All Fall Down by Sally Nicholls Read Free Book Online Page A

happened!” There’s a burnt, smoky smell in the house, and a black hole in the bottom of the cooking pot. “How are we supposed to eat now?”
    Maggie is sitting on the floor playing with baby Edward. She’s fluttering her chubby fingers over Edward’s face, while Edward stretches for them. Edward likes to grab at anything – flames, patterns on cloth, marbles, dice. Then he tries to eat them. Maggie runs up to us as we come in the door, calling, “Robin! Robin!”
    Robin swoops her up in his arms and spins her round until she screams. Then he tips her upside down. She squeals and grabs at his legs, but when he puts her down she says, “Again! Again!”
    All little children love Robin.
    Alice is in a fine fury.
    â€œDon’t just stand there!” she says to Ned. “You’ll have to go fetch back that pot I lent to Muriel, if you want any supper tonight.”
    â€œNo,” I say quickly, thinking of that little girl and Ned’s busy tongue. “Don’t send Ned. I’ll go.”
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    The light is fading as I walk through the village to Radulf’s house. The birds are singing in the trees over my head and the gnats are out over the pools under the trees.
    The house sits quiet in its hollow. Smoke curls out of the thatch and the chickens are pecking at the grass, but otherwise it could be deserted.
    I knock on the door, and after the longest time, Radulf answers.
    â€œIsabel!” he says. “Oh – Isabel. Now’s not—”
    â€œI came for Alice’s cooking pot,” I say quickly. I don’t want to get Edith into trouble. “I don’t want to stay.”
    â€œOh,” says Radulf. “Well—” He dithers a little on the doorsill, but at that moment I hear a child’s cry from inside the house, a high, fretful wail.
    â€œIf—” says Radulf. “Just – wait there.”
    He shuts the door in my face and goes back into the house. I hear banging about inside, and Radulf swearing, and then the child crying again, louder.
    The door swings inward.
    Edith is sitting upright in a low bed by the hearth. Even from the doorway I can see her little face is red. Even from here, I can smell a sweet, slightly rotten scent, like old apples. Even from here, I can see the black, swollen lump
on her neck, so large that it pushes her whole face sideways.
    I don’t know much, but I know what that means.
    The sickness has come to us.

11. Rites and Wrongs
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    I t’s growing dark by the time I come back to the green. Alice’s cooking pot bangs against my leg. They’ll be getting hungry at home, waiting for me.
    The pestilence is here. Here in Ingleforn.
    Sir John’s house is next to the church. I bang on his door. From inside I hear murmuring voices, getting louder as he comes closer. The door opens, and there he is, clutching his ale mug, his big belly straining against his cote. Gilbert Reeve is there too, sitting on a stool by the hearth. They’ve been eating supper – I can see the half-eaten pottage in their bowls.
    â€œIsabel.” Sir John frowns. I must look a sight. My face is red and my hood has half-fallen down around my shoulders and I’m still clutching the big cooking pot. “Is anything wrong?”
    I take a deep breath of air, trying to breathe, trying to breathe, trying to breathe.
    â€œIt’s here, sir. It’s here. They have it at Radulf’s house.”
    Sir John draws back so quickly it’s almost funny. The ale slops out of his mug.
    â€œThe sickness?”
    I nod. “His sister brought it from York. Her little girl has it.” I see her again in my mind, little Edith, her face red, her mouth open and crying, the horrible swelling on her neck. “Please, sir,” I say to Sir John. “Muriel says can you go and see her? I don’t—” I trail off. Radulf didn’t want me to tell anyone, but this is a