mountains. ‘Nighty night. I’m off to my cell. Unless …’
Bentley appeared at 428’s side smoothly. ‘If I may point out, 428 …’
‘Ah.’ 428 seemed unimpressed. ‘It’s the Little Match Girl.’
Bentley’s silken smile didn’t waver. ‘May I remind you, Prisoner 428, that you have broken curfew, and a personal agreement with the Governor?’
428 arched an eyebrow slowly and he started to applaud. It was slow and sarcastic. ‘Please tell me it’s solitary confinement.’
‘Indeed.’ Bentley refused to appear unsettled.
‘Splendid.’ 428 rubbed his hands together. ‘Because I can’t stand the sight of any of you at the moment. I fancy a rest from all of your faces. Take me to my new caravan. Oh …’ He turned to Bentley. ‘And do saysorry to Lafcardio from me. Won’t you?’
Bentley nodded.
‘Good,’ 428 said strolling towards the waiting Custodians. ‘Because I don’t think he’ll get an apology from you lot otherwise.’
We’d placed a camera in his new cell, but it didn’t show anything much. Simply 428 sat, motionless. With his back to the camera.
For hours.
The girl came back. She was standing on the landing pad, hair neatly swept back. Her clothes were identical, only covered in dots of paint. She was holding a placard.
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Hello!’ She stuck out her hand. ‘Don’t shake it,’ she said. ‘Paint’s still wet. And also, electric field.’
‘Yes,’ I said.
‘I knew you’d come.’ Clara seemed pleased with herself.
‘Well, I am only mandated to make one visit. I may, of course, come out a second time.’
‘You’ll come out loads more,’ she assured me.
‘Well,’ I chuckled, ‘that’s purely at my discretion.’
‘You really are a pompous ass,’ smiled Clara. ‘You’d like my headmaster.’
‘Ah,’ I said. ‘This is how you’re going to winclemency for the Doctor.’
‘Uh-huh,’ she said. ‘That and the signs. Do you like them?’
She waved the placard. ‘FREE THE DOCTOR,’ it said, decorated with various coloured handprints.
‘Class 2B made them,’ she said. She turned around the placard. On the back it said, ‘SAVE DOT COT’. I looked at her.
‘Oh, yes, 2A got a leetle bit confused. Dot Cotton. Famous cockney chimney. Doesn’t matter. The broomstick was leant to me by Danny. He’s another teacher at the school. No, wait, he doesn’t matter.’ Clearly a boyfriend. Did I feel jealous about this? Oddly, no.
‘Are you all right?’ I asked.
‘Yes. Er. Why?’
‘You seem nervous.’
‘Ah, yes. Well, I’m in two places at once at the moment.’ Clara’s face fell. ‘It doesn’t matter. How’s the Doctor getting on?’
‘Prisoner 428 is being cared for in accordance with agreed Protocols.’
‘Agreed Protocols? I just bet he loves that.’ Clara made a face.
‘No, he doesn’t.’
‘Thought not.’ She made a great play of trying to seem casual. ‘Listen,’ she said. ‘Can I … can I give you something?’
‘Is it a petition?’ I sighed. ‘I can accept them, but not gifts or letters for prisoners.’ I was disappointed by Clara. Bored, I pointed to a gap in the chain fence. There was a silver box fitted to it. ‘If you so wish.’ I’d really hoped better of her. ‘Place what you have in the box.’
Clara hesitated. ‘It’s vitally important you read this. You’ll understand.’
‘Painted for me by Class 2B?’
‘Well, no. Well, all right, a lot of important stuff and just the one painting. But it’s quite nice. And 2B made me promise. After the Doctor came and did balloon animals one afternoon. Anyway, that’s not the point.’ She pulled a bundle from her satchel and placed it in the box. ‘You’ve got to read this. Hey, where are you going?’
‘Well,’ I said, ‘I assure you that I will read your material. Once the seven systems necessary to transfer these objects over have been deactivated. Which requires oversight and screening. Then, if the items have
Bentley appeared at 428’s side smoothly. ‘If I may point out, 428 …’
‘Ah.’ 428 seemed unimpressed. ‘It’s the Little Match Girl.’
Bentley’s silken smile didn’t waver. ‘May I remind you, Prisoner 428, that you have broken curfew, and a personal agreement with the Governor?’
428 arched an eyebrow slowly and he started to applaud. It was slow and sarcastic. ‘Please tell me it’s solitary confinement.’
‘Indeed.’ Bentley refused to appear unsettled.
‘Splendid.’ 428 rubbed his hands together. ‘Because I can’t stand the sight of any of you at the moment. I fancy a rest from all of your faces. Take me to my new caravan. Oh …’ He turned to Bentley. ‘And do saysorry to Lafcardio from me. Won’t you?’
Bentley nodded.
‘Good,’ 428 said strolling towards the waiting Custodians. ‘Because I don’t think he’ll get an apology from you lot otherwise.’
We’d placed a camera in his new cell, but it didn’t show anything much. Simply 428 sat, motionless. With his back to the camera.
For hours.
The girl came back. She was standing on the landing pad, hair neatly swept back. Her clothes were identical, only covered in dots of paint. She was holding a placard.
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Hello!’ She stuck out her hand. ‘Don’t shake it,’ she said. ‘Paint’s still wet. And also, electric field.’
‘Yes,’ I said.
‘I knew you’d come.’ Clara seemed pleased with herself.
‘Well, I am only mandated to make one visit. I may, of course, come out a second time.’
‘You’ll come out loads more,’ she assured me.
‘Well,’ I chuckled, ‘that’s purely at my discretion.’
‘You really are a pompous ass,’ smiled Clara. ‘You’d like my headmaster.’
‘Ah,’ I said. ‘This is how you’re going to winclemency for the Doctor.’
‘Uh-huh,’ she said. ‘That and the signs. Do you like them?’
She waved the placard. ‘FREE THE DOCTOR,’ it said, decorated with various coloured handprints.
‘Class 2B made them,’ she said. She turned around the placard. On the back it said, ‘SAVE DOT COT’. I looked at her.
‘Oh, yes, 2A got a leetle bit confused. Dot Cotton. Famous cockney chimney. Doesn’t matter. The broomstick was leant to me by Danny. He’s another teacher at the school. No, wait, he doesn’t matter.’ Clearly a boyfriend. Did I feel jealous about this? Oddly, no.
‘Are you all right?’ I asked.
‘Yes. Er. Why?’
‘You seem nervous.’
‘Ah, yes. Well, I’m in two places at once at the moment.’ Clara’s face fell. ‘It doesn’t matter. How’s the Doctor getting on?’
‘Prisoner 428 is being cared for in accordance with agreed Protocols.’
‘Agreed Protocols? I just bet he loves that.’ Clara made a face.
‘No, he doesn’t.’
‘Thought not.’ She made a great play of trying to seem casual. ‘Listen,’ she said. ‘Can I … can I give you something?’
‘Is it a petition?’ I sighed. ‘I can accept them, but not gifts or letters for prisoners.’ I was disappointed by Clara. Bored, I pointed to a gap in the chain fence. There was a silver box fitted to it. ‘If you so wish.’ I’d really hoped better of her. ‘Place what you have in the box.’
Clara hesitated. ‘It’s vitally important you read this. You’ll understand.’
‘Painted for me by Class 2B?’
‘Well, no. Well, all right, a lot of important stuff and just the one painting. But it’s quite nice. And 2B made me promise. After the Doctor came and did balloon animals one afternoon. Anyway, that’s not the point.’ She pulled a bundle from her satchel and placed it in the box. ‘You’ve got to read this. Hey, where are you going?’
‘Well,’ I said, ‘I assure you that I will read your material. Once the seven systems necessary to transfer these objects over have been deactivated. Which requires oversight and screening. Then, if the items have
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