Undercover

by Jacqueline Harvey

  ‘You can all stop right there,’ Fitz grumbled.

  ‘Sorry, dear, we shouldn’t tease,’ Cordelia said. ‘What’s for dinner?’

  ‘Dumplings,’ the twins chorused.

  ‘Yum. You do know that Song’s are the best? Well, it’s been wonderful to hear your voices,’ Cordelia said. ‘Love you, darlings.’ And with that the glow faded and she was gone.

  ‘She sounds chipper,’ Fitz said.

  ‘Why couldn’t she tell us about the mission?’ Kensy asked. Her forehead puckered with concentration as she wrangled her first dumpling with her chopsticks. She grinned triumphantly, then promptly dropped it into the little dish of soy sauce with a splash. Kensy tried fishing it out with her chopsticks, creating an even bigger mess, before giving up and using her fingers. She popped the dumpling into her mouth then, to her brother’s horror, wiped her fingers on the tablecloth.

  ‘Years ago, your grandmother made the decision that any information pertinent to a Pharos operation would be transferred via coded messages in the Beacon. Obviously, they’ve become more hi-tech over the years – especially with the advancements in augmented reality – but telephone conversations remain prohibited,’ Fitz said. ‘I’m sure there will be more information soon.’

  ‘But why?’ Max asked. ‘That line must be secure.’

  ‘There have been some breaches that nearly destroyed the organisation – I’ll tell you about them one day, but for now we all have to abide by the rules,’ Fitz said.

  Suddenly, Kensy didn’t feel very hungry anymore. Not only had she given away their location to Autumn, she’d also shared that they were on a mission. At least she hadn’t divulged any other details and she wouldn’t either. She could only hope that there were no bugs in her computer – or she may have just led whoever was after them straight to Sydney.

  ‘Come on, let’s get a good spot,’ Curtis said as he hurried down the gangplank, dragging Kensy and Max along in his wake. The boy swung into a window seat with Kensy beside him. Van Chalmers was already sitting behind them and Max slid in next to him, having briefly introduced himself in class the day before. Ellery was across the aisle on her own.

  ‘Oh no,’ Curtis groaned, slapping his palm against his forehead. He leaned forward and unzipped his backpack, feeling around for something inside.

  Kensy wondered what the boy was going to whip out this time. ‘What’s the matter?’ she asked.

  Curtis sat back. ‘I forgot to take my tablet this morning and I haven’t got any with me.’

  ‘What’s it for?’ Kensy asked, hoping it wasn’t anything serious.

  ‘Seasickness,’ Curtis replied.

  Kensy snorted, unsure if the lad was having her on. ‘Why do you catch the ferry every day if you get seasick?’

  ‘It beats getting a bus and a train, and I get to be with my friends,’ Curtis said.

  Kensy glanced across at Ellery. She’d only spoken a few words to the girl yesterday, but Ellery had already made it patently clear that she wasn’t Curtis’s friend and Van didn’t seem to be all that keen either.

  ‘Oh, okay,’ Kensy said. She nudged the boy’s arm. ‘You’re not going to be sick on me, are you?’

  Curtis shook his head. ‘There’s hardly any swell today and I have some special bags, just in case.’

  ‘Don’t believe a word he says,’ a voice piped up behind her.

  Kensy spun around. ‘What did you say?’

  ‘Never mind. I’m Van,’ the boy said with a winning smile.

  ‘Kensy,’ she replied, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.

  ‘You know I’m her big brother,’ Max said, barely keeping a straight face. Kensy narrowed her eyes and shot him her best death stare. He knew he’d pay for that later, but it was fun being the older twin for a change.

  ‘I saw you yesterday in the quadrangle,’ Van said.

  Kensy squirmed in her seat. She wondered if the air-conditioning was on the fritz. ‘Oh, okay,’ she said, and hastily turned back to face the front. Kensy folded her arms and wriggled down in her seat.

  ‘Sisters, huh?’ Max remarked, shaking his head.

  Van grinned.

  ‘Wow,’ Curtis breathed. His blue eyes were huge. ‘You know, he was staring at you the whole time on the wharf before.’

  ‘No, he wasn’t,’ Kensy hissed. ‘You were the one staring at him, and you should really stop that.’

  Curtis wiggled his eyebrows. ‘What are you – a spy or something?’

  ‘Seriously?’ Kensy eyeballed the boy.

  Max had been adding mental notes to his brief assessment of Donovan and Ellery Chalmers while they waited on the wharf. The boy was about average height with a lean physique. His light brown hair was styled and held in place with some sort of product, so he clearly cared about his appearance. Ellery was pretty with a dimple in her left cheek. She had dark hair that fell over her shoulders in two braids, each tied at the end with a perfect white bow. They both had an air of confidence about them. He wondered where they got that from.

  ‘Is it always so busy at school?’ Max asked. ‘The homework is a killer.’

  ‘Get used to it,’ Van said. ‘Wentworth Grammar is renowned for being hard work. Where did you go before?’

  Remembering to keep it vague, Max told the boy they’d recently moved from the country. Fortunately, Van didn’t seem especially interested. ‘Our dad just got a job at the school teaching PE,’ Max added. He thought he’d better drop that in or else Van might think it weird when he worked it out.

  ‘What sports do you play?’ Max asked.

  ‘Cricket in summer and rugby in winter, although Mum would prefer I played soccer. She says rugby is way too dangerous, but I’m a winger, so I usually manage to stay out of the really rough stuff.’

  ‘Is your mother a little overprotective?’ Max asked.

  Van sighed. ‘Aren’t they all?’

  Max shrugged and gave a small nod. That wasn’t a subject he wanted to get into, but he did need to spend as much time with Van today as possible, given the latest message in the Beacon this morning revealed that Van and Ellery’s mother was poised to make her move. He and Kensy had discovered it while poring over the death notices at breakfast. This time the deceased was the aptly named Spencer McMahon.

  A horn blasted and everyone on board turned to look. The cruise ship that had docked yesterday was leaving the wharf. The ferry surged forward to get out of its path.

  Max’s eyes widened as the two vessels barely made it past one another. ‘Close call.’

  ‘Happens all the time,’ Van said as the ferry pulled into Circular Quay.

  They stood up and queued to disembark, finding Kensy and Curtis waiting on the dock. Ellery walked past and Curtis said hello, but the girl ignored him again. Van, on the other hand, couldn’t have been friendlier – to Kensy, at least. He and his sister walked off together, leaving Kensy, Max and Curtis behind. The threesome were swept along with the crowd to the promenade, where Curtis directed them to turn left.

  ‘Van must really like you,’ Curtis said, once they were on their way

  Kensy rolled her eyes. ‘As if.’

  ‘You don’t understand,’ Curtis said with earnest. ‘Every girl in Year Six and probably half of Year Five has a crush on him. He’s the most popular boy in school and he’s good at everything, and I mean everything – sport, academia, even singing – though he’s not a soloist in the choir. Until now I’ve never noticed him show interest in a girl and, believe me, I notice a lot of things.’

  Max suppressed a smile. It reminded him of the time a boy in Jindabyne was infatuated with Kensy and never left her alone. In fact, he nearly drove her mad, so Max could only presume how thrilled Kensy would be if Van made her the object of his attention.

  ‘Stop talking, Curtis, and hurry up. We’ve got choir practice in five minutes and I don’t imagine Mr Thacker takes kindly to tardiness,’ Kensy said, picking up the pace. She could feel the perspiration dripping down her back and her a
rmpits were wet too. It was lucky she’d started using deodorant recently or she would have been stinky as well as sweaty.

  ‘You’re right about that,’ Curtis said, breaking into a trot. ‘Thacker’s been known to keep rehearsals going right through until recess and there was one time we didn’t finish until lunch!’

  The children dropped their bags among a nest of others in a corner of the auditorium foyer.

  ‘Hurry,’ Curtis panted. ‘We’re late.’

  ‘Excuse me,’ said a girl with auburn hair, ‘is this where the choir practice is being held?’ Max recognised her immediately as the girl who wanted to buy a pony. She was sporting a bewildered look on her face. ‘Mr Thacker said someone would collect me from the office, but no one came.’

  ‘You’re in the right place,’ Curtis said with a nod. ‘Follow me.’ He led the group through a set of double doors into a tiered theatre. There must have been over a thousand seats.

  ‘Wow, this is a bit different to the hall at home,’ Kensy remarked as they hurried downstairs and back up onto the stage, where the choir was assembling.

  ‘Good morning, choristers,’ Mr Thacker boomed, tapping his baton on the music stand to make sure he had everyone’s attention. He glanced about the group, his eyes coming to rest on the new girl. ‘Ah, there you are, Lucienne. Miss Sparks was meant to meet you at the office and clearly forgot.’ He glowered at a skinny woman with a cropped hairdo who was busy sorting sheet music on the floor. ‘Thank heavens you’re a resourceful lass. Please come and stand in the centre right here in front of me.’

  Lucienne smiled and took her place.

  Kensy and Max looked at each other with upturned palms. It felt like yesterday all over again with the man ignoring them completely. But Kensy refused to be snubbed for a second time. This was also a perfect opportunity to capture Ellery’s attention as the girl had just moved into her position on the stage.

  ‘Excuse me, sir,’ Kensy said loudly.

  The entire hall quietened and all eyes turned to her. A ripple of frown lines formed on Thaddeus Thacker’s brow. ‘Yes?’

  ‘We’re new too and have no idea where we’re supposed to be,’ Kensy said, gesturing to the stand of choristers. ‘Unless you’d rather we didn’t stay?’

  There were some nervous titters from several of the children.

  Mr Thacker ran his hand through his hair, and Kensy twisted her lips to stop a smile when she noticed it got stuck halfway. The man must have used a bucket of product this morning. ‘Oh yes, I remember you. Kansas and Matt.’

  Kensy raised an eyebrow and laughed. ‘It’s Kensy and Max. Our dad is the new PE teacher.’

  ‘Stop it,’ Max hissed. It would do their mission no favours to get expelled on their second day.

  This time there was an audible gasp.

  Mr Thacker’s eyes narrowed. ‘Yes, of course,’ he said. ‘Why don’t you go and find someone friendly to stand next to?’

  Kensy scurried up to take a spot beside Ellery. The girl shuffled over to make room and shot her a smile.

  ‘That was brave,’ Ellery whispered.

  ‘Or stupid,’ Kensy replied with a shrug. ‘I was hoping he’d forget who we were and send us away.’

  ‘Oh no, if you’re in the choir, you’re in it for life,’ Ellery said. She flicked a long braid over her left shoulder. ‘He’ll be thrilled to have some new blood. All of his superstars left for scholarships at our archrival, Stonehurst College. Mr Thacker and their choir mistress, Simone Stephenson, hate each other. It’s like one year we win the competition and the next year they win – it’s been happening forever. It’s our turn, but not at the rate we’re going – we’re terrible. Although that fat kid started just last week –’ Ellery pointed at a solid boy in the front row ‘– and he has an amazing voice. I hope you and your brother can sing.’

  ‘Not really,’ Kensy mumbled. She had a horrible feeling that becoming Ellery Chalmers’ new best friend was going to be more of a challenge than she’d first thought.

  Mr Thacker stretched his arms above his head and leaned to the left and then to the right. He puffed out his chest and rolled his head on his shoulders.

  Kensy frowned. ‘What on earth is he doing?’

  ‘Wait until you see the full routine – you’re in for a treat,’ Ellery sniggered.

  The man put his hand above his head and drew himself up taller. ‘Children, I want you to grab that invisible string attached to the top of your head and lift yourselves up, taking deep breaths, letting in as much air into the diaphragm as you can. Now wiggle your heads from side to side.’

  Kensy glanced about, amazed that the entire auditorium was doing the man’s bidding. They all looked ridiculous!

  ‘Just do it,’ Max hissed through gritted teeth. He was standing behind the girl, between Van and Curtis, and nudged her with one foot.

  ‘Now, relax, but not too much. We’re going to warm up those vocal cords. Ready?’ Mr Thacker nodded at the pianist. ‘Begin!’

  The exercise involved an endless amount of he-hes and ha-has before they moved on to mo-mos with their lips forming a perfect ‘O’. The children gabbled and garbled and rounded and spat, loosening their lips and tongues for what felt like an eternity. Once she got the hang of it, Kensy thought some of the exercises were actually quite good fun – although she wasn’t about to admit that to anyone, especially Ellery.

  The headmaster’s arms danced in the air as if they had a life of their own until a final flourish from the pianist saw the man’s hands cross over dramatically in front of his chest before he pulled them apart as if tightening a piece of rope. The singing stopped and a reverberating silence filled the auditorium.

  Mr Thacker nodded his head. ‘Well,’ he sighed, ‘that was … better.’ He took another deep breath.

  Kensy had to bite her lip to stop from giggling. The man was clearly mad.

  ‘I heard some fabulous notes down here in front of me. There are new stars in the sky, thank the heavens for that.’ The headmaster winked at Lucienne and the boy beside her. ‘Now, this morning we are learning something modern and fresh and no one else will be doing it because I commissioned it for my choir.’

  The manager, Harriet Sparks, passed out the sheet music. Max thought there seemed to be an awful lot of staff dedicated to this one group, given there was a pianist, conductor, manager and apparently a woman in charge of styling and wardrobe too, which he later learned was the charming Ms Skidmore.

  Thaddeus Thacker tapped his baton on the music stand. ‘Open your ears to the most delicious sounds – and let’s pray that the strangled cats who seemed to be running rife through the place last week have taken up residence elsewhere.’

  There was a titter of giggles, which Mr Thacker silenced with a glare. As the pianist began to play, Divorah Skidmore scurried into the room and whispered something in Mr Thacker’s ear.

  ‘What!?’ he shrieked, his face turning the colour of puce. ‘They can’t change the dates willy-nilly! We need the entire term to prepare!’

  Ms Skidmore gulped and whispered something else.

  ‘I don’t care if the Opera House Concert Hall has to undergo renovations, surely they can put it off for another couple of months!’ Thaddeus’s chest heaved with indignation. ‘Two weeks,’ he spluttered as Ms Skidmore retreated from the room. ‘We can be ready in two weeks. We have some of the finest singers in the country.’ Thaddeus Thacker sucked in a breath so deep it must have almost reached his toes. ‘Children, I need you to listen very carefully. Instead of the usual competition time in May, we will be performing this stunning piece at the Opera House in a fortnight. And rest assured the Wentworth Grammar Choristers will win, because, children, winning isn’t everything – it’s the only thing!’

  A tremor ran through the choir. While everyone seemed to be sporting looks of alarm, Kensy was awash with relief. This meant they’d only have to rehearse for two weeks and then this whole horrid affair would be over – and she and Max might not even be he
re that long if they fulfilled their mission sooner.

  Mr Thacker looked around the room. ‘Miss Sparks, get a message to the teachers that I will need the choir until recess and perhaps even later. Mrs Strump, please begin.’

  The entire auditorium groaned as the pianist’s fingers danced on the keys. Kensy was surprised to find the tune was pretty catchy. They then moved on to the solos, beginning with Lucienne. As soon as the girl opened her mouth, it was as if an angel had begun to sing. How a child that small had a voice that big was anyone’s guess. Every person in the room was mesmerised. They burst into applause once she’d finished. If Mr Thacker’s smile grew any wider, he would have swallowed the small boy at the end of the front row.

  Next up was a lad called Dugald – the new boy Ellery had unkindly called fat. He cleared his throat and began. Max felt a shiver as his rich tones filled the air. The boy’s voice was extraordinary. Anyone blindfolded would have sworn the notes were coming from a grown man. By the end of the piece, the rest of the children were cheering and stamping their feet.

  Mr Thacker’s face couldn’t have been any more smug. ‘Now, perhaps the rest of you might like to present me with something resembling a tune.’

  ‘He’s up to something,’ Curtis murmured to Max as Mr Thacker finally dismissed the children.

  Max looked at the boy. ‘How do you mean?’

  ‘I don’t know exactly, but I’ve got a feeling – in my gut.’ Curtis thumped himself in the stomach to prove his point and then blanched, having hit himself much harder than he’d intended.

  ‘Everyone has their secrets,’ Max said.

  ‘What’s yours?’ Curtis asked.

  ‘Me?’ Max scrambled for an answer. ‘Oh no, I meant adults – they always have secrets.’

  Curtis raised his eyebrows and gave Max a knowing look. ‘Sure, Max, whatever you say. You know, if anyone is going to uncover the secrets around here, it’s me. It’s what I do. You’ll see.’

  Max grinned. If only Curtis knew.

  After recess, the children had Maths, which meant Kensy could spend more time cosying up to Ellery. When their teacher announced a new project that required the students to work in pairs, Kensy made a beeline for the girl, much to Curtis’s disappointment. She felt bad fobbing him off, but it couldn’t be helped.