a-blur.
Dunk Dog had now crossed the courtyard of the office building and entered the overpass to the top level of the shops below, and was back riding his skateboard again. The Freewheelers balked at the ‘Pedestrians Only’ sign at the entrance.
‘Should we?’ asked Mio, and was met with a chorus of ‘yes’es.
Riding with care, the kids picked their way through the throng, weaving in and out with the dexterity of a spindle at a loom.
Dunk Dog glanced over his shoulder. Still there! He couldn’t believe it. Up ahead was the escalator. With a leap like a high-jumper Dunk Dog landed halfway along the down escalator, once more clutching his skateboard. But as he landed his ankle buckled and his legs went from under him. His skateboard shot one way and his body another.
From the top, the kids could see that one of Dunk Dog’s feet was wedged in the escalator. His body wrenched as he did the splits. Bryce flinched at the imagined pain.
Mio thumped the emergency button and the escalator ground to a halt.
But before she could take a step Dunk Dog had done a dive, then face-planted at the bottom, aggravating the wounds on his chin. He staggered to his feet. There was blood everywhere.
One shopper went to his aid but Dunk Dog waved him away. Lurching around like a punch drunk boxer he managed to retrieve his skateboard and stumble through some glass swing doors onto the street.
‘After him!’ yelled Darcy but even as he spoke they could see Dunk Dog dash across the road and disappear into a waiting bus.
Chapter Ten
A very dispirited group of Freewheelers was escorted to the door of the shopping centre by a very irate security guard. They wheeled their bikes out of the shopping complex and huddled on the pavement outside. ‘Let’s go visit Mr Lark,’ suggested Bryce. ‘After that chase I’m starving.’
‘I can’t face Mr Lark without the dog tags,’ said Mio, ‘and besides, there are still lots of pawn shops to visit.’
‘But I’m so hungry I could eat my own arm,’ said Bryce.
Clem looked at her watch and turned to Darcy saying, ‘It’s getting late. Mum will be expecting us home in an hour. We won’t have time to visit Mr Lark.’
Mio’s face lit up. ‘So, let’s check more pawn shops, then.’
‘I need to eat…’ said Clem, patting her growling stomach, ‘as Oma says, mit der Not kämpfen , to keep the wolf from the door.’
Tong thought of stories he’d been told about hunger in his own country. How an evil man called Pol Pot not only used his army, the Khmer Rouge, to kill lots of Vietnamese, but also starved them to death saying, Hunger is the most effective disease. Tong thought of his own hunger gnawing in his gut, and would have to agree. ‘Me most hungry too.’
‘Tell you what? If we check a few more pawn shops I’ll shout afternoon tea.’ Mio linked her arms through Bryce’s and Tong’s. ‘How about hot chips?’
‘Hot chips. Yummm. They’re so my favourite.’
Tong nodded saying, ‘Hot chip make me happy,’ making Mio laugh.
While the others minded her bike Mio went back inside the shopping complex to find the Food Hall. Wafts of salt and oil led her to it immediately. In no time at all she was carrying a paper bag containing five cartons of hot chips outside. She would have sworn she wasn’t hungry but as soon as she smelt the tangy aroma of vinegar, her mouth had started to water.
The kids sat on some benches, enjoying the heat from the last rays from the afternoon sun. The light was muted, throwing long shadows from the building across the street, making Clem shiver. Bella crawled into her lap and licked her hand, hoping that a few tasty morsels would come her way. Every so often she leant over and nuzzled the crunchy bits which had fallen into Clem’s lap.
People were finishing work for the day and as the kids sat they could see the footpaths get busier and busier. Pedestrians moved in all directions, jostling for position like runners in a marathon
Dunk Dog had now crossed the courtyard of the office building and entered the overpass to the top level of the shops below, and was back riding his skateboard again. The Freewheelers balked at the ‘Pedestrians Only’ sign at the entrance.
‘Should we?’ asked Mio, and was met with a chorus of ‘yes’es.
Riding with care, the kids picked their way through the throng, weaving in and out with the dexterity of a spindle at a loom.
Dunk Dog glanced over his shoulder. Still there! He couldn’t believe it. Up ahead was the escalator. With a leap like a high-jumper Dunk Dog landed halfway along the down escalator, once more clutching his skateboard. But as he landed his ankle buckled and his legs went from under him. His skateboard shot one way and his body another.
From the top, the kids could see that one of Dunk Dog’s feet was wedged in the escalator. His body wrenched as he did the splits. Bryce flinched at the imagined pain.
Mio thumped the emergency button and the escalator ground to a halt.
But before she could take a step Dunk Dog had done a dive, then face-planted at the bottom, aggravating the wounds on his chin. He staggered to his feet. There was blood everywhere.
One shopper went to his aid but Dunk Dog waved him away. Lurching around like a punch drunk boxer he managed to retrieve his skateboard and stumble through some glass swing doors onto the street.
‘After him!’ yelled Darcy but even as he spoke they could see Dunk Dog dash across the road and disappear into a waiting bus.
Chapter Ten
A very dispirited group of Freewheelers was escorted to the door of the shopping centre by a very irate security guard. They wheeled their bikes out of the shopping complex and huddled on the pavement outside. ‘Let’s go visit Mr Lark,’ suggested Bryce. ‘After that chase I’m starving.’
‘I can’t face Mr Lark without the dog tags,’ said Mio, ‘and besides, there are still lots of pawn shops to visit.’
‘But I’m so hungry I could eat my own arm,’ said Bryce.
Clem looked at her watch and turned to Darcy saying, ‘It’s getting late. Mum will be expecting us home in an hour. We won’t have time to visit Mr Lark.’
Mio’s face lit up. ‘So, let’s check more pawn shops, then.’
‘I need to eat…’ said Clem, patting her growling stomach, ‘as Oma says, mit der Not kämpfen , to keep the wolf from the door.’
Tong thought of stories he’d been told about hunger in his own country. How an evil man called Pol Pot not only used his army, the Khmer Rouge, to kill lots of Vietnamese, but also starved them to death saying, Hunger is the most effective disease. Tong thought of his own hunger gnawing in his gut, and would have to agree. ‘Me most hungry too.’
‘Tell you what? If we check a few more pawn shops I’ll shout afternoon tea.’ Mio linked her arms through Bryce’s and Tong’s. ‘How about hot chips?’
‘Hot chips. Yummm. They’re so my favourite.’
Tong nodded saying, ‘Hot chip make me happy,’ making Mio laugh.
While the others minded her bike Mio went back inside the shopping complex to find the Food Hall. Wafts of salt and oil led her to it immediately. In no time at all she was carrying a paper bag containing five cartons of hot chips outside. She would have sworn she wasn’t hungry but as soon as she smelt the tangy aroma of vinegar, her mouth had started to water.
The kids sat on some benches, enjoying the heat from the last rays from the afternoon sun. The light was muted, throwing long shadows from the building across the street, making Clem shiver. Bella crawled into her lap and licked her hand, hoping that a few tasty morsels would come her way. Every so often she leant over and nuzzled the crunchy bits which had fallen into Clem’s lap.
People were finishing work for the day and as the kids sat they could see the footpaths get busier and busier. Pedestrians moved in all directions, jostling for position like runners in a marathon
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