chapter 1 Pip I never met my parents or my five brothers I know only what little my sister told me I have my father’s name Philip Pirrip but have never worn it When I was small all I could say of the name was Pip Thus Pip I named myself and Pip I am called One cold Christmas Eve I visited the graveyard I often came to read the tombstones of my family looking for clues to who they were My father’s square stone made me certain he was a stout man I looked down the row of neatly lined brothers that I would never meet I began to cry Keep still or I’ll cut your throat A man rose from among the graves He wore filthy 4
wet clothes and an iron cuff on one leg He seized me by the chin and demanded What’s your name Pip sir I whispered The man turned me upside down and emptied my pockets A piece of bread fell out and he grabbed it before dumping me on a high tombstone He wolfed down the bread and stared at me again Where is your mother I pointed There sir He jumped up and ran a few steps then looked over his shoulder There sir I pointed at the tombstone Also Georgiana That’s my mother Oh he said coming back And is that your father beside your mother Yes sir He asked where I lived I told him I lived with the village blacksmith Blacksmith eh He looked down at his leg then he grabbed me by the arms and tilted me 5
backward Bring me a file and some food in the morning He gave me a shake and I nodded If you say a word about this he growled I will cut out your heart and liver and roast them for dinner He gave me another shake There’s a young man with me who is good at getting to a boy’s heart and liver A boy may be warm in his bed tucked up and safe but that young man will creep in Don’t fail to bring what I ask Now get you home He set me down and limped away through the gravestones hugging his shivering body Nettles and brambles caught at his clothes like the hands of dead people stretching up from the graves I looked around for the horrible young man When I saw no sign of him I ran home without stopping When I arrived home the blacksmith forge was shut up and Joe was sitting alone in the 6
