you to try and make love to his lady-friend. Go and talk sweet to her. Provoke him.’
‘How’s that going to help?’
Another cockle shell come through the air, bouncing off the guvnor’s mug. He ignored it.
‘He’s feeling humiliated. We’ve diminished him in front of all these people by not leaving when he told us. The only way he’ll talk is if we give him a chance to get back his pride. Act as if you’re cowed by him, then skulk back over here. Let him dominate you; put on a show of it.’
‘Could make things worse, sir.’
‘Just do it, Barnett.’
I drank my pint down in one go. As I did, Godwin got up and went to the counter with his tankard. I was straight over to his table, sliding up the bench next to the lady. She looked at me, her movements lazy. She was stewed, like everyone else in there.
‘Hello, sugar,’ I said.
She nodded and took a swallow of gin. The green scarf round her neck had fallen, showing the skin as rough and sooty. She smelled of pineapple.
‘Fancy getting a bit of fresh air?’ I said, putting my hand on hers. ‘Away from this lot?’
‘Leave off, will you?’ she said with a giggle. Her lips were painted a funny orange colour; a patch of red was on each cheek.
‘What’s your name?’
‘Lisa,’ she said, soft enough so Godwin wouldn’t hear.
‘You ever been up to the city, Lisa?’
‘A lady ain’t safe up there, mate. Not till they catch old Jack.’
I put my arm around her shoulder and whispered in her ear, ‘I’d keep you safe, Lisa. You can take your davy on it.’
‘Oh yeah? Don’t think my fella’d like that.’
I leant in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
‘Here!’ she cried, pulling my arm off her shoulder and sliding away from me. I looked up to see Godwin standing over the table, a pint in one hand, the other hid inside his jacket.
‘Get out of it,’ he hissed.
‘We’re just talking, mate.’
‘Yeah? Well you can go fuck yourself, mate. I said get out of it! Now!’
‘All right.’ I stood up, holding my hands in the air and trying to look scared. ‘Steady on. No harm done.’
‘Hook it!’ he barked, getting braver the more afraid I acted.
As I tried to get past I nudged his arm, making some of his pint spill over his hand.
‘Watch it,’ growled Edgar, getting up from his stool.
Godwin put the tankard down, slipped his good hand inside his overcoat, and brought out a truncheon, its tip black with lead.
‘Hold on, mate,’ I said, backing away. ‘No need for—’
He belted me hard on my hand before I could finish. I cursed, the temper rising in me, and was about to swing at him when he took another shot, this time at my knee. I collapsed on the floor in the ash and the spilt beer, the pain running like a wave through my body. And just as my head hit the ground he landed his boot in my belly. A cheer rang out, drowning the groan as was forced out of me. I heaved; I couldn’t catch my breath.
‘Oi!’ cried the landlady. ‘That’s enough, Godwin Ockwell. You sit down.’
‘Give him another!’ barked Skulky.
The old fellows playing dominoes cackled.
I was gasping and choking, bent in two on the stinking floor, clutching my belly as the good folk of Catford laughed. Godwin’s dirty boots were no more than a foot from my face, and I feared I’d get one straight in the teeth next. I twisted away from him, trying to get up, wanting to wrench his dirty neck.
‘What in damnation were you doing, Barnett!’ cried the guvnor, only now stepping over to us. I tried to get to my feet, but my knee wasn’t having any of it. And as I hunched there on all fours like a dog, the guvnor struck me hard on the back with his stick.
‘That’ll teach you, you damn fool!’
He turned to Ockwell and took his arm. ‘I’m so very sorry about that, Mr Ockwell. And madam, I must apologize for my brute of an assistant. I’ll dock him a day’s pay for this, count on it. But you taught him a lesson there, sir. You certainly did.’
‘You did that, Godwin,’ said Skulky, raising his mug to him. ‘You got him there, matey.’
I bit back my fury. There were noises of congratulation around the pub. Godwin smiled and raised his tankard, taking a toast from the crowd. When the guvnor handed him his cap from the floor, he bent and gave Lisa a big kiss, right on her painted lips. She laughed as he pulled away. Then he stood up again, tall and magnificent, enjoying the appreciation of all those folk who liked nothing more than to see a stranger get walloped.
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