24

It didn’t take long for Joseph to disobey Mrs F. A few minutes at most. The reality was, Adonis had still not eaten properly, and to Joseph’s mind if the situation remained the same, he would be blamed for it.

Besides, he said to himself, he knew what he was doing now, didn’t he? And it wasn’t like he was stepping inside the cage. He’d watched Mrs F feed the ape through the bars loads of times, and he’d practically done it himself, barring the interruption. Adonis would’ve taken food from his hand: and if it had happened once, then it could happen again.

So he pushed himself from his seat and stooped over the bucket, deciding to carry several pieces of food in each hand. That way he wouldn’t have to retreat every time he needed more.

With full hands and a quickening heart, he started his approach: head down, shoulders slouched, steps fairylike. He didn’t bother to look for the ape’s response yet, it was too soon.

Ten paces on and it was a textbook situation. Adonis had sloped closer, and could see that dinner was nearly served, though Joseph didn’t rush or move impulsively. He wanted to show the ape that he had been wrong to charge at him before, that he was to be trusted, worthy.

Adonis became more excited, grunting and scratching and Joseph followed suit. There was nothing to fear here, everything was as it should be.

Or it was until Joseph’s arm extended outwards. He was careful to ensure that it didn’t snake through the bars into Adonis’s territory. He knew that any overconfidence would leave him vulnerable. He wanted Adonis to come to him, so he could pull away more easily if necessary. Yet as he spotted the ape’s arm move forward, he felt a sudden dramatic shove from behind, delivered with such force that it sent him sprawling against the bars, both arms pushing through them all the way up to the shoulders. His nose made impact with the metal and it dazed him, but not enough to stop him realising he was now incredibly vulnerable. But Adonis didn’t attack. He sprinted quickly into the depths of the shadows, invisible in a second, presumably as he tried to work out what and where the danger was coming from.

Joseph pushed himself away from the bars on all fours, before turning on his knees to find two figures looming grimly over him.

Bert Conaghan and Jimmy Rodwell.

At first Joseph was confused. He associated them so firmly with school that their presence here seemed incongruous.

‘Hello, dunce,’ Bert said, gruffly.

‘Aren’t you on the wrong side of these bars?’ added Jimmy.

A second later Bert had Joseph in a headlock: one that he couldn’t fight his way out of.

‘Think his head would fit through the gap?’ laughed Jimmy.

‘Only one way to find out.’ And the bully started to run towards the bars, with Joseph tripping along beside him.

As they reached the bars, Bert let go, hurling Joseph flush into them, a shooting pain whipping through his shoulder and upper back. But it was only the start, as Bert followed up with a slap to the face and a kick to the ribs. Jimmy took this as his cue to join in, using his fists as readily as his partner employed his feet.

Joseph curled up into the tightest of balls. But no matter how hard he tried there were too many parts of his body left exposed, and the boys went to town on them. The blows weren’t always the hardest, but they came with such frequency that it felt to Joseph like he was being prodded with a hot poker.

Bert and Jimmy, however, weren’t done.

‘What’s happened to the thing in this cage?’ asked Bert, pausing.

‘Dunno. In its hut? Who cares? Can’t have been anything interesting anyway. I mean, looks like the whole place is empty, apart from this animal right here.’ Jimmy nudged Joseph with the toe of his boot like he was a cockroach.

‘Maybe we should give the place a new resident then.’ Bert marched to the gate of Adonis’s enclosure and began wrestling with the padlock.

Jimmy thought this was the funniest thing he had ever seen, and bent double, laughing. ‘People will queue round the block. We’ll make a fortune!’

On the insults went, until Bert realised he would get no joy from the padlock and decided to take his frustration out on Joseph again instead.

‘Get him on his feet,’ he barked at Jimmy, who duly obliged.

‘That’s it. Keep his chin up, too. Let me get clear sight of him.’

Bert prowled forwards and shook out his fist. Joseph could already feel the sting of the blow he was about to deliver.

‘Now you listen to me, Palmer,’ he hissed, his back only inches from Adonis’s bars. ‘We don’t like you, as you might’ve already guessed. So every time you get in our faces, in fact, every time we even see your face, know that this is what’s waiting for you.’

He pulled back his arm, fist clenched, packed tight with every bit of hate he could summon. Joseph’s eyes were already swelling, but he didn’t need to be able to see to know what was coming next.

However, the punch never came. Instead there was a thundering from behind Bert that was swifter and more powerful than anything the Nazis could throw.

Before his fist could even draw level with his own nose, Bert had been pulled backwards and slammed against the bars, at the mercy of the beast called Adonis.