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  ‘Any dog tags come in, in the last couple of days?’ asked Darcy.

  ‘With the surname Lark,’ said Mio.

  ‘Nope.’ At the crestfallen look on Mio’s face the man offered, ‘But I have got badges, pins, military coins. You name it, I’ve got it.’

  The man had an eagerness to sell war memories from someone’s life that made Mio shudder. He dropped his voice saying, ‘What about something else, missy. Phone p’raps?’

  Mio shook her head and started to back away.

  ‘Musical instruments? Although, your lot always play violin and we don’t have any of them.’

  ‘Not interested,’ said Mio, whose Bouvier violin at home was one of the best.

  Tong grabbed Mio’s sleeve to pull her away saying, ‘We go now,’ while the others headed towards the door. But just as Clem was about to go through, the door flung open, its bell jangling.

  Bella yelped as the frame whacked her nose and scooted backwards in a frenzied dance of claws on floorboards as a boy hurtled into the shop.

  ‘You again!’ said Clem, squatting to comfort Bella, who was cowering behind her.

  In the time it would take to strike a match the boy sussed out the scene, swung his skateboard under his arm, and backed off.

  ‘Dunk Dog!’ called Mio.

  But Dunk Dog exited like a fox out of a rabbit hole.

  ‘Wait!’ yelled Mio, hurtling after him. ‘I want to talk to you about this skate park thing.’

  In no time, Dunk Dog was way down the street.

  With a toss of black hair Mio followed, calling to the others, ‘I’m going to catch him up.’

  Chapter Nine

  Tong, Bryce and Darcy bolted after her, leaping on their bikes and donning helmets as fast as triathlon athletes.

  ‘You go and I’ll catch you,’ said Clem, trying to shove a resisting Bella into her basket.

  Dunk Dog had the advantage. Firstly, there was only one of him, and secondly, with a skateboard rather than a bike it was much easier to manoeuvre through the congested streets.

  Dunk Dog ran a few steps, threw his skateboard down and leapt on as Mio swooped in behind him. His left leg was pushing and his arms were pumping as he propelled himself down the pavement. Mio’s legs were pumping, too. Mio was gaining and Dunk Dog knew it. Crouching low he skated down an embankment, rolled a few metres, then jumped down a set of stairs. Mio kept up with him, her face serious as she matched him move for move with her bike. Not far behind were Tong, then Darcy and Bryce. With Bella safe in her basket Clem had joined the chase but she was too far away to pose a threat to anyone and was happy to just keep them in sight.

  ‘Stop!’ yelled Mio, hopping up a kerb, then double hopping over two street grates.

  Dunk Dog headed for the park. Mio wondered if he was going to jump the low hedge and was surprised when Dunk Dog stopped, threw his board over, then followed with a giant leap. Running and scooping up his board at the same time he took some stairs, two by two, then skated away down the footpath, whooping with victory. But victory can be very short-lived.

  Mio picked up speed, moulding into the frame of her bike, then leapt the fence, pleased as she made the perfect landing. She glanced up at the stairway, counted the number of steps, then gritted her teeth. She’d never ridden up so many steps in one go before. But Dunk Dog’s gloating cries floated down from above and she grew more determined. Pedalling as fast as she could she lifted her front wheels and scaled the stairs, surprised and relieved when she emerged at the top. Behind her, the boys were preparing for their own ascent. Realising that the task would be impossible with the extra weight of Bella in her basket, Clem decided to ride the perimeter of the park, hoping to find a more welcoming entrance.

  Mio’s sudden appearance skittled Dunk Dog. Confident that he’d lost her, he’d stopped and was leaning against a tree, pulling up his camouflage pants with one hand and pulling down his eXtreme cap with the other.

  ‘I want to talk to you!’ yelled Mio.

  At the sound of her voice Dunk Dog staggered back, tripping over his skateboard, and going step-shuffle-step to regain his balance. Then he flipped his body, snatched up his skateboard and started running through some grass and shrubs. If it had only been grass Mio could have caught up easily, but with trees and bins and flowerbeds the area was an obstacle course.

  Dunk Dog side-stepped, his arms and legs flailing around like a marionette. As he glanced behind and heard the so-close grunt of Mio he wondered if he’d met his match. And when he noticed the others, all riding like ghosts in a slipstream, he knew he was in trouble.

  Along the path he flew, every so often propelling himself with his left foot.

  Up ahead, a group of mothers were taking their babies for a walk. They went side-by-side down the path, pushing custom-made buggies and sleek new strollers. Everything sparkled as the mothers strolled and chatted in the sunshine. The air was filled with easy laughter and the occasional baby’s cry.

  Dunk Dog noted that up ahead the path was bordered by a cement wall with a feature layer of stone on the top. Mio could see that they were about to become enclosed in a narrow walking space. She glanced around, trying to work out how Dunk Dog would escape, when all of a sudden he stopped, threw his skateboard over the top then scaled the wall after it, landing with a fireman’s roll on the other side.

  ‘Oya! [Dear me!]’ thought Mio. ‘I’ve lost him.’

  But not quite.

  The wall started low, then rose with a gradient before it reached full height. Picking up her speed Mio mounted the wall, balancing on the stone ledge as she rode up the slope. Mothers shrieked as they tried to jerk their prams away, and babies wailed. From her vantage point at the top Mio could see Dunk Dog running again, his board clamped to his chest. Lifting her front wheels she leapt from the fence, grateful for all those times they’d practised after school at ‘Pump to the Jump’, a fence notorious for its height and narrow ledge. She hoped she hadn’t upset the mums and babies too much but there was nothing she could do about it now except keep on pedalling.

  From outside the park Clem had caught a glimpse of Mio on the wall and headed for a path that she thought might lead to her. Bella sat in her basket, thrilled to be out on a ride, her tongue lolling and her ears flapping as they raced along.

  By now Dunk Dog was getting tired. This girl had a lot more staying power than he’d given her credit for. He knew he was no longer toying with her—that now, she was toying with him. It was time to skate smart. Not far away was a huge office building, linked to a shopping mall on the street below by a pedestrian walkover. He would head for there.

  Again, Dunk Dog ran on foot, clutching the edges of his board with two hands. He didn’t know where the exit path was but he’d find it. He was grateful his faithful Duffs gripped the path, their rubber soles putting more spring in his step than his weary legs could supply.

  Mio was getting tired, too. Her legs were burning and her throat felt raw, as she tried to gain some control over her jagged breath. It occurred to her that maybe it was time to give up. But she knew that if she wanted to sort out this clash over Wheels Park, she’d have to keep going. It was with relief that she could hear the panting of the others and was glad that they were close by.

  ‘He’s heading for the fence,’ called Darcy. ‘He’s getting away.’

  As Dunk Dog approached the iron fence he pushed his skateboard under the lowest railing to send it flying to the street below. Using the middle railing as a foot-up he propelled himself over the top railing, flying through the air like a stunt-man in a movie. Mio reached the fence and pulled up. There was no way she could follow without ruining her bike. She watched as Dunk Dog landed on his hip, bounced twice like a pebble skimming on water, then skidded along the asphalt.

  ‘Finally!’ thought Mio.

  But Dunk Dog was a veteran of such stacks and, pushing himself up onto his feet, he kept running with only a wince to show his pain.

  ‘This way,’ cried Darcy, fin
ding the gate to exit the park. Up ahead they could see Clem and Bella waiting, two pairs of eyes watching them approach.

  ‘Over there!’ cried Clem.

  Five bikes zoomed down the street, spokes a-blur.

  Dunk Dog had now crossed the courtyard of the office building and entered the overpass to the top level of the shops below, and was back riding his skateboard again. The Freewheelers balked at the ‘Pedestrians Only’ sign at the entrance.

  ‘Should we?’ asked Mio, and was met with a chorus of ‘yes’es.

  Riding with care, the kids picked their way through the throng, weaving in and out with the dexterity of a spindle at a loom.

  Dunk Dog glanced over his shoulder. Still there! He couldn’t believe it. Up ahead was the escalator. With a leap like a high-jumper Dunk Dog landed halfway along the down escalator, once more clutching his skateboard. But as he landed his ankle buckled and his legs went from under him. His skateboard shot one way and his body another.

  From the top, the kids could see that one of Dunk Dog’s feet was wedged in the escalator. His body wrenched as he did the splits. Bryce flinched at the imagined pain.

  Mio thumped the emergency button and the escalator ground to a halt.

  But before she could take a step Dunk Dog had done a dive, then face-planted at the bottom, aggravating the wounds on his chin. He staggered to his feet. There was blood everywhere.

  One shopper went to his aid but Dunk Dog waved him away. Lurching around like a punch drunk boxer he managed to retrieve his skateboard and stumble through some glass swing doors onto the street.

  ‘After him!’ yelled Darcy but even as he spoke they could see Dunk Dog dash across the road and disappear into a waiting bus.

  Chapter Ten

  A very dispirited group of Freewheelers was escorted to the door of the shopping centre by a very irate security guard. They wheeled their bikes out of the shopping complex and huddled on the pavement outside. ‘Let’s go visit Mr Lark,’ suggested Bryce. ‘After that chase I’m starving.’

  ‘I can’t face Mr Lark without the dog tags,’ said Mio, ‘and besides, there are still lots of pawn shops to visit.’

  ‘But I’m so hungry I could eat my own arm,’ said Bryce.

  Clem looked at her watch and turned to Darcy saying, ‘It’s getting late. Mum will be expecting us home in an hour. We won’t have time to visit Mr Lark.’

  Mio’s face lit up. ‘So, let’s check more pawn shops, then.’

  ‘I need to eat…’ said Clem, patting her growling stomach, ‘as Oma says, mit der Not kämpfen, to keep the wolf from the door.’

  Tong thought of stories he’d been told about hunger in his own country. How an evil man called Pol Pot not only used his army, the Khmer Rouge, to kill lots of Vietnamese, but also starved them to death saying, Hunger is the most effective disease. Tong thought of his own hunger gnawing in his gut, and would have to agree. ‘Me most hungry too.’

  ‘Tell you what? If we check a few more pawn shops I’ll shout afternoon tea.’ Mio linked her arms through Bryce’s and Tong’s. ‘How about hot chips?’

  ‘Hot chips. Yummm. They’re so my favourite.’

  Tong nodded saying, ‘Hot chip make me happy,’ making Mio laugh.

  While the others minded her bike Mio went back inside the shopping complex to find the Food Hall. Wafts of salt and oil led her to it immediately. In no time at all she was carrying a paper bag containing five cartons of hot chips outside. She would have sworn she wasn’t hungry but as soon as she smelt the tangy aroma of vinegar, her mouth had started to water.

  The kids sat on some benches, enjoying the heat from the last rays from the afternoon sun. The light was muted, throwing long shadows from the building across the street, making Clem shiver. Bella crawled into her lap and licked her hand, hoping that a few tasty morsels would come her way. Every so often she leant over and nuzzled the crunchy bits which had fallen into Clem’s lap.

  People were finishing work for the day and as the kids sat they could see the footpaths get busier and busier. Pedestrians moved in all directions, jostling for position like runners in a marathon with ‘Home’ the finish line. Some ignored ‘Walk’ signs, taking on cars like matadors in a bullfight. Horns honked, people shouted, motorbikes skidded in a din of noise. It reminded Tong of home, where pavements and streets became one, where motorbikes and bicycles and pedestrians competed with street vendors, car washers, even barbers. He smiled, taking pleasure from the comfortable chaos.

  ‘The council meeting’s in two days,’ announced Darcy, who had finished his chips first, sticking to his theory that things taste better when shovelled in in one go. ‘We’ll have to be there to submit the petition. How many names have we got now, Mio?’

  ‘Two hundred and thirty-seven.’

  Darcy wiped his fingers on his shorts as he said, ‘Let’s hope it’s enough.’

  ‘We’ve still got two more days,’ said Clem. ‘The meeting’s not till night time. And someone’s got to get all the info from Mr Lark before we go. I can do that tomorrow after school if you like.’

  Bryce made a lip-smacking sound as he sucked the last grains of salt off his lips. ‘Who’s going to the meeting? All of us?’

  Every head nodded, including Bella’s. Clem laughed then nuzzled her fur, saying, ‘Not you, little miss.’

  ‘Although she could be our mascot,’ said Bryce. ‘Bella the BMX Beagle.’ Then to the tune of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ he began to sing:

  ‘Bella the BMX Beagle

  Had a very sniffy nose

  And if you ever saw her

  You could see how fast it goes’

  ‘You are such an idiot!’ said Clem, throwing her empty chip carton at him, but laughing despite herself.

  On that note the kids headed to the back streets, hope turning to disappointment as pawn shop after pawn shop failed to produce the missing dog tags.

  Mio returned home, but at the front door she stopped. Normally, she would be the first home, her parents not returning from work till seven o’clock most nights, or even later, but tonight light streamed from under the door.

  Mio was sure she hadn’t left a light on when they’d left.

  Her heart stopped, then scudded at a great pace. Her collar felt tight at her neck. She leant closer to put her ear to the door, trying to work out if someone was inside, but was only greeted by silence. Mio gulped. She hoped Yuki was okay. She looked at her key poised at the lock and wondered what she should do.

  What if someone was in there and she disturbed them? Her parents had always told her to phone if she was in trouble but the phone was inside. Suddenly, she could hear the whine of an approaching lift. Someone was coming! The lift groaned to a stop and the doors wrenched open. Mio dropped her keys.

  ‘Papa! You’re home.’

  Mio’s father strode down the hall and halted in front of his daughter. ‘Not as early as your mother.’ And with that he removed his own set of keys from his coat pocket and inserted one in the keyhole.

  If Mio’s heart scudded before it was now pelting along. Both parents home early. This was unheard of.

  ‘Inside!’ said Mio’s father, his voice cutting, like the Tantō sword on the wall.

  Mio sat on the low lounge chair, her feet together, her hands clasped in her lap. Her brain reeled as she listened to her father, struggling to take in all he was saying.

  ‘We had a phone call from Mrs Burridge.’

  ‘Mrs Burridge?’ Surely Mrs Burridge wouldn’t ring her parents about being at school after hours the other day?

  ‘We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss what happened. What possessed you?’

  ‘Possessed me to do what?’

  ‘All those people you contacted.’

  Mio frowned. People she contacted? Did he mean the skate park petition? ‘I can explain,’ she began but her father cut her off.

  ‘You bring such shame to your mother and I.’

  Mio felt gutted. Her father had never spo
ken to her like this. At home in Japan she may have kept silent but after two years in her new country she decided to speak up. ‘Papa, I didn’t do anything wrong.’

  Mio’s father stood over her, his eyes like flint.

  ‘Usotsuki! [Liar!] You contacted so many people.’

  ‘So what?’

  ‘You offended so many people.’

  ‘That’s silly.’

  ‘Shizukani! [Be quiet!]’

  ‘But…’

  ‘Jama shinaide. [Don’t interrupt me.] I want you to go to school tomorrow and say sorry to each and every student.’

  ‘Sumimasen? [Sorry?]’ Mio stared at her hands, thinking they looked just as lifeless as she felt.

  Her father now towered above her as she sank into the cushions in the lounge. ‘You will apologise both in person and by letter.’

  In a flare of anger Mio forgot herself. ‘What for? For asking them to sign a petition? For wanting the skate park to be open to bikes? What exactly am I to apologise for?’

  A flash of confusion crossed Mr Shinozaki’s face but he composed himself before Mio had a chance to see it. ‘I do not understand what you are talking about.’

  ‘That makes two of us. I didn’t know it was wrong to ask the kids to sign the petition without asking Mrs Burridge’s permission. None of us did—Clem, Darcy, Bryce or Tong. We would have asked if we’d known.’

  ‘Petition?’ Mio’s father kneaded his temple with his knuckle. ‘I’m not talking about a petition. I’m talking about the emails you sent.’

  ‘Emails?’

  ‘Hate emails.’

  Mio stood in front of her father. All colour had drained from her face so that the veins showed under the translucence of her skin. ‘Papa, I have no idea what you’re talking about. You must believe me.’

  For the first time that evening, Mio’s mother came forward. She gestured for everyone to be seated. ‘My daughter, these are the facts…Ichi [One]. Many students at The Met have received emails from your email address.’

  ‘Muri desu! [Impossible!]’