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was thinking of doing the same when a voice shouted, ‘Can you hear me?’ twice. The first time normal. The second time like he was peed off.
    ‘We can hear you, yes,’ I shouted back. My voice echoed.
    I really tried to sound calm, but calmness had been sucked out of my body and replaced by panic and fear. My echoed tones vibrated with worry.
    ‘Can you see the light?’ the voice shouted.
    ‘Yes,’ I returned.
    ‘Walk towards the light then,’ the voice said.
    Our steps were baby ones.
    The light was on us, bright and sharp. We could see now.
    ‘Come through here,’ the voice said, indicating with his hand for us to go through. ‘Come. Don’t be afraid.’ Terror must have been painted all over our faces.
    Inside the door was a desk. A computer sat on it, along with a lamp and a phone. Behind the desk was a chair. A comfy, swingy leather number. On the chair swung a man. Longish hair. Lush beard. All in black. His head was gigantic, his belly colossal. Too many burgers and beer. Swinging on that chair was the man they all spoke about. In every way he was the man they spoke about. I knew who he was as soon as I set eyes on him.
    The Big Man was exactly how I’d pictured him to be.
    ‘Law and Duda, correct?’ he said.
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Which is which?’
    ‘Well, I’m –’
    ‘Wait! Let me guess,’ he said, swivelling on his chair from left to right and back again, eyeballing us. ‘You, skinny drawers, you must be Duda.’ He pointed at Pav. ‘And you, mega mouth, you must be Law, right?’
    ‘You’re right. That’s right. Very right. Yes,’ I said.
    ‘Thought so,’ he said, placing his two hands on the table in front of him and leaning forward like a wildcat getting ready to pounce. I shivered. Pav clutched me. ‘Do you know who I am?’
    ‘Erm … I think so,’ I said.
    ‘And who might that be then?’ he asked.
    I gulped.
    ‘Come on, mega mouth, who do you think I am then?’ He raised his voice.
    I gulped again.
    ‘I think … that … erm … you might be … erm … The Big Man,’ I said.
    The Big Man did a three-sixty in his chair, laughing all the way around.
    ‘That’s right. Here, before you, sits The Big Man.’ He did a crucifix with his arms while saying this.
    ‘Pleased to meet you, Big Man.’ I didn’t know what else to say. My thoughts were frozen. The last person any teenage boy in Little Town wanted to meet was The Big Man. I’d take the reality of the Regime any day as opposed to the myth of The Big Man.
    ‘And what about you, skinny drawers?’ he said to Pav.
    ‘He doesn’t know who you are,’ I said.
    ‘Let him speak for himself,’ he said, looking directly at Pav. ‘Do you know who I am, Skinny Malinky?’
    I gave Pav a wee nudge.
    ‘I not know,’ Pav said.
    The Big Man stood up – and boy, was he a big man – came round from the table and stared hard at Pav.
    ‘You’re not from Little Town, Duda, are you?’
    ‘He’s –’ I tried to say.
    ‘Shut it!’ The Big Man shot at me. He pointed a stiff finger towards my chest. Like he was holding a gun. My whole body rattled.
    ‘Well?’ he said to Pav. ‘Where are you from?’
    ‘I from Old Country,’ Pav said.
    The Big Man nodded his head.
    ‘How long have you been in Little Town?’
    ‘The few week,’ Pav said.
    I cringed.
    ‘I’d say so, given how shit you are with our tongue.’
    ‘I sorry, I soon to learn with Charlie,’ Pav said.
    ‘Not to worry, you’ll get there.’ The Big Man moved closer to Pav. ‘Know who else is from Old Country?’ he asked.
    ‘I no,’ Pav said.
    ‘My grandmother.’ I’m sure The Big Man winked.
    ‘Really?’ I said.
    ‘She came here when she was a few years younger than Skinny here.’
    ‘Ah, yes?’ Pav said. Eyes widening, grip loosening on my elbow.
    ‘Those Old Country bastards forced her family out.’
    ‘We leave also because Old Country bastards,’ Pav said.
    ‘I hear you, Skinny, I hear you,’ The Big Man said.
    ‘That’s mad,’ I