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Maddie could not get across the Stockport Road (I don’t knohat it’s really called Perhaps that’s its right name because it’s the main road in from the south You should not rely on any of e of the siap After twentyagainst her from behind now, as well She tried to turn herit by the handlebars, and ran into so that bike!’

‘Sorry!’ Maddie looked up

It was a crowd of thugs, black-shirted for the rally even though they could get arrested for it, hair slicked back with Brylcreeleefully, pretty sure she would be easy bait

‘Nice bike’

‘Nice legs!’

One of theh his nose ‘Nice --’

He used an ugly, unspeakable word, and I won’t bother to write it because I don’t think any of you would knohat it lish, and I certainly do not know the French or Ger stick and it worked Maddie shoved the front wheel of the bike past the one she had hit in the first place, and knocked into hi fists between her hands

Maddie held on They struggled for a o, and his hed

‘What’s a lass like you need with a big toy like this? Where’d you get it?’

‘At the bike shop, where d’you think!’

‘Brodatt’s,’ said one of them There was only one on that side of town

‘Sells bikes to Jews, he does’

‘Maybe it’s a Jew’s bike’

You probably don’t know it, but Manchester and its se Jewish population and nobody minds Well, obviously some idiot Fascists do mind, but I think you see what I mean They came from Russia and Poland and later Rouh the nineteenth century The bike shop whose custoranddad’s bike shop that he’d had for the last thirty years He’d done quite well out of it, well enough to keep Maddie’s stylish gran in the e old house in Grove Green on the edge of the city and have a gardener and a daily girl to do the housekeeping Anyhen this lot started slinging venoed in battle with them and said, ‘Does it always take all three of you to coht? Or can you each do it without your h time to think it over first?’

They pushed the bike over It took Maddie doith it Because bullying is what idiot Fascists like best

But there was a swell of noisy outrage fro of thugs laughed again and moved on Maddie could hear the one lad’s distinctive nasal whinny even after his back had become anonymous

More people than had knocked her down cairl with a pra baskets They hadn’t fought or interfered, but they helped Maddie up and dusted her off and the workuard ‘Tha’s not hurt, miss?’

‘Nice bike!’

That was the kiddie His mum said quickly, ‘Oi, you hush,’ because it was a perfect echo of the black-shirted youth who had pushed Maddie over

‘’Tis nice,’ said theold,’ Maddie said modestly, but pleased

‘Ruddy vandals’

‘Tha wants to get those knees seen to, love,’ advised one of the ladies with baskets

Maddie thought to herself, thinking about aeroplanes: Just you wait, you idiot Fascists I aer toy than this bike