The Apothecary Page 0,44

he kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks. His feet were pale, and looked vulnerable. His blue wool pants dropped, and he climbed into the rubbish bin with a slosh.

“Benjamin!” I said, remembering. “The note in the margin said to leave one part of your body out!”

“What part?”

“I’ve got a funny idea,” Pip said.

“That’s not funny,” Benjamin said. “And it’s too late anyway.”

I blushed in spite of myself. Pip giggled.

“Maybe part of a hand,” I said. “Something you can see, so you’ll know when other people are seeing it.”

“My hands are already wet.”

“A shoulder?” Pip suggested.

“I’ll try,” Benjamin said. “It’s awkward in here.”

There was more sloshing, and we heard the thud of a knee or an elbow against the inside of the metal can. Then a wet footprint appeared on the concrete floor beside Benjamin’s clothes, and another. There were no feet making the footprints.

“Benjamin!” I said. “It works! We can’t see your feet!”

There was silence from behind the blackboard, except for the dripping.

“Benjamin?” I said.

“It’s so strange,” he said. “I can’t see myself.”

“Come out an’ show us,” Pip said.

“But I’m naked.”

“But we can’t see you!”

The wet footprints came slowly around the side of the blackboard. A pale smudge of pink skin floated five feet above the ground. I knew it must be part of Benjamin’s shoulder, but I wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t been looking for it. The pink spot moved, and a wet handprint appeared in the white chalk dust on the blackboard. There was no other sign of him. “It’s as if I’m not here,” he said, wondering.

“Brilliant!” Pip said. “I’m goin’ in!” He disappeared behind the board.

“I can’t tell you how strange this feels,” Benjamin’s voice said, from just above the pink floating spot of skin.

The two of us stood there awkwardly. I was as awed by the fact that he was naked as that he was invisible. There was a slosh as Pip climbed into the bin.

“Remember to leave some part of your body out,” I said.

“Right,” Pip said.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I said. “It might be too embarrassing.”

“You think it isn’t embarrassing for me?” Benjamin asked.

There was another sloshing behind the blackboard, and Pip’s wet footprints came scampering around the side. He was laughing delightedly.

“I love this!” he said. “I always wanted this!”

At first I couldn’t see what was visible on him, but then I saw one floating ear. It was more identifiable as a body part than Benjamin’s shoulder was, but it was also smaller and harder to see, especially when he was facing us and we weren’t seeing the ear from the side.

“I want to go everywhere!” Pip said. “We can sneak into the cinema! An’ the casino! An’ the races!”

“First we can go to the bunker and find my father,” Benjamin reminded him. “Your turn, Janie.”

I went around the blackboard and looked at the two piles of clothes on the floor. Experimentally, I dunked a corner of my sleeve into the bath. It came out soaking wet, but unchanged. If I kept my clothes on, I’d be invisible, but in wet, visible clothes.

“Come on, Janie,” Benjamin’s voice said. “Before Mr Gilliam comes back. We can’t see you.”

I looked once more into the rubbish bin full of solution, and thought that if my grandmother’s earrings had been melted down for this, I might as well make use of it. I took off my clothes and climbed in. I decided to keep the pinky finger on my right hand out, as it seemed small and easy to hide. The water was cold, and I held my breath and tucked my knees so I could dunk my head under and get my hair wet. I waited a few seconds and then stood up, dripping, and looked down at myself. There was nothing there. It was disorienting. When I touched my arm, it felt slippery and wet, but I couldn’t see it: I only saw water dripping in the shape of an arm. The clash between what I knew and what I saw made me dizzy. I climbed out, watching the water fill in the space in the can where my body had been, and saw the telltale footprints appear on the classroom floor.

“Did it work?” Pip asked, and his ear came around the screen.

“Hey!” I said. “You’re not supposed to come back here!”

“But you’re invisible!”

Benjamin’s clothes seemed to be picking themselves up off the floor, and I could see his pink shoulder, leaning over.

“I didn’t barge