Winning bone. Losing bone.
As DJ Dopejack wondered what on earth to do with his newly found knowledge.
As Jazir Malik made a date with Daisy for that night, her bed, her luscious body. ‘After I’ve finished serving curries, I’ll come and service you.’ Then left, seeing that Daisy didn’t have a laugh inside her.
As Daisy didn’t dare laugh.
As Joe watched Max argue with Jimmy down in the cellar.
As Benny lay shivering on his bed. His and Joe’s bed. Our bed! Something had to be done. No more waiting. He took the keys to Joe’s car.
As Celia told Daisy all about having seen Joe and Max kissing.
As blurbflies flew around the house and down the street and in and out of windows, alongside Benny’s speeding car and every other car and all the buses and trains, under the city’s skin, inside of heads and outside of television.
Play to lose! Play to lose!
The city was flashing with such moments; moments of relief and tenderness in the face of losing. Moments of doubt and fire, for having been so close, so tempted. Moments of pain, as the half-losers worried what effect they would feel. Those dreams that had been reported, the skeleton following you, almost catching you. The struggle to wake yourself in time…
As somebody somewhere found themselves caught. Dropping the bad luck like a bone on fire. Running through the streets he was, hoping to escape the prize. Trying to get miles away, no direction.
Can you guess who won? Can you guess who lost?
Well, can you?
Play to lose
It was Daisy’s first time in the cellar. She hadn’t really thought about it before, but these old Victorian houses often had extensive cellars, where the servants lived and worked. All that was gone now, just the stripped walls, piles of rubbish, broken furniture, dust and webs, a slumbering boiler, a rocking horse, worm-food. A spidered light bulb, feeble glow. Down the rickety stairs, Daisy putting her hand on the wall to steady—
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Urgh! Lice!
Daisy, scared of insects, didn’t let Celia see it. The young girl looking so calm, as though having been down here many times before. ‘What’s down here, Cee?’ Daisy asked. The young girl pushed aside another door, leading Daisy through. ‘This way…’
Darkness now. Daisy keeping tight hold of Celia’s fingers, being led. Round corners and doubling back, more corners, the corners of corners (how big was this place?), turning, returning (so dark), more stairs, another level, more corridors (getting lighter now, eyes adjusting), turning corners, getting lost (must be under next door’s house by now, surely), asking what this place was and where was she being taken, getting no answer…
Through here…
Somewhere in the maze, a bank of computers making dull glow and static buzz, wires and leads tangled around equipment, leading off to all parts of the maze. Max and Joe and Daisy’s father; Daisy’s father getting the full Hackle treatment for being reckless. ‘We’ve got to tell her,’ Jimmy Love said. ‘She deserves to know.’
‘Not yet. Not all of it.’
‘What she needs, then. At least about Susan.’
‘Susan? Yes…’
‘It’s not fair, otherwise. Never forget, Max… she’s my daughter.’
‘I understand that. The time will come…’
‘The time for what?’ Daisy’s voice, from the darkness.
‘Daisy…’ Her father’s voice, in shock.
‘She shouldn’t be down here.’ Joe’s voice.
‘I brought her.’ Celia’s voice, from the darkness.
‘What is it I should know?’ Daisy again, stepping forward. ‘What’s this about having two samples to work from?’
Silence.
‘Shall I tell her, Max?’ Her father’s voice.
‘No. I’ll do it.’
‘Thank you.’ He turned, smiled at his daughter. ‘I’ll be upstairs, OK?’
Daisy was scared now.
‘Joe?’ said Hackle. ‘Will you sort Benny out?’
‘Will do.’
‘Take Celia.’
‘I don’t want to go!’
‘I’m the boss round here. You go with Joe now, and stop causing trouble.’
Joe took Celia’s hand. ‘I know the way,’ she said, pushing his hand aside. Together they followed Jimmy back through the maze.
The two of them alone, with Daisy just standing there, with Max studying an array of numbers on the screen of a computer.
‘You want to win the double-six, don’t you?’ Daisy asked, trying to get him started.
Max didn’t even look up from his workings.
‘Well you got a burgernote from Dopejack…’
‘Dopejack? How is he? Is he coming back to us?’