘That is forbidden, totally, and there’s a fine of six hundred pounds—’

‘Excuse me,’ said Vijay, adding his weight to the spanner.

Mr Ian could stand it no longer. ‘Give that to me, you little beggar!’ he cried. ‘Give that thing to me!’

He was a big man and he strode into the scrum of children, knocking two to one side. He slammed Vijay against the side of the vehicle and went for Anjoli, who was working on the second nut.
Anjoli ducked, but the man was too quick. He grabbed the boy by the hair and drew him backwards. The next instant, however, his legs had buckled under him, and he was on his back. Asilah crouched
over him, trembling with rage, a finger close to the man’s nose. Sanchez tried to hold him back, but Asilah was bristling.

‘Don’t ever
, ever
do that,’ he hissed.

‘Assault,’ said one of the security guards, backing onto the road in terror. He had a small camera in his hand. ‘Did you all see that? That was a martial arts move, that was!
Did you see what he did?’

Mr Ian lay still, winded and shocked. He had received a sharp kick to the back of his left knee, and it had completely disabled him.

‘You touch one of us again,’ said Asilah, ‘and you’ll get badly hurt.’ He looked up at Vijay. ‘Finish the job. Help him, Miles.’

‘I say, leave this to Cuthbertson,’ said the guard. He was filming everything. ‘This is one of those London schools, isn’t it? Thugs and druggies, that’s what you
lot are.’

Mr Ian managed to sit up, but he still hadn’t caught his breath. There was blood on his beard from where he’d bitten his lip, and he was shaking his head as if to clear it.

‘Miles,’ he said, quietly. ‘You said Miles, didn’t you?’

Anjoli said something in his own language and started to slide the wheel off. Mr Ian was staring round the group, his eyes wild. ‘I thought I . . . Where is he?’

‘Take no notice,’ said Sanchez. ‘Get the job done and let’s get out of here.’

Miles had moved to the other side of the vehicle, but he couldn’t resist a sideways glance at Mr Ian. He found a pair of astonished eyes gazing back into his and the man’s mouth
dropped open.

‘Seyton-Shandy,’ he whispered. ‘Miles Seyton-Shandy!’

‘What about it?’ said Miles, nervously.

‘Of all the kids I’ve ever taught . . .’ He was losing his breath again. ‘Of all the children . . . you were the devil.’

The children worked even faster.

They pushed the clamped wheel into the van and the spare was swiftly fitted. In another moment, the jack was down and the stone that had supported it was hauled back to make a step up to the
rear doors.

‘In you get, boys,’ said Doctor Ellie, cheerfully. ‘That’s enough bother for one day. Could you go in the front, please, dear?’ Millie did as she was told, dragging
Miles with her. Everyone else started to clamber in through the back doors. ‘That’s it,’ Ellie cried. ‘Pile in any old how – I want to get out of here as soon as
possible. Let’s get you back to your nasty London school.’

She was just about to close the door, when her eyes fell on the step they’d been using and her heart lurched. She stopped and leant against the frame. Her mouth opened and she
couldn’t close it again.

‘What’s the matter, miss?’ said Sam. He noticed the woman’s face changing colour and jumped out to help her.

‘I’m not quite sure. This can’t be happening.’

‘Are you sick?’

‘No. Wait. This is remarkable.’

‘We ought to go,’ called Millie, anxiously. Podma had started the engine and was revving it. ‘What’s the problem back there?’

Doctor Ellie was staring downwards. ‘This is impossible,’ she whispered.

‘What is, miss? Come on!’ cried Sam.

The children at the back were craning their necks, confused by the old lady’s sudden stillness. One of the security guards came closer and followed her gaze.

‘Can you help me for a moment?’ she said to the boys that were nearest. She was holding Sam’s arm, using him for support. ‘You’ve made the most . . . This is not
possible! Help us here!’ she cried. ‘Please . . . Boys?’

She went down on one knee and several boys leapt out and clustered around her. She now had both hands on the stone.

‘I’ve been looking for this for years. It’s part of the keystone.’

‘What is?’ said Israel. ‘What are you looking at?’

Podma blasted the horn twice, but Doctor Ellie was oblivious. She was brushing muddy footprints from the milk-white stone with a paintbrush plucked from a pocket. She pulled the block towards
her, swinging it round in the mud, and found an eye-glass. It took her seconds to check, and she was aware that she had to make a quick decision. The problem was that she couldn’t stop her
hands shaking, and as she lay her fingers gently over the indentations she could feel heat rising. There were stars and half-moons. There were crosses, lines and dimples and they ran in long
swirls, over every visible face. Her eyes filled with tears as she traced them blindly, sensing the tools and the hands that had cut them.

‘Put this inside, please . . .’

‘What’s the matter, miss?’

‘D’you need some water, miss? Do you want to lie down?’

‘No. No – just . . . Put this in the van, would you?’ She started to lift and there were suddenly five pairs of hands helping. ‘We may, um . . . need it again, boys, if
we have to . . . You know, if we have to change a wheel or something. Just pop it in the back – mind your fingers.’

The guard’s radio squawked again. ‘Back-up on its way,’ said the man. ‘Is that you, Mr Cuthbertson, sir? We’ve been assaulted and vandalised. There’s a
situation here and our assailant’s absconding. How close are you, over? . . . Well, can you hurry, sir?’

‘Quickly,’ said Doctor Ellie. ‘Quick as you can! And make a note of where we are. Oh Lord – I need my maps!’

‘Cuthbertson,’ said Millie. ‘He said Cuthbertson, didn’t he?’

Doctor Ellie was still talking. ‘It’s heavy, isn’t it? Of course it is. This is a most extraordinary find. Hurry!’ She closed the doors from inside, and pushed through
the van. ‘I’ve been looking for that for . . . It’s the second piece! It has to be, I saw the crack. The crack!’

She hauled herself over the driver’s seat, behind the wheel. Her chest was heaving and she let in the clutch way too hard. The van catapulted backward and Mr Ian – who was still on
the ground – scrambled to his feet just in time to avoid being squashed. He banged on the vehicle’s side and made a grab through the window.

Doctor Ellie flapped his hands away and a charge of euphoria hit her. ‘You’re a fool, you know,’ she cried, braking sharply. ‘You’re totally unaware of what’s
under your nose! But I am a step closer to solving the mystery!’

‘Give me the keys!’ cried the teacher, holding tight to the steering wheel. ‘That boy! Miles! We have unfinished business . . .’

‘Your pupils are terrified of you, aren’t they?’ said Doctor Ellie, calmly. ‘And I imagine . . .’ She shunted forward into the lane, dragging Mr Ian alongside her
and squeezing him into the hedge. ‘. . . I imagine you lead a life without love, so you compensate by being a monster. You are to be pitied, sir. Now, for the last time . . .’ She
lurched forward and then braked, spinning Mr Ian into a nettle patch. ‘Goodbye forever.’

The two security guards were both blocking the lane, their hands upraised. They leapt to one side as she accelerated towards them. She found second gear and pushed the vehicle so hard up the
hill, the children were pressed back on top of one another. They were clapping, though, and cheering. She could see them in her mirror, waving their fingers, and she felt dangerously light-headed.
Her mind was whirling and she was starting to laugh.

The children had started singing and she could hear the words, ‘Ribblestrop! Ribblestrop!’ They were chanted in the style of a football song. Some boys were whistling too, for
another security vehicle had been forced to skid sideways off the road as she thundered past. The driver gawped in horror. Doctor Ellie shouted with joy as she swung round it and shot to the left
down a tiny, random lane. What if they chased her? What if they discovered the stone and took it away again? They wouldn’t know what it was, but the very thought that they might claim it made
her accelerate faster and faster. In a moment, they were between deep, high hedges, racing away. For five full minutes they hurtled through the lanes. Only when they’d turned and twisted for
a good few miles did she slow down and relax. She knew they were safe.

‘What a remarkable group of children you are,’ she cried, gulping fresh air. She had tears in her eyes. ‘I can’t believe what’s just happened! This is
destiny!’

‘You were great, miss,’ said Miles. ‘That took guts, that did. You told him!’

‘Thank you, my dear. Oh, what a team we are – that was teamwork, pure and simple.’

‘I bet he’s never been spoken to like that,’ said Podma.