The Future King: Logres (11 page)

She took her place in the chair indicated. On the wall behind Dr
Ravioli’s desk was a framed New National poster. The crimson flag, circling the
un-lidded eyeball inset with a black triangle and crimson iris, watched her
intently; the circles of which not only representing the all-seeing nature of the
party, but the unity of all.

‘Have I done something wrong?’ she asked. Mr Hall stood at the closed
door behind her, blocking any chance of escape.

‘Why don’t you tell me?’

She contemplated her options. ‘I can’t think of anything.’

‘No—?’

‘Should I be able to?’

Ravioli straightened his name plaque carefully. ‘I’ve received a
tip-off from another student. A very serious accusation has been made. I’ve
summoned you here because I would like to ask you some questions.’

‘Who? What accusation?’

‘I understand that you attended a private party on Friday night,
hosted by one of our students?’

Reluctantly, Gwenhwyfar nodded.

‘I just wanted to clarify one or two things with you. Firstly, were
there any illegal substances at this party?’

She shook her head instinctively. ‘No.’

‘No? No solution, no beer? No narcotics?’

‘Not that I know of.’ Gwenhwyfar shrugged. ‘I suppose people could
have brought stuff along themselves, if they wanted. I didn’t see any. It
wasn’t supplied or anything.’

‘I see.’ He made a note about something. Gwenhwyfar craned her neck
to try and see what, but he moved the paper away. ‘Secondly, my source tells me
that you were attacked by one of our students on Friday night. Is this true?’

Her heart thumped. Suddenly she was stuck, and the reality of
Hector’s unwelcome advances rose in her stomach like hot bile. She looked away.

‘Well? Were you?’ He folded his front over his desk.

‘Define attacked,’ she responded icily.

‘Did one of our students assault you?’

Crossing her arms and legs Gwenhwyfar glared fixedly at the carpet,
and nodded.

‘It would be helpful, Miss Taliesin, if you could tell me what happened.’

‘Someone forced a kiss on me,’ she said, hating the triviality of the
words. She drew a breath. ‘Then he… he pinned me down.’

‘Did he sexually assault you?’

She couldn’t speak.

‘Did he rape you, Miss Taliesin?’

‘No.’

‘Did he intend to?’

‘I… I don’t know.’ She fidgeted in the small chair. Dr Ravioli
scribbled something else down.

‘Could you tell me what you were wearing on the night of the
assault?’

‘Does it matter?’ The principal gazed at her mutely. ‘Jeans,’ she
relented, ‘and a strappy top.’ She felt sick.

‘And your attacker’s name?’

‘Hector.’

‘Hector who?’

‘I don’t know what his surname is. He’s friends with Tom Hareton.’

Dr Ravioli clenched his jaw into a hard square. ‘I see. Is there any
possibility that you may have encouraged Hector to believe that you wanted to
be intimate with him?’

‘No,’ she spat.

‘Don’t lie, Miss Taliesin. This is a boy’s life we’re talking about.’

‘I didn’t do anything.’ Gwenhwyfar shifted uneasily, and looked to Mr
Hall, static by the door. ‘Does he need to be here for this?’

He didn’t even answer. Gwenhwyfar felt hot tears slide down her
cheeks. The principal went on.

‘Now tell me. I’ve heard that others were involved in this
incident
. Is this correct?’

‘Yes.’ She recited the full names of all three Furies. Dr Ravioli added
yet another note to his investigation.

‘Did Miss Rose, Miss Mulberry and Miss Stone tell Hector to kiss
you?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Did Mr Humphreys know what was going on when he found you?’

‘I don’t want to talk about it! I…
no
, he didn’t know.’

‘I was wondering, Miss Taliesin, why you haven’t reported this to the
police. The school hasn’t been notified of any investigations.’

Gwenhwyfar wiped her cheeks with the back of her sleeve. ‘I… I didn’t
know if I should. I didn’t think it was worth it.’

He looked down to his notes. ‘Tell me. What happened after Hector
“pinned you down”?’

‘Someone hit him on the head and pulled him off.’

‘Who?’

She glanced to the New National poster looming behind him. ‘I don’t
know their name. I can’t remember.’

‘You are aware that Hector had to go to casualty?’

She nodded. Dr Ravioli beckoned Mr Hall, who hurried to his side. Quiet
words were exchanged and then his cold eyes settled upon her.

‘I think it’s best to inform you that I will be talking to all
parties involved. Rose, Stone, Mulberry. Hector Browne, as well. I took the
liberty of informing your parents.’

‘You called my
parents
?’
she repeated, appalled. ‘Don’t you think I should’ve had the chance to tell
them?’

‘You’ve had all weekend to tell them, Miss Taliesin. You do understand
that if you pursue this, it will be your word against Hector’s. If I discover that
either you or my source has been lying, then your punishment will be severe.
Understood?’

She nodded, utterly dismantled.

‘That will be all.’

Numbly, Gwenhwyfar rose to her feet. She was escorted out of the
office and then shut out in the corridor, where she stood for a while, alone.
She didn’t want to go back to class, but her Geography lesson was far from
over. It was easy to decide to leave early. After a long, meandering walk she
arrived at home. As she passed the threshold another wave of tears gripped her.
She couldn’t stop them.

‘Gwen?’ Eve rushed to her. Llew followed, too old and stiff to make
it first. ‘Are you all right? What’s wrong? I had a call from the principal. Is
what he said true?’

She couldn’t go through it again. Dropping her bag on the floor she
ran past mother and dog and catapulted herself up the stairs.

‘Gwen!’ Eve shouted, hurrying after her. ‘Gwenhwyfar!’

She slammed herself into her bedroom and vaulted onto the bed. She
wished she’d never come to England. For the first time since moving she cried
in earnest; cried for home, her friends and for her old school. She cried for
her old life, and for Dillon, her horse. She sobbed away the day’s events and
then, heaving, she wept for Arthur.

Merlin

Garan paced back and
forth, wearing down the plush living room carpet. His hand swept across his
thinning hair. Eve stood to one side, arms crossed.

‘This is ridiculous!’ he barked. Gwenhwyfar cringed again, crunched
up on the sofa, wrapped in her bathrobe with her wet hair hanging in cords. ‘So
that’s why you wanted to come home early on Friday night? Because you were part
of some practical joke?’

Llew was by the armchair, watching the scene with brown, anxious
eyes. He gave a quiet whine. Eve perched on the sofa arm. ‘Shouting about it
isn’t helping anyone, Garan. Don’t you think she’s been through enough as it
is?’

‘I should have never let you go to that party! You’re only fifteen,
for God’s sake, and look what happened!’ Gwenhwyfar opened her mouth to speak,
but was immediately cut off. ‘Were you drunk? And don’t lie to me, Gwenhwyfar,
because I could smell the solution on you when you got into the car.’

‘I wasn’t drunk,’ she insisted. ‘I tried a little solution, but only
a tiny bit. I couldn’t drink it! It made me feel sick. Hector was drunk, but I
definitely
wasn’t
.’

‘Do you know what sort of trouble you could get into if the police find
out you were at a party with solution?’

‘I didn’t
know
there’d be
solution,’ Gwenhwyfar countered.

‘Yet you still drank it!’

‘As if you’ve never done the same! You and Mam have had wine before.’

‘That’s different, Gwen,’ he scolded. ‘You’re way below the legal age
limit. The laws are getting stricter. How are we going to notify the police if
illegal substances were involved?’

‘I don’t
want
to tell the
police,’ she maintained, ‘it’ll just be my word against Hector’s. If the
principal doesn’t take me seriously, then why would they?’

‘We’ll be talking to him about that, Gwen, don’t you worry,’ her
mother assured her. ‘It’s appalling how he handled it. I’ve called the school
and we have a meeting scheduled. They will have questioned the other students
by then. He should be more on side.’

‘It’s disgraceful,’ her father growled. ‘Who does he think he is?
Interrogating you like that… and without parental supervision! I don’t care
what he says—you’re still a child. We should have been with you. He made
no
indication that he’d pull you out of
class like that when he called your mother.’

Llew barked nervously. Garan snarled at him. ‘Will someone please
shut him up?’

‘Llew! Be quiet!’ Gwenhwyfar tried, as the sheepdog continued to yip.
Another aggravated whine and he silenced himself, grumbling to the floor.

Garan finally stopped pacing. ‘What did you say those girls’ names
were? Emily, Hattie and who?’

‘Emily, Hattie and Charlotte,’ Gwenhwyfar repeated. ‘The ones I
thought were my friends.’

In the silence that followed, Garan seemed to calm down. Sighing, he
looked to Eve. She returned his gaze questioningly. ‘I just wish… I just wish
that we didn’t have to hear this from your principal. When were you going to
tell us?’

‘Soon!’ she insisted. ‘I just—didn’t know how to bring it up. I
was going to mention it to you at some point.’

‘Some point.’ He strode the room again, and his anger returned. ‘This
Hector
character… I’d like to break
his neck, that’s for sure.’

Eve nodded. ‘I’d rather he was castrated, myself.’

‘We could always set Llew on him,’ Gwenhwyfar suggested. Upon hearing
his name Llew lifted his head, gazing at Gwenhwyfar expectantly.

‘I think he wants his supper,’ Garan remarked.

‘He can have Hector for supper,’ Gwenhwyfar added, cheering up a
little. She smiled and turned to her beloved old dog, who slowly began to wag
his tail. ‘Would you like that Llew? Hector for supper?’

Encouraged, Llew hauled himself off the floor and padded over to poke
at Gwenhwyfar’s crossed arms. He dislodged them both, and was rewarded for his
efforts with a scratch behind the ears.

‘I think we could all do with something to eat,’ Eve concluded. ‘It
is late. How about we get a takeaway? Will Chinese do?’

‘Sounds fine with me,’ Garan approved, deciding enough was enough for
one evening. ‘Gwen?’

Gwenhwyfar nodded eagerly. ‘Yes please. I’m starving.’

‘Right. I’ll see what they have,’ Eve said, pleased to be doing
something. ‘I picked up a menu in town today. They’ve just opened. They come
highly recommended.’

Garan moved into the kitchen and Llew followed him, also in search of
food. Idly Gwenhwyfar spent a few moments in reflection before succumbing to
the lure of the remote. Switching the media station on, she gazed at the images
that flashed before her, mindlessly absorbing the day’s news.

‘I’ve been thinking.’

Arthur’s attention returned to Marvin. The older man was standing behind
him and to his left, observing the windows, hoping to discover what it was that
Arthur found to be so captivating.

‘About what you mentioned yesterday; about not being able to learn
certain truths. Well, what if there was an after-school club? Where such
alternative views—be they truths, or not—were taught?’

Arthur’s interest was sparked. ‘Would that be possible?’

‘Perhaps.’ Marvin walked across to his desk, and sat down. ‘Obviously
it would be secret, and we’d have to be careful about who attended, but it
could work. It might be dangerous job-wise to have it off school property, but
then again, it might be safer. I’d have to think of a cover story, otherwise.’ Marvin
fell silent for a few moments, and sucked his teeth. ‘There’s a lot of hoops to
jump through to get an after-school club here. It has to be fully approved by
several people, and the principal likes to have staff drop in on them from time
to time.’

‘Couldn’t we just meet somewhere neutral? In a library, perhaps?’

‘No, not a library, libraries are much too quiet. Everyone would hear
what we were discussing. It can’t be in public. I could host it at my house, if
people were careful. If I get any grief for it I could claim I’m offering extra
hours’ tutoring.’

‘Wouldn’t you get into trouble for that?’

‘Less trouble than I’d get into for teaching you all “radical”
ideas,’ Marvin chuckled. ‘But remember, no chatting about this to just anyone. If
we’re doing this, we must be discreet.’

‘We will be,’ Arthur assured. He was burning to learn more, know
more. ‘So does that mean that I’m the first member?’

‘Of course!’ Marvin grinned. ‘I was thinking of asking Bedivere too. An
hour a week should be enough. I know that might be difficult for you, but if we
work around your shifts I’m sure we can agree to some sort of schedule.’ Arthur
didn’t really feel like sharing the experience with Bedivere, but kept quiet. ‘How
about we invite Morgan? I’ve been keeping an eye on her, and she’s smart. She’d
do well with something like this. What do you think?’

‘About Morgan?’

Marvin nodded. ‘Is she trustworthy?’

He thought for a moment. ‘I think so.’

‘Good. Morgan, then.’ Glancing to the clock, Marvin lifted his bag
onto his desk and unzipped it quickly. ‘Before I forget: I found this when I
was clearing out my attic. I thought you might like it.’ He pulled out a small,
thin book with a tattered and broken spine. ‘It was banned quite some time ago.
Worth reading if you’re interested in current affairs. It’s surprising how the
author manages to highlight issues so potent today in a time when such changes
had only just begun.’

Arthur carefully removed the book from Marvin’s hands. It read:
The Human Condition
, by Marcel E.
Whittler. The cover was simple, a black and grey divide merging into the
illusion of a human eye. Beyond the front cover, scrawled in messy ink, was
Marvin’s full name, Marvin Ambrosius Caledonensis. ‘Ambros-ius?’ Arthur
questioned, a smile playing his lips.

‘I know. You would have thought Marvin was a bad enough name to give
a child.’

Arthur grinned, and reread the signature. It was in pen, and
difficult to read, but his grandmother had schooled him well in the art of
deciphering old handwriting. He frowned, thinking he’d mistaken a few letters.
No, he was sure.

‘Marvin? Why does this say
Merlin
?’

Marvin peered at the open, browning book. ‘Oh! I’d almost forgotten.’
He slipped his bag under his desk. ‘It was a nickname I had in school. I already
had a ridiculous name, but for some reason “Merlin” just sounded cooler.’

‘Merlin…’ Arthur mused. He grinned. ‘Can I call you Merlin?’

Marvin expelled a loud laugh. ‘If you like. Not in front of the other
students, though.’ The bell went. ‘Ah, time for registration! Go on, sit.’ Arthur
returned to his desk,
The Human Condition
clutched tightly in his hand. ‘The book!’ Marvin hissed. ‘Put it somewhere
safe. Don’t let anyone find it!’

‘Sorry, Merlin.’ Resisting the urge to start reading, Arthur stowed
it away in his rucksack. The classroom began to fill.

Gwenhwyfar was eager for the day to end. The milder weather allowed
for lunchtime to be spent in the cold sun, so she and Viola claimed an old
picnic bench
nestled between Badbury
and Wormelow. After talking extensively about her upcoming test shoot that
weekend, Viola broached the topic weighing heaviest on Gwenhwyfar’s mind.

‘So what did the principal want yesterday?’

Reluctant to linger on the details, Gwenhwyfar skirted over the
experience and focused instead on the principal’s behaviour, exaggerating how
he had looked her up and down when he’d asked how she had managed to get away.
‘It was gross, really,’ she remarked. ‘It’s almost like he was just looking for
an excuse to check me out.’

‘Well, he does hang around the girls’ changing rooms a lot,’ Viola
said, a half-eaten apple suspended in her hand.

‘But seriously,’ Gwenhwyfar prompted, ‘I didn’t mention you or
anything. I didn’t want to get you into trouble.’

‘Thanks.’ Viola smiled. ‘I don’t really feel like a trip to the
Nutcracker’s office. Though I’m sure my name will come up at some point, even
if it’s just mentioned by a vengeful Emily.’

They laughed again.

‘They’ll get bored with you eventually, you know,’ Viola told her. ‘Then
they’ll move on to their next target.’

‘Poor soul.’ Gwenhwyfar twisted in her seat as Viola’s gaze slipped
up the hill. She frowned. ‘Is that
Gavin
?’

He could move fast, for someone so tall. As he cantered past students
leapt aside as if run at with an out-of-control car. Soon he was towering above
them.

Viola swallowed. ‘What on earth’s the matter?’

‘You’ll never guess what I just saw,’ their messenger panted. ‘All
three Furies coming out of the principal’s office.’ He climbed over the bench and
sat next to Gwenhwyfar. ‘They were absolutely ashen, all of them. I overheard a
member of staff saying they’d be called back in with parents for a severe
talking to. Didn’t you say Gwen was called in during Geography yesterday?’

‘That’s right,’ Viola admitted. ‘It turns out Ravioli wanted to
question her about what happened on Friday.’

‘I just didn’t realise it would be so soon,’ Gwenhwyfar fretted.

‘It means that they’ll be punished, at least.’

‘If my word is better than theirs.’

‘Well, we have witnesses,’ Gavin reminded her. ‘Tom and I both heard
Charlotte tell Hector you wanted to meet him. Bedivere was a part of it too,
not to mention Arthur and Vi. We outnumber them.’

‘I don’t think we can count on Arthur’s support.’ Viola threw her apple
towards the nearest bin. It went in with a clang. ‘I tried to speak to him
about it before Maths, but he wouldn’t listen. He thinks Gwen and Bedivere
helped mastermind it.’

‘Ridiculous,’ Gavin muttered.

‘I know.’

‘I still don’t get how Ravioli found out,’ he added. ‘I mean, did you
tell him?’