LITMIR.BIZ

       58

       sunday, december 13 (feast of st lucia): afternoon

      Nicky fishes for something in his pocket, whispering to himself, then looks up at Kennet. “Wailord played a trick on me once when I had to pay,” he says, trying to smile. “He was just joking. They tricked me into eating something you’re not supposed to eat.”

      Kennet waits. Nicky blushes and fiddles with his zipper. His fingernails are dirty.

      “What did you eat?” asks Kennet.

      The boy’s cheeks quiver violently again. “I didn’t want to,” he replies, and a few tears trickle down his face.

      Kennet pats Nicky on the shoulder and tries to keep his voice calm and steady. “You know what it sounds like? It sounds like Wailord is really stupid.”

      “Stupid.”

      Kennet wonders what Nicky keeps fiddling with in his pocket. “I’m a police officer, you know that, and I say that nobody is allowed to do stupid things to you.”

      “You’re too old.”

      “But I’m strong.”

      Nicky looks more cheerful. “Can I have another Coke?”

      “If you want.”

      “Yes, please.”

      “What have you got in your pocket?” asks Kennet, feigning indifference.

      Nicky smiles. “It’s a secret.”

      “I see,” says Kennet, and refrains from asking any further.

      Nicky takes the bait. “Don’t you want to know what it is?”

      “Oh, no. I understand secrets. You couldn’t be a policeman for as long as I have without being able to keep a secret. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Nicky.”

      “You’ll never guess what it is.”

      “I’m sure I couldn’t.”

      Nicky takes his hand out of his pocket. “I’ll tell you what it is.” He opens his fist. “It’s my power.”

      In Nicky’s hand lies a small lump of soil. Kennet looks inquiringly at the boy who simply smiles.

      “I am a ground-type Pokémon,” he says contentedly.

      “A ground-type Pokémon,” Kennet repeats.

      Nicky closes his fist and pushes it back in his pocket. “Do you know what my powers are?”

      Kennet shakes his head. Across the street, a man with a pointed head slowly passes the dark, damp façades of the buildings. He seems to be searching for something; he has a cane in his hand and is poking at the ground with it. Kennet automatically thinks that the man is trying to look in through the windows on the ground floor. He thinks he ought to go over and ask him what he’s doing. But Nicky has placed a hand on his arm.

      “Do you know what my powers are?” the boy says again.

      Kennet drags his gaze reluctantly away from the man. Nicky begins to count on his fingers.

      “I’m good against all electric Pokémons, fire Pokémons, poison Pokémons, rock Pokémons, and steel Pokémons. They can’t beat me; I’m safe when it comes to all of those. But I can’t fight flying Pokémons or grass-and-insect Pokémons.”

      “Really?” says Kennet distractedly. The man has stopped at one of the windows. Tucking his cane under his arm, he busily goes through his pockets, as if looking for a key or a match, but Kennet can see he’s actually leaning into the glass.

      “Are you listening?” Nicky asks anxiously.

      Kennet tries to smile encouragingly at him, but when he turns back to look, the man has disappeared. Kennet can’t make out whether the ground-floor window is open.

      “I can’t fight water,” Nicky explains sadly. “Water’s the worst. I can’t fight it. I’m scared of water.”

      Kennet carefully loosens Nicky’s grip on his arm. “Just hang on a minute,” he says, taking a few steps towards the curb.

      “Hey, what time is it?” asks Nicky suddenly.

      “The time? It’s quarter to six.”

      “I better go. He’ll be mad if I’m late.”

      “Who’ll be mad, your dad?”

      Nicky laughs. “I haven’t got a dad, silly!”

      “Your mum, I mean.”

      “No, Ariados will be mad. He’s coming to pick up some things.” Nicky looks uncertainly at Kennet, then down at the ground. “Can you give me some money? Because if I haven’t got enough, he has to punish me.”

      “Wait a minute,” says Kennet, who is beginning to pay attention to what Nicky is saying. “Is it Wailord who wants money from you?” Nicky has begun to wander away from the newspaper stand, and Kennet follows, asking again. “Is it Wailord who wants money?”

      “Are you crazy? Wailord? He’d swallow me up. But the others, they … they can swim to him.”

      Nicky looks back over his shoulder. Kennet tries again. “Who wants money from you?”

      “Ariados, I told you,” the boy says impatiently. “Have you got any money? I can do something if I get the money. I can give you a little bit of power.”

      “There’s no need,” says Kennet, taking out his wallet. “Will twenty kronor be enough?”

      Nicky laughs delightedly, pushes the note in his pocket, and runs off down the road without even saying goodbye.

      Kennet sets off after him, trying to make sense of what he’s heard. When he turns the corner, he sees Nicky waiting at the crossing for the light to change. It looks as if he’s heading for the library in the square. Kennet follows him across the road, stopping by a cash machine when Nicky stops. Now the big boy is stomping around impatiently by the fountain outside the library. The lighting is poor, but Kennet can see he’s fingering the soil in his pocket all the time.

      Suddenly a younger boy walks straight through the shrubbery next to the dental centre and out into the square. He approaches Nicky, stops in front of him, and says something. Nicky immediately lies down on the ground and holds out the money. The boy counts it and pats Nicky on the head, then suddenly grabs hold of his collar, urging him to the edge of the fountain. Nicky crawls over and allows his face to be pushed down into the water. Kennet’s instinct is to go to him, but he forces himself to stay where he is. He’s here to find Benjamin. He must not scare off the boy who might be Wailord or who might lead him to Wailord. He stands, tensing his jaws, counting the seconds before he has to rush over. Nicky’s legs jerk and kick and Kennet sees the inexplicable calm on the other boy’s face as he lets go. Nicky slumps on the ground next to the fountain, wheezing and coughing. The boy gives Nicky a last pat on the shoulder and walks away.

      Finally Kennet can hurry after the boy, through the bushes and down a muddy grass slope to a path. He follows him past several apartment

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