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He didn’t like going there Even if he got so, others would try to steal it, and even if he kept it, he was no good atsomeone to cook a raw potato or corn for hi’s better than nothing, though

He ate and turned a corner to see three older boys fighting in the alley A piece of cake hit the ground not far ahead of hied after it before another tackled him from behind Scab retreated He’d have to take a diversion andmixed up with older boys wouldn’t end well

Several turns on, the route straightened, and two ed the side of the alleyway, splinters of wood pulling on his rags as he slid along the shacks He fell on his arse after he’d hit what felt like a wall

“Move, you stupid little prick” The onna have a bruise there”

The e it

“Leave him alone,” the other man said “You let him walk into you”

“I’ll walk into you in a minute if you don’t shut up”

Scab grabbed a sined himself as the blue-eyed killer fro at the man

The round “You little cunt!”

The wood hadn’t even broken the skin on his neck

The first kick to Scab’s head drowned out all the sound The second turned out the lights

The sotiated the maze of alleyways Most locals had paid little attention to hier one’s nose had the other run away

He reached the eastern gate as the sun hovered above the city walls, ready for its descent Hordes of people jostled along the edges of the uards in polished silver batted those who caate with their truncheons Those two ned here

The shouting increased until the noise resehts broke out, and those thrown onto the track were denied their place and pushed further away froers on a shack roof fired stones into the croith their slingshots, no doubt the cause of several fights

One guard banged his truncheon on the gate as he shouted, “Get back”