The Roy Stories by Barry Gifford Read Free Book Online

about the Romans’ use of young boys in their army, and after he read about Hadrian’s Wall he imagined a situation in which the boy infantry revolted and deserted and ran away to an isolated part of the empire and established their own encampment.
    â€œWhat if the kids built a big wall like Emperor Hadrian did?” Roy said to the Viper and Jimmy Boyle.
    The boys were standing together under the awning of Vincenzo’s Shoe Repair near the corner of Dupre and Winnebago early on a Saturday morning. They were waiting for a few other guys to meet up with them before walking over to the fieldhouse at St. Rose of Lima where they were going to play basketball. It was a cold, gray, drizzly day and there weren’t many people on the streets yet.
    â€œEmperor who?” asked Jimmy.
    â€œIn 122 A.D., the Roman emperor Hadrian began building these enormous walls, like one-sided forts, to establish boundaries,” Roy explained. “The longest one was about eighty miles and it was so tall and impenetrable that no enemy could get over or through it.”
    â€œThey could go around,” said the Viper.
    â€œYeah, but that would take a very long time and the far ends of the walls were built up against big, rugged rock formations or hills. The kid soldiers could protect themselves by constructing a smaller version of Hadrian’s Wall. They could stockpile weapons, mostly crossbows that they could fire from the parapet at anyone who came to get them.”
    â€œWhat’s a parapet?” Jimmy asked.
    â€œA narrow platform or walkway at the top that ran the length of the wall.”
    â€œWhat about food?”
    â€œThey’d hunt,” said Roy, “and they could bring along goats and chickens for milk and eggs.”
    â€œThis didn’t happen, though,” the Viper said. “You’re just makin’ it up.”
    â€œI’m sure some kids thought of doin’ it,” said Roy. “The infantry knew they were doomed. Why would they stick around once they saw how the legions used them?”
    Magic Frank, Billy Kristelis and an older kid Roy knew only by sight and reputation named Bobby Dorp jaywalked across Winnebago and joined Roy, Jimmy and the Viper.
    â€œHey, fellas,” Frank said, “this is Bobby Dorp. He’s gonna play with us today.”
    Dorp nodded at the other boys and they nodded back. Roy knew that Dorp had dropped out of high school after a girl named Mitzi Mink had accused him of molesting her in a hallway and that he now worked delivering groceries for the A & P on Minnetonka. The Viper had played basketball with him before, so he knew Dorp was good.
    â€œGreat,” said the Viper. “Bobby can shoot with either hand, guys.”
    â€œHe’s ambidestric,” said Billy Kristelis.
    â€œWhich hand are you better with?” asked Roy.
    Dorp was at least two or three inches taller than the other boys but he was skinny. His coat was too small for him so his wrists stuck out. Roy noticed how long they were.
    â€œI shoot about the same with either one,” said Dorp. “When I’m off, I miss with both.”
    â€œBobby’s gonna join the army,” said Magic Frank.
    â€œWhen I’m seventeen,” Dorp said, “in three months. My brother Dominic’s in already.”
    â€œWhat happened to him?” asked Jimmy Boyle. “Is he okay?”
    â€œOh, yeah,” said Dorp. “He’s in Germany now, but he’s gonna re-up so he can go to Indochina. Bein’ in the army’s the best way to see the world, Dom says. I’m goin’ in the infantry, like he did. They’re the ones who get to do the real fightin’.”

 
    Drifting Down the Old Whangpoo
    There was a mysterious old guy Roy saw now and again walking in the neighborhood who would disappear for weeks or months until Roy thought he must have died or gone away and then suddenly there he was, wearing the same baggy