and dark brown that he wanted to lick it He knocked Turnips trouble and trepidation he said to himself That’s the life of an Opportunities Boy
Chapter Two COME Otherjack turned the crystal doorknob and pushed open the heavy door Dr Keen’s office was as solemn as church The headmaster leaned forward across his big desk His long pale fingers were arranged like a tent in front of his chin Otherjack stared at Dr Keen’s fingernails and thought of baby Myrtle the latest foundling left on the school steps Only babies and Dr Keen had fingernails that clean Well young man this is your moment of Opportunity Otherjack’s heart did a leapfrog He hadn’t wanted to let himself hope The opportunity at the Opportunities School for Orphans and Foundlings was that at age twelve each student was sent out to learn a trade At twelve he could leave behind Mr Bane and Mr Hector and Mr
Wormwood At twelve he could leave behind grammar and deportment and the purpose of snow At twelve he could go out into the world in a new set of clothes and be Somebody We have found you an apprenticeship with a firm of bookkeepers Fine old firm You are a very fortunate boy indeed Bookkeepers Otherjack felt a bubble of excitement begin to bounce around inside him Bookkeepers must be the people who keep books safe He looked beyond Dr Keen to a glass-fronted bookcase behind him Thick leather spines brown red and green Dr Keen’s voice floated away and Otherjack began to imagine A room full of books floor to ceiling Colors like jewels and gold words inviting you in And the keeper sitting at the door in a tidy uniform keeping the books safe dry and warm And reading Of course there would be reading All those ideas sitting sideways on shelves just waiting for him Stories and adventures and books with pictures of elephants and Zanzibar and the wonders of the world and a whole dictionary and Dr Keen’s voice invaded his daydream inclined to inattention but good with sums And we
expect of course that you will always keep the good name of the Opportunities School for Orphans and Foundlings uppermost in your mind Any questions Otherjack had nothing but questions Would scholars come to use the books and did the bookkeeper help them find things Did a bookkeeper mend the books if they were damaged What would happen if some scoundrel tried to steal the books But Otherjack knew from his years of keeping out of trouble that when Dr Keen said Any questions the only good answer was No sir No sir Fine Then your apprenticeship begins tomorrow Young Gus will take over your house job in the scullery Lady Duff from the Benevolents will meet you in your dormitory after tea Otherjack felt like turning a cartwheel right there in Dr Keen’s office What was the word Euphoria Like happy but more so Bookkeeping Bookkeeping was going to be glorious Otherjack had a vision of himself racing down the road blowing on a policeman’s whistle in pursuit of some villain who had stolen a book
