The Stars’ Tennis Balls Read Online Free PDF Page A

believe?’
    ‘Yes I would believe. I happened to see his proud daddy slipping him a tenner just before the match this afternoon.’
    Cade took a Zippo from his pocket. ‘What, reward for being made Head Pig next term?’
    ‘Such, I would imagine, is the case. Reward too for being captain of cricket and for breaking the school batting record. For being winsome and good and sweet and kind. For being –'
    ‘You don’t like him, do you?’ Cade drew in a huge lungful of smoke and offered the joint to Ashley.
    ‘Thank you. It is my belief that you don’t like him either, Rufus.’
    ‘Yeah. Well, you’re right. I don’t.’
    ‘Nothing to do with the fact that he didn’t select you for the first eleven?’
    ‘Fuck that,’ said Cade. ‘Couldn’t give a toss about that. He’s just … he’s a prick, that’s all. Thinks he’s God almighty. Arrogant.’
    ‘So few would agree with you there. I fancy it is the general view of the school that our Nedlet is unflaggingly and endearingly modest.’
    ‘Yeah. Well. He doesn’t fool me. He acts like he’s got everything.’
    ‘Which he has.’
    ‘Apart from money,’ said Cade with relish. ‘His father is dirt poor.
    ‘Yes,’ said Ashley, quietly. ‘Dirt poor.
    ‘Not that there’s anything wrong with that,’ Cade added with tactless haste. ‘I didn’t mean to say… I mean, money isn’t … you know …
    ‘Isn’t everything? I often wonder about that.’ Ashley spoke clearly and coolly, as he always did when angry, which was often. Anger fed him and clothed him and he owed it much. Cade’s clumsiness had pricked him hard, but he used the rage to let his mind fly. ‘Shall we formulate it this way? Money is to Everything, as an Aeroplane is to Australia. The aeroplane isn’t Australia, but it remains the only practical way we know of reaching it. So perhaps, metonymically, the aeroplane
is
Australia after all.’
    ‘Gin then?’
    ‘Why not?’ From vexation to amusement, at speed. Ashley found it very hard to stay angry with a species as low down the evolutionary ladder as a Cade.
    ‘Your oration was … it was amazing,’ Cade said, handing Ashley a bottle and a glass tumbler. Ashley noticed that the bottle was half empty while Cade already appeared to be more than half full.
    ‘You liked it?’
    ‘Well it was in Latin, wasn’t it? But, yeah. Sounded good.’
    ‘We aim to please.’
    ‘Want to stick some music on?’
    ‘Some music?’ Ashley scrutinised Cade’s proudly filed stack of records with a fastidious and entirely self-conscious disgust. ‘But you don’t appear to have any. I mean what, for example, is a Honky Chateau? A castle filled with geese? A claret that makes you vomit?’
    ‘Elton John. It’s years old. You must have heard of it –
shit!’
    A gentle, loose-knuckled knock on the door brought Cade bolt upright. Before he had time to embark once more upon his Colditz routine, Ned Maddstone had entered the room.
    ‘Oh gosh, sorry. Didn’t mean to… Hey, for goodness’ sake, don’t worry. I’m not … I mean bloody hell, it’s almost the end of term. Carry on please. I just…
    ‘Come in, Ned, we’re just, you know, having a bit of a celebration,’ said Cade, standing up.
    ‘Wow, that’s really kind, but actually…, well, I’m going off to have dinner with my father. He’s staying at the George. Thought you might be here, B-G, and I wondered if you wanted to come along? Er,
both
of you. Obviously. You know, last night of term and everything.’
    Ashley smiled to himself at the awkward inclusion of Rufus.
    ‘That’s really kind,’ Rufus was saying, ‘but you know. I’m a bit hammered actually. Don’t think I’d be much use. Probably embarrass you, as a matter of fact.’
    Ned turned anxiously to Ashley. ‘Unless you’re doing anything else, Ash?’
    ‘I should be honoured, Ned. Truly honoured. Will you let me go upstairs and change into something a little more vespertine?’ He pointed mournfully at his