Vengeance Child by Simon Clark Read Free Book Online Page B

You’ll like that, won’t you?’
    Jay’s reply was so odd that it kept coming back to Victor for the rest of the night. ‘ I’m not frightened about where we’re staying. I’m frightened that I’ll do the same to you as I did to Maureen. ’

Seven
    The boy known as Jay beamed with pleasure as he fed the goat slices of bread. A group of ten children had walked up here in the morning with Lou to get acquainted the animals and to meet with the island ranger. The children kept clear of Jay. There was none of the name-calling from last night; they just excluded him from their play as if it all came as naturally as not sticking your hand into a fire. Lou showed them how to feed the chickens. Victor kept an eye on the goat. When the bread ran out the animal tended to butt the hand that fed it.
    â€˜The goat doesn’t frighten you?’ Victor asked.
    â€˜He’s like me,’ Jay spoke casually. ‘He keeps himself to himself.’
    â€˜The other children weren’t kind to you last night. That didn’t seem fair.’
    â€˜They’re scared.’ Again, the casual manner. ‘I’m creepy.’
    â€˜You don’t seem at all creepy to me.’ Victor kept it light-hearted.
    â€˜I sometimes have these episodes.’
    Victor didn’t pry. ‘Hold the bread by the crust, right at the edge. Wilkes tends not to bother about the difference between fingers and food. Just look what happened to me.’ Victor held up a hand with two fingers curled in to make it look as if they’d been bitten off.
    Jay laughed. The sun shone down warmly for the first time in a week, and it seemed to bring out a sunnier mood in the child.
    â€˜Jay, what happened to Laura this morning?’
    â€˜She had to talk to the mayor.’ His grin broadened. ‘Mayor Wilkes. The goat’s called Wilkes. You named the goat after the mayor, didn’t you?’
    In mock horror Victor threw up his hands. ‘Promise me you won’t tell. He’ll blow a fuse.’
    The boy skipped from subject to subject. ‘Laura isn’t always like that. You know, arrrr.’ He growled as he hooked his fingers into claws.
    â€˜She’s being protective of you all. That makes sense to me.’
    â€˜Yeah, she’s nice. Only I had one of my episodes.’
    â€˜Oh.’
    â€˜I took her for a walk . . .’ The large, brown eyes glittered.
    â€˜A walk doesn’t sound a bad thing to me. I thought we’d all take a walk along the shore later.’
    â€˜Not that kind of walk.’ Perspiration formed on the boy’s face. ‘I can’t help it. I took her to Tod. And I showed her Maureen in that dress she wears in the coffin. Even though I couldn’t stop myself I hoped it might make her happy to see Maureen and Tod again. But I’m scared that Laura might be next.’ Wilkes licked breadcrumbs from Jay’s fingers. The damp rasp of the tongue distracted him from what must have been troubling thoughts. ‘Is that the last slice of bread?’
    â€˜We have to ration Wilkes. He’d eat all day if he could.’
    â€˜We’ve got someone like that. Ricky could eat chocolate until he explodes.’ Jay pulled a camera from his pocket. ‘Will you take my photo with the goat?’
    â€˜I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to get a couple of shots while we’ve got the bread.’
    â€˜I saved pennies in a jar for the camera.’ The boy’s mood lightened. ‘It took ten months, three weeks, six days.’
    â€˜Your commitment is a credit to you. I’ll crouch down as low as I can. Hold the bread higher so Wilkes lifts his head. That’s it. Hero shot!’ Victor took a couple of photographs as the goat curled its pink tongue around the crust. ‘Superb. I’ll ask Lou if we can put these in the farm’s album.’
    â€˜You won’t be allowed.’ He chuckled as