by Susan Moore
“This is torture,” she said, shifting uncomfortably in her uniform.
Jamuka looked up from his FastPad where he was checking the vet’s report on Dragon Khan. He peered at the glowing blue dashboard over his half-moon spectacles.
“After this next set of traffic lights we should move more swiftly.”
The Grooverider started to glide forward again. A few minutes later they turned into a handsome square and came to a smooth stop.
“You have arrived at your destination. Please alight here,” announced the onboard computer.
The Plastobend doors automatically slid upwards, curving into their slots on the roof. A cool blast of air invaded the cocooned warmth of the Grooverider. Nat’s stomach did a somersault.
“Ready, Bao Bao?” said Jamuka, slipping his FastPad into his suit pocket.
She frowned and put the hat on her head. A girl in the same uniform walked by with her veil covering her face. Nat pulled hers down too.
“No. I will never be ready for this. But we might as well get it over and done with.”
She hitched up her skirt and stepped out on to the pavement, across from a small park surrounded by high, black, wrought-iron railings. Tall trees swayed in the breeze, casting long shadows over a lawn crisscrossed with paths. In the centre stood a black and white building.
“Does Gobi have to come in too?” whispered Fizz as he landed on her shoulder.
“She’s no—”
Nat didn’t finish the sentence because Jamuka appeared at her side, holding the cage with Gobi chirping inside. The Grooverider started to glide off into the traffic to park.
“Zoinks! I thought she was only coming for the ride. We look like a circus. You can’t bring her in. That’s too embarrassing!” she said, panic making her voice squeaky.
Jamuka set off up the steps towards the tall wooden entrance doors of Boxbury.
“She will bring us good luck,” he said.
Nat rolled her eyes and hurried after him.
Jamuka reached the school doors. Several pupils came rushing past them with their robots perched on their shoulders. Nat spotted a couple of rabbits and several dogs. A security guard appeared in a navy-blue uniform, “Boxbury School” embroidered in white letters on his top pocket. He looked sternly from Gobi to Jamuka to Nat to Fizz.
“Jamuka Borjigin and Natalie Walker to meet with Mr Limpet,” said Jamuka.
The guard’s expression changed. A big smile spread across his face. He stepped backwards, welcoming them inside with a sweep of the hand.
“It is a pleasure to meet you both. Mr Limpet has asked that I personally escort you to his office. Please follow me.”
His voice echoed around the large, marble entrance hall. The walls were lined with wooden boards covered in dates and names in gold lettering. Nat peered closely at one to see that it was a listing of the “Boxbury Girls’ First Hockey Team” from a couple of decades ago. Hockey? She didn’t have a clue how to play it.
They walked past a wide, oak staircase and turned down a long corridor lined with official school photographs through the years. The smell of school dinners, floor polish and musty cupboards wafted around them.
Kids in uniform were walking along, clustered in groups, chattering loudly. They paused to check out Nat and Jamuka as they walked by. A few of them spotted Fizz on her shoulder and gave him a second look, pointing at him. A couple laughed when they saw Gobi chirping in her cage.
The security guard stopped at an oak door with the word “HEADMASTER” emblazoned across it in gold lettering. He knocked and walked inside, leaving the door open for them to follow.
“Mr Borjigin, guardian of Miss Natalie Walker, what a pleasure to make your acquaintance!”
Nat peeked out from behind Jamuka. A thin, stooped man with slicked-back silver hair stood up from behind a large, leather-topped desk. He was dressed in a black frock coat and grey pinstripe trousers. Underneath his bushy eyebrows his eyes bulged out, fizzing with an intensity that made Nat think of a frog that had drunk too much Popko juice. His brown and gold striped tie was held in place by an enormous ruby tiepin. Next to him stood a gold micro-pig robot.
“Jamuka, please,” said Jamuka, shaking the headmaster’s hand.
“Then I insist you call me Alger.” He moved his attention to Gobi’s cage.
“I do believe this is a yellow-throated laughing-thrush, Latin name Garrulax galbanus.”
Gobi started to chirp. “You are indeed correct,” said Jamuka.
The pig oinked and trotted over to Nat. It was looking up intently at Fizz with its red eyes.
“Natalie Walker, you are the embodiment of both your dear parents. You have your father’s eyes, your mother’s shape of face, and her hair. I have been eager to make your acquaintance.”
He stepped over, took her hand and bowed his head. The pig didn’t take its eyes off Fizz. Fizz was staring right back at it. He didn’t like other robots staring at him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his eyes change from glowing green to orange.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.
Alger looked across at Fizz. Reaching into his top pocket he pulled out an old-fashioned gold-framed monocle, fixed it to his right eye and peered in closely.
A thin wisp of smoke spooled out of Fizz’s snout. Nat held her breath.
“You are magnificent,” said Alger.
“My dad made him for me when I was born,” said Nat.
Fizz’s eyes changed back to green. Panic over.
“Quite magnificent,” he continued. “A masterpiece.”
Fizz ruffled his scales like a preening peacock.
“Thank you, sir,” said Fizz.
Sir? Nat raised her eyebrows. That was a first.
Alger removed the monocle and stood back, shaking his head.
“Max Walker was a challenging boy, always asking so many questions in my ancient history class. So much energy in him, I wondered how he’d ever channel it all.”
He looked Nat in the eye.
“And now we know! He created SPIN and made it into the biggest computer-games company in the world, becoming mega-rich in the process. What an achievement!”
There was a knock on the door.
“Enter!” called Alger.
A tall girl with dark hair, who looked a couple of years older than Nat, walked in with a black poodle robot walking alongside.
“Ah, good timing. Natalie, this is Saskia Shiversand. I have personally assigned her to show you around the school and help you settle in.”
Chapter Eight
CLASS
The moment that they were out of the headmaster’s study Saskia stopped in the corridor and turned to look at Nat, eye-to-eye.
“Did you bring your sword with you?”
“Sword?” Nat frowned. “I don’t have a sword.”
Saskia pursed her lips. “Are you certain about that?”
Nat shrugged, opened her arms and cast them wide.
“I am not carrying a sword. I don’t own one either.”
Saskia sniffed, turned on her heel and breezed off along the corridor with such authority that Nat wondered if she was a teacher instead of a pupil.
Other kids ducked out of her way as she dragged Nat up and down staircases, in and out of countless classrooms, lecture theatres, labs and sports halls.
She led, Nat followed. She didn’t say anything else to her except “Your dragon is highly unusual”, before pointing out they’d reached the chemistry department.
The school reminded Nat of her own in Hong Kong but it was much bigger, with grander rooms, larger sash windows and old-fashioned wooden furniture.
By the time they reached her year’s floor, Nat found herself catching her breath from wearing such heavy clothes. She was used to Slider shorts and T-shirts, not corsets and long skirts.
“Your classroom,” said Saskia, knocking on the door and opening it before anyone could reply.
The other kids were already sitting at thei
r desks. There were four rows of boys and girls. Fifteen pairs of eyes turned to stare at Nat and Fizz, putting them in the spotlight.
A lesson was underway. The teacher was a thin lady with wire-framed glasses and a lace mob cap. Behind her, a wall screen showed a multicoloured map of the world.
“Thank you, Saskia,” said the teacher.
Saskia turned to Nat.
“Any problems, get your dragon to call me. Mater’s expecting us for tea promptly after school. Find me at the front entrance and we can ride together in my carriage,” she said.
Carriage? Before she could reply Saskia swished her skirts around and flounced out of the classroom door.
“Everyone please welcome Natalie Walk—” began the teacher.
She was cut short by a loud OINK! Mr Limpet’s pig came trotting in through the door, swiftly followed by the headmaster himself.
Every chair in the room scraped back on the tile floor as the whole class stood up to attention.
“Sit! Sit!” said Mr Limpet, waving a hand.
The chairs scraped again as everyone sat down. All eyes were fixed upon Nat. She wished the floor would open up and swallow her. Fizz moved in close. She could feel his snout brushing her ear.
Mr Limpet took hold of her by the elbow and steered her to the very front of the class next to the teacher. He cleared his throat with a loud AHEM!
“Now then, it gives me the greatest pleasure to introduce the newest member of our school. We are most honoured and privileged to welcome Natalie Walker into our midst. She has come all the way from Hong Kong. Her father was an old pupil of mine who went on to a stellar ascension in the world of computer gaming. The company he created is one that I know you will all recognise since most of you spend far too much time in its virtual world. Its name is SPIN.”
There was a collective intake of breath.
“Indeed. The SPIN empire; worth a king’s ransom. Sadly, Max Walker is no longer with us. He and Natalie’s mother departed our world in the most tragic of circumstances…”
The headmaster pulled a silk handkerchief from his top pocket and appeared to wipe away a tear. Nat blushed bright red. She wanted to run for the door, into the street and far, far away.
“However, let us put the fates to one side and look to the future.”
Nat cringed as Mr Limpet grasped her hand, took a step backwards and held his other hand up like a circus ringmaster starting the show.
“We have been entrusted with the next generation of Walkers. I give you Natalie, SPIN heiress!”
Stunned silence from the classroom. So much for blending in. This was officially one of the most embarrassing moments in her life.
“I expect you all to make her most welcome here at Boxbury, embracing her into our midst. Thank you, and over to you, Professor Trogalming.”
Mr Limpet let go of Nat’s hand and swept out of the door, his pig trotting after him.
There was a stunned silence, before Professor Trogalming coughed and pointed at a line of old-fashioned lockers at the back of the room.
“Natalie,” she said. “Please put your dragon over there in your locker and take a seat at the spare desk in the back row. The rest of the class should focus back on the map as we continue with our study of mountain zones.”
Nat fixed her eyes on the floor as she made her way through the rows of desks. She could sense that everyone was still staring at her. A flurry of low whispers darted around the room.
Professor Trogalming resumed her lesson.
Each locker had a split door, like a stable. The top of each one was open and a motley collection of robots had their heads stuck out. All had the Boxbury tie around their necks. She counted three rabbits, a hedgehog, two black Labradors, a couple of rats, a squirrel, a badger, an owl, a horse and two bears. She could see that most of them were from the Soyto “Fresh and Furry” line, just like Wen’s rabbit robot, Fu. Even over here they were evidently the bestselling robots. All of them were in light sleep mode, their eyes half closed.
“Why has that rat got those badges?” whispered Fizz.
Nat peered closely at three blue oblong badges pinned to the rat’s tie: “R-Prefect”, “R-Runner”, “R-Star”.
The rat detected her looking. Its eyes popped open. It spread its lips into a big smile, showing bright yellow teeth.
“The R denotes ‘Robot’,” it whispered in a clipped English accent.
“How do you acquire them?” said Fizz, his eyes glowing bright amber.
“Speak with me during break. I must sleep mode again.”
It shut its eyes. Nat moved towards the end of the line to where her name was showing on a digital read-out label on the front of the bottom left locker. The one next to it read “Zixin Smith”, but the locker looked empty.
She crouched down and lifted the latch. Inside, someone had carved their initials “LMJS” into the paintwork on the back of the door. Other than that it was bare.
“In you go,” whispered Nat.
Fizz swooped off her shoulder into the locker. She closed the lower half of the door, but he was so much shorter than the other robots only the top of his head was showing through the upper opening.
“It’s dark and dismal in here,” he said, his voice flat.
A sudden lightning-quick flash of silver came shooting out of the next-door locker. A snake’s head shot past her with an electric-blue forked tongue, its long, flat, chain-linked body whipping along behind. It slithered down into her locker.
A blast of smoke and flames erupted from her locker, followed by a loud hiss. She jumped out of the way. Someone started shrieking from the desks behind her.
“Miss Walker, will you please keep your dragon under control! You have your first warning and you’ve only been in my class for a few minutes,” barked Professor Trogalming.
Nat turned to face the class. They were all staring at her again.
“I’m sorry, but a snake triggered his defence system.”
Miss Trogalming held up a hand. “No excuses. Please take a seat.”
Someone started to laugh. Tiger’s teeth! She’d rather be having dinner with evil Aunt Vera than this. She glanced back at the locker. The snake’s head was peeping over the top.
“All is well. I am introducing myself,” it hissed, before disappearing back inside.
“That’s enough!” said Miss Trogalming. “Eyes back to the screen, please, and take your seat immediately, Natalie.”
Nat made her way over to the empty desk. She pulled back the wooden chair and sat down. Her desktop activated. The top slid up to form her screen, revealing a keypad and writing tablet below. The screen lit up with the map that was showing on the main screen. Her name was displayed in the top corner.
“Zixin, since Charlotte doesn’t know the answer perhaps you can enlighten us,” said Professor Trogalming.
“It’s the Nilgiri, a range of mountains that forms a part of the Western Ghats,” came the reply. It was slow, more of a drawl, and it was followed up with a yawn.
A green flag popped up on screen over the Himalayas. Nat turned to find that Zixin was her neighbour. He was sitting slouched back in his chair, evidently very bored. He wore the boys’ uniform of long brown frock coat, high-collared white shirt and brown pinstripe trousers. He turned to meet her stare. He had black spiky hair with two stripes inked across each cheek. His brown eyes glazed over.
Then he opened his mouth and she nearly fell off her chair in surprise. His tongue was forked. He grinned, flicking his tongue up and down just like his snake robot had done.
Chapter Nine
ZIXIN
The day went from bad to worse for Nat. She’d eaten lunch in the old dining room alone, with just Fizz for company. The others in her class sat in their cliques. Despite Mr Limpet’s orders, they were all ignoring her.
Well, not completely ignoring her, since they kept looking over at her, their lips sneering as they used the word “heiress” again and again in their conversations. It was
the worst day of her life, worse than anything that had happened to her in Mongolia.
When the final bell went she made her way through the bustling corridors towards the main entrance to meet Saskia. The school day was done and so was she.
Fizz was perched on her shoulder telling her how great his day had been hanging out with Vesperetta the snake. It made her feel even more miserable – her robot could fit in and have a great first day at school while hers was an epic disaster.
“Natalie!”
She slowed and turned to find Zixin running along the corridor towards her with Vesperetta slung around his neck.
He flicked his tongue out. She recoiled.
“Ah soz, didn’t mean to, bad habit,” he said, reaching her. “Congrats on surviving the day.”
She’d sat next to him all day and he hadn’t said a word to her. Maybe this was some kind of joke. She carried on making her way towards the main entrance to find Saskia.
“My mum was from Hong Kong.”
She stopped and turned.
“Was?”
“Yeah. She died just after I was born. I never knew her. Dad brought me up.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What’s it like?”
She frowned. “What? Being an heiress?”
She put a bitter emphasis on the last word.
“Nah, I meant what’s Hong Kong like?”
“You’ve never been?”
He shuffled on his feet, awkward for a moment.
“Can’t afford the airfare. I’m on a full scholarship at Boxbury. Got in with this,” he said, tapping his head. “The others don’t like me because I’m not like them. I’m from the poor end of the city. Dad works on the Underground tube track maintenance. I don’t fit in but that doesn’t bother me. Don’t let it bother you either.”
Vesperetta had suspended herself across the gap between them and was hissing something into Fizz’s ear. His eyes were glowing bright purple.
“Hong Kong is ku,” said Nat. “Different from here.”
“Want to go to Popko for a juice at the weekend?”
