Fathers and sons -- Fiction; People with disabilities -- Fiction; Princes -- Fiction; Refugees -- Fiction
"Not much. I only read something about him in a torn magazine I found in
the street," The Rat answered. "The man that wrote about him said he was
only part of a legend, and he laughed at people for believing in him. He
said it was about time that he should turn up again if he intended to.
I've invented things about him because these chaps like to hear me tell
them. They're only stories."
"We likes 'im," a voice called out, "becos 'e wos the right sort; 'e'd
fight, 'e would, if 'e was in Samavia now."
Marco rapidly asked himself how much he might say. He decided and spoke
to them all.
"He is not part of a legend. He's part of Samavian history," he said.
"I know something about him too."
"How did you find it out?" asked The Rat.
"Because my father's a writer, he's obliged to have books and papers,
and he knows things. I like to read, and I go into the free libraries.
You can always get books and papers there. Then I ask my father
questions. All the newspapers are full of things about Samavia just
now." Marco felt that this was an explanation which betrayed nothing.
It was true that no one could open a newspaper at this period without
seeing news and stories of Samavia.
The Rat saw possible vistas of information opening up before him.
"Sit down here," he said, "and tell us what you know about him. Sit
down, you fellows."
There was nothing to sit on but the broken flagged pavement, but that
was a small matter. Marco himself had sat on flags or bare ground often
enough before, and so had the rest of the lads. He took his place near
The Rat, and the others made a semicircle in front of them. The two
leaders had joined forces, so to speak, and the followers fell into line
at "attention."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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