Waiting in the Shadows by Trish Moran Page A

racing games,’ Ruby told him.
    â€˜Oh, don’t let me disturb you!’ Mr Robinson said.
    â€˜Not at all!’ she continued, ‘I want to watch Champions and these would be lovely with a cup of tea! Can I get you one, Mr Robinson?’
    â€˜Well, if it’s not too much trouble,’ Mr Robinson settled himself down in a nearby chair. Champions ? It’s on in five minutes. I haven’t seen it for a few weeks now. My wife likes the dancing competition!’
    Celia flicked the television on, ‘Which programme do I select?’
    â€˜Channel 3,’ Ruby told her returning with a tray of teacups. She placed it on the table, ‘There you are, Mr Robinson. Leon, give this to Keith, will you?’ she handed him a cup of tea and then opened the container of cakes.
    â€˜Wow! Such cakes!’ Leon’s eyes were wide as he reached inside the box, his sleeve slowly slipping up his arm.
    Ruby playfully slapped his hand away, ‘Leon, you’d better wash your hands first and fix your sleeves, hmmm?’
    Leon and Johnny exchanged looks of horror as he pulled his shirt over the tattooed code and both quickly went to the kitchen. Ruby turned to chat to their landlord as Keith and Celia joined them.
    â€˜So, do you think Bill Blazer will win again? ‘Bill Blazer Blazes to Victory!’ Some people say the show’s rigged, that’s why he always wins!’
    Mr Robinson sipped his tea, ‘That’s why my wife doesn’t want to watch it anymore! I don’t think so, myself. It’s filmed live!’
    â€˜That’s what I say!’ Ruby exclaimed. ‘How can he work out which game will come up next? It’s chosen randomly. He can’t spend all week practising all of them, can he?’
    Soon all eyes were on the television. At first, only Ruby and Mr Robinson made comments and sounds of encouragement for their favourite team; but after ten minutes Leon and Johnny were just as involved in supporting the opposing teams.
    The cakes and tea had long been finished when Mr Robinson stood up to go.
    â€˜Well, I’m glad to see you’re all settled in so well. Anything you need, just call by our house at the end of the road there,’ he said as Ruby showed him out.
    Celia sat up as Ruby came back into the lounge.
    â€˜We have to be more vigilant!’ she said. ‘If it wasn’t for Ruby’s quick thinking, he could have seen our codes! We must keep a plastic strip ready at all times.’
    The others nodded.
    Celia looked across at Ruby with admiration in her eyes, ‘And, Ruby, you can talk for so long on trivia, which Non-Labs seem to indulge in so often. It thoroughly distracted him! Well done!’
    â€˜We call it small talk, just a way of being friendly,’ Ruby told her.
    â€˜Don’t forget, Celia, Ruby is a Non-Lab! She can do things we are only learning to do!’ Keith pointed out.
    â€˜I do forget that sometimes, Ruby,’ Celia gave her small smile again.
    Later that night, at Celia’s insistence, they all went for a run on the hillside behind the house. Celia, Johnny, and Leon quickly disappeared into the darkness. Keith stayed beside Ruby.
    â€˜OK?’ he asked.
    Ruby nodded, not having enough breath to make a reply.
    After a while Keith suggested they turn back. They sat in the back garden waiting for the others to return.
    â€˜It is sometimes difficult for you, isn’t it?’ he said.
    She nodded, ‘You are all so fit, so clever, so … everything I am not!’
    â€˜We are created this way in the lab. I suppose you have been created the way you are, more by nature,’ he looked at her. ‘I like the way you are created, Ruby.’
    She was glad he could not see her blush in the darkness.
    â€˜Do Labs have feelings … relationships … within their community?’ she asked him.
    â€˜We all feel for every Lab. Each one of us is an