I slipped away during his dosing and hid my guilty bread in my tiny bedroom Then just before bed I heard guns in the distance Another convict off Joe said I was on fire with questions What convicts did he mean Where had they come from Who was firing at them My sister glared at me From the prison ships in the river she snapped I wondered aloud about who was put into prison ships and why they might be put there My sister flew into a rant about how the murderers and robbers aboard the ship began their evil ways by asking too many questions Then she sent me to bed I barely got any sleep knowing I must rob the pantry at dawn When the black of night turned to gray I grabbed a load of food nearly at random in my panic over being caught Then I took a file from the forge and ran for the misty marshes 10
chapter 2 My Convict I raced to meet the convict through the chilly fog I jumped at every sound certain my life as a thief would soon be found out I spotted a man folded upon himself with his back to me and head down as if asleep I touched him on the shoulder and he leaped to his feet and spun to face me Though he wore the same gray clothes and the same thick leg iron this was not my convict I knew instantly it must be the young man who enjoyed cutting up boys I jumped back as the man took a weak swing at me He stumbled as he missed Then he rushed past me into the mist 11
Grateful to have my liver still inside me I walked on Soon I spotted the right man He snatched my bundle and began cramming food into his mouth You brought no one with you the man muttered around a mouthful of pork pie No sir The food disappeared at an amazing rate Will you not leave some for the young man I asked The man looked at me puzzled then laughed He only wants a boy’s liver He looked hungry I said shivering When did you see him Where did you see him What did you see boy I pointed A man dressed like you but with a hat He had a badly bruised face and sat sleeping I thought he was you Bruised Here The man struck his own cheek hard with the flat of his hand I nodded The man dropped to the ground and stuffed the remaining bits of food into his shirt He then filed at his leg iron like a madman Since 12
he took no more notice of me I felt it best to go I half expected to be met at my sister’s kitchen by a constable Instead I found Mrs Joe preparing for her annual Christmas party Where have you been she greeted me I’d like to be out and about But I’m only a slave to you and that blacksmith and never get to take my apron off Mrs Joe sent Joe and me to put on our best most uncomfortable clothes We finished that struggle just in time for the arrival of the guests There were four our church clerk Mr Wopsle the wheel maker Mr Hubble and his wife and Joe’s well-to-do uncle The compliments of the season Uncle Pumblechook cried Then we settled to a yearly tradition criticizing my faults over dinner This was an activity taken up by everyone except Joe Instead he poured extra gravy on my dish at each remark to help me feel better Soon I was judged ungrateful vicious and greedy and my dish was a swamp of gravy 13
