The City of Fear

by Andrew Beasley

  “Where?”

  “India.”

  Lucy and Carter had moved a little closer and both pricked up their ears.

  “That’s a long way,” said Ben. “Isn’t it?”

  “The other side of the world.”

  “Here we go again,” said Ben Kingdom, a broad grin on his face as he adjusted his billycock. “Hang on to your hats!”

  Collect the series

  Catch up with Ben’s first battle in

  THE CLAWS OF EVIL

  Every coin has two faces.

  Every war has two sides.

  One boy has to make the right choice.

  The year is 1891, and LONDON is at war. High up on the rooftops lives a ragtag band of orphans and spies – the WATCHERS – PROTECTORS of the city. But below the cobbled streets lurks the LEGION, a ruthless gang of CUT-THROATS and thieves, plotting to unleash the darkest forces of HELL.

  When a MYSTERIOUS coin falls into his hands, cocky street urchin, BEN KINGDOM, is flung into the midst of this ancient BATTLE. The fate of the world rests with Ben, but which side will he choose? An army of angels…or THE CLAWS OF EVIL.

  ePub ISBN 9781409557258

  Read Ben’s action-packed second story

  THE FEAST OF RAVENS

  Light can save the blackest heart.

  Darkness can poison the purest soul.

  One boy has to lead the fight.

  The year is 1892, and LONDON is in the grip of EVIL.

  A demonic terror stalks the streets, wreaking chaos as it helps the LEGION, a vicious underground gang, to raise Hell on earth. Only the WATCHERS, a secret society of urchins and warriors, can stop them.

  An ancient prophecy claims one boy, BEN KINGDOM, has the power to end this war. But Ben has a secret so deadly it could DESTROY everything the Watchers have worked for. Can he find the courage to fulfil his destiny…or will the city fall at THE FEAST OF RAVENS?

  ePub ISBN 9781409557357

  Ben’s Guide to London Watcher Slang

  An unorthodox glossary for some of the more unusual or unfamiliar words and phrases to be found in this book.

  ballyhoo: uproar, noise, an ear-splitting racket. A most common sound to be heard on the streets of London when the Legion were at large.

  billycock: a felt hat with a low, rounded crown, like a bowler. The best sort of hat there is, naturally.

  blighter: a person who blights; basically someone really irritating, or possibly anyone annoying who may also be pitied – like a younger brother or sister (e.g. poor little blighter).

  brigadier: a senior military rank. A brigadier commands a brigade, usually consisting of three battalions of about 3,000 troops.

  by jingo: what toffs like Valentine say when they want to shout “by Jesus” but are too polite to do it.

  cordite: a smokeless explosive, used in ammunition. There’s been quite a lot of it about recently…

  cosh: a short club made of wood or metal, used for fighting. Should you ever find yourself unfortunate enough to be walloped on the head with a cosh by a Legionnaire, it is very likely to hurt. A lot.

  every man jack: you, me, that chap over there, the Watcher on the roof and the Legion in the gutter – basically every single person you can think of.

  haymaker: the wildest and fiercest of punches; a real belter.

  jemmy: a short crowbar used as a lever for prying things open. One of the standard tools of the trade for a professional thief like Ruby Johnson, but equally essential in Watcher rescue missions.

  limelight: the first theatrical spotlights, created by heating lime (a white substance consisting of calcium oxide) by burning jets of oxygen and hydrogen. The actual lights are technically called limes, not to be confused with the small green fruit. They require constant attention to keep the calcium oxide burning, and as you’ve probably gathered from events described in this book, are also highly flammable.

  Marie Tussaud: French founder of Madame Tussaud’s waxworks, who took wax death masks of people who’d had their heads chopped off during the French Revolution. Luckily the Watchers escaped such a terrible fate on 1st May 1892. Marie Tussaud toured Britain with her wax models, eventually opening a permanent exhibition on Baker Street in 1835. Her museum is still going strong, although it’s moved to Marylebone Road now.

  Marquis of Queensbury rules: a code of fair rules in boxing, published in 1867 and publicly endorsed by the Marquis of Queensbury. He didn’t write them though – a bloke called John Graham Chambers did that. They are the first rules to mention gloves in boxing and are rather gentlemanly, all things considered.

  Mayfair: one of the poshest areas of West London, although slightly less swanky after the Legion moved in.

  put the wind up somebody’s nightshirt: imagine a draught blowing up your nightshirt and exposing your knobbly knees! It would make you feel a bit defenseless and anxious, wouldn’t it? Well, the Watchers aim to put the wind up the Legion’s nightshirt.

  quarterstaff: a shaft of hardwood measuring several feet used for fighting and defence against the Legion. Collapsible variations are preferable as these can be shortened, both to conceal the weapon, and to increase Watchers’ speed and dexterity when running across rooftops.

  rendezvous: both the agreement to meet at a specified time or place, and the location where you are meeting. The French origins of the word make it sound wonderfully secretive and mysterious.

  The Savoy: the first luxury hotel in Britain. Totally top-notch with electric lights, electric lifts and hot and cold running water. Most of the rooms even came with their own bathroom when it opened in 1889 – can you imagine! Not somewhere you’d expect to find the city’s most ruthless criminals.

  Sherpa: a member of a Himalayan group living on the borders of Nepal and Tibet, famed for their skill in mountaineering. Rest assured that Claw Carter has never eaten a Sherpa. The man just has a very strange sense of humour.

  solar plexus: all the nerves right in the pit of your stomach. A horrible place to get hit, but a good place to aim for on a Legionnaire.

  stoker: the person in charge of tending the furnace on an airship, steamship or steam train.

  tramp steamer: a merchant ship operating without a schedule, travelling wherever is required to deliver its cargoes. Potentially quite a good method of transport for stowaways.

  Acknowledgements

  I’ve poured a few years of my life into these stories now…and I’ve loved every single minute of it! My lifelong dream has come true in the last twelve months and I just wanted to make special mention of some of the wonderful people who helped to make it all happen.

  I must start with my agent, Anne Finnis. Thank you, Anne, for all your kindness and wisdom – you really are the one for me! Thanks also to Caroline Hill-Trevor for taking Ben out into the world. I’m also deeply indebted to my friend, Helen Greathead – I’ll always remember my first editor.

  The Battles of Ben Kingdom have allowed me the privilege of speaking in schools, libraries, festivals and bookshops across the country. Big thanks to The Edge of the World Bookshop for my first front window; to all at Foyles for their support; and to my friends at Waterstones Plymouth – especially the lovely Libby Allman. Special thanks, as always, to the staff and children at SDPS.

  Everyone knows how proud I am to be an Usborne author. Firstly, I have to thank Rebecca Hill – I couldn’t wish for a more supportive publisher. Sarah Stewart and Becky Walker – I’m grateful for your eagle eyes. Big thanks also to Amy Dobson and Anna Howorth – I still get goosebumps when I see our books on the shelf.

  Thanks go to the talented Hannah Cobley, Neil Francis and Sarah Cronin – I continue to be thrilled by your breathtaking design; Ian McNee – love the map; and the amazing David Wyatt – Best. Cover. Ever.

  Very special thanks, as always, to my brilliant and insightful editor, Stephanie King – from start to finish it has been an absolute joy to work with you, dear editor. We did good. Thank you, so much.

  Mum and Dad – I don’
t know what I would do without your limitless love; thank you for always believing in me. Darling Amanda – you still bring laughter into my life. Mum and Jack – I love you loads. Trè and Christina – big love, always. Colin, Stuart, Richard, Martin and Charles – my band of brothers, I treasure our friendship. Ben and Lucy – I don’t have enough words to say how much I love you. My darling Jules – every day you give me a new reason to love you; my best friend, my helpmate, my gorgeous wife, I couldn’t do this without you. And my Loving Father – all the glory is yours. I love you all.

  About the Author

  Andrew Beasley was born in Hertfordshire, and has spent most of his life with his nose buried in a book.

  As a student he read law in Bristol, but was disappointed to discover that life as a lawyer wasn’t as exciting as books had led him to believe. He then spent a number of years travelling extensively across Europe for work, although he didn’t see much of it because he was usually reading a book.

  Andrew is now a primary school teacher, where he shares his passion for storytelling with his class. Andrew lives in Cornwall with his wife and their two children, Ben and Lucy.

  The battles continue at

  WWW.BENKINGDOM.COM

  First published in the UK in 2014 by Usborne Publishing Ltd., Usborne House, 83-85 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8RT, England. www.usborne.com

  Text copyright © Andrew Beasley, 2014

  The right of Andrew Beasley to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

  The name Usborne and the devices are Trade Marks of Usborne Publishing Ltd.

  Cover and inside illustrations by David Wyatt. Map by Ian McNee.

  All rights reserved. This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or used in any way except as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or loaned or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  ePub ISBN 9781409580041

  Batch no. 03193-02