Page 181 of Edge of Eternity (The Century 3)

The time passed quickly. A waitress from a nearby cafe brought two sandwiches of thick white bread with fried bacon and ketchup, and Lenny paid her and gave one of the sandwiches to Dave, who was surprised to learn that it was lunchtime. The pockets of his drainpipe jeans grew heavy with coins, and he recalled with pleasure that 10 percent of the money was his. At midafternoon he noticed that there were hardly any men on the streets, and Lenny explained that they had all gone to a football match.

Toward the end of the afternoon, business slowed to almost nothing. Dave thought the money in his pockets might amount to as much as five pounds, in which case he had made ten shillings, the amount of his normal allowance--and he could go to the Jump Club.

At five o'clock Lenny began to dismantle the stall, and Dave helped to put the unsold goods in cardboard boxes, then they loaded everything into Lenny's yellow Bedford van.

When they counted Dave's money, he had taken just over nine pounds. Lenny gave him a pound, a little more than the agreed ten percent, "because you helped me pack up." Dave was delighted: he had made twice the amount his father should have given him this morning. He would gladly do this every Saturday, he thought, especially if it meant he did not have to listen to his father's preaching.

They went to the nearest pub and got pint glasses of beer. "You play the guitar a bit, don't you?" Lenny said as they sat at a grimy table with a full ashtray.

"Yes."

"What sort of instrument have you got?"

"An Eko. It's a cheap copy of a Gibson."

"Electric?"

"It's semi-hollow."

Lenny looked impatient: perhaps he did not know much about guitars. "Can you plug it in, is what I'm asking."

"Yes--why?"

"Because I need a rhythm guitarist for my group."

That was exciting. Dave had not thought of joining a group, but the idea appealed to him instantly. "I didn't know you had a group," he said.

"The Guardsmen. I play piano and do most of the singing."

"What kind of music?"

"Rock and roll--the only kind."

"By which you mean . . ."

"Elvis, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash . . . All the greats."

Dave could play three-chord songs without difficulty. "What about the Beatles?" Their chords were more difficult.

Lenny said: "Who?"

"A new group. They're fab."

"Never heard of them."

"Well, anyway, I can play rhythm guitar on old rock songs."

Lenny looked mildly offended at the phrase, but he said: "So, do you want to audition for the Guardsmen?"

"I'd love to!"

Lenny looked at his watch. "How long will it take you to go home and get your guitar?"

"Half an hour, and half an hour to get back."

"Meet me at the Aldgate Workingmen's Club at seven. We'll be setting up. We can audition you before we play. Have you got an amplifier?"

"Small one."

---