Chapter Eight‘I assure you I am terribly fond of everyone in this … vehicle,’ said Mr O’Connell to Samir, ‘but I have to admit that every single person you see before you is a criminal to a greater or lesser degree.’ He paused as if it hurt him to squeeze out the words. ‘Including myself.’
Samir flicked a sizeable nugget with his finger, making a lovely plinking noise. ‘I stole that fair and square. Do you plan to take it off me?’
‘Why would we need to?’ I said. ‘We have plenty of our own.’
‘You should try and take it because you can,’ he said with a didactic tone that told me he’d experienced either a tutor or a schoolroom at some point in his past. ‘That’s how it works.’
‘We don’t steal from children,’ said Matilda.
‘I know more about stealing than any fine lady ever will.’ Samir mi
