Black Mischief by Carl Hancock Page B

Don’t tell me these are the mind doctors!’
    â€˜They’ve been around millions of years longer than us, just like the bees.’
    â€˜You will tell wonderful stories to our children, just like Papa did for me and the girls, but …’
    His enthusiastic flow was halted for a few seconds as he savoured the thought of having half a dozen mirror images running ‘round the house. ‘I was watching the leader and for a moment he sort of paused and looked over.’
    â€˜Thomas, what is happening with you?’ She was pleased to see him enjoying himself.
    â€˜Just then he, is it a he? Well, his eyes suddenly became very bright. At that very moment a name came into my head. Guess!’
    â€˜The children will love this story. Ants, bees and now?’
    â€˜Julius!’
    Her jaw dropped and her eyes fluttered in mild shock. ‘Thomas!’
    He drew her close and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
    â€˜Darling, darling, darling, I didn’t mean it to be like this. I can be such a thoughtless prat.’
    Words dried up on both sides. They did not attempt to look into each other’s eyes. Gradually her deep sighs eased and she moved her head back until she could see his face. She smiled.
    â€˜Julius, you are right. He is like a hand reaching out of the grave to grasp our hearts. Perhaps why I am afraid of the look on Reuben’s face. I can see his brother’s anger.’
    â€˜Julius was a spoilt, ruthless … I can’t find the right word. He didn’t give a damn about anyone except Julius. And yet if I hadn’t been in the Muthaiga that night, he would still be alive.’
    â€˜And I would be his wife! I should not have led him on, told him untruths, but my heart still tells me that he was ready to kill you. I have talked to Papa about this. He says that the Rubais are a family crazy for revenge. They must have their own way in everything. Mary calls it karma.’
    He felt a surge of emotion. He did not hold back.
    â€˜I’m ready to spew him up, pass him out of my guts like a tapeworm!’ Tom punched the air defiantly. ‘Yeah, get shot of him. Get rid of all the sentimental crap!’
    One short outburst and Tom felt weary. He closed his eyes and let his head loll back against the tree. He began again in a low, resigned tone.
    â€˜No, I’m not. We’re stuck with him. Can’t undo the past, can we?’
    She shook her head in resignation. ‘What can we do, Thomas?’
    â€˜Ah, yeah. Sometimes, ‘Becca, when you’re at the bottom of a deep hole, you can see the sky, the stars better than you can from a mountain top.’
    â€˜Did the mind doctor tell you this?’
    â€˜Now who’s doing the mocking. Only kidding! Todd Tremlett.’
    â€˜The Catholic boy in England? I wish I knew him.’
    â€˜We’ll invite him to the wedding. Grandma would love him.’
    â€˜We can live with this. We can share it.’
    â€˜It could teach us to know how blest we are.’
    â€˜I think we’ve met the mind doctor. I …’
    Tom was interrupted by a familiar sound. A light aircraft was approaching their end of the airstrip. There were two, both bigger than the McCall Cessna. As the red planes sped past, they could see passengers who were peering out, trying to get their bearings.
    â€˜Visitors. The Elliots have four luxury bungalows down by the lake. Expensive. These people are in for a treat. They are about to enter paradise, or as near to it as you could expect on this earth.’
    â€˜Perhaps it’s the Rubais coming to make an offer.’ Rebecca closed her eyes and shook her head vigorously in annoyance with herself. ‘Sorry, Thomas, for being a thoughtless, what’s that word you like, prat!’
    Tom stared gloomily down at the ground for a few seconds. Next moment he had her neck locked in his right arm as he searched for her mouth. Two, three long kisses later,