按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
nd a church。
Bursting a good big dam； or even just letting it overflow； is almost as satisfying as planning and building it in the first place。 I used little shells to represent the people in the town； as usual。 Also as usual； none of the shells survived the flood when the dam burst； they all sank； which meant that everybody died。
By that time I was very hungry； my arms were getting sore and my hands were red with gripping the spade and digging into the sand by themselves。 I watched the first flood of water race down to the sea； muddy and littered； then turned to head for home。
'Did I hear you talking on the phone last night？' my father said。
I shook my head。 'Nope。'
We were finishing our lunch； sitting in the kitchen； me with my stew； my father with brown rice and seaweed salad。 He had his Town Gear on； brown brogues； brown tweed three…piece suit； and on the table sat his brown cap。 I checked my watch and saw that it was Thursday。 It was very unusual for him to go anywhere on a Thursday； whether Porteneil or any further afield。 I wasn't going to ask him where he was going because he'd only lie。 When I used to ask him where he was going he would tell me 'To Phucke'； which he claimed was a small town to the north of Inverness。 It was years and a lot of funny looks in the town before I learned the truth。
'I'm going out today；' he told me between mouthfuls of rice and salad。 I nodded； and he continued： 'I'll be back late。' Perhaps he was going to Porteneil to get drunk in the Rock Hotel； or perhaps he was off to Inverness； where he often goes on business he prefers to keep mysterious； but I suspected that it was really something to do with Eric。
'Right；' I said。
'I'll take a key； so you can lock up when you want to。' He clattered his knife and fork down on the empty plate and wiped his mouth on a brown napkin made from recycled paper。 'Just don't put all the bolts on； all right？'
'Right。'
'You'll make yourself something to eat this evening； h'm？'
I nodded again； not looking up as I ate。
'And you'll do the washing…up？'
I nodded again。
'I don't think Diggs'll e round again； but； if he does； I want you to stay out of his way。'
'Don't worry；' I told him； and sighed。
'You'll be all right； then？' he said； standing。
'M'm…h'm；' I said； cleaning up the last of the stew。
'I'll be off； then。'
I looked up in time to see him place his cap on his head and look round the kitchen； patting his pockets as he did so。 He looked at me again and nodded。
I said： 'Goodbye。'
'Yes；' he said。 'Right you are。'
'I'll see you later。'
'Yes。' He turned round； then turned back； looked once more round the room； then shook his head quickly and went to the door； taking his stick from the corner by the washing machine on his way out。 I heard the outer door slam； then silence。 I sighed。
I waited a minute or so then got up； leaving my almost clean plate； and went through the house to the lounge； where I could see the path leading away through the dunes towards the bridge。 My father was walking along it； head bowed； going quickly with a sort of anxious swagger as he swung the stick。 As I watched； he struck out with it at some wild flowers growing by the path…side。
I ran upstairs； pausing by the back stairwell window to watch my father disappear round the dune before the bridge； ran up the stairs； got to the door to the study and twisted the handle briskly。 The door was firm； it didn't shift a millimetre。 One day he'd forget； I was sure； but not today。
After I had finished my meal and done the washing…up； I went to my room； checked the home…brew and got my air…rifle。 I made sure I had sufficient pellets in my jacket pockets； then headed out of the house for the Rabbit Grounds on the mainland； between the large branch of the creek and the town dump。
I don't like using the gun； it's almost too accurate for me。 The catapult is an Inside thing； requiring that you and it are one。 If you're feeling bad； you'll miss； or； if you know you're doing something wrong； you'll miss； too。 Unless you fire a gun from the hip it's all Outside； you point and aim and that's it； unless the sights are out or there's a really high wind。 Once you've cocked the gun the power's all there； just waiting to be released by the squeeze of a finger。 A catapult lives with you until the last moment； it stays tensed in your hands； breathing with you； moving with you； ready to leap； ready to sing and jerk； and leaving you in that dramatic pose； arms and hands outstretched while you wait for the dark curve of the ball in its flight to find its target； that delicious thud。
But going after rabbits； especially the cunning little bastards out on the Grounds； you need all the help you can get。 One shot and they're scurrying for their holes。 The gun is loud enough to frighten them just as much； but； calm； surgical thing that it is； it improves your chance of a first…time kill。
As far as I know； none of my ill…starred relations has ever died by the gun。 They've gone a lot of funny ways； the Cauldhames and their associates by marriage； but to the best of my knowledge a gun has never crossed one off。
I came to the end of the bridge； where technically my territory stops； and stood still for a while； thinking； feeling； listening and looking and smelling。 Everything seemed to be all right。
Quite apart from the ones I killed （and they were all about the same age I was when I murdered them） I can think of at least three of our family who went to whatever they imagined their Maker was like in unusual ways。 Leviticus Cauldhame； my father's eldest brother； emigrated to South Africa and bought a farm there in I954。 Leviticus； a person of such weapon…grade stupidity his mental faculties would probably have improved with the onset of senile dementia； left Scotland because the Conservatives had failed to reverse the Socialist reforms of the previous Labour government： railways still nationalised ； working class breeding like flies now the welfare state existed to prevent the natural culling by disease； state…owned mines。。。 intolerable。 I have read some of the letters he wrote to my father。 Leviticus was happy with the country； though there were rather a lot of blacks around。 He referred to the policy of separate development as 'apart…hate' in his first few letters； until somebody must have clued him in on the correct spelling。 Not my father； I'm sure。
Leviticus was passing police headquarters in Johannesburg one day； walking along the pavement after a shopping expedition； when a crazed； homicidal black threw himself； unconscious； from the top storey and apparently ripped all his fingernails out on the way down。 He hit and fatally injured my innocent and unfortunate uncle whose muttered last words in hospital； before his a became a full stop； were： 'My God； the buggers've learned to fly。。。'
A faint wisp of smoke rose ahead of me from the town dump。 I wasn't going that far today； but I could hear the bulldozer they used sometimes to spread the garbage around as it revved and pushed。
I hadn't been to the dump for a while； and it was about time I went to see what the good folk of Porteneil had thrown out。 That was where I got all the old aerosols for the last War； not to mention several important parts of the Wasp Factory； including the Face itself。
My uncle Athelwald Trapley； from my mother's side of the family； emigrated to America at the end of the Second World War。 He threw in a good job with an insurance pany to go off with a woman and ended up； broke and heartbroke； in a cheap caravan site outside Fort Worth； where he decided to put an end to himself。
He turned on his Calor…gas stove and heater but didn't light them and sat down to await the end。 Understandably nervous； and no doubt a little distracted and distraught both with his loved one's untimely departure and that which he was planning for himself； he resorted without a thought to his habitual method of calming himself down； and lit a Marlboro。
Out of the blazing wreck he leaped； stumbling around on fire from head to toe and screaming。 He had intended a painless death； not being burned alive。 So he jumped head first into the forty…gallon oil…drum full of rainwater which stood at the rear of the caravan。 Wedged inside that drum he drowned； his little legs waggling pathetically as he gulped and squirmed and tried to get his arms into a position from which he could lever himself out。
Twenty metres or so from the grass…packed hill which looks over the Rabbit Grounds I switched to Silent Running； pacing stealthily through the long weeds and reeds； careful not to let anything I was carrying make a noise。 I was hoping to catch some of the little pests out early but； if I had to； I was prepared to wait until the sun went down。
I crawled quietly up the slope； the grass sliding under my chest and belly； my legs straining to propel my bulk up and forward。 I was down