The bird of Manhatten

Chapter 20 - in which there is a rally and court is held

Magpies P.O.V.

I quickly make my way through the boys.
Somewhere I hear a whistle an' suddenly dere's bulls everywhere. An' wit' 'em comes da chaos.
Suddenly Albert's there. He takes my arm.
"I'll take ya outta here. Come on."
I trip after him, prayin' no one gets hurt.
I hope, Jack's safe.
I see some man punchin' Race right in da face. What a stupid idiot. Race's jus' a kid.
I hear Medda yellin'. I should help her. But Albert won't stop.
"Come on, come on. Quick."
Bulls is yellin' Jack's name.
Please, please, jus' let us alone.
There! Da stairs!
A wave of relieve washes ova me.
We'll make it.
A bull tries ta grab me, but Albert blocks him.
"Run!", he yells as the bull punches him.
An' I run.
At the exit I meet Blink an' Jack, but it's blocked by horses, so we have ta run back in.
Well, Jack an' I, for Blink sacrificed himself.
We'se chased by a man on a horse, when Jack trips an' falls. I quickly try ta get him back on his feet, but he's too heavy.
Luckily foa us, somethin' scares da horse and it rises, almost sendin' its owner flyin'.
Jack comes ta his feet again.
"Scatter!", is all he says.
I can only nod.
So, we split up.
Jack up da stairs an' I simply continue runnin' straight ahead. Then I hear somethin' that makes me turn.
My eyes widen, as I see Jack fallin' down da stairs. He looks dazzled, like he was punched in da face.
I breath hitches, but I can't let myself bein' caught too. I simply can't. So, I continue runnin'.
I turn ta run again... but I's too late.
"Hey, boid goil." Da Delancey brothers is smilin' down at me.
As fast as I can I kick Oscar in the shins and Morris where the sun doesn't shine...
all that jus' to run into a bull five minutes later.
I sigh.
Looks like I's not meant ta be free...

Jacks P.O.V.

When I wake up, I's layin' on a very uncomfortable mattress.
Like really uncomfortable.
It feels more like layin' on a bare frame. An' it turns out, it is only da frame.
My head spins and hurts.
I sit up.
I's sittin' in an empty room. The walls is grey from dirt an' dust. the doors shut. A small, bared window let's in a bit of twilight.
At said window Mags is standin' struggelin' ta look out, for she's so short.
As I sit up, she turns.
Her arms is crossed before her, seemingly protective wrapped around her.
Her face dark, but I can't tell if she's mad or it's simply da faidin' light.
Her lips pressed together tightly.
"Mornin' Cowboy.", she says bitter. "So, much ta "Ya won't have ta run"."
"Yeah, ok... maybe I was a bit wrong there."
"A bit."
"Ya mad at me?"
"I wish I could be mad at you. But I can't. Well, at least not as much as I'd like ta."
"Listen, I's sorry. I really is. I should have known-"
"Shut it, cowboy. There's no use in pityin' ourselves now. The trial will start any minute now, you're awake."
"A trial?"
"Sure. Ta get us back ta jail. What did ya think dey'll do? Catch us ta let us go?"
"No... of course not. Is ya alright?"
"I ain't da one wit' da shiner."
"Does it look dat bad?"
Mags shrugs. "Have seen prettier. But not bad for a bull, I'd say." She pauses an' turns back ta da window. "What will ya tell da boys?"
"What?"
She sighs and turns back so suddenly, I jump back. "What will you tell da boys? Dey'll be here. In court. Hearin' erverythin'. Your name. Your history. Dat ya lied ta them all those years..."
"I-I thought ya was on my side."
"I is on your side, Jack. I thought of ya new name myself. Still, ya'll have ta explain."
"I know.", I say. "I know. But I can't."
"Why?"
"I-I don't know."
"I thought so. Jack ya have ta wake up. Stop dreamin'. Please."
"Mags, what-"
I don't get ta ask what she meant by dat, for a bull comes in. He doesn't say anythin'. He just gabs my arm an' takes me wit' him. Another one does da same wit' Mags.
None of us resists.
It wouldn't do somethin' ta our situation anyway.
Da bulls leads us inta da court room.
Da others is standin' there wit' Denton an' Davey.
I can't show any weakness now, so I give da careless.
"Heya fellas.", I greet 'em.
"Hey Cowboy. Nice shiner.", calls Race, causin' da rest ta laugh. Even Mags beside me smiles, but then her face darks again.
Denton comes ova ta us ta pay foa da fellas.
"Hey Denton.", I greet him. Mags looks up. She now has a smile on her face. "Guess we made all da papes this time? So, how did my picture go?"
The journalist sighs. "No paper covered the rally. Not even The Sun."
Dat's not good. Dat's not good. I see how da small spark of hope in Mags' eyes dies.
Our case is announced an' we'se pushed forward.
Snyda appears form god knows where. How I hate dis man.
"Let me speak for those children.", he says.
"Oh, da gentlemen know each other. Ain't dat nice?", I spit.
"Jack.", Mags whispers. "Please. Shut it. Ya jus' make it worse."
The judge smiles. "Just move along Warden Snyder."
Mags tenses.
"Their real names are Francis and Margaret Sullivan. Their mother is deceased. The father a convict."
I look around me, tryin' ta read da others faces.
Davey seems stunned. Your eyes meet foa a second, then he looks down.
Snyda continues ta tell my life story an' accusin' me of crimes.
I's so angry. An' as he accuses me of "disruptive behaviour" I lose it.
"Like demandin' da food ya stole from us?"
"Jack.", Mags whispers again. "Please."
Snyda ignores both of us an' just continues tellin' da judge of my "attempted" escape, where I again interrupt. It was successful at least.
Foa that I get a kick in da shin form Mags. Lightly but still painful.
"Ouch."
Again we'se ignored by Snyda who now asks for brinin' us "back where we belong". Namely, da Refuge and da H.F.H.G.
"Yeah. Foa our own good, I guess." My blood's boilin', so angry is I.
"Jack. Please." Mags sounds so desperate.
"Until they reached the age of 21.", Snyda speaks ova me.
"Twenty-one?!"
"Silence! Move along.", the judge hushes me. "So ordered."
That's it. Our judgement.
"No!", I hear Les.
I could scream. I star Snyda right in da eye. But what's its use?
Da bull leads us out.
Mags doesn't say a woid.

As we'se back in da cell an' da door closes behind us, I open my mouth ta say somethin'.
"Save it.", Mags snaps.
She again has her arms crossed as if she tries ta protect herself.
I close my mouth again. But only ta open it right away. "Listen-"
"I don't wanna hear it."
"I's sorry, ok?"
She doesn't answer. An' dat makes me feel bad.
We never fought. Ever. Not even when she stole... I mean, borrowed, my bandana.
It's already dark outside. Da moon shines faintly through da bars of da window, lightenin' her silhouette.
She looks so fragile. So small and vulnerable.
An' yet... her face is da face of a grown woman.
Worry an' insecurity lays in her eyes. In her mimic. In her posture.
I want ta hug. Tell her everythin' will be ok. That she doesn't need ta be afraid.
But I don't dare.
So, we jus' stand in silence.
"I's worried, Jack.", she suddenly breaks da silence. "I's worried, what they'll da ta ya. I's worried what'll happen ta da boys. I's worried foa Davey an' Les. An' foa Denton... he did so much foa us."
She stops an' turns ta da window.
"Dey'll want ya ta stop da strike.", she says wit'out lookin' at me. "I don't know how, but I know dat. You can't stop. You mustn't."
"I won't. I promise."
"Jack, dey won't give ya a choice. So, here's how it goes..."
Mags created some scenarios, how Pulitzer could try ta make me back off, an' gave some ideas how I could trick him.
"When did ya become so smart?", I asked amazed.
She turns wit' her hands on her hips, tilt her head an' dryly said: "I always was. Ya jus' never noticed. But whatever happens, Jack, your first priority is da strike. Ya hear me? Ya can't, ya mustn't betray da boys an' da strike. Promise me dat, Jack."
She holds up her hand, her pinkie stretched out. "Promise me."