Jennospot 36 New Asphalt

"Gang Spies 'as jus' come out on Amazon Kindle, so terday Oi'm goin' ter give yew a little bit from that cockeyed story.  Yew know all them wartime posters wot they put up warnin' everybody about spies? They've got slogans on 'em loike "careless talk costs lives" or "walls 'ave ears". An' then there's that Tommy Handley show on the wireless called ITMA, wot 'as Funf the spy. Well we reckoned as 'ow there was a whole nest o' spies in Widdlin'ton; so we set out ter troi ter catch 'em. Only it din't turn out exac'ly as 'ow we expected. Cripes, it were excitin' though, even if'n it did start sorta ordin'ry loike, wiv a cart race:

"I went down the garden to fetch my cart Lightning from under the shed.

As I started back towards Roy's house, I spotted Brian coming towards me. ‘What's up Peter?’ he asked.

‘They've finished the asphalt, down as far as the Avenue,’ I said. ‘I'm going up to the Layers with Roy to see what they've done.’

Roy came out of his gate towing Sprinter. ‘We're taking our carts to race back down. Want to join in?’

‘Great,’ said Brian. ‘I'll go and get Larkspur.’

Five minutes later we were trudging up Layers Lane towing our carts.

‘Let's call on Dismal,’ I proposed. ‘See if he can come out with his Droopy.’

We didn't need to call on him. He was already leaning over his gate staring into the Lane. He glanced up as we approached, and then went back to staring at the new asphalt.

‘Crumbs— it's all black,’ he grumbled.

‘What do you expect?’ said Roy.

‘It's asphalt,’ I said.

‘D'you want pink asphalt?’ asked Brian.

‘Never mind the colour: it stinks,’ said Dismal.

‘Not for long,’ I said.

‘I could smell it all night,’ said Dismal.

‘Didn't you sleep then?’ asked Roy.

‘I could smell it in my sleep. It stinks.’

‘So do you,’ said Brian pleasantly.

‘Then I'm not the only one.’

‘Shut up you two,’ said Roy. ‘It's too early for compliments. D'you want to come out racing with your Droopy?’

‘Stupid name for a cart,’ said Brian.

‘Not as stupid as Larkspur,’ retorted Dismal.

‘Larkspur can run rings around your Droopy, any old day,’ said Brian.

‘You think?’ said Dismal.

‘I know,’ said Brian.

‘Aw shut up big-head Brian,’ said Dismal.

‘Shut up both of you,’ said Roy. ‘Are you coming out or aren't you? We can race down the Mountain Glide and then we'll see who's got the best cart.’

‘Okay,’ said Dismal. ‘Hang on a tick and I'll be with you.’

"Gang Spies"  Chapter 4

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