BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (45)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Contents
  4. Prologue
  5. 2046
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Ten
  16. Eleven
  17. Twelve
  18. Thirteen
  19. Fourteen
  20. Fifteen
  21. Sixteen
  22. Seventeen
  23. Eighteen
  24. Nineteen
  25. Twenty
  26. Twenty-One
  27. Twenty-Two
  28. Twenty-Three
  29. Twenty-Four
  30. Twenty-Five
  31. Twenty-Six
  32. Twenty-Seven
  33. Twenty-Eight
  34. Twenty-Nine
  35. Thirty
  36. Thirty-One
  37. Thirty-Two
  38. Thirty-Three
  39. Thirty-Four
  40. Thirty-Five
  41. Thirty-Six
  42. Thirty-Seven
  43. Thirty-Eight
  44. Thirty-Nine
  45. About the Author

‘Yes, Mum,’ he says, rolling his eyes as though he has just been gently chided.

Thirteen

Thirteen

‘Banana,’ he says again. ‘Definitely banana.’ With the ruthless precision of a hungry gorilla he snaps the top and peels the first segment down the long body. ‘Smells bananaish,’ he says after sniffing the exposed fruit. He takes a big bite, chews for a second and pulls his head back in disgust. ‘Not a banana,’ he informs them with a mouthful of mush, which he swallows before taking a breath and then another bite.

‘Why are you eating it then?’ Safa asks at the look of horror on his face.

‘Don’t waste food,’ he says while shoving the next piece in.

They watch him eat and his relaxed easy manner is in such stark contrast to the rush of emotions Ben feels. He felt okay earlier when he didn’t know what was going on. The adrenaline was there. Now he just feels wretched.

‘I don’t think I’m right for this,’ he says.

‘What’s the alternative?’ Safa asks. ‘Go back and get blown to bits on the Underground?’

‘What about you?’ Ben asks. ‘Your family? Friends? Your life . . . I’m engaged to get married . . .’ He thinks of Steph as the words come from his mouth. She was having an affair. She was having an affair while he got blown to bits on the Underground.

‘Anyone got a knife?’ Harry asks.

‘You were engaged,’ Safa says bluntly. ‘You heard him. You’re dead. We’re all dead.’

‘I’m not fucking dead. I’m here and so are you and Harry.’

‘No knife, then?’ Harry asks, looking round the room.

‘Ben, you heard what he said. We can’t go back . . . HARRY!’ she cries out as Harry’s fist smashes down into the big green fruit, sending chunks of sticky goo flying everywhere.

‘Sorry,’ he says sheepishly, staring round at the results of the mini explosion.

‘It’s in my hair,’ she tuts, tugging a slimy green dollop from the black strands.

Ben peels a lump from his cheek and stares at it for a few seconds. ‘What is it? Melon? No that’s . . . is it lime?’

‘Dunno,’ Harry says, chomping away. ‘Tastes nice.’

Ben licks the end of the dollop and waits for his taste buds to decide if they want it or not. Melon but with lime, or apple, or something else. It’s nice but earthier than any other fruit he has tasted. He reaches out to take another wet dollop from the table.

‘Maybe he’s got it wrong,’ he says between mouthfuls as Safa starts to dig in to the chunks of fruit.