Previous – Book1 Page221 – Next
Chapter 27
Inventors Club
Despite being used on a regular basis, a fetid smell persists. It’s obvious that nobody ever bothers to clean the cells.
A small window high up on the northern wall, is fitted with solid iron bars. It has no glass. The rudimentary iron bedstead has no mattress, and instead it’s covered with just enough tatty, old carpet to dull the annoying wire lattice.
The sun never shines through the tiny window, but there’s enough light and warmth to keep the cell one notch above “totally depressing”.
This is the business end of the Asylum. A handful of prison cells inside a bigger prison. Conscripts can move about freely within the enormous, locked building unless, like MickeyWarr, they’re confined to a cell. Forty eight hours in solitary is the punishment for errant behaviour. It would have been fourteen days if they had known that MickeyWarr was trying to escape, but as far as they could see all he did was step out of line and try to talk to an officer.
Perhaps being in solitary confinement is good news? It certainly delayed the first tour of duty on either The Frumious Bandersnatch or The Whiffling Blackbird.
The highlight of the day in a prison cell is meal time. A momentary brief interaction with another human being, supplying another dish of slop. Cold slop!
The orderlies work the small cells last.
The door opens. A small enamel bowl enters first, followed by a hand, followed by an orderly wearing a long, hooded cape. The orderly lifts the hood and they stare at each other in amazement. Wisely, they both remain silent.
MickeyWarr is totally gobsmacked. He can’t work out how Slender managed to do this. Slender is astonished, because she’s staring at a dirty man in a dirty prison cell!
“We have only one minute,” she whispers in the lowest conceivable whisper, “I’ve brought you some stew. DeepSigh,
Previous – Book1 Page221 – Next