Soul Music - Beggar

SPARE A COPPER, YOUNG SIR?

'Push off, grandad,' said Crash easily.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

'Too many beggars around these days, my father says,' said Crash, as they pushed past. 'He says the Beggars' Guild ought to do something about it.'

'But the beggars all belong to the Guild,' said Jimbo.

'Well, they shouldn't allow so many people to join.'

'Yes, but it's better than being on the streets.'

Scum, who out of the whole group had the least amount of cerebral activity to get between him and true observation of the world, was trailing behind. He had an uneasy feeling that he'd just walked over someone's grave.

'That one looked a bit sort of thin,' he muttered.

The others weren't paying any attention. They were back to the usual argument.

‘I'm fed up with being Surreptitious Fabric,' said Jimbo. 'It's a silly name.'

'Really, really thin,' said Scum. He felt in his pocket.

'Yeah, I liked it best when we were The Whom,' said Noddy.

'But we were only The Whom for half an hour!' said Crash. 'Yesterday. In between bein' The Blots and Lead Balloon, remember?'

Scum located a tenpenny piece and turned back.

'There's bound to be some good name,' said Jimbo. 'I just bet we'll know it's right just as soon as we see it.'

'Oh, yeah. Well, we've got to come up with some name we don't start arguing about after five minutes,' said Crash. 'It's not doing our career any good if people don't know who we are.'

'Mr Dibbler says it definitely is,' said Noddy.

'Yes, but a rolling stone gathers no moss, my father says,' said Crash.

'There you go, old man,' said Scum, back down the street.

THANK YOU, said the grateful Death.

***

Soul Music - p192