The Diviners Read Online Free PDF Page B

pee or shit? Is there a backhouse in this place?
    The teacher says a whole lot of stuff welcome boys and girls I know we’re going to get along just beautifully and I know you’re going to work hard and not make any trouble and I may as well say right now that troublemakers will find themselves in trouble and it is the ruler across the hands forthem and the really bad behavers get the strap from the Principal.
    What means Principal ? What is Strap ?
    “Stand up and say your names, please. You, the girl at the back in this row, you begin.”
    Who? Her. Morag. She knows she won’t be able to say. Or will wet her pants. She struggles up, stooping a bit so as to hide her tallness. She is taller than any of the other girls, what a disgrace.
    Mumble.
    “Speak up, dear, we can’t hear you.”
    “Morag Gunn.”
    “Thank you, Morag. You may sit down. Next, now.”
    All the names. Stacey Cameron. Mavis Duncan. Julie Kazlik. Ross McVitie. Mike Lobodiak. Al Cates. Steve Kowalski. Vanessa MacLeod. Jamie Halpern. Eva Winkler. And so on and so on.
    Teacher’s name–Miss Crawford.
    “Miss Crawfish,” Jamie Halpern whispers.
    Eva Winkler’s tears go drip-drip-drip-splot onto her scribbler. Morag wants to cry, too. But doesn’t. Miss Crawfish is gabbing again. All sorts of stuff now boys and girls if you want to leave the room you must hold up your hand for permission either one finger or two you take my meaning of course.
    What means Leave the Room ? Morag does not think it really means you can go home if you want to. One finger? Two fingers? What for?
    “Number One and Number Two,” somebody whispers. “If you gotta do Number Two, she lets you go out right away. My brother told me.”
    Morag now sees that she cannot see what is written on the blackboard. Her ears, though, are of the best. Maybe thiswill make up for not having a brother who tells you things.
    Eva Winkler’s brothers are all younger. None yet at school.
    A horrible smell everywhere. Who? Eva Winkler bawls out loud now. All eyes on her. Morag clenches her own stomach, holding on. She mustn’t. She can’t hold up her hand. Not in front of everybody. Especially now.
    “Eva–have you had an accident?” Miss Crawfish asks.
    Eva cries and cries. Some kids laugh.
    “That’s enough , class. Eva, why didn’t you ask permission? To leave the room.”
    “I never knew–”
    “But I told you, Eva. Stand up beside your desk.”
    “I can’t . It’ll go on the floor, the poop will.”
    “ Please . Never use such an expression in this room again. Very well, you had better go to the washroom, Eva, and then go home. You can come back this afternoon when you’ve got cleaned up. Now, don’t worry. It’s all right. Just don’t let it happen again.”
    Eva scuffs out. Plop-plop-plop behind her as she begins to run, and the floor has stuff on it yellow-brownish and smelly.
    “Jamie Halpern,” Teacher says. “Go and find the janitor. In the basement.”
    A man comes into the room after a while. Hairy and dark, grinning at the kids. Friendly? Mr. Doherty. Winks once or twice when Teacher not looking. Carries a bag, a broom, a dustpan. Empties bag, with greenish powder, onto Eva’s shame shame. Morag knows what the powder is. Paris Green. What a music name for that poison stuff. He sweeps up everything and goes.
    Recess. Recess means you go out onto the gravel. Morag listens, hanging around the edges of bunches of kids who are friends. No talk about Scavenger now. All about Eva. EvaWeakguts, pale pale face and pale yellow hair. Kids are saying lots of things scared to ask permission doing it on the floor wow wait’ll we see her face this afternoon bet you she’ll be blushing like a rose yeh but not smelling like one oh Ross think you’re so smart dontcha well aren’t I and what about you stuckup Stacey and lots of other things.
    Morag’s head is thinking thinking figuring out.
    At four o’clock they can go home. She still does not know how to read. Some