without a moment’s hesitation. ‘No, I don’t think that for a moment. Not everyone grows old at all.’
The old man stared at him, thinking about the boy’s words, but didn’t ask any further questions. ‘Eat,’ he said after a moment, pointing at the plate that sat fully loaded in front of the boy. ‘Eat, before it gets hot.’
Noah didn’t wolf down his lunch, despite his hunger, as his mother always said he should have consideration for the other diners and not eat like a pig who hadn’t been fed in a month. Instead he chewed his food quietly and slowly, enjoying every mouthful of the spread, which was as delicious as any food he had ever tasted.
‘I used to have an appetite like yours once,’ said the old man. ‘Not any more though. If I have a dozen or so meals a day now, that’s generallyenough for me.’
‘A dozen or so?’ asked the boy, astonished. ‘At home we only ever have three. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.’
‘Oh dear,’ said the old man. ‘That doesn’t sound right at all. Doesn’t your wife know how to cook then?’
‘My wife?’ asked Noah, bursting out laughing. ‘But I don’t have a wife.’
‘Don’t you? And why is that? You seem like a pleasant enough sort of chap. You’re easy enough on the eye. You don’t smell too bad. Well,’ he added, sniffing the air and considering this, ‘actually, now that I mention it—’
‘But I’m only eight,’ said Noah. ‘You can’t get married at eight! Not that I’d want to anyway.’
‘Really?’ asked the old man. ‘And why ever not, might I ask?’
Noah thought about it. ‘Well, maybe when I’m
very
old I’ll get married,’ he said finally. ‘Like when I’m twenty-five. There’s a girl in my class, Sarah Skinny, who’s my fourth best friend, and I expect we’ll get married one day, but not for a long time yet.’ He looked around and considered how small this kitchen was and how it appeared to be designed for only one. ‘And what about you?’ he asked. ‘Aren’t you married?’
‘Oh no,’ said the old man, shaking his head. ‘No, I never met the right girl.’
‘You live here alone then?’
‘Yes. Although I have plenty of company. Alexander and Henry, for example, whom you met.’
‘The clock and the door?’ asked Noah.
‘Yes. And there are others. Many others. I’ve lost track really. And I have my puppets, of course.’
Noah nodded and continued to eat his lunch. ‘This is very good,’ he said, his mouth filled with food. ‘Sorry,’ he added, giggling a little.
‘It’s all right,’ said the old man, holding the wood away from him now and blowing the dust off it. He examined it, appeared pleased by what he saw, and carried on, his chisel making careful and precise incisions in the wood. ‘There’s nothing quite as satisfying as watching a hungry boy eat,’ he remarked. ‘So if you have no wife, I expect you live alone too?’
Noah shook his head. ‘No, I live with my family,’ he said, his fork stopping in mid-air for a moment as he thought about them. ‘Or rather, I
used
to live with them,’ he said, correcting himself. ‘Before I left, that is.’
‘You don’t live there any more?’
‘No, I left this morning. I’m off to see the world and have adventures.’
‘Ah, there is nothing quite like a good adventure,’ said the old man, smiling. ‘I once went to Holland for the weekend and stayed for a year after getting involved in a plot to overthrow the government.’
‘I can’t imagine I’d get involved with anything like that,’ said Noah, who wasn’t in the least bit political.
‘And your parents were happy for you to leave home?’
Noah said nothing for a long time and then looked down at his plate, his face clouding over, the food before him suddenly seeming far less appetizing than it had a moment before.
‘You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,’ said the old man. ‘I do know a little of what it’s like to be eight years
The old man stared at him, thinking about the boy’s words, but didn’t ask any further questions. ‘Eat,’ he said after a moment, pointing at the plate that sat fully loaded in front of the boy. ‘Eat, before it gets hot.’
Noah didn’t wolf down his lunch, despite his hunger, as his mother always said he should have consideration for the other diners and not eat like a pig who hadn’t been fed in a month. Instead he chewed his food quietly and slowly, enjoying every mouthful of the spread, which was as delicious as any food he had ever tasted.
‘I used to have an appetite like yours once,’ said the old man. ‘Not any more though. If I have a dozen or so meals a day now, that’s generallyenough for me.’
‘A dozen or so?’ asked the boy, astonished. ‘At home we only ever have three. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.’
‘Oh dear,’ said the old man. ‘That doesn’t sound right at all. Doesn’t your wife know how to cook then?’
‘My wife?’ asked Noah, bursting out laughing. ‘But I don’t have a wife.’
‘Don’t you? And why is that? You seem like a pleasant enough sort of chap. You’re easy enough on the eye. You don’t smell too bad. Well,’ he added, sniffing the air and considering this, ‘actually, now that I mention it—’
‘But I’m only eight,’ said Noah. ‘You can’t get married at eight! Not that I’d want to anyway.’
‘Really?’ asked the old man. ‘And why ever not, might I ask?’
Noah thought about it. ‘Well, maybe when I’m
very
old I’ll get married,’ he said finally. ‘Like when I’m twenty-five. There’s a girl in my class, Sarah Skinny, who’s my fourth best friend, and I expect we’ll get married one day, but not for a long time yet.’ He looked around and considered how small this kitchen was and how it appeared to be designed for only one. ‘And what about you?’ he asked. ‘Aren’t you married?’
‘Oh no,’ said the old man, shaking his head. ‘No, I never met the right girl.’
‘You live here alone then?’
‘Yes. Although I have plenty of company. Alexander and Henry, for example, whom you met.’
‘The clock and the door?’ asked Noah.
‘Yes. And there are others. Many others. I’ve lost track really. And I have my puppets, of course.’
Noah nodded and continued to eat his lunch. ‘This is very good,’ he said, his mouth filled with food. ‘Sorry,’ he added, giggling a little.
‘It’s all right,’ said the old man, holding the wood away from him now and blowing the dust off it. He examined it, appeared pleased by what he saw, and carried on, his chisel making careful and precise incisions in the wood. ‘There’s nothing quite as satisfying as watching a hungry boy eat,’ he remarked. ‘So if you have no wife, I expect you live alone too?’
Noah shook his head. ‘No, I live with my family,’ he said, his fork stopping in mid-air for a moment as he thought about them. ‘Or rather, I
used
to live with them,’ he said, correcting himself. ‘Before I left, that is.’
‘You don’t live there any more?’
‘No, I left this morning. I’m off to see the world and have adventures.’
‘Ah, there is nothing quite like a good adventure,’ said the old man, smiling. ‘I once went to Holland for the weekend and stayed for a year after getting involved in a plot to overthrow the government.’
‘I can’t imagine I’d get involved with anything like that,’ said Noah, who wasn’t in the least bit political.
‘And your parents were happy for you to leave home?’
Noah said nothing for a long time and then looked down at his plate, his face clouding over, the food before him suddenly seeming far less appetizing than it had a moment before.
‘You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,’ said the old man. ‘I do know a little of what it’s like to be eight years
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