The Artful Dodger

Chapter 2

The next day dawned, the sun replacing the darkness at around six in the morning. Only as the boys began to stir, Nancy herself strode into the den with Beth, her sister- or friend? Dodger had never asked. Her first target was Fagin's pocket, and she brushed the Dodger aside, but when she had wheedled the last penny from him for Bill, she stopped to talk to the boys.

"How you doin'?" she asked, in her cockney accent. The boys murmured a reply.

"An' who's this?" she asked of Oliver, who squeaked back his name and took a deep bow.

The boys laughed uproariously at his actions, Dodger the loudest- he did not want Nancy to become fond of anyone else.

But then she did quite the opposite of what Jack Dawkins would want- she complained that they were all rude, and complimented Oliver on his faultless manners.

The Dodger was feeling very jealous, and to convince Nancy that he was every bit as polite as his younger rival, he began to speak.

"Permit me to assist you across the road." he asked, holding out an arm for Nancy to take.

"Well I was only going to the palace actually. Doorman, a cab, if you please?" she said, playing along.

"Allow me the privilege to h'escort you in me own carriage!" Dodger said, then he strode over to a clear space of floor, clicked, and the boys arranged themselves into a horse and carriage.

Nancy gave an exclamation of surprise, as Dodger said "after you your grace," imitating a rich footman he had once pick pocketed.

"Oh Sir Artful you are too kind," she drawled, as she took his hand and got into the 'carriage'.

Dodger had no idea what to do next, so he started to sing to her. Oliver stared with an open mouth, wondering how on earth everyone seemed to burst into song all the time. Little did he know that Dodger was just making up a song on the spot and was hoping that it would make sense to Nancy.

"I'd do anything for you dear,
anything,
for you mean everything to me," the Dodger sang,
"I know that I'd go anywhere,
for your smile,
anywhere,
for your smile, everywhere,
I'd see," he finished, as he trotted around pretending to be on a carriage. The tune was jaunty and uplifting, but Dodger obviously meant something deeper by it, which was very apparent to Oliver.

"Would you climb a hill?" Nancy asked after Jack stopped singing the verse.

"Anything."

"Wear a daffodil?"

"Anything."

"Leave me all your will?"

"Anything."

"Even fight my Bill?"

"What? Fisticuffs?" the Artful yelped, then thought he might make his intentions more clear to her because it could be his only chance, "I'd risk everything for one kiss,
everything..."

The song continued in a similar fashion, but after the 'carriage' had dispersed, Nancy walked over to Oliver and sang to him. The Dodger followed, annoyed. Why should a new boy get more attention than someone who had been there much, much longer?

Fagin joined in near the end, and had all the boys promising to 'risk life and limb' to him. Oliver was mightily confused- what on earth was going on here? However, as soon as the song finished, Fagin yelled loudly.

"Get to work, boys! Charley, Dodger, Paul, Davy, move it!"

The boys scuttled around looking for various things. Paul, a small boy, had lost his shoe, but Fagin roared in impatience so poor Paul had to go out without a shoe, which the other boys seemed to find hilarious.

Nancy smiled at the rabble.

"Goodbye, you lot! Have fun, Oliver!" she said, before walking the short distance home through the cobbled, stinking street. Beth diverted paths, going towards the local pub where she was going to sell chestnuts to the daytime drinkers, and Nancy continued alone. She was not afraid to walk the streets alone, of course. She had been adopted by Fagin at the age of four and had developed into a very street smart young lady.

She walked into the dilapidated building where she lived, and climbed the stone steps past the other rooms. Some had no doors, and Nancy could see the squalor within, but the piteous mewls of the neighbour's children did not arouse her sympathy and she never went in their rooms despite their desperate calls for help. Their parents could not help them, of course. They were just as bad off as the children.

Nancy reached her room, and fumbled with the lock. However she did not need to unlock the door; a huge man answered it before she did. The stench filled her nostrils- cigarettes and cheap alcohol. Stale body odour emanated from the man, but this did not stop her kissing him on the cheek as she entered.

"Nancy, where's the money?"

"Right here." she said, putting it into his outstretched, grimy hand.

"I'm off out." he said, pulling a hat over his eyes and clicking for the ugly mongrel that lay on the unmade bed.

"Psst. Bulls-Eye. C'mon."

The dog leaped down eagerly, four stumpy legs hitting the ground gracelessly as it hobbled after the man.

"See you, Bill." sighed Nancy as he slammed the door. She shook her head, alone in the small room. She had not bothered to ask him what he had gone out for, he would have refused to answer her. Why was it that all her men did not listen to her or treat her as a person? The only one she knew who took everything she wanted into consideration was the Artful Dodger. Despite being two years younger than her, and a lot shorter, she felt a lot fonder of him than Bill.

On this thread, Nancy yearned to admit her attraction to him. She lay on her bed, staring at the filthy ceiling imagining life with the Dodger. He'd be lovely to her, she was sure. But she could not tell him, Bill would be angry. He'd garrot the Dodger and murder her if he heard one whisper, so she had to stay quiet about it. However, she thought, nothing was stopping her going out and watching the Artful Dodger in his daily rounds of the market, so she did.