George Adamson Lives with Apes

What Time Is It Mr Wolf

The children visited Violet in the library almost every night after their initial meeting. The determined woman was working her way through a book teaching the basics of the piano, she practiced on an old instrument which had been discovered on an exploration of the library wing and the children came to listen enthusiastically. Ruby would keep watch for Grimm or Bank using her special sight but it was almost as if the evil witch had forgotten about poor Violet locked away on her own in the cavernous room. The young woman would have been quite content if she could forget about poor Mr Bromley. Grimm had refused to give Violet any news of her former employer and Ruby was limited in what she could see of him.

Both George and Ruby turned eleven, Violet had learned to play happy birthday to you on the piano and she played it to them six times, they were so excited by the sound of it.

The summer came around again. On a particularly warm and pleasant day in June a tall and gangly older boy with a large floppy fringe called Angus approached George as he was queuing for food. Today's lunch was grey slop. It had taken Angus a long time to find a moment to speak to George when Ruby was not nearby and he took his opportunity.

"George," Angus whispered so as not to draw attention from the evil dinner ladies who patrolled the hall. George turned and grinned, he liked Angus.

"I need your help." Asked the floppy haired boy. "Ruby's help actually, if you could convince her?" Angus shifted from one foot to the other flicking his long fringe out of his eyes as he spoke. "I've got a plan to escape from the castle. I need her to find me some time when the teachers are not around so that I can explain it to the others."

George felt his heart begin to race, this might be the opportunity he had been waiting for! Escape at last from this dreadful place. A fat red faced dinner lady turned her head to look at George, her chins wobbled with the motion and her piggy eyes twinkled. Angus shrank back against the wall and pretended to look away but George could see his eyes shielded beneath the thick hair of his dark fringe. George nodded and Angus' shiny hair shook as he nodded back. That afternoon George enlisted Ruby's help. He knew Angus had asked him to be the mediator because Ruby would not say no to George. She wasn't very tolerant of the other children but she had very rarely refused a request from her best friend.

Two evenings later it had been arranged. All of the children sat in a circle crossed legged inside the dorm, excitement crackled in the air as they wondered what was happening and why they had been summoned. Some of the smaller ones were a little apprehensive in case the teachers came along but the strange Ruby girl stood in the corner keeping watch. Her creepy eyes had turned white which scared the children almost as much as the teachers did.

Angus smiled, held up his hand and began to whisper. "If anyone wishes to talk they have to raise their hand and wait to be chosen, when you put down your hand it means you have finished. If we all talk at the same time the teachers will hear, only one person at a time. Ruby will warn us if anyone is coming." The strange girl nodded as everyone's eyes focused on her. "If anyone does not understand raise their hand." Everyone's hands remained by their sides. "Ok," Angus flipped his fringe. " I will start by explaining that I have a plan to escape from the castle."

The children's eyes popped from their sockets. Some of the younger ones clasped their mouths with excitement so as not to speak. "I am planning to steal the key to the large gates."

George watched as everyone's shoulders slumped in unison, the atmosphere in the room deflated. There was no way anyone could get that key. Miss Grimm wore it around her neck and the evil old witch slept with her good eye open. It was hopeless. Angus carried on seemingly unaffected by the reaction of the others.