Kane and Abel (Kane & Abel 1)

Wladek heard him hit the far end of the carriage. He sat still and listened for a few moments - no movement - then he lowered his head once more on to the floor, and in moments he was sleeping soundly.

When he awoke, the sun was already sliining through the slits between the boards of the carriage. He turned over slowly and studied his adversary of the previous night for the first time. He was lying in a foetal position, still asleep at the other end of the carriage.

'Come here,'commanded Wladek.

The boy woke slowly.

'Come here,' repeated Wladek, a little more loudly.

The boy obeyed immediately. It was the first chance Wladek had had to look at him properly. They were about the same age, but the boy was a clear foot taller with a younger - looking face and scruffy fair hair. His general appearance suggested that talk of soap and water would have been treated as an insult.

'Firse things first,' said Wladek. 'How does one get some. thing to eat here?'

Tollow me,' said the boy, leaping out of the carriage. Wladek limped after him and followed the boy up the hill into the town where the morning market was being set up.

III He had not seen so much wholesome food since those magnificent dinners with the Baron. Row upon row of stalls with fruit, vegetables, greens, and even his favourite nuts. The boy could see Wladek was overwhelmed by the sight.

'Now I'll tell you what we do,' the boy said, sounding confident for the first time. 'I will go over to the comer stall and steal an orange, and then make a run for it. You will shout at the top of your voice, 'Stop thief. 'Me stallkeeper will chase me and when he does, you move in and fill your pockets. Don't be greedy; enough for one meal. Then you return here. Got it?'

'Yes, I think so,' said Wladek.

'Lets see if you're up to it, Moscovite.' The boy looked at him, snarled, and was gone. Wladek watched him in admiration as he swaggered to the comer of the first market stall, removed an orange from the top of a pyramid, made some short unheard remark to the stallkeeper and started to run slowly. He glanced back at Wladek, who had entirely forgotten to shout 'Stop thief, but the stall owner looked up and immediately began to chase the boy. While everyone's eyes were on Wladek's accomplice, he moved in quickly and managed to take three oranges, an apple and a potato, and put them in the large pockets of his overcoat. When the stallkeeper looked as if he were about to catch his accomplice, the boy lobbed the orange back at him. The man stopped to pick it up and swore at him, waving his fist, complaining vociferously to the other merchants as he returned to his stall.

Vvqadek was shaking with mirth as he took in the scene when a hand was placed firmly on his shoulder. He turned round in the horror of having been caught.

Mid you get anything, Moscovite, or are you only here as a sightseer?'

Wladek burst out laughing with relief and produced the three oranges, apple and potato. The boy joined in the laughter.

'What's your name?' said Wladek.

'Stefan.'

'Let's do it again, Stefan.'

'Hold on, Muscovite, don't you start getting too clever. If we do my scheme again, we'll have to go to the other end of the market and wait for at least an hour. You're working with a. professional now, but don't imagine you won't get caught occasionally!

The two boys went quietly through to the other end of the market, Stefan walking with a swagger for which Wladek would have traded the three oranges, apple, potato and his one hundred and fifty rubles. They mingled with the morning shoppers and when Stefan decided the time was right, they repeated the trick twice. Satisfied with the results, they returned to the railway carriage to enjoy their captured spoils; six oranges, five apples, three potatoes, a pear, several varieties of nuts, and the special prize, a melon. In the past, Stefan had never had pockets big enough to hold one. Wladek's greatcoat took care of that.

'Not bad,' said Wladek, as he dug his teeth into a potato.

'Do you eat the skins as well?' asked Stefan, horrified.

'I've been places where the skins are a luxury,' replied Wladek.

Stefan looked at him with admiration.

'Next problem is how do we get some money? said Wladek.

'You want everything in one day, don't you, o master?' said Stefan.

'Chain gang on the waterfront is the best bet, if you think you're up to some real work, Muscovite.'

'Show me,' said Wladek.

After they bad eaten half the fruit and hidden the rest under the straw in the corner of the carriage, Stefan took Wladek down the steps to the harbour and showed him all the ships. Wladek couldn't believe his eyes.