by Barney Broom
His friends celebrating their victory, Podric strolled away from the touchline and fell into step with Jane who had just completed her game.
“Bit of a result then. Brain over brawn; hope we do as well with Braxby.”
Podric smiled.
“He came back and collected his box of paper models.”
“Did he see you?”
Jane was concerned. Podric shook his head. The girl sighed.
“If that was the only pastime he kept to.”
Podric met his kid sister at the school gate. Parked outside was the smoothest car Podric had ever seen. Sitting inside the open-topped coupé, Dr. Light tapped the steering wheel.
“Hop in.”
“What do you mean?”
“Is English difficult for you or don’t you want a lift home?”
“We’re not going home.” This from Amy. “And don’t you know you can be in trouble for waiting outside school gates?”
She could be a winner with dialogue, could Amy. Archie’s expression changed. His Facel Vega and their conversation were already attracting interest – largely favourable from female pupils, more jealously from boys.
“We’re meeting our mum at her office in Wendbury tonight.”
“Want a lift there then?”
“No, it’s okay. It’s not far.”
Podric smiled. Archie didn’t.
“Do you want another meeting?”
“If you call our last one that.”
Archie fiddled with the gear stick.
“I thought we might, though your young minder doesn’t seem keen.”
“I’ll come over at the weekend if you want.”
Archie mused on this for a second.
“Midday Saturday – don’t be late.”
He started his car and roared away.
“I don’t like that man. He’s very rude.”
Amy’s face was a picture of hostility.
“But with one sharp set of wheels.”
Billy was outright admiring. Podric betrayed no emotion at all.
6
The Meeting
Barbara having announced she would take them for a pizza that evening, the two young Moons walked through Wendbury to their mother’s office.
“Something worked then.”
Amy’s comment broke into her brother’s thoughts. Podric didn’t reply.
“I saw you on the playing field. Whatever you did got at Barney the thug.”
“If you say so.”
“He was moaning in matron’s with a bashed head.”
“You seem to know plenty.”
“Eyes and ears, Podric, eyes and ears.”
In spite of himself, Podric had to smile.
“How do you know it wasn’t self-inflicted?”
“Missing a ball twenty times? It’s like he had a funny right boot and couldn’t control it.”
Amy was her particular self.
“All those apps you were checking. Good job you’re on a deal with your phone.”
Amy Moon could be very astute on occasion where her brother was concerned.
Tweeney’s Waste Disposal premises was typical of its type. Located on an industrial estate on the outskirts of town, the building was bland and, to Podric’s mind, acutely dull.
Ralph Tweeney was a sleazy middle-aged bloke with thinning, greasy hair. Not only did he lack any kind of 21st century male awareness, he didn’t even possess any 20th century male attributes. Indeed, Ralph Tweeney could have been plucked from the imaginatively descriptive pages of a Dickensian novel. It was a complete anathema to Podric – not only that his mother could tolerate such a man, but that she might actually like him. To her son, Don was the more interesting brother, he being barking mad.
Walking into the engineering workshop (a partitioned section of the warehouse where Don slaved over refinements to the Tweeney system), Podric found the Technical Head of R&D working on an ever more powerful suction device ‘guaranteed to dispose of the indisposable’.
“Nothing that it can’t handle. Anything from an avocado stone to a marlin spike.”
“Is it safe?”
“Safe? See the guard on the non-return valve? Take your grandmother’s nuts to penetrate that.”
Podric didn’t want to think what his grandmother’s nuts might look like.
“What about someone small getting to it?”
“You mean a kid’s hand?”
“Yeah.”
“Hahaha. That’s where Tweeney’s is clever, see. Have to unlock it separately. Think of everything, we do. See it. Feel it. Dispose of the indisposable. That’s Tweeney’s.”
Barbara and Amy appeared.
“Ready darling?”
Brightly dressed in her colourful attire, Barbara was all smiles.
“You’ll have those notes sorted for tomorrow, won’t you Babs?”
Aghast at Ralph’s name for his mother, Podric adjusted his backpack.
“’Fraid not till mid-morning; I’m taking the children out tonight.”
“Celebration?”
“Of our family.”
Barbara’s mood subtly changed.
“Though I grant taking one’s children for a pizza is hardly the height of revelry. See you tomorrow.”
And with that she turned on her heel and headed for her car. Amy and Podric followed.
“He’s a sleazebag mum.”
“Yes, but a harmless sleaze.”
“That’s two we’ve met in the last hour.”
“Oh?”
“That lightbulb bloke turned up at school wanting Podric.”
Barbara looked quizzical.
“Games stuff?”
“Expect so, unless he’s a molester.”
Amy skipped up to her mother’s car.
“Do you want to meet him again, darling? He was rather rude the last time.”
Podric didn’t reply. Barbara unlocked her car and Amy got in.
“That Ralph’s got stuff on his collar.”
“I might buy him some Head and Shoulders.”
“They’re funny too.”
Barbara sighed and turned on the ignition.
“Well, Tweeney’s are paying for supper and that Napolitano Romana’s the most expensive on the menu.”
“Three of those then!”
Arriving home after their Italian feast, a message awaited Barbara on the answerphone. Left by Alannah, she requested Barbara call her. The two chatting for a long time, ostensibly the conversation confirmed Podric’s next meeting with Archie, but both Podric and Amy had long since disappeared to their rooms by the time their mother put down the phone!
***
At school the next day, Podric was coming out of his classroom when he collided with a harassed caretaker. Sweating, Braxby was jumpy and nervous.
“Watch where you’re going, can’t you?”
Managing to hold on to his books, Podric stared at the janitor who ran up the corridor.
“What’s happened to him? Plague of rats in the science lab, perhaps?”
Podric turned to see the class’s premier pupil, Catherine Halliday, standing beside him. She was also the most attractive girl in their year, much fancied by one and all.
“You’re the computer wunderkind people are talking about, aren’t you? Podric Moon – the guy who gets collected in a snazzy car.”
Podric smiled. How quickly word got around.
“Unusual name. I’ve got a problem with one of my maths games.”
The games champion shrugged.
“I use them to help me work.”
“Huh?”
“Maths isn’t my favourite and computer games help. Take out any auto facility, they make things more interesting.”
<
br /> “I must try it. Top’s not a bad slot.”
Catherine smiled.
“Doesn’t mean I like the subject.”
“Got the game with you?”
“I’ve got it as an app on my phone.”
An explosion shook the building.
“What the hell was that?”
Sally Frost appeared. A solid girl, she was Catherine’s best friend. The school’s fire alarm went off and people began running hither and thither.
Disobeying school rules, Podric, Catherine and Sally headed towards the action. Crossing a couple of corridors, Podric realised they were approaching the boiler room building. Turning a corner, they saw that its entire roof section had been blown off.
With sounds of the emergency services in the distance and staff blocking pupils getting any closer to the scene of devastation, Carol Jenson wandered by.
“Methane gas blowback from the boiler extractor.”
Carol was matter-of-fact. Podric and the others watched as Braxby – face blackened, and overalls in tatters, was carried to safety by staff members. Jane Cartwright materialised at Podric’s side.
“Reckon Mr. B will have other things on his mind than the activities we were worried about, poor sod.”
***
Though he’d agreed to meet Archie Light, Podric Moon was out of sorts on Saturday morning and not in the mood to rendezvous with the games creator. Since meeting Catherine Halliday he’d thought of little else and was already looking forward to helping her with her maths game on Monday.
It was his sister who suggested he took his computer kit with him for the meeting with Dr. Light.
“Put it in your bag, Pod, and blow him away!”
For once Podric heeded her advice and slung the equipment in his backpack.
The one stipulation Archie had made about their meeting was that it should not be interrupted. Amy having gone to see her friend Romany Mad Lilian, Barbara and Alannah decided they would go into Wendbury and see a film. Mother and son arriving at the Lighthouse, Podric reached across the rear seat and picked up his backpack.
“He must be clever, Podric.”
“So?”
“Maybe he’s got a project or something…”
“So?”
“Okay, okay – well if you want to cut it short, call me.”
“You’re seeing a movie.”
“Text then; I can be back in twenty minutes.”
Barbara’s phone rang. Leaving his mother, Podric walked up to the front door and Alannah let him in.
“Thank you for coming, Podric. I’ve left food in the fridge over there.”
The housekeeper paused.
“You’re doing him a favour even if he doesn’t realise it.”
She stopped again, thoughtful. Then just said, “I think you know where to go – or would you like me to take you?”
Podric replied that he was happy to find his own way and set off through the empty house. Walking up the stairs, he was again struck by the beauty of the girl in the photograph. Making his way across the glass bridge, he took the lift to the top floor and as before, the place seemed to be empty.
His phone vibrated. Podric sat down in the den and checked his messages. He was surprised to see one from Catherine Halliday, complete with a picture of her on a quad bike up to her eyes in mud. The message read, ‘My Saturday. What are you up to?’ Podric’s heart beat faster. He replied, ‘Guess. How did you get my number?’ She instantly answered, ‘Not difficult. Why?’
“So, you got clearance from below.”
Powering off his phone, Podric didn’t understand Archie’s sentence.
“Sorry?”
“Your junior – she accepted our meeting.”
“You wanted to see me.”
Podric adjusted his bag strap.
“In a hurry, are you? Got another meeting?”
Archie sat down on the sofa opposite. His behaviour suggested he was slightly drunk. Podric’s phone vibrated again. Not answering it, he reached for his bag.
“Oh, don’t be so touchy.”
“Why did you want to see me again?”
Archie sipped some coffee.
“My housekeeper thought it was a good idea.”
Not having a ready reply, Podric didn’t make one. For several seconds, neither man nor boy spoke.
“She thought that with your interests, my skills might help you.”
“How?”
As he’d experienced with the Moons previously – although Archie was a smooth operator, he found Podric’s directness disconcerting. This time Podric did speak.
“I can’t help you with Andromeda.”
Archie nearly dropped his mug.
“What do you know about that?”
“Secorni have passed on it.”
“But…”
Putting down his coffee, Archie was speechless and it took him several seconds to pull himself together.
“How? Why?”
It was Archie’s turn to be abrupt.
“They contacted me.”
“They what?”
“They contacted me – wanted an opinion.”
“Secorni contacted you?”
“Yuh. Mr. Zaentz.”
“Cy Zaentz called you personally.”
“Yuh – he does sometimes. They give me stuff to test, try out.”
“I suppose you also have Fred Schepesi on the line.”
“More. Pasaro is bigger.”
Archie couldn’t get his head round this.
“You’re telling me you get calls from the CEOs of the two largest games companies in the world.”
Podric nodded.
“Prove it.”
Podric may have only been a couple of months shy of seventeen but he’d had enough.
“Look, Mr. Light—”
“Doctor.”
“Doctor Light. You wanted to see me again, but I don’t understand why.”
“You can’t, can you?”
Archie’s aggressiveness implied it wasn’t really a question.
“Prove it.”
Undoing his bag, Podric removed his futuristic glasses, uniquely modified PlayStation, and the controls. Rifling through the depths of his kit, he found a crumpled envelope and opening it, pulled out a ‘From the Desk of’ card. The brief note read, ‘To Podric, whose skills are unequalled. Thanks again for the assistance – my company owes you. With all good wishes, Fred Schepesi’, and on the back was scrawled, ‘Over in L-Town soon, will arrange a meet. FS’.
Standing, Podric left the note and games items on the sofa. Without another word, he walked out of the room.
Taking the stairs, on his way down Podric checked his iPhone. There was another message from Catherine. ‘Not heard from you. Want to meet up?’ This was amazing from the best-looking girl at Wendbury High! Walking back to the house across the glass span, Podric came face to face with Cosima Light. The girl stood on the landing. She drank white wine and a slight smile played on her face.
To Podric Moon, her image was spellbinding.
“Ah. The computer boy, come to save Daddy.”
Transfixed by Cosima’s beauty, Podric somehow pulled himself together.
“Doubt that.”
For a second Cosima looked at Podric, then burst out laughing.
“Beyond it is he, the dinosaur?”
She turned and walked towards her bedroom. Entering it, Cosima closed the door behind her.
Walking through Drinkwell, Podric’s mind was in a whirl. Catherine contacting him was great, but Cosima Light was something else. She was – well, she was something else!
“Hi, Pod. How’s it going?”
Billy appeared on his bike.
“You okay? Look a bit ou
t of it.”
Podric smiled.
“Sort Jane and Carol’s little problem, did you?”
“’Reckon, though more likely other forces will have.”
“Your computer stuff has its advantages.”
Podric laughed. Billy pedalled slowly as Podric walked along beside him.
“What happened to Braxby? Rum, that explosion; some gas –methane discharge they said. Amazed the school system runs off it.”
“Good value. You know cows fart the stuff.”
“You’re not serious?”
“Blow flames from their arse.”
“What?”
“Check it out on YouTube.”
“God, Pod, you’re a mind of information. Milk, methane and flaming cows – wow! I’d better go. Collecting round money. Right sweat getting it in from some of these big houses. Dad reckons deliveries aren’t worth it. Maybe I should threaten ’em with explosive milk? They’d get their tenners out quick enough then!”
7
Another Mishap
Unlocking the front door of Number 5 Briony Close and letting himself into the house, Podric’s mind was still in excited turmoil. Hearing the phone ring and going to answerphone, no message was left. Almost immediately his mobile vibrated. Not a number he recognised, Podric let it go to messaging – ‘This is an emergency message for Mr. Podric Moon. Please call 01264 900300 – Officer Leslie Jenner. It’s about your mother, Podric.’
“Hello.”
Podric’s voice cut in before Officer Jenner had completed her message.
“Podric?”
“Yes.”
“This is Officer Leslie Jenner of the Hampshire police. I just need to check a couple of details. Your address, please?”
“How do I know you are who you say?”
There was a pause.
“Your mobile doesn’t advise location.”
This was said slightly accusatively (Podric had deactivated the option).
“We’ve just called your house. If you’d prefer, we can call you on that number.”
“No. It’s alright.” Podric gave his address.
“Is your sister Amy with you?”
“She’s not home. I’ve just walked in.”