Chapter 27

The fairground’s car park was almost filled to capacity, but luckily someone was just pulling out so I managed to get a space not too far from the entrance. As we drew closer to the fair itself we were beset by the familiar food smells of fried onions, hotdogs, toffee apples, and candy floss. These all mixed disagreeably with the smell of diesel fumes from the many generators, damp earth, and fermented mown grass.

None of the rides we went on was particularly scary; but the little dipper and the octopus were the closest the fair came to offering something that could be called ‘white knuckle.’

Sam spotted the Dodgems. “Can we go on those?”

Each car held two people, so Mark and I took it in turns to drive Sam around the little arena while the other had a car to himself. We must have spent half an hour bumping into each other plus anyone else in range.

“Okay, you two,” I said. “I think it’s time we got something to eat.”