Chapter 5

Early the next morning, the boys were just beginning to roll out of their beds and to the table to see if they had the luxury of breakfast or whether once again they would go to work with the stomachs empty.

Jack and Charlie stumbled into the room rubbing their eyes with tiredness, although they were as tired as the rest of the gang they had a better reason for not wanting to get up. It was the first official day of becoming Max's apprentices. The idea of this unknown new career scared them both more then they cared to admit.

When they reached the table and wearily sat down it woke them to find a plate piled with sausages on the centre of the table.

"Celebratory breakfast!" Fagin announced bringing extra plates to the table so they could share the food out.

As Fagin dished out the plates to each boy that was around the table until his supply run out, he asked,

"'ere, what time yer meant to be meeting Max?" he deliberately directed his query towards Charlie rather the Jack as he was aware of Jack's feelings towards the whole turn of events.

"About 9o'clock I think." Charlie replied.

Fagin looked at his wrist watch, jiggling it with his hand to make sure it was still ticking over. "Hadn't yer better get goin'?"

"Don't push yer luck, Faggie, you got us into this." Jack warned frowning at Fagin.

"Well if you're goin' to be like that then I'll take that back then." Fagin said casually, lifting Jack's plate from the table only for it to be pulled back down again.

"Oi! oh no yer don't!" Jack exclaimed stabbing the sausage that was on his plate quickly before Fagin could take it away again.

Walking away from the table Fagin grinned, he knew in a cynically sort of way that Jack was indebted to him and so whatever Fagin wanted him to do, he would eventually do. Despite the protests he was making he would go to Max and he would work for him because frankly there was no other option.

"Come on Dodge, we ought ter be goin'" Charlie said finishing the last of his sausage before standing up and searching for his jacket.

Grudgingly Jack stood up, taking the plate to (what passed as) the kitchen and then donned his own jacket and precious top hat.

Leaving the comfort of the den the two boys aimed for the town square a good central starting point for finding somewhere.

"Do you have the address?" Jack asked remembering that Max had jotted on a piece of paper for them and had intrusted it with Charlie.

Charlie rummaged through his pockets and eventually found the small folded piece of paper he was looking for. Unfolding it, he attempted to read out the words written in surprisingly neat handwriting. After two attempts at the first word Charlie gave up and handed the note to Jack who was able to decipher the number and name of the street they had to go to, having been well taught by none other than Alice, he had learnt how to write his name too, something he did take pride in. Charlie's abilities did not even pass the first stage of being able to recognise letters but then he had refused to join in the mini lessons Alice would give and so therefore consequently never learnt.

Now that the address was known Jack led the way down the correct street. Following the words written Jack stopped outside what he was sure must be number 7 Slystreet road.

"Go on then knock." He told Charlie whilst he was still scrutinizing the piece of paper triple checking he had following everything correctly and matched the position he was standing in.

"Why should I knock?" Charlie replied indigently.

Jack looked up, waving the piece of paper in front of him.

"Because I'm holding the address aren't I!"

"Yeah, great you're holding a bit of paper! Knock." Charlie retaliated folding his arms and waiting for it to happen.

Jack shook his head gesturing Charlie towards the door. "No, you."

"You're the Artful Dodger, so come on set an example!"

"I am the Artful Dodger and so I'm telling you; knock on that door!" there was no way Charlie could argue with that, the Artful Dodger had authority over him and he knew that so there was no way of throwing that comment back in his face.

Glaring at Jack, Charlie knocked on the door. Five timid but echoing knocks.

There was a lull between Charlie knocking and the loud 'Enter' that shortly followed.

Pushing open the door cautiously, the two boys took a deep breath and ventured inside.

The room was dimly lit but the faint outline of Max couldn't be seen anywhere. It was when they had gingerly reached the middle of the room that Max made himself known causing them both to jump.

"So you decided to give it a try then." He greeted them with a sly smile, he was feeling very smug that he had made them jump and was very pleased with the effect.

"I don't think we had much choice on the matter." Jack hissed quietly with the slight hope that Max hadn't heard it.

"Come with me and I'll show you the tools of our trade." Max told them between puffs of his cigar.

"And what exactly is 'our trade'?" Jack enquired perhaps a little too sarcastically for the situation.

Max simply laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"All in good time Dodger, all in good time!" was the helpful reply. Max led them into the back room, Jack shrugging his hand off his shoulder as they went.

It was a small room with a long table to one side of it where there were several tools laid out. Some looking awfully similar, so similar in fact that it was hard to differentiate the differences.

"Well as you can see you have the three types of jemmy, naturally you'll be using this one." Max picked up the smallest version of the crowbar and displayed to the boys.

"Housebreaking!" Jack exclaimed in disgust, he exchanged frowns with Charlie, each boy knowing exactly what the other was thinking.

"I thought you wanted cracksmen." Charlie remarked remembering the previous conversation they had conducted with Max.

As a rule both Jack and Charlie vowed never to convert their trade to housebreaking, It was a dangerous game and they knew all too well the perils which it brought. Too many times they had watched men who had slipped up on the job become the entertainment for the general public's morbid fancy. And on top of that they had witnessed two dear friends being dragged unwillingly into the business and it was scaring them knowing that they were practically following in their footsteps.

"I do and you will." Max stated directing his eyes at Charlie who had to try very hard not to cower away from those piercing eyes.

"Dodger will be more nimble and able to perform housebreaking requirements." Max added tearing his attention away from Charlie and back to the tools.

"So let me guess I'll be picklocking the doors and then you and dodge go running in a steal the goods and then we scram?" Charlie neatly summed up the new job entitlements.

"Precisely." Max agreed with a nod of the head.

"I am not housebreaking!" Jack piped up boldly. He had set himself a rule for a reason and it was not about to be broken that easily for the likes of Max.

Max swivelled abruptly round and grabbed Jack by the neck, thrusting him onto the wall. Charlie let out a small shriek and Jack began to go bright red as Max's grip caused him to struggle for air.

"You will do as I say or your very easily find yourself DEAD… understand?" Max let Jack go and Jack merely managed to nod in response, rubbing his neck to rid himself of the pain that had been inflicted on him.

Meanwhile Max calmly returned back to his tools and began packing them into a large brown bag.

"Don't worry boys…" he said doing the bag up tightly.

"The residents in your first job are away on business." He concluded hoisting the bag over his shoulder, brushing past the two boys and exiting the room.

"Come on." he shouted over his shoulder.

Charlie looked at Jack, Jack sighed raising his eyebrows and following on behind Max. Charlie tagged along behind his best friend, hoping that the whole thing would turn out to be better than what he had been witness to so far.