Part 1 - A Ride on a Wire

Below the gondola, the street lamps of Sandrock Road shone brightly and the occasional car passed by. Helga hung her head out the window, cigarette dangling from her lips, enjoying the view. The night was cool but she didn't feel it, warmed as she was from the lovely brandy she'd drunk and the exhilaration of the moment. Across from her, Hedwig giggled as she passed the bottle of Remy Martin VSOP back to the handsome figure of Angus Blackhurst sitting next to her. Helga still couldn't believe she was actually riding in the Mechanical Skyway. After looking up and watching the cars travel along the cables overhead for so many years, it now seemed amazing that this was the first time she'd taken the plunge. It's not that the Skyway was reserved for wealthy people or anything, it's just that both Helga and Hedwig always had better things to do with their money than take a ride to places they didn't want to go anyway.

Helga, Hedwig and Angus Blackhurst at The Treehouse restaurant.

Helga and Hedwig were at the bins outside Steam Burger on Grosvenor Road tucking into the discarded contents of a Steam Burger Extraordinaire Meal. They had to be careful, the baton-wielding police seemed to be everywhere that late afternoon and although prostitution was legal, freeganing was not. Helga was just extracting a piece of gristle from between her crowded teeth when she caught sight of Mr Quack waddling over.

Helga and Hedwig’s squat on London Road, Tunbridge Wells.

It was only 2 in the afternoon, but Helga and Hedwig, the Tunbridge Wells’ prostitutes, were already getting ready to walk the streets, believing the earlier they started, the more chance they would have of getting punters. They had been street walkers for a year, having worked previously at the Pleasure Palace brothel in the tunnels, but had both been sacked by the madam, Elvira, for putting the clients off sex.