Page 12 of The Beast's Heart

“We don’t have the resources to change the system alone, but The Beast has influence. By demonstrating how these children can thrive when given the proper support, we can show the country why it’s essential to reform the system.”

“Reform the children, reform the system.” I don’t hide my bitterness. Given the circumstances, I probably should. But this isn’t about me, it’s about what’s best for Alisha, Mal, Ben and Enrique.

“I’ll be candid with you Mister Belle,” Meredith says.

“Please, by all means.”

“This is what you’ve signed on for. In August we plan to put on a show for our donors, with or without your participation. Ifyou’re not up for the task, then perhaps we should find ourselves another teacher?”

August.That would be ambitious even if there wasn’t a pandemic.

“So, you’re giving me five months to play Pygmalion.”

“Pygmalion?”

“George Bernard Shaw?”

She stares at me blankly.

“Never mind.”

Meredith sighs. “The children are aware of what’s expected of them. They will need to work hard, as will you, as will all of us. But if we succeed, the end result will be more than worthwhile.”

As soon as Meredith’s gone, I poke my head into the playroom. It’s large and covered in a rich burgundy carpet, but there are no windows, only artificial light coming from a large hanging lamp in the center of the room and the flat-screen TV that the children are gathered in front of.

They’re playing the latest wrestling video game. And they’re laughing while Mal beats the living daylights out of Adam “The Beast” De Villeneuve.

Well, that’s healthy.

They don’t notice me. I watch a while before I say, “It really doesn’t give a proper sense of scale, does it?”

They whip around. Mal goes even paler than he is already.

I come further into the room. “He’shugein real life, but not quite that impressive on screen. I suppose when you have two of them next to each other it’s rather difficult to get a proper sense of scale? Like the way they say most Hollywood actors are short.But we’d never know, because we have nothing to measure them against when they’re on screen with other tiny actors.”

No one responds.

“We didn’t have much time to talk at dinner. Do you mind if I join you?”

Of course they mind. They mind very much. It’s a rhetorical question. I take a seat beside Mal on the sofa. He’s still staring at me, hand frozen on the controller. His wrestler K.O.s and he doesn’t even seem to notice.

“Lily-Iris will be up to put us to bed soon,” Alisha says. She’s seated on the floor with Enrique who has a fist around a toy car.

Ben is sitting on the opposite arm of the sofa, huddled up with his knees in front of his chest. “Are you going to be looking after us now?”

“Sometimes. I’ll be sleeping at the end of the passage if you need anything during the night and we’ll be spending the days together. Lily-Iris will still help, though. Does she care for her father? Is that why she doesn’t sleep with you in the house?”

“No, she—” Ben starts but Alisha shakes her head at him, almost imperceptibly. Which, of course, makes me even more curious.

“Go on?” I prompt.

“She just doesn’t.” Ben presses his lips together.

“‘Cause it’s haunted,” Mal says.

“Mal!” Alisha scolds.

“What? It’s true.”

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