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Back The Trickster
Chapters (74)
  1. The Trickster
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. Preface to the 20th anniversary edition
  6. Introduction
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. Keep Reading
  70. FURNACE
  71. Acknowledgements
  72. About the Author
  73. ALSO BY THE AUTHOR
  74. About the Publisher

Bart panted around excitedly as Billy climbed back into his chair, and finally settled for a place beneath the table at Billy’s feet. Katie served a mushy triangle to her son, cut herself a slice and sat down beside him.

The kitchen door was rapped with knuckles, and for the second time that night she jumped. Billy looked at her with surprise. She tried to cover her moment of fright with a big smile even the Seller’s pizza mom would have chucked out as phoney. ‘Hey. We got a sit-com kitchen door tonight, Billy Boy. I’ll bet it’s a special guest star who’ll get a round of applause when I open it. What do you think? Bill Cosby?’

Billy shrugged and got to work on his soggy slice. He was far too close to his mother not to see straight through her forced cheerfulness. She was as unhappy as he was, and the song and dance act wasn’t helping anyone.

She got up and opened it. Not Bill Cosby. Gerry and Ann.

‘Guys! Get in here.’

They stamped into the kitchen, spreading as much snow as Bart but a little more politely. Gerry ruffled Billy’s hair as he took off his coat, and Billy smiled up at him.

‘Pizza, huh! That looks good.’

Katie took his coat and waited for Ann’s to come off. ‘Don’t. I’m not proud of it.’

They fussed around taking more stuff off and finally settled round the table.

‘Well this is a treat,’ said Katie in that same voice she’d been inflicting on Billy all evening. Ann looked at her like she’d gone mad.

‘Jeez. You don’t get many treats.’

Billy laughed again. Good. Very good. And Gerry seemed very interested indeed that Billy laughed, looking at him and nodding with a smile. That told Katie all she needed to know about her friends’ impromptu visit. Agnes Root.

‘Sam home?’ Ann asked it innocently, but Gerry never took his eyes off Billy. If he was here to witness the basis of Agnes Root’s concern he wasn’t disappointed. Billy’s face crumpled at the mention of his father’s name and his eyes dropped to the table as he put the pizza to his lips again. Katie shook her head. Ann nodded up the way in response.

‘So how’s it hanging in the school yard?’ Katie bit into a piece of pizza and chewed at it.

Gerry took his eyes off her son at last. ‘Good. Got through another day without losing a limb.’

Ann sat back. ‘There’s a lot of buzz about this you-know-what. The news crews have been all over town. Kids can’t help but get excited.’