"This number 12?" "Cement?" "Cement?" "15 packs." "Put it on there." "Okay." "I really think you should..." "you should send the cement back, dear." "I mean, have someone to wrap it tomorrow, you could easily..." "Don't they teach you any manners at school?" "When your mother goes through the trouble of cooking you a decent meal, the least you can do is eat it." "I don't like beef." "I'm sure if you telephoned, and said you've changed your mind..." "It's pork." "Isn't it?" " Then I don't like pork." " I'll have it!" "Jack, just eat it up properly." "Not if Jack doesn't want to." "Sue?" " Julie, do you want some?" " No thanks." "As long as it doesn't go to waste." "That's the main thing." "Why don't you ring them in the morning?" " Tell them you've changed your mind." " Out of the question." "But you put so much work into that garden..." "It's a mess, it's full of weeds." "It's out of control." "Son, I'll be needing your assistance tomorrow." "You'll come straight home from school." "Right!" "And Thomas, sit up properly!" "Let your mother eat her food in peace." "I really think you should sleep on it, dear." "It'll be much tidier from now on." "And that is an end to it." "Come on Julie, we're late for gym." "See you later, Jack." "He's just cool." "Where have you been?" "Oh, extra maths." "I came as quick as I could." "You better put something on." "It's a messy job we've got ahead of us." "Let me do that two inches above the knee." "One should do." "I just thought it should be over there." "That's two." "Jack?" "No, it's you that's run down, Jack, it's not your clock." " Now you just lie there for a moment." " No." "I think it's high time you and I had a little chat." " I'm going to be late..." " Yeah." "When you're late enough as it is, another few minutes won't make any difference." "No, don't hide behind your hair." "I want to look in your eyes." "Your pupils are very large did you know that?" "And there are bags under your eyes even though you've just woken up." "Do you know why that is?" "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?" "I can see that you do." "Look..." "You're growing into a young man, Jack, and I'm... and I'm very proud of you." "I am." "And I know growing up is difficult, but there are things you can do and things you cannot do to make it that much easier for yourself." "And if you go on the way you're going, you're going to do yourself a lot of damage." "Damage?" "I mean damage to your body." "I mean, just look at yourself." "You can't get up in the morning, you're tired all day, you're moody, and your room's like a pigsty," "And don't "huh" at me." "You don't even wash properly and you're rude to your sisters and to me." "And we both know why that is, don't we?" "I don't want to alarm you, but every time that you... do it, it takes two full pints of blood to replace it." "You don't mind me saying this to you, do you?" "It's only what your dad would have said to you if he was alive." "And who knows, maybe some day you'll turn around and thank me for telling you these things." "Now up you get!" "There are clean clothes on your chair." "I have to go to the hospital this afternoon, so you'll have to bring Tom home and take care of him." "Why can't Julie?" "Because I'm asking you, Jack." "Julie has enough to do as it is and all of her homework." "And Sue's netball practice so it'll just have to be you for a change." "He is your brother, you know." "Hurry up." "Breakfast's ready downstairs." "Can I have some salt please?" "The salt?" "Where's the salt?" "Now I'll get you some salt." "Would you like some more butter on it?" "Yes please." "Come on, Julie, we're going to be late." "You've got time for breakfast, Jack." "Well?" "Are you coming or not?" "You go on ahead." "I have no problem." "It's you who's gonna be late." " What about you, Sue?" " Not going yet." "Tom?" "Hey?" "I'm going with Sue." "Jack, do eat your breakfast, please." "I'm sick of that glopy porridge!" "Carrying your satchel, miss?" "Wanna race?" "Wanna fight?" " What's wrong?" " Nothing." "Are you pissed off?" "With me, aren't you?" "Me, me, me..." "That's all you think about." "You never think about mum." "No, you're just "me, me, me"." "I'll go back and say "sorry", if you like.." "Suits yourself." "Come on Tom." "VOICE ON THE RADIO" " How much cats have you got?" " Nine." "What are they called?" " Where is mum?" " She's not feeling well, so she told me to pick you up." "I don't want you, I want mum." "Yeah, I don't want you either but I ain't got much of a choice." "What happened?" "Someone beat you up?" "But I just don't want you." "I want my mum." "I see." "Anyway, who is he?" "I'm just a friend." "Hello friend." " Just going to get something to drink." " What?" "I'm just gonna get something to drink." "Shit!" "Piss." "Arse." "I've come to get you!" " You dare... you just dare!" " Oh, but I do!" " No!" " Yes, dear sister, your time has come!" "Mum!" "The house is empty." "There's no one left to protect you and they're coming for you." "No one knows when they will strike first!" "Julie, I'm sorry." "Get out." "Really I am." "It was just, just a game." "Get out." "What happened, Julie?" " What happened?" " Nothing." "You're not to go in." "That's enough!" "Here, happy birthday." "Tom, take your elbows off the table." "What is it?" "A book." "I can see that." "I mean what's it about?" "Why not read it and find out?" "Jack read a book?" "Thanks." "How old are you today?" " Sixteen." " No you're not, you're only one." " One?" " Mum made a cake and it's only got one candle, and that means you're only one." "Your turn." "What?" " That's my birthday." " So what?" " It's alright, I'll take it." " No you won't." "It's Jack's turn." "He can bloody well lift a finger for once birthday or not." "Oh alright then!" "I'll take it." "No, in that mood now you won't." "I said I'll fucking take it!" " Sorry it's late." " That's alright love." "Bit of an accident downstairs." "Turn out the curtains." "That's better." "I found I can hardly speak these mornings until I've had a cup of tea." "Happy birthday, son." "Put it there." "I wanted to buy you something, but I couldn't get out to the shops." "Thanks, mum." "Your father would have been very proud of you." "I think in his heart he loved you best even though he found it very hard to show his feelings." "Then that's where you take after him, isn't it?" "It had been a long day." "Eighteen dawns, seventeen sunsets, and yet Commander Hunt had still not had his breakfast." "Hunt knew the Major did not approve of his maverick ways." "'People should just take me as I am' mused Hunt, as he strode along his Space Station corridor, his faithful dog Cosmo close to his heels." "'Sit down,' said the Major." "Cosmo curled up at his master's feet as the Major proceeded to brief Hunt on his mission..." "It appeared that minute, life bearing spores drifting in clouds across a distant galaxy had been touched by unknown rays from a dying sun, and had hatched into a colossal monster" " who fed off X-rays..." " As mum's not getting up, we're going to have your party in her room." "What?" "I said that as mum's not getting up, we're going to have your party in her room." "So why don't you do her a favour and clean yourself up?" "If people really liked me, they'd take me as I am." "If." "This monster was now terrorizing regular space traffic within the Solar System." "'Your task is not only to track down and destroy this beast, but also to dispose of its gigantic corpse." "To allow it to drift on forever through space would create not only a collision hazard, but who knows what other monster's mutation might emerge from its putrefying carcass." "# Happy birthday to you..." "# Happy birthday to you..." "# Happy birthday dear Jack," "# Happy birthday to you. #" "You do look nice, son." "Come and sit here..." "Oh, I forgot to give you this." "Really?" "Orange juice?" " No thanks." " Oh, come on, I made it myself." "It took ages." "I used real oranges." " Alright then." " All oranges are real, aren't they, mum?" "Yes." "What I meant was it's not orange squash." "But you said real oranges and I know for all oranges to be real..." "Yes yes, we all heard you." "It wasn't that funny." "Well, you could have at least laughed." "I thought it was incredibly funny." "See?" "Why don't you blow out the candle, Jack?" "Don't forget to make a wish!" "Show you've got enough energy left to blow it out..." "Look what I've got here." "Look what I've got here!" "What shall we do now?" "Well now, let's see." "Mum made the cake, and I made the tea." "You made the orange-juice," "Tom made us laugh." "So I'd say it was about time Jack did something." "Why don't you sing us a song?" "A song?" "I don't know any songs." "Yes you do..." "'Course he does." "What about "Greensleeves"?" "What about it?" " You won a school prize for that." " Well, at 10!" "Come on, sing us "Greensleeves"." "Would you just stop telling people what to do?" "You're not God, you know." "So how about you do something?" "# Alas, my love, you do me wrong" "# To cast me off so discourteously," "# For I have loved you so long," "# Delighting in your company..." "# Greensleeves was all my joy," "# Greensleeves was my delight," "# Greensleeves was my heart of gold." "# Who but my lady Greensleeves. #" " Sue?" "What's it like, being a girl?" " Not bad." "Quite nice really." "Once you know the ropes." "Why do you want to know?" "I'm tired of being a boy." "It's your turn to walk Tom to school" "So you'd better get a move on." "I think I'll become a girl." "You can't be a girl if you're a boy." "Yes I can." "I can if I want to." " Why do you want to?" " How come there are no bowls?" " Plenty in the sink." " 'Cos girls don't get hit." "You do sometimes, you know." "No you don't." "You don't get hit at school." "Where's all the cornflakes gone?" "I said where's all the cornflakes gone?" "We heard what you said." "Well?" "Who's eaten them away?" "We all have, you included." "If you want some more, you can buy them after school." "And while you're at it, you can do the rest of the shopping as well." "It's all down there" " and make sure you bring back mum's change" " I'm not fucking going." "You fucking are or you'll fucking starve." "You know I think if Tom wants to be a girl we should let him be one..." "Hunt had always been a loner and his thoughts and dreams were not those of other men." "But now he was truly alone, with only his faithful dog Cosmo to share in his terror..." "Anyhow, what's wrong with being a girl?" "Then they'd really beat you up at school..." "Ginger wouldn't." "He only beats up boys." "Who's Ginger?" "Oh, he's a mean kid." "He says he's gonna beat me up one of these days." "Why?" "Dunno." "Just says he's gonna bash my head in one of these days." "Oh yeah?" "Uh-huh, he said so." "He's that one." "You lay one finger on my brother and I'll rip your fucking legs off." "Got it?" "He won't bother you again." "Hunt's pride was short-lived, for now a new horror presented itself." "Six huge tendrils moved toward him, weaving their bloated heads through the silent cabin like a giant octopus." "Hunt backed up against the air-lock door, his hand groping for the lever." "The closest tendril was now only a few feet from his face, and it could surely stretch no further." "Suddenly the tip began to expand, disclosing a slimy finger that wormed its way toward him." "His own fingers locked around the lever of the air-tight door." "One heave, one super-human thrust, and the next moment he was free, swimming weightless in the dark sanctuary of space..." "Remember those jokes we used to pull on dad?" "What jokes?" "You remember... like that time I said I'd seen something strange out in the garden," "and he said "What was that?"" "I said "A flower", and how you nearly choked laughing?" "I can't think why." "You thought it was pretty funny at the time." "Not now though..." "Not now that he's dead." "A joke doesn't stop being funny just because someone's dead." "It's either funny or it isn't." "It's not my fault he died." "Did I say it was?" "Well?" "Did I?" "It sounded like it." "You were the one who was with him, not me." " No I wasn't." "I was in the bathroom." " Doing what?" "Having a bloody shit." "No crime in that, is there?" " Be quiet." " Stop it!" "Stand still!" " You stand still, Tom!" " I want my mum!" " I want mum!" " Let's just get you cleaned up first." "You wouldn't want her to see you all messed up like this, would you?" "Yes I would!" "She won't believe it if I'm all clean!" "Would you tell her that?" "It's all your fault!" "Stop it!" "How come everything's always my fault?" "Did you hear me?" "Just wait till I get my hands on that Ginger kid." "Wasn't Ginger who did it!" "Then who was it?" "It was the big fat ugly ginger sister." " Julie?" " Mum!" "Mum!" " Julie?" " Jack, go on, move!" "Do something!" "Jack, move!" "What's going on?" " What's the matter with Tom?" " Nothing." "Nothing, he's..." "Just giving him a bath." "Just a little argument at school, but he's fine." "Really, mum." " What sort of argument?" " I'm not sure." "Can I sleep in your bedroom tonight, mum?" "Of course you can, darling." "Will you do the Sandman, please?" "Sandman come, Sandman come, and bring Tom - and Sue, and Jack and Julie," "Don't forget Crockie." "...and Crockie, lots and lots of lovely dreams and no horrid ones." "And no horrid ones for anyone else in the whole universe, except for bad people." "Thank you, and please." "You're not to do that." "Why not?" "Mum said so." "Hey, Julie, when did mum say to me not to?" "Julie?" "Look, you listening to me?" "I mean, she couldn't have done that." "You were out here when I got back from school, and you've been out here ever since." "What right have you got to tell me..." "Would you rub some of this on my back...?" "Careful..." "Up here's where I need it most on my shoulders and neck." "A bit higher." "Top arm." "Lovely..." "lovely." "Lovely." "Soft." "Just there." "Wait!" "Stop!" "Look at that!" "Wait for me!" "What can you see?" "Nothing much." "Is that my Tom?" "Yeah." "Him and that friend of his." "Are you fed up?" "Come here." "When did school finish?" "Thursday." "Maybe you should think of getting yourself a job for the holidays." "You know, just doing a bit of extra money." "After all, eight weeks is a long time to fill and you won't have me to take care of." "Why not?" "Didn't Julie tell you?" "She never tells me anything these days except what to do." "It's just that they want me to go into hospital just to... give them a chance to get to the bottom of whatever it is I've got." "How long for?" "I suppose however long it takes." "Could be just a few weeks or could be longer." "But it means that you and Julie will have to be in charge once I'm gone." "You mean Julie will." "No, Jack." "Both of you." "It's not fair to leave it all up to her." "I don't mind helping but as long as I'm in charge too." "So you can tell her that, that I'm in charge too?" "Now..." "I've opened an account at the bank for Julie, and they'll pay in money from my account every week, so all that's taken care of." "So all you have to do is just keep the house nice and tidy until I get back." "See, if you don't, they'll come and take Tom and Sue into care," "and perhaps you too." "The house will stand empty." "People will break in, and nothing left." "Poor Tom." "He's really going to miss me, so you and Julie'll just have to be like a mum and dad to him till I get back." "I'm going to miss you too." "Bless you, son." "We'll all go away somewhere nice when I get back." "I'm really tired of just lying here all day..." "It's good to have a different view." "Why are you all laughing?" "Mum's asleep." "You can't see her right now." " I want to see her!" " I just told you, she's asleep." "Look, she's asleep." "And why you all laughing?" "Anyway she's not asleep." "Are you, mum?" " Mum?" " She's very much asleep." " Hey, you can't see her right now." " Let go of me!" "Mum!" "Tom..." "Your turn." "Try not to think about her." "I can't help it." "She's at peace now." "Do you think it hurt?" "She died in her sleep." "Just sort of drifted off." "Like in a dream." "Mum..." "I'm cold." "Do you think we should get him a blanket?" " From upstairs?" " Yeah." "Jack." "Why don't you get Tom a blanket from upstairs?" "Julie?" "When did mum first tell you?" "Your birthday." "When you all were downstairs." "After you did the handstand?" "Handstand?" "Yeah." "In mum's bedroom." "You did a handstand." "You don't remember?" "That's right." "And you sang "Greensleeves"." "Yeah." "What did I do?" "Don't know." "I think Tom made us laugh." "What did I do?" "I know I did something." "What was it?" "I can't remember." "VOICE ON THE RADIO" "Julie, I think we should tell someone." "Tell what?" "I said shouldn't we tell someone?" " Like who?" " I don't know." "Whoever you're meant to tell when people die." " If we tell them..." " You know, so there can be a funeral." "Like dad's." "What was that, Jack?" "If we tell them, they will come and put Tom into care," " into an orphanage or something." " They can't do that." "You too maybe even." "Our house'll stand empty." "People will break in." "There'll be nothing left." "You're lying." "Isn't he?" "Isn't he, Julie?" " Julie?" " No aunts or uncles or things." "There's just us." "Jack, eye glued up." " Want some water?" " Shhh... you'll wake them up." "You know that rain water's supposed to be the cleanest water there is?" "That's a good one, coming from you." "That's true." "It says so in this book Sue gave me." "Commander Hunt says it's the one thing he misses when he goes out in space." "I didn't know you smoked?" "So you actually read it?" "Yeah." "I'm reading it a second time round." "Must be fascinating." "I mean, you should read it too." "Hey, you should read it too." "There's just some... some good things in it." "There's one that reminds me of that game we used to play with Sue." "You know, she was from outer space and we were scientists examining her." ""And vot do you make of zis, Herr Doktor...!"" "It doesn't really sound like my sort of book." "How do you know if you haven't even read it?" "I know the cover's not much at all, but but it's got some really good things in it..." "Alright." "I'll read it if you really want me to..." "No, don't just read it to please me!" "Suits yourself." "Have you got the key?" "It's never..." "We'll never do it." "It's no good." "We will wrap her up in that sheet." "It won't be so bad." "We'll do it quickly and it won't be so bad." "Sorry, I can't." "That's typical." "Leave it all to me as usual." "It was your big idea, wasn't it?" "So why don't you do something for a change?" "Like what?" "Like roll her up in that sheet." "I'll bloody do it, then!" " Is that pretty?" " Uh-huh." "...Put some more stitches on it." "Can I look at myself in the mirror?" "No, not yet." " Looks a little pitched, doesn't it Sue?" " Yeah." "It takes a long time, doesn't it." "Tell him to go away." "Here comes another one who's tired of being a grumpy boy." "What are you doing to him?" " What does it look like?" " Tell him to go away.." "He won't do anything." "He looks ridiculous." "What's so ridiculous?" "You're just jealous, that's all." "I'm not jealous." "There we are, all finished." "Go and take a look at yourself." "Yes, Jack." "Jealous." "All boys secretly want to dress up like girls, but only a few like Tom have got the guts to admit it." "Do I look ridiculous when I dress as a boy?" "That's... different." "Because you think that being a girl is degrading?" "For a boy it is." "So why not the other way round?" "I dunno." "Then I'll tell you why." "Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short, wear shirts and boots, because it's okay to be a boy," "but for a boy to look like a girl is degrading because you think that being a girl is degrading." "But secretly you'd love to know what it's like, wouldn't you?" "What it feels like for a girl?" "There." "That's better." "It suits you." " It does, doesn't it?" " Uh-huh." "Stop it." "Where did you get these?" "In a shop." " How much?" " Not much." "Julie, you told me they cost eighty five pounds!" "Eighty-five pounds?" "You spent eighty-five pounds on a couple of boots?" "Nope." "You've got a bloody nerve!" "Hey, you give Sue and me five quid each to last us the whole week and then you go out and blow 85 quid on a pair of clumsy boots!" "Wrong." " You mean you nicked them?" " Wrong." "So how did you get them?" "Never heard of a present?" "Who gave them to you?" "Uh-huh." "That would be telling." "A bloke I suppose." "Well of course it's a bloke." "There." "I want my orange squash!" "We haven't got any, I keep telling you." "We'll get some more tomorrow." "I want it now!" "Well you can't 'cos it's Sunday." "Then I want my mum." "Can't have her either." "Now shut up!" "Shoot!" "Why you always write in there?" "None of your business." " Where's Julie?" " Gone out." " Where to?" " I dunno." "Of course you know." "She said to tell you:" "Next time you wet the bed, don't stick the things on the boiler." "They're all scorched and ruined." "Dear mum, you've been dead for sixteen days and today we had turnip soup for the fourth..." "I bet you've never seen one." " I saw my mum!" " Your mum's not dead." "Do you think they'll think we've burned this place down?" "Nah." "The police probably found who did." "Or then they probably don't take any notice." "They probably'll have a couple of children to paint it." "What do you want?" "Nothing." "Why are you wearing that skirt?" "Come on William." "This place is a pigsty." " William?" " Yeah?" "Why's Tom wearing a skirt?" "He's being Julie." "And who are you?" "Well?" "He's being you." "Do you have fights in your game?" "No." "So what do you do?" "Nothing much." "You're friends in your game?" "Yes." "Is that why you're holding hands?" "Would you just please go away?" "We're trying to carry on with our game." " Think about it." " That's okay." " Later." " Bye." " I want a boiled egg." " We're having scrambled eggs" " and that's that." " I want a boiled egg!" "Well tough shit!" " Right!" "You've had it!" " Wasn't my fault!" " Yes it was, I saw you." " What you going to do to him?" " Let go of me!" " If he wants to behave like a baby, then I'm going to treat him like one..." " Let go of me!" " Make yourself useful," " fetch up the cot!" " You're hurting me!" "Just stop trying to pull away!" "It's not my fault if I get angry!" "That's how babies behave!" "Well then I'm a baby!" "Is that what you want?" "You want to be a baby?" " Yes, yes!" "I want to be a baby!" " Okay." "Okay, it's time for your bath, then." "I'll really be a baby." "Can I, please?" "I'll get the bottle!" " It's been there since Friday." " What?" "I saw it." "That crack's been there since Friday, and it's getting bigger." "What are you doing down here?" "Just writing." "In your diary?" "Yeah." "You know, I wish you'd let me see those bits about mum." "Just those bits." "You could always read them to me, your brother." "Tuesday, August the twenty-fifth." "Dear mum." "You've been dead for twenty-one days." "No one mentioned you today." "Jack was in a horrible mood as usual." "At lunch we mixed together two cans of soup and Julie talked about Derek." "Jack has not changed his clothes since you died, except for his jeans when he wet the bed." "He never washes at all." "He's beginning to smell..." "Satisfied?" "Sandman" "Sandman come and bring Thomas and Sue and Jack and Julie" " Crockie." " Crockie, lots and lots of lovely dreams and no horrid ones." "And no horrid ones for anyone in the whole universe, except for bad people." "Thank you, please." "He just wanted someone to tell him what to do." "That's all he wanted." "And that's what you're good at doing." "Watch it, or you'll be next." "God it's hot!" "The man in the supermarket says he heard it's the hottest summer since 1900." "So, have you met him yet?" "Who?" "Derek." "No." "Derek who?" "Julie's bloke." "He's coming to lunch." "We're having it in the dining-room." "Did you see his car?" "No." "You should, it looks amazing." "What is this for?" "I bet you can't guess what he does." " Who?" " Derek." "Fucks Julie I suppose." "He's a businessman." "He's rich." "Big deal." "Bet you can't know how old he is?" "Bet I can't." "He's thirty-three." "So?" "It's the perfect age for a man." "Bullocks." " What do you know about men anyway?" " Not a lot." "Shut the fuck up, then." "It wasn't me who said so." "It was Julie." "We really love your car." " You do?" " Uh-huh." "Yeah, I'm very fond of it too." ""We"?" "You don't like it, Jack?" "Not much." "Why is that?" "It's too flashy." "I see." "I think it's quite nice." "I mean, the colour..." "I don't like red." "I know exactly what you mean." "I love red." "Especially on cars." "Makes them look like toys." "Yeah, you're right." "You're absolutely right, Jack." "But then, that's what all cars are, really." "Just expensive toys." "Well, I can see you like red, Tom." "Yes, it's my favourite." "Cars aren't toys." "They're for getting you around in." "That too." "Don't you find it rather lonely here, Susan?" "No." "Well, only sometimes." "When is "sometimes"?" "When I'm on my own." "What do you do when you're on your own?" "I read." "The soup is terrific." "I love it." "What do you read?" " Well..." " If cars are toys, everything you buy is a toy." "I'll have to think about that one, Jack." "You do that." " What do you read?" " Pass me the salt please, will you?" "Careful Jack." "Why not throw it over your shoulder and then you can make a wish." "Yeah." "Aren't you gonna make a wish?" "We've all made one." "What's that smell?" "Probably Jack." "Hasn't had a bath for a month." " Would you like some coffee?" " Yeah, I'd love one." "White without sugar." "I really love those little gnomes." "They, they..." " Where did he get them?" " I don't know." " Want a cigarette?" " No, thanks." "The security of gravity and the cleanliness of rain:" "these were the two elements that Commander Hunt yearned for most in space." "During his leisure hours," "Hunt would pore over the masterpieces of world literature, writing down the great thoughts of mankind in a massive steel bound journal, while his faithful dog Cosmo dozed at his feet." "Now, as he studied photographs of the hideous monster, he recalled the words of the painter Constable:" "There is nothing ugly." "I never saw an ugly thing in my life;" "for let the form of an object be what it may, light, shade and perspective will always make it beautiful." "Hello Jack." "You look well." "Haven't seen much of you around lately." "Got a girl have we?" "Not that I know of." "Aw." "Tom thinks you have." "We think that explains the new clean Jack." "He's an odd little fellow, isn't he." "What's odd about him?" "Wearing that wig, dressing up like a girl..." "There's nothing wrong with that." "There's nothing wrong, but... that's not exactly normal, is it?" "So what if it's not?" "It might affect him in later life." "I don't see why." "I wonder what your mother would have thought?" "Not a lot." "All kids like dressing up." "Has she been dead long?" "Years." "Really?" "Julie told me it was quite recently." "Depends on what you call "recently"." "You tell me." "What's it got to do with you anyway?" "You know, that's really funny, because you sounded just like Julie there." "'Cause when I asked her if I could look down in that cellar of yours, she said: "What's it got to do with you?"" "Just like you did just then." "And all I could see were just a few toys, a sledge-hammer..." "Apart from that old metal locker of course." "Mr. Prescott, sir...?" "What?" "I'm talking to a friend." "Jack," "I do wish you'd all trust me a little more." "It always smells down here." "That's why we keep the door locked." "It didn't smell like this the last time I came down." " It's the drains." "Definitely." " It is not the drains, Sue." "It is the drains!" " I assure you it's not the drains!" " How do you know it's not the drains?" "Because... because..." "this is the smell of something... of something very dead and very rotten, and its coming from here." "Julie." "Are you sure it is not a body?" "You can tell me." "As a matter of fact, it is." "You see?" "Jack trusts me," "Why won't you?" "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone." "Tell who you like." "There's only a dog." " What dog?" " My dog." "What's it doing in there?" "Not a lot, really." " I put her there when she died." " What sort of dog was it?" "What sort of dog was it?" " Me?" " Yeah." "Labrador mostly." " Can I look?" " Yeah, you go ahead." "You really caught it today." "Fell asleep on the wasteland." "You should do it more often." "It really suits you." " Do you think so?" " Yeah." "Don't you think so?" "You didn't make a very good job of the mix, mate." " What was her name?" " Who?" " The dog?" " Cosmo." "Cosmo?" "How come you always fall about laughing every time I say his name?" "His..." "Jack, "his" name?" " Cosmo, the dog." " Yes, the dog, "his"?" "Jack, you said it was a She just now." "Some days was a He, some days a She." " You know, like Tom." " Hello, Tom." "Did you like Cosmo, Tom?" " Who?" " You remember..." "Cosmo, our dog." "Were you sad when she died?" "You sat on my lap and cried, don't you remember?" " Don't you remember?" " You cried." "Oh yeah, now I remember." "I cried, didn't I." "And we all sat in the living-room." "Remember?" "When Cosmo died you buried her in the..." "lock over there." "Remember?" "Huh, come on Tom, time for bed." " It's not my bedtime." " Don't argue." "A dog!" "A dog..." "Well..." "Judging from the looks of her, I'd say Cosmo calls for a reburial." "We'd never get her out." "A few goes with that would soon break it open." "Out of the question." "Understand?" "She stays where he is." "And that is an end to it." "Your father would be very proud of you." "I think in his heart he loved you best, even though he found it very hard to show his feelings." "Then that's where you take after him, isn't it?" "Julie..." "Julie..." "Wotcha." "What's the matter?" "Again!" "Again!" "Do it again!" "What's the matter?" "What's the matter?" "Why haven't you got any clothes on?" "Why haven't you?" "I'm hot." "So am I." " So why were you crying?" " I wanted Julie." " Why?" " I just wanted her." "You mean you wanted mum." "Course not, silly." "Mum's dead." "And I've been into her room." "I know where Julie keeps all of mum's things." "What do you want with mum's things?" "Me and William dress up in them." "Sometimes we're mum and dad, sometimes we're Julie and Derek, but mostly we're you and Julie." "What do you do when you're me and Julie?" "Nothing much." "Yes, but what?" "Play." "Play." "What with?" "Mum's clothes of course." "Do you feel sexy when you dress up?" "Well?" "Do you?" " What d'you mean?" " Well..." "When you put your wig on and that skirt, and then you look in the mirror and see a little girl, do you get a funny feeling in your dinkie?" " Does it get bigger?" " Shut up!" "I wonder if they're watching us now..." "Who?" "Mum and dad." "You think they're in heaven?" "Dunno about dad, but mum is in the cellar." "What do you mean?" "She's in the cellar under that big metal case, and all that hard stuff." "Who told you that?" "Derek." "He said you put her in there." "Will you do the Sandman?" "You know, I remember..." "I remember when I used to sleep in this cot." "Long time ago..." "before you had it." "Mum used to read stories to me, a lot..." "I used to think she made up my dreams for me too." "In the morning, she used to ask me what I'd dreamt about," "I used to think it was to see if I was telling the truth." "Did you want me to do the Sandman?" "Yes please." "Sandman come," "Sandman come, and bring Tom," "Sue, Jack, Julie, lots and lots of lovely dreams... and not... and no horrid ones... no... horrid..." "Look at you." "Just look at you." "My two bare babies!" ""And vot do you make of zis, Herr Doktor...!"" "Oh no you don't!" "I just want to talk to you, that's all." "What about?" "I haven't been to bed with him." "That's what you think." "Is that what you think?" "He knows about mum." " He told Tom." " He was bound to find out sooner or later." "Is it very sore?" "What upsets him is that we won't let him in on the secret." "He wants to be one of the family." "One of us." "I suppose we might as well tell him that." "But not one of us." "Of course not." "Just you and me," "Sue and Tom." "That's all the family we need." "He lives with his mum in this big house." "He took me there." "She calls him Doodle, makes him wash his hands before tea." "You used to look like this." "and now you look like this." "Doodle's mum told me she irons him fifteen shirts a week." "That's a lot of shirts." "It's funny, but I've lost all the sense of time." "It feels like it's always been like this." "I can't remember how it used to be when mum was alive," "I can't really imagine anything changing." "Can you?" "Everything seems fixed and still," "I'm not really frightened of anything anymore." "I feel as if I've been asleep for as long as I can remember... never really been born." "I'm sort of weightless, like I'm... floating in space." "What do you think'll happen?" "It's bound to end I suppose." "They'll pull us down just like the others, and some day someone will come routing around... and all they'll find is a few broken bricks in the long grass." "Go on..." "Now I've seen it all!" "Have you?" "Oh dear." " How long's this been going on?" " Ages." " Ages and ages." " Julie!" "Julie, he's your brother!" "Shhh!" "You'll wake Tom." "All those times..." "All those times when you never even let me come near you..." "For fuck's sake Julie!" "Why didn't you tell me?" "You could have told me!" "You're sick, the pair of you!" "You're so sick!" "I can't believe it!" "You're so sick!" "Do you think a lot about mum?" "All the time." "Do you think that what we did was right?" "It seems natural to me." "Me too."