Arnie Jenks and the House of Strangers by Tim Bradley Read Free Book Online

devil.’ Then she stepped closer to Arnie and softened her voice.
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜If I’m invisible to them – why aren’t I to you?’
    â€˜Perhaps because I caused you to stay?’ guessed Arnie. ‘When we ended up on the floor together.’
    â€˜And why? Company?’ suggested Emily.
    â€˜Maybe,’ said Arnie. ‘It’s a bit lonely here. Be nice to have someone to talk to.’
    Emily shrugged her shoulders. ‘I’d rather go home!’
    â€˜I don’t know how to fix that,’ he said.
    She sighed and looked back along the passageway. ‘I suppose there is only one thing we can do.’
    â€˜What’s that?’ said Arnie.
    â€˜Wait.’
    â€˜Till we can get you back?’ he tried optimistically.
    â€˜Or something else happens!’ shivered Emily, rubbing her arms.
    â€˜Come on,’ said Arnie upbeat. ‘Let’s go and find those biscuits. I’m starving.’

    *
    Arnie and Emily sat opposite each other on two long sofas that divided the Blue Room along the middle, munching on the snack which as promised, Mr Silverthorne had delivered.
    â€˜Want another?’
    â€˜No, ta – one was quite enough,’ said Emily, brushing some crumbs away out of the folds of her dress and looking out towards the hall.
    â€˜They are a bit boring aren’t they – shame he didn’t have any Jaffa Cakes you’d love them. Orange and sponge – terrific!’
    â€˜I know you’re trying to take my mind off things,’ Emily smiled weakly, ‘but I’m all right really. Everything just feels a little unreal at the moment – I’m sure I’ll get used to it,’ she said unconvincingly. Emily then noticed Arnie’s iPod abandoned on a cushion beside him and leant over to pick it up.
    â€˜What does it do?’ she said, twisting it over and over.
    â€˜Plays music.’
    â€˜Like an organ grinder does?’
    â€˜Ah…nope. Not really,’ said Arnie truthfully. ‘I have over 1000 tracks…um…“songs” in there, all at the touch of a button and can download…um…“add” hundreds more whenever I can afford to buy them. Which most of the time I can’t.’
    â€˜I don’t understand. All those sounds packed into a small tin box like this? How do you get them in?’
    â€˜From iTunes. Or from mates.’
    Emily gave him a look.
    â€˜Don’t they get muddled up with each other?’ she said.
    Arnie watched Emily try to prise it open. As her fingers dabbled with the device, it sprang into life pumping out a blast of sound. Emily dropped the iPod like a hot potato.
    Arnie offered her an earpiece and together they shared a sample of Arnie’s taste in music before, frowning disapprovingly, she handed it back to him.
    â€˜You listen to that?’ she queried, amazed.
    â€˜Only when I’m meant to be working – it helps me concentrate.’
    â€˜But it’s very…
loud
. Doesn’t it give you a headache?’
    â€˜Nope,’ Arnie shrugged, as he turned it off.
    â€˜I’d prefer to sit in the park and hear the band play,’ she said. ‘Don’t you do that?’
    He shook his head. ‘No. Not really.’
    â€˜But why would you want such a thing?’ she asked.
    â€˜It solves one problem.’
    â€˜What’s that?’
    â€˜My CD’s can’t get scratched anymore once they’re on this,’ he said grinning.
    â€˜What are CDs?’ said Emily sweetly.
    â€˜Never mind about them,’ said Arnie, ‘You just keep with the band for now.’
    Emily sighed and looked around the room. ‘I should be doing something,’ she said restlessly, before spotting the hearth with its few paltry logs and knobbly chunks of coal. She wandered over to inspect it and knelt down.
    â€˜Did that man really mean what he said about the servants