26

Joseph moved stiffly onto the bench and let the icy wind numb him more effectively than any medicine could.

He watched as Adonis calmed. It didn’t take long: within a minute he’d grown tired of playing with what remained of Bert’s coat, and had taken to scouring the floor of his cage for food.

‘You should be hungry after all that,’ Joseph said. The ape didn’t give Joseph a second glance. Instead, he ferreted out what he could find on the floor, before adopting his normal position, gaze fixed as ever on the entrance. It was like nothing had happened.

‘What are you up to?’

It was Syd. Joseph tried to sit normally so as not to give his injuries away, but in doing so realised he was shaking, badly.

‘Have you not thought about putting more layers on if you’re cold?’ Mrs F, this time. ‘We can’t have you up wheezing and coughing all night.’

He tried to get up. It hurt, the pain in his ribs so sharp that he felt faint, his arms buckling as he slumped in front of the bench.

‘Joseph?’ The voices now were different, concerned, four feet dashing to him, four arms lifting him.

‘Careful now. Gentle, gentle...’

They lifted him back on to the bench. He wanted to lie on it, but they wedged themselves either side of him, holding him upright, the interrogation starting immediately.

‘What happened?’

‘Did you fall?’

‘Was it Adonis?’

‘What hurts?’

‘Do you need a doctor?’

The questions came so fast and the pain was so thick that Joseph wasn’t sure who had asked what.

‘Who did this to you?’ Mrs F asked.

He thought about how to answer but could find no reason not to tell the truth.

‘Bert and Jimmy,’ he said, through cracked lips.

‘Who?’

‘Two boys from school,’ interrupted Syd, not that Joseph minded. He hadn’t the energy to explain. ‘They’ve taken a dislike to Joseph, right from the word go.’

Joseph didn’t look up at Mrs F, but imagined her face was hardening as she tried to work out what he had done to start off another war.

‘It wasn’t his fault though,’ Syd went on. ‘They’ve been really horrid to Joseph. All he’s ever done is stick up for himself.’

‘And they were here, these lads?’ asked Mrs F. ‘How did they get in?’

‘Over the wall I think.’ Joseph shrugged. ‘Must’ve been them making all that noise at the gate.’

‘And they did this to you?’

He nodded. ‘You should see the state of Bert, though.’ He tried to smile, but it hurt too much, so he settled for calling Bert exactly what he was.

‘I’ll be adding to your bruises if I hear that word again,’ Mrs F snapped, ‘and I hope you didn’t respond with more fisticuffs.’

‘I didn’t touch him. Couldn’t, could I? Jimmy was holding me most of the time, or Bert. I couldn’t tell, in the end.’

There was a brief silence before Syd chipped in again. ‘But if you didn’t fight back, why is Bert in a mess too?’

He didn’t answer at first. It demanded energy that he didn’t have. Couldn’t they just let him sleep?

‘Joseph!’ One word snapped him back and had him point his finger at the bars.

‘Adonis...’ he said.

Mrs F was on her feet in an instant: on her feet and marching to the bars.

‘Adonis did what? Joseph, listen to me. What did Adonis do?’

Her eyes flicked between the boy and the cage, checking that the ape was all right, that he hadn’t been attacked too, but Joseph could see that she was scared. She knew about the beast’s temper and what he was capable of.

‘Joseph, I know you’re in pain, but this is important, you need to tell me, now. What did Adonis do?’

‘Bert got too close to the cage. Had his back to it, ready to punch me. And Adonis grabbed him.’

Hands flew to mouths and eyes opened wide.

‘Sweet Lord. The boy. What happened to him? Where is he now?’ Her eyes roamed everywhere. She knew he couldn’t be pulled through the bars, but she looked anyway, and that’s when she spotted the rags of his coat.

‘Is that his?’

Joseph nodded. ‘He was lucky. Adonis grabbed him, but only his coat. His mate, Jimmy, did a runner, so I... er... I...’

‘What? What did you do, Joseph?’ He heard the panic rising in her.

‘I helped him, all right? I didn’t hurt him. I helped him get his coat off so he could wriggle free. That’s how he escaped. I helped him.’

He felt himself sag, both inside and out. But he didn’t fall sideways off the bench as he felt his shoulders being held, gently but firmly, by Mrs F.

‘That... that was brave. Incredibly, incredibly brave... But unbelievably stupid. What were you thinking? You could’ve been killed. Both of you. Don’t you understand that?’

Joseph knew this. How could he not? But he didn’t have a chance to tell this to Mrs F because her attention was yanked away by more commotion at the main gates. Shouting. Lots of it. Shouting and rattling gates. Someone was demanding attention. Now.

‘Stay here. Don’t move. Do you hear me?’ And she walked, briskly, towards the main gate, Syd following.

Joseph sat. Just for a second. Before realising he couldn’t stay here. He knew that the racket at the gate must be linked to all this. And if that was the case, then his place was there too. Holding his ribs, and catching his breath, he pushed on after them.