The Monster Hunter (9 page)

Its body started to inflate, but this time Ben did not ignore the screaming voice inside his head and swung his makeshift club forcefully. The impact was satisfying and he felt it in his forearms, but although the snared creature fell on to its side it quickly rose up again. Ben brought the club back hard, knocking the creature the other way with his backswing. The beast went down again but the knobbly bit of Ben's club broke off, leaving him with just a splintered branch.

Rosalie saw the beast rise again, although this time more slowly. All the same, it was certainly inflating as Ben had described. Without fear of being hit by Ben's club she reached forward and ran her blade just beneath where her snare was
biting into the neck. The blood came fast and sticky along with wisps of smoke from which Rosalie retreated, not sure whether her wet handkerchief idea would work that well. The beast fell back on to the gravel and Ben pushed the now-splintered spear through its body so that more smoke billowed around the wooden shaft. He was about to pull the makeshift weapon free when the creature sank into the gravel as if it was on tar or sinking sand. It was strange to see the stake disappearing into the ground, following the creature to who knew what depths in the chalk island. Rosalie cut her snare's wire and they watched the branch and the wire disappear into the ground.

It had in all honesty been an easy kill and a lot faster than Ben had thought it would be, but then they had had the advantage of surprise. Ben was suddenly reminded of how quickly his mother had torn the head from the creature on the hill and yet it had still got back up again.

‘Do you have a lantern in your pack?' he asked Rosalie urgently, and without hesitation she scrabbled behind herself before passing him a Davy lamp. Ben unscrewed the base and poured the oil over the stones, watching as it sank between them.

‘And a light?'

Rosalie shook a big box of Lucifer matches and handed them to her fellow hunter. After a couple of practice goes Ben struck the match and the air filled with the smell of sulphur before he dropped the match on to the oil and watched the flames lick hungrily over the rocks, consuming the flammable liquid before the flame also sank between the rocks, chasing the poured oil on to the body of the sinking creature below.

Soon dark acrid smoke was curling up through the gravel.

‘I think that's our cue to go,' said Rosalie and the pair quickly headed out of the copse of trees and off the island. Ben
felt an inner elation at standing up to his fear and he felt like an obstacle had been crossed.

Rosalie was quiet as they walked across the quarry floor, glancing up at the rising plume of smoke coming from the island. She had seen a lot of creatures, even seen a lot of the pickled foetuses sideshow men exhibited at freak shows as unknown creatures, but she had never seen the likes of the creature on the island. She collapsed down dramatically on a raised patch of earth and grass and removed her handkerchief.

‘What was that? A land lobster?' she said aloud.

Ben removed his own wet face mask and mopped his brow with it, before remembering it was something of Rosalie's and not one of the rags from the oyster farm.

‘Certainly looked like a lobster,' Ben agreed, sitting down on the same raised mound beside his friend. ‘Why did it live in the ground like that and what was with the smoke?'

Rosalie thought for a moment. ‘It had lost its shell – some kind of evolution thing from being on land – and the smoke was its ways of protecting itself.' Ben nodded at her words. It all made sense when you weren't frightened and being chased.

‘I'm glad it's gone, all the same.'

Eventually the two picked up their possessions and headed off down the path. Two figures were walking towards them and it turned out to be Mr Reed and Constable Bobbins. Although they were a way off, both of the children could hear the adult's voices on the wind.

‘See, there he is, all safe and sound. I told you the boy had just gone walkabout.' It was the well-meaning tone of Robert Bobbins.

‘He won't be safe and sound when I get to him. Poor Trinity has been beside herself since he bumped into her yesterday and
ran off; she's been locked in her room recovering.' Mr Reed sounded angry and he waved his hand above his head as he approached as if hailing the pair.

‘Trinity is it now,' said Constable Bobbins, with a smirk. ‘Seems both you and young Master Gaul have been captured by love; I do believe he's found himself a Girl Friday while he's been away.'

‘Still your tongue, Bob. Miss Belle is an employee and I call her Trinity because she asked me to. I believe the girl with Benjamin is from that Gypsy camp you were supposed to be moving on.'

The gap was shrinking and the men stopped their talking, believing that they would only now be overheard.

Ben knew he was in trouble but he was surprised when Rosalie's hand slipped into his and gave it a comforting, friendly squeeze.

The Chest

‘W
hat were you thinking?' Mrs Reed's voice was certainly raised and angry but Ben was also thinking there was a hint of compassion to it as well, a real concern creeping in at the corners.

Her cluttered office was now equally overrun with people. Nanny Belle was standing by the door, Mr Reed was over by the fireplace and Constable Bobbins was standing beside her chair, somehow both of then jammed in behind the desk.

Rosalie was standing beside Ben, which was odd to say the least but did seem to somehow make everyone watch what they were saying, as if they had an independent witness to the event. On being met by the searching men they had opted to take Rosalie as well until they got to the bottom of things.

Rosalie hadn't protested but had pointed out that, because no law had actually been broken, her being obliged to go with them was close to kidnap, a statement that got Constable
Bobbins stammering until Mr Reed had asked nicely for her to accompany them. Of course, when they had asked her to wait outside the office, she refused: ‘We haven't got to the bottom of things yet and that's the only reason why I'm here.'

Ben was in two minds about her presence; he certainly felt like she was seeing him at his worst and, as friends go, that didn't seem a good start; however, he liked the fact that her defiant stance was making people less quick to judge him.

As no answer had followed Mrs Reed's question, she continued.

‘We were worried about you. You didn't go to the oyster factory and then rushed off like that, when you bumped into Nanny Belle.'

Ben wondered why Mr Reed's presence wasn't noted in this encounter on the lane but he believed silence to be the better course of action. ‘We've had so many things go wrong of late and you seem a bright child – I can't think why you would put us through more worry.'

Mrs Reed briefly turned her eyes on Rosalie as if she were about to ask questions of the Gypsy child but decided against it. However, this near-acknowledgement that Rosalie could be part of the conversation was all the girl needed to join in. She had, after all, worked out that she was to be the talker of this little duo.

‘Well, I guess that's my fault,' she began and all eyes including Ben's turned towards her. ‘I found him in the woods, all confused and lost, and rather than just giving him directions that I thought might not help, I said I'd take him back. However, I needed to check my snares first and I lost track of time, so I took him back to our camp instead. Father Mick told me our kind weren't welcome at your door after dark so we gave him a bed
and I promised to take him back first light.'

She grinned a particularly toothy smile and all eyes turned back on Mrs Reed, who just shook her head wearily and muttered the word ‘Gypsies' under her breath. She did, however, look back at Ben, ‘But what were you doing in the woods, Benjamin?'

‘That's more than likely my fault.' It was Nanny Belle this time who spoke for Ben. ‘He came to me yesterday morning saying he was missing home and didn't feel like working. I told him that when those thoughts cross my mind I just take a different route to work and it feels like an adventure; I didn't realise he'd get lost.' Mrs Reed's eyes were focused on the nanny, listening to the new information, but afterwards she slowly turned back to Ben.

‘But why were you running and scared?' she asked, concern now the top emotion to her voice.

Ben spoke quickly before another of the well-meaning ladies spoke for him. ‘I was spooked by a creature I didn't know, Ma'am. In Ceylon, if you don't know something, you assume it wants to eat you and run.' He was finally able to play on the English prejudices about foreign lands.

‘That's awful, child. Well, I can assure you that there is very little that can kill you in the woods of Kent outside a wild boar or a rutting stag.'

Rosalie chimed in: ‘He won't be frightened of it anymore. We tracked it down and did for it. Best way to overcome your fears is to face them.'

All eyes were now on Ben. ‘That's right – we did and in truth I don't know why I ran away in the first place; it was just scary because I got too close to its den and it charged me.'

It was Constable Bobbins who spoke next, giving his own interpretation of the whole affair that somehow calmed people's
fears. ‘That's the problem with badgers – they look friendly enough until you get close, then they're all teeth and attitude. I think the farmers around here will be thanking you, boy, once they find out. Farmers and badgers are natural enemies.' He chortled at his joke.

‘Well, you're here now,' continued Mrs Reed, trying to ignore the constable's laughter. ‘A night out in our lovely countryside won't hurt you and, although I had little sleep last night, I can see why it happened and I'm glad you have returned safely.' She looked at Rosalie. ‘And, young lady, can you thank your father and tell him if another child happens to come into his care we will always welcome him on to our premises!'

‘Will do, but he's not my father. No one knows who my father is, although I always assumed it was Uncle David, as I have his hair. Father Mick is just the leader of our family and that's our way of showing respect.' She stopped talking, aware she had somehow shocked many of the people in the room.

‘Well, please do thank him for us and thank you, too, for the safe return of Benjamin.' Mrs Reed looked over at her brother briefly and then announced to the room: ‘Well, I think some of us need to talk, but you children can certainly go about your way.'

As Nanny Belle opened the door to let the couple pass, Ben was sure he heard the sound of feet running down the corridor.

Ben walked Rosalie to the front door. ‘So will I be seeing you again?' he asked.

‘Oh my giddy aunt – yes,' she said with the biggest smile. ‘I'll come down and bug you at the oyster factory and we can hang out whenever you're free.' She went all bashful for a second at the door. ‘You're not the only one who doesn't fit in, Ben. I'm a Gypsy child. People always shut their windows as I walk by and
I don't have any friends who are my own age. Besides, even if I did, you're fun – we killed a land lobster together.'

She danced off along the dirt track, leaving Ben standing by the door.

‘Who knows what other monsters we can hunt?' she finally shouted before finally disappearing.

Ben felt his face break into a full grin and he turned back into the house to see several of the children standing behind him. They all looked like they had a thousand questions to ask and before he could say a thing he was bundled excitedly into the girls' dorm. It was much nicer than the boys' dorm – there were even vases of flowers in the alcoves. Ben remembered that the girls attended flower arranging with Reverend Luck's wife on Wednesdays after dinner and these must be the results of their efforts.

Excited faces were gathered all around, even though it was obvious that some weren't too happy at letting Ben feel part of the bigger group.

‘What were the Gypsies like?' This came from Thomas, whom Ben was happy to see alive and well; the last time he had seen him his face was twitching from the land lobster's defensive smoke.

‘They were friendly.' He said not knowing how else to describe them. The comment was met by a huge sigh from James Edwards.

‘He didn't stay with the Gypsies. He just got lost, cried himself to sleep and was walked home by a girl.'

This open contempt made Ben realise he would never be accepted by the likes of James. It was, however, the next question from Christian that threw him.

‘What did you kill?' he asked very quietly and simply, not
even looking at Ben as the words started to form.

‘How did you know about that?' Ben asked, quite surprised. The Gypsy connection he understood, Rosalie was a Gypsy girl and everyone knew there were Gypsies in the woods, but the killing of the creature was a secret, at least as far as the other children were concerned.

It was Farley who answered. ‘Peter and I were listening at the door when you were telling the adults.'

‘What did you kill?' Christian spoke again, slower this time as if to make sure that the question was answered.

‘Yes, what did you kill, Benjamin?' James mocked. ‘Was it a hedgehog for the gypsies' tea?'

Ben could take no more of James's mocking tone – he wasn't going to have his moment tarnished by a bully.

‘I killed the creature in the quarry,' he practically shouted at James, wanting to see the look on his tormentor's face.

He never got the chance. He heard a cry of dismay and anger a fraction before Christian was on him, and they rolled on to the dormitory floor. Ben shielded his face with his arms as Christian rained blow after blow down upon him, hitting as hard as he could with his bony fists. Ben, however, was bigger and stronger than Christian and he managed to push him away. The children had formed a circle about them and Ben found himself in an instant coliseum, with a crowd baying for a fight. Christian came in thumping, tears streaming down his face. Ben couldn't work out what had happened. It was as if Christian was the one who was wronged but it was he who had attacked Ben. Ben took the hits a couple more times, trying to appeal to the slightly younger boy's good nature. The attack, however, did not ease and a lucky blow caught Ben on the ear. For a second his world became shadows and ringing bells, and he reeled into a sea of hands that stopped
him from falling. Ben was not a fighter, but after the events of the morning he was certain he was no longer going to just walk away and he swung a fist back, to the gasps of the circle of children. He was bigger, stronger and vigorous from his muscle-building work during a sea voyage as well as hard labour on the oyster farm; Christian, however, was still weak from his weeks in bed and the punch hit him straight across the jaw and floored him. It was then that the crowd parted, divided by the hands of Mr Reed, who had been alerted by the children's shouts. All he saw was Ben standing over the fallen body of Christian, his fists up like an East End prize-fighter. He didn't need to wait for an explanation – he grabbed Ben and dragged him away, leaving the friends to deal with Christian Green.

As he reached the corridor, Mr Reed was trembling with rage as he took the boy to the front door. He had no idea whether he was throwing Ben out or disciplining him, but there hadn't been fighting at the Garden Orphanage for many a year, and that was quite an achievement with this many young boys. Mr Reed, however, was stopped before he reached the door by Nanny Belle; she calmed him instantly with her presence and raised hands.

‘You are angry, William,' she said directly to Mr Reed. ‘Let me take the boy and punish him in a more appropriate manner before you regret your actions.' She already had hold of Ben's arm. ‘Go tend to the boys and summon your sister to calm the girls.' And without waiting for his agreement, she took Ben out of the grip of Mr Reed's big hands and moved towards the classroom.

Nanny Belle ushered him quickly through the door into her private office that lay in the tower directly above the classroom. She took a straight-backed chair from its resting place against
the wall and sat Ben down.

Nanny Belle didn't really let anybody into her rooms. Well, that was a lie – it was more a case that no one ventured into the rooms as it seemed impolite without an invitation and Nanny Belle didn't invite anybody.

Ben didn't take the opportunity at first to look around. It had all been a blur – one moment he was being accepted and the very next he was fighting not with a bully but with one of the nicer boys of the orphanage. He was now starting to feel the pain in his ear and raised his fingers to touch the tender spot. He only looked up when he saw Nanny Belle walk past him with a bird cage, its heavy cover in place as she removed it from the room.

For a moment he was left alone, hearing only the sound of the teacher's footsteps on the stairs and then in the room above. He finally looked around. The study was almost the same size as the schoolroom below but as such was partly used for the storing of classroom materials. One wall was covered in neatly ordered shelves, on which were piled exercise books, ledgers, boxes of chalk, ink, pencils, paints and blotting paper. At a ninety degree angle and dividing the room, a free-standing shelving unit held the scientific apparatus: shining test tubes, flasks, Petri dishes and beakers stood happily beside the mahogany box that contained the classroom's brass microscope, while on the lower shelves were sturdier items like Bunsen burners, stands and test-tube holders.

The next free-standing shelves stood in parallel, half hidden behind the first, and at first might have been mistaken for a chemist's or a well-stocked kitchen's spice cupboard. It had a host of different-coloured powders and liquids along its length, and the biological specimens would have put a hospital museum
or freak show pickled punk booth to shame.