JackG@killerschool Page 10

It seems she has completely forgotten what she has actually handed over to him. She has been hiding it so fearfully from everybody for so long, she must have forgotten about it herself; big mistake. Come on Jack! Use that Sword! I can see the rust disappearing from it already!

  Jack’s skateboarding is probably helping his footwork. He seems to be quite fast. I remember how he, as a little boy, would run next to a moving skateboard, hopping on and off the thing at alternate sides. That was before he became so belligerent, oh but look! Jack’s not on the defence anymore! He is starting to attack! He is getting the hang of tricking Wesley to open his body for a second and then thrusting that shining perfect Sword…Yes! Wesley’s shield is shattered – to pieces! Poor brat! He has allowed Jack to get him a little off balance there. Then he was stupid enough to think that his shield would withstand the force of that Sword – naïve.

  Oh no! Jack has just taken a hit to his left arm! There is blood! Stop revelling in small successes, Jack! Concentrate! Forget about the pain! This is no game! Don’t get angry now! No, Jack you can’t just charge in blind anger. Now look what you’ve done to yourself. Another hit – and that to your right shoulder! Oh Jack, concentrate! It’s not as deep as you might think. Come on! Strategy! Forget the jeers of the crowd!

  Wesley is smiling gleefully. It seems he is making the same mistake as Jack. Has he forgotten that he is minus his plastic shield? There you have it! Jack’s sword strikes right at Wesley’s heart! Look! Wesley’s bending over in agony! What’s going on? I don’t see any blood! Oh yes, I have forgotten, of course there won’t be any. He tries to come erect again, but Jack has hit his sorry little sword out of his hand. He is defenceless. Jack’s sword goes right through his heart for a second time; there is no blood, no wound. Wesley is on his knees. He is begging for mercy. What? Jack hands him a glass of water!

  Jack returns his sword to its sheath.

  Yes, there you have it, Ladies and gentlemen, leeches and devourers. Look at those two boys very carefully; none of them will ever be what they have been before. I, Amahl, have experience in this.

  Prizes returned

  Yersinia is not in control of this situation at all. She walks up to Jack with small feminine steps, but she makes sure that she does not come too near to him.

  “You may hand me back that sword now, young brat.” She is talking to Jack under her breath while smiling at the discontented spectators.

  “Delinquency won’t go with me. She hates me. I’ll have this sword instead,” is Jack’s firm answer.

  “Stupid decision.” Her mouth smiles, but her eyes; is it anger or fear in them?

  “We want blood! We want blood!” chants the unruly mob.

  “Ladies and gentleman, we have a winner; one wearing a shirt that is nothing but blood!”

  “BOOH! BOOH!” the spectators start balking, but not for long.

  Yersinia whips her arm towards Jack with affected grandiosity. Unfortunately she was too poor, but also too greedy when she had her diamond bracelet made. She opted for an extra diamond instead of a proper clip. Her arm movement causes the cheap clip from her bracelet to open and the glittering piece is sent on a comet-like path that ends in Professor Evilunion’s hors-d’oeuvres.

  Yersinia is somewhat taken aback.

  “Delinquency,” she whispers and motions with her head towards the guest who has hit the jackpot. “Go get it!”

  “Look my dear, it seems we are the winners of the vanity prize!” chirps Mrs. Professor Evilunion.

  Delinquency walks up to the Professor, who has taken the small platter in his hand and is trying to fish the bracelet out with a fork.

  “Do you perhaps have some ice thongs, girl?” he asks Delinquency, not noticing her surly expression.

  He holds the plate out to her. Delinquency is overcome by rebellious anger. She sees her chance for revenge, takes aim and kicks the plate clean out of the Professor’s hand. It is launched and then placed in a semi orbit over the heads of the guests before it explodes against a wall, sending a constellation of small diamonds in all directions.

  Yersinia’s honoured guests start scrambling after them, crawling underneath the tables. Very soon, a general brawl has broken out as ladies in evening wear shove each other out of the way and attempt to tear each other’s eyes out. The men initially try to be subtle by quietly slipping a diamond or two into their pockets. Under the circumstances, however, they are watching each other very closely and soon fists are flying.

  “Hissssss!” go all the snakes on Yersinia’s head. She kicks off her shoes and charges like a not-so-amorous nanny-goat.

  “Give them BACK!” shouts Yersinia, snatching the ladies’ handbags from them. She forces them open one by one and shakes out all the contents, groping after her lost diamonds. The snakes on her head keep everybody at bay, while lipsticks and rosy polyfilla tubes [These are actually meant for cracked walls, not for cracked ha...er… ladies] from the handbags are flying through the air.

  Little Goody-two-shoes is crawling on all fours underneath the tables, enduring kicks from disgruntled guests who are trying to persuade him to leave the diamonds on the floor. He rushes off to Yersinia and pours a few of the diamonds into her upheld skirts.

  “Ma’am, please tell them not to kick me like that!”

  “There!” Yersinia shouts at last, holding the skirts of her evening dress up so that it forms a pouch. “I have them all back!”

  Isn’t it strange that those who own the most, often know the least?

  “Go away!” Yersinia screeches. “This party is over!”

  “Make your appearance and return without answering any questions,” orders the snake man in a low voice. “The woman is becoming very irresponsible. How could she allow that boy to have the Alien’s sword? It must be kept in the safe, never to be taken out!”

  Salmonella walks into a spot of light, smiling at Yersinia, who is staring in disbelief, very nearly dropping all her diamonds again.

  “You…,” but Yersinia is too shocked to find any further words.

  “Do you like my Lady Macbeth hairstyle? You should try it.” Salmonella smiles confidently, then turns and leaves the hall.

  Yersinia makes a concerted effort and turns her attention to the diamonds in her skirt.

  “The old hag – she wasn’t even invited. I’ll sort her out – soon.”

  Seeing Yersinia in her office

  “It’s IDIOTS like you who give this school a bad name. I have a good mind and have you all suspended!”

  Wesley, Delinquency and three members from the water team are standing in Yersinia’s office. She is groping to keep the rip in the skirts of her evening dress together. The diamonds from the bracelet are scattered over her desk. In one corner, Goody-two-shoes is standing to attention with a clean, smiling, little demeanour, looking like a dummy in the display of a shop window.

  Jack still has the sword in his hand and is still wearing the entire Roman suit of armour. He is looking down, lightly pressing the tip of the sword onto the sole of the sandal.

  “YOU! Jack Gullible, have the NERVE to backchat me in front of all my guests! Give me back that sword this instant!”

  But Yersinia has not noticed that Jack has changed since that strange duel with Wesley. He calmly looks her in the eye.

  “I am sorry, Ma’am, but I have won this sword fairly and squarely. It is now my property.”

  The others look at Jack in shock and fear, but he does not budge. Yersinia’s expression changes for just one instant. Jack does not miss the surprise and the fear, before she recovers her act and changes the subject.

  “And you, little WEASLEY Southbound, have the nerve to tell me that you have had lessons! I have everything rig… organised the way you wa… it should be and then you go and lose the fight like a jelly baby in a scrum!”

  “It’s all his fault!” cries Wesley, pointing to Jack. “He broke my shield! And I am the one
who had lessons…” he whines before he realises how ridiculous his speech is.

  “Quiet! You silly sewer rat! How it is possible that you are still alive just beats me! [Actually she knows the exact reason, but she does not want Jack to find out.] You should have been dead! So stop your squealing!”

  “What I was hoping, Ma’am,” Wesley snobbishly tries again, “is that I could trick Jack to …”

  “WHO said that?” Yersinia inquires. Her attitude becomes threatening

  “It wasn’t me, it was him,” blurts out pathetic Wesley.

  “It was definitely him,” Goody-two-shoes is pointing at Jack, but Yersinia ignores him.

  She bears down on Wesley until her face is right in his, as if he has used some swear word.

  “Say what?” Lefty is hardly intimidated by Yersinia’s trembling anger.

  “That word.” Wesley hangs his head.

  “Hope!” pipes sweet little Goody-two-shoes.

  Yersinia grabs him by the scruff of his neck and shoves his head into her waste paper basket.

  “Don’t you DARE!” She shouts at him. The snakes start obscuring her vision, as usual.

  Jack and Lefty look at Yersinia and Wesley, puzzled.

  “He only said,” Lefty tries to explain, ”that he was hoping…”

  “Oooooh, no, no no!” yowls Yersinia. “Stop, stop!” She lets go of Goody and covers her head with her trembling hands. “Don’t you dare, you little terrors. Get out of here! Both of you! Out! And be sure I’ll be back for you, you insolent little scum