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don’t,’ Annie said.
    ‘Yeah, I like him well
enough.  But I want a rich fella, see, so he ain’t no good to me.’
    Annie looked at her sharply.
‘That ain’t nice.’
    ‘The truth, though.  I
learned that lesson early, didn’t I?  Always be on the lookout for the
next mug.  It’s what Ernesto taught me, ain’t it? I don’t want to live in the gutter my whole life.’  She shook
herself.  ‘We’d better get him on that cart somehow.  He ain’t waking up any time soon.’   
    Annie got to her feet and went
over to the cart.  The light was fading rapidly now, the world washed in
grey as she scooped the contents of the cart to one side as best she could. 
Glancing across, she caught the brief kiss that Polly placed on the forehead of
Isaac, and turned away quickly before Polly could see her watching. 
    ‘He’ll have to lie on the table
but I moved most everything else out of the way,’ Annie said as she went back
to help Polly lift him.  They took an arm each and dragged him to the
tilted cart, hauling him onto the upturned table, wooden legs surrounding him
like a cage. 
    ‘He’s heavier than he looks, ain’t he?’ Polly wiped her hands down her dress. Isaac’s
legs dangled over the edge, but when they lifted the handle he just cleared the
ground.  She grimaced. ‘Not much fun but the best we can do.  You
ready?’ Annie nodded. ‘Come on then,’ Polly said, straining to get moving,
‘let’s see what Ernesto has to say about all this.’
     
    The sun had already set by the time they reached the
sprawling house they shared with Doctor Ernesto Black. Nobody really knew why
he carried the title of doctor, and as far as anyone could tell, he certainly
wasn’t worthy of it.  He spoke often of a life before the orphans, where
he had been a gentleman meant for greatness, but whenever questioned on what
that greatness was, he would wave away the enquiry with a vague excuse. He was
even more guarded when questioned about his family or connections.
     Polly’s gaze ran over the
exterior of her home as they dragged the cart containing a still unconscious
Isaac through the wrought iron gates.  Even the faintest glow from the
lamps burning inside was enough to reveal how dilapidated the building was,
though it was clear from the grandness of the design that it had once been a
handsome dwelling. It was one of the reasons Polly gave any credit to Ernesto’s
claims that life had treated him cruelly, and had torn from the young Master
Black all its promises of a bright future. Now, the gravelled driveway of the
house was pitted with holes and choked by weeds; to either side dense shrubs
clawed their way onto the path, like the thorns of Sleeping Beauty’s
prison.  Window frames were rotting and loose and the lights from within
showed the gaps around the front door. The orphans did their best with the
upkeep, but it was a task far too large for three children to manage and
Ernesto certainly wasn’t interested in such low pursuits as household maintenance.
And so, year upon year, the house fell into a slightly worse state of
disrepair.
    The front door opened and
Ernesto’s huge bulk filled the frame. ‘Where have you been?’  His gaze
fell on Isaac.  ‘What happened to him?’
    Polly nodded at Annie and they set
down the handle of the cart.  Isaac slid down the incline and Annie shot
out a hand to steady him.
    ‘Got clobbered over the ‘ ead , didn’t he?’ Polly huffed.
    ‘What are you trying to tell me?’
Ernesto said as he made his way down the porch steps to them.
    ‘I’m telling you we got robbed.’
    ‘What!’ Ernesto thundered.
    ‘It weren’t my fault,’ Polly
fired back, planting her hands on her hips. ‘He weren’t looking out!  Fat
lot of good you sendin ’ us out with a boy, we need a
man out with us, don’t we?’
    ‘It weren’t Isaac’s fault,’ Annie
said quietly.  ‘None of us saw the robber comin ’.’
    Ernesto seemed to shake,
struggling to