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Chapter 9
Red in the Face
The next Friday afternoon, just after school has finished, KristalClear and NutJob are catching up on the latest gossip as they hurry home to get ready for work. NutJob seems unusually exuberant, “some of the lads have bought wolves’ teeth! Or to be more precise, one wolf’s tooth on a thin leather necklace.”
“Yes, I know, I saw one! You’re not getting one are you?”
“No way! Far too outrageous for me! Smacks of some kind of rebel symbolism!”
Then, trying to think of something more sensible to say, he adds, “when did the wolves come back? Actually, when did the wolves die out?”
“Not really sure. You should ask Faraday. Didn’t he work over by Ulverston once? Ulverston means Wolves Here Town doesn’t it? I’m sure he’ll know more.”
“Sure, must dash, have to grab some scoff now and better head in to work early.”
Wanting to chat about Ulverston, NutJob arrives at work at about 17:30 when his start time is actually 18:00. Franklin has just made a large pot of Manx tea for herself and Faraday, and tells NutJob to go and fetch his mug. In a corner of the PrintWorks, Faraday’s desk is messy as usual. Several half used note books lying open. More pens and pencils than he needs, and one old text book, open at a page showing a diagram of an electric motor, or a solenoid, or something. There are several small tools scattered on the desk, but there’s nothing electrical!
They clear enough space to prepare three mugs of black tea, and they all sit around chatting about wolves.
“Wolves Here Town? Almost right,” says Faraday, “Franklin actually did some research on Ulverston, I’m sure she can explain it better than me.”
“It’s a mix of Old Norse and Old English. Úlfarr means wolf army and Tun means farmstead or village,” says Franklin. “So Ulverston actually means the village of the wolf army!
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