The Father's House (35 page)

They didn't notice the police car as it drove up alongside them. Father Drax ducked down behind a stationary van.

“Hullo,” said a police officer, planting himself firmly in front of the children.

They stopped and looked round. There was another officer behind them.

“Hullo,” they replied, politely.

“Are any of you called Lucy and Paul?”

There was no response.

The policeman bent down and spoke to Paul. “What's your name, young man?” Paul started to hum.

“Goodbye, we have to go now,” said Lucy, hastily grabbing his hand and moving off.

David and Dorothy moved with her.

“Stop a minute,” said the policeman, putting his hand on Lucy's shoulder. He spoke kindly.

“We're looking for Lucy and Paul. They're with a friend called David and a young lady called Dorothy who's wearing a bright red suit and scarlet shoes with silver buckles.”

Nobody answered. Dorothy looked down at her dishevelled clothes. The shoes still smiled cheerfully up at her. One of the policemen stepped over to the car. He reached inside and produced the baker boy cap.

“Lucy left this behind in the hospital,” he said. There was a pause, and then Paul turned to Lucy. “Am I Paul, or am I Elizabeth?” he said “Or am I invisible?”

Lucy drew him close to her and put her arm round him.

“It's alright, darling. You're Paul, and that's what you'll always be now. You can forget about being Elizabeth, or invisible. That was just a game. When you're grown-up I'll explain it all to you.”

She looked up at the two policemen.

“How do you do?” she said. “I'm Lucy, and this is my brother Paul. These are my blood brother and blood sister, David and Dorothy. We're a family.”

“Pleased to meet you,” he said. “We've come to fetch you. Would you all like to get in the car?”

The children looked around and then back at the two police officers. There was no way they could escape unless they separated and scattered in different directions – and that they would never do. Lucy held Paul's hand firmly. Dorothy took his other hand, and David took Lucy's.

“Where are we going?” asked Lucy.

“Your mother, Maria, is asking for you.”