But dun let him. Let me.’
The moppet curls up in my hand.
I ask it again, the question I’ve already asked it over and over, ‘Where are you?’ It dun speak, not even to tell me again that
it’s dark
. I put it back in my pocket.
The sea looks like it’s panting with all its rising and falling. The owl woman screeches but I can’t see her – that sound must be real, if nothing else is. This white sky, so bright my eyes water. The Pegs flicker like them are shedding pale feathers, like them’re breaking apart, going to come off the line under the sea, and let Sishee’s drowned dress float up. The air feels so thin, the whole sky is going to tear open.
Nell’s crouched next to me, leaning on her walking stick and shaking my shoulder with a wrinkled hand.
My head thuds. ‘It were here Mam died, weren’t it? Right here on this cliff.’
‘Home. Now.’
I scramble up, look out to sea, say, ‘That’s Da – down there!’
Not far from the Pegs is a man in a small fishing boat. It’s Da for sure, in the brown tattered coat I’ve stitched up for him so many times.
‘Asylumfodder …’ says Nell, getting up, slow. ‘That’s what them do to mad folks on the main land. Look at him.’
Da sees me and Nell up here on the clifftop. Him is waving from the boat. Only I look harder, and him is not waving – him is throwing hims arms around like something’s attacking him. Something’s flying around in the air, tormenting him. Only there’s nothing there. Him looks like someone I dun know. Him is angered, afraid, laughing, crying.
Nell nods down the cliff, says, ‘Him’ll be towed back in.’
Jek is there, in a small fishing boat. Him gets closer to Da’s boat and reaches out a chain to hook the boats together.
I grab Nell’s arm.
‘Da … is him – what’s happened to him, Nell?’
‘Come on Mary. You look a wreck.’
‘What you said at yours, about the owl woman – you said
them’ve done it
. What them, what’ve them done?’
She pats my hand and I let go of her arm. ‘Weaving Room talk. Can’t say. Come on.’ She hobbles away, her grey wool coat blusters in the wind.
I call after her, ‘Why are you here?’ I have to walk fast to keep up with her and her mouth is set on staying closed. So I ask her over and over the same questions, faster and faster, but she’s still not speaking, so I change what I’m asking and ask her if she gave Valmarie the Thrashing House key.
Nell says, ‘She were coming for me as I were heading for her. Met her halfway, and she fair snatched it off me and took off. That’s not how it’s meant to happen, but I suppose she thinks she can do what she likes right now.’ She huffs out breath. ‘Never said that, all right?’
I ask Nell over and over if any of the women have said anything in the Weaving Rooms about Barney. She keeps her lips tight shut.
‘Nell, what
are
you doing here?’
‘Saw you heading this way. Weren’t having you coming here alone when I know it were on these cliffs your Mam died. Bloody diamondback addersnakes. Look at you, shivering all over. Come on.’
Jek is towing Da’s boat north towards Traders Bay, to the beach right by our cottage. I say, ‘If Da is mad – is him gone, but still here?’
‘Keep walking.’
We’re climbing down the steep path from the cliffs to Traders Bay. Nell’s staggering to stay upright and she steps sideways, leaning on her stick so she dun fall. It’s near on dusk, but the tall men are in thems boats, waiting, the oars still, just out to sea.
Them should’ve been long gone by now.
A skinny woman on the beach waves both her arms at me. It’s Annie, with her three black dogs bounding round her. Her husband Martyn knows Da so well. Them could help me nurse Da, them might know best what to do. Or him could stay with them for a time when them move to Wreckers Shore, away from hims boat and all the things hims hands get busy with at home. There, him could be cosseted, wrapped in
The moppet curls up in my hand.
I ask it again, the question I’ve already asked it over and over, ‘Where are you?’ It dun speak, not even to tell me again that
it’s dark
. I put it back in my pocket.
The sea looks like it’s panting with all its rising and falling. The owl woman screeches but I can’t see her – that sound must be real, if nothing else is. This white sky, so bright my eyes water. The Pegs flicker like them are shedding pale feathers, like them’re breaking apart, going to come off the line under the sea, and let Sishee’s drowned dress float up. The air feels so thin, the whole sky is going to tear open.
Nell’s crouched next to me, leaning on her walking stick and shaking my shoulder with a wrinkled hand.
My head thuds. ‘It were here Mam died, weren’t it? Right here on this cliff.’
‘Home. Now.’
I scramble up, look out to sea, say, ‘That’s Da – down there!’
Not far from the Pegs is a man in a small fishing boat. It’s Da for sure, in the brown tattered coat I’ve stitched up for him so many times.
‘Asylumfodder …’ says Nell, getting up, slow. ‘That’s what them do to mad folks on the main land. Look at him.’
Da sees me and Nell up here on the clifftop. Him is waving from the boat. Only I look harder, and him is not waving – him is throwing hims arms around like something’s attacking him. Something’s flying around in the air, tormenting him. Only there’s nothing there. Him looks like someone I dun know. Him is angered, afraid, laughing, crying.
Nell nods down the cliff, says, ‘Him’ll be towed back in.’
Jek is there, in a small fishing boat. Him gets closer to Da’s boat and reaches out a chain to hook the boats together.
I grab Nell’s arm.
‘Da … is him – what’s happened to him, Nell?’
‘Come on Mary. You look a wreck.’
‘What you said at yours, about the owl woman – you said
them’ve done it
. What them, what’ve them done?’
She pats my hand and I let go of her arm. ‘Weaving Room talk. Can’t say. Come on.’ She hobbles away, her grey wool coat blusters in the wind.
I call after her, ‘Why are you here?’ I have to walk fast to keep up with her and her mouth is set on staying closed. So I ask her over and over the same questions, faster and faster, but she’s still not speaking, so I change what I’m asking and ask her if she gave Valmarie the Thrashing House key.
Nell says, ‘She were coming for me as I were heading for her. Met her halfway, and she fair snatched it off me and took off. That’s not how it’s meant to happen, but I suppose she thinks she can do what she likes right now.’ She huffs out breath. ‘Never said that, all right?’
I ask Nell over and over if any of the women have said anything in the Weaving Rooms about Barney. She keeps her lips tight shut.
‘Nell, what
are
you doing here?’
‘Saw you heading this way. Weren’t having you coming here alone when I know it were on these cliffs your Mam died. Bloody diamondback addersnakes. Look at you, shivering all over. Come on.’
Jek is towing Da’s boat north towards Traders Bay, to the beach right by our cottage. I say, ‘If Da is mad – is him gone, but still here?’
‘Keep walking.’
We’re climbing down the steep path from the cliffs to Traders Bay. Nell’s staggering to stay upright and she steps sideways, leaning on her stick so she dun fall. It’s near on dusk, but the tall men are in thems boats, waiting, the oars still, just out to sea.
Them should’ve been long gone by now.
A skinny woman on the beach waves both her arms at me. It’s Annie, with her three black dogs bounding round her. Her husband Martyn knows Da so well. Them could help me nurse Da, them might know best what to do. Or him could stay with them for a time when them move to Wreckers Shore, away from hims boat and all the things hims hands get busy with at home. There, him could be cosseted, wrapped in
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