Doctor Who_ Warchild - Andrew Cartmel [96]
‘Perhaps we should attribute it to the fact that you’re a bully and an extortionist.’ Pangbourne didn’t bother trying to stop the rising tide of rage. ‘Perhaps we should attribute it to the fact that you work for a secret wing of the government which wields more power than is good in any democracy.’
These feelings had been building up for weeks and the words Just flowed out of him. ‘Perhaps my secretary is as sick of You as I am and feels as helpless as I do. Maybe she’s sick and tired of having you walk in here and order us around.’
‘Oh, come on,’ said Retour. ‘We’re a little more subtle than that.’
‘Yes. You’re so subtle your right hand doesn’t know what your left is doing. I had a father in here the other day who works for your precious Agency and he didn’t even seem aware of the operation you’re running in my school.’
Retour smiled. ‘Well, you know us cloak-and-dagger types.’
‘All I know,’ said Pangbourne hotly, ‘is that I have members of staff who have been forced on me. How the hell am I supposed to run a school when it’s staffed with spies instead of teachers?’
‘Don’t exaggerate, now. There’s just two of us.’
‘To my knowledge,’ said Pangbourne.
‘Don’t get paranoid. Besides, I think that I’m a pretty good history teacher. The kids all seem to like me, anyway.
And you won’t have any complaints about Amy Cowan either.’
‘I just want you people out of my hair. Whatever you’re up to I know it isn’t helping me educate my kids.’
‘Well, if it’s any consolation we won’t be bothering you much longer,’ said Retour. ‘That’s what I came to tell you. It looks like our operation is going to be over sooner than we thought.’
‘And how am I supposed to replace two staff members in the middle of a semester?’
‘I’m sure that’s a problem you won’t have to worry about.’
The man called Retour smiled and rose from his chair. ‘Oh, and by the way, apparently your secretary tried to borrow some books from the library for you.’
‘Are you monitoring my reading-matter now?’
‘Not at all. I was just going to say that I’ve got those books. I’m using them in preparing my classes but I’ll be finished with them soon and then they’re all yours.’
‘Thank you kindly,’ said Pangbourne with heavy sarcasm.
‘Well, I just dropped in to touch base. I’d better let you see your visitor.’
Retour got up and left the office, leaving Pangbourne trying to control his anger. He wanted to achieve some peace of mind before he addressed the problem of Wolf’s father.
But it was too late. The door swung open again almost immediately and Francis Leemark stepped in.
‘Mr Leemark-’
‘That’s right,’ snapped his visitor. He was a fierce little gnome of a man, gnarled and bony. He came in and perched restlessly on the chair in front of Pangbourne’s desk as if he might spring out of it at any second. ‘Chair’s still warm,’ he muttered. He rubbed his deeply lined face and stared at the principal with hot dark eyes. He was, if anything, angrier than Pangbourne.
‘That’s right, Mr Leemark, I just wanted to apologize-’
‘Seems to me you’ve got a lot of apologizing to do. I hope the rest of your afternoon is free because I figure it’ll take you that long just to get started.’
Pangbourne bit back the sarcastic retorts that filled his mind. He forced himself to remain civil. ‘I was going to say that I apologize for keeping you waiting. My last visitor was an unwanted intrusion. He just barged in here without an appointment.’
The little man stared steadily at Pangbourne. ‘Probably another parent unhappy about the way his kid is being treated in this dump. Probably a man who doesn’t like the sort of stuff you teach here. If you can call that teaching.’
Pangbourne took a deep breath. ‘Well, in any event, I gather that’s what you’ve come about.’
‘I’ve come about my boy.’
Pangbourne nodded. It was hard to believe that a big tall kid like Wolf could have been fathered by this tiny man.
Maybe the mother had been tall.
‘It can’t be easy raising a child on your own,’ said Pangbourne, trying to strike up some kind of rapport with the man. The rising mood of hostility in