CHAPTER 24
In spite of his disappointment, Eldred felt his spirits lift when the coach entered the power station complex. He had a sense of being on hallowed ground: the premises of technology and science, one of ·the power hubs of the universe. Even if he was not to be allowed near the holy of holies, surely he would derive some benefit just from sharing the same air with real scientists?
There was so much he wanted to know. If only he could swallow a capsule of knowledge! The processes of acquiring it seemed so painfully slow.
Inside the Information Centre, the talk did nothing to encourage him. The presentations were sophisticated, the displays interesting, the computer simulations cleverly devised but, grieved Eldred, it was all fun. He wanted the real thing. As the group was herded out of the Centre again and on to a bus for a tour of the site, Eldred slipped to the end of the queue.
A group of fifteen-year olds had assembled, waiting for a separate tour which would include a visit to areas of the plant and a talk on nuclear waste disposal. Eldred hovered. He held back from the queue. He would never be allowed to go on school trips again, he knew, if he joined this other group now and separated himself from his own school, but it might just be worth it. He was sorely tempted.
The fifteen-year olds’ queue moved forward. Eldred moved with it. Just as the last of his own group disappeared out of the door, the girl in front of him turned and saw him.
'Oh look!’ she cried in a loud and carrying voice. 'One of those little kids has got lost!’ Everyone turned round and stared at Eldred. Eldred hated her.
Mr Singh's hand grasped him firmly by the back of the neck. 'Come along,’ he said. 'We can't have anybody getting lost.’ The teenagers laughed as Eldred was led out.
There was only one ruse left to him and he used it. 'I have to go to the toilet,’ he told Mr Singh. 'Urgently.’
'All right,’ said Mr Singh, resigned. 'But be quick. The driver is ready to leave.’
Eldred headed towards the toilets, then, checking that Mr Singh had gone outside, made for the main information desk. He hoped he wasn't trembling too visibly. 'Excuse me,’ he said to the uniformed lady.
She gave him a professional I'm-good-with-children smile. 'Yes?’
'I have an elder brother who's sixteen,’ Eldred gasped. 'Can I take some information home for him?’
She frowned. 'Sorry? Say that again?’
The words had come out jumbled; he knew it. He repeated his request. The woman looked at him. The child was white in the face with a line of sweat beading his upper lip, his hands clenched and his voice quavering. 'Are you feeling all right?’ she asked.
Eldred looked over his shoulder. He grew desperate. 'Please,’ he said, 'I need some information for sixteen year olds. My brother. Please give it to me.’
The woman paused for what seemed to Eldred like ages. Finally she said, 'You want an information pack for over-twelves?’
'Yes. Or older if you have it. Even one for scientists,’ Eldred said. 'He's very bright. My brother, that is.’
'Sure,’ the woman said. She drew out an information pack and began to take the documents out of it. 'Now, this is the basic summary here of what a power station does,’ she began.
'I can't wait,’ Eldred said. 'My bus is about to go. I'm sorry. Thanks. Thanks very much.’ He snatched the folder and the documents from the desk. The woman raised her eyebrows.
'Sorry,’ he said again, stuffing the papers under his coat. 'Sorry, sorry. Thanks.’ He ran out of the door and jumped on the bus. Choosing a seat by himself, he folded the documents into small squares and put them into the various pockets in his clothes. Only then did he relax.
He was surprised to find he enjoyed the rest of the tour. Even the sight of the teenage group going into the plant itself failed to make him miserable. They probably wouldn't be allowed to see very much either, he consoled himself. They would probably only be humoured with a few basic facts and theories, only slightly more advanced than those offered to the under-twelves. But Eldred had some information now. It was a start. It would help him to know what questions to ask in order to know more. He could write to the authorities, using his computer so they would not know from his handwriting that he was a child, requesting reports. Surely if the authorities were so keen for people to understand nuclear power that they organized school tours, there would be no limit to the information they would provide to someone who was really interested?
Reassured of his chances of being treated like an adult, at least by mail, Eldred relaxed and began to behave like a child. He enjoyed the tour, talked to the other children during and after it, happily boarded their own coach leaving the power station, cheerfully disembarked at their overnight accommodation, fought goodnaturedly with his room-mates over the choice of beds, ate sausage and chips for tea, and cheered along with the rest when they were allowed to make a visit to a local shop to buy ice-creams and sweets.
That night, he slept well, better than he had slept for a long while. The boy in the bed next to him snored and snuffled and talked in his sleep. Eldred was consoled by the proximity of other children. There were times when it was good to be a child, he thought as he fell asleep.
Genius Page 24