without. But that’s what hate does, see? You get all churned up. Everybody gets to be the Enemy.” She slapped the other’s leg. “Come on, back up there. I want you kneelin’ …”
She added the rest of the hot water. “Johnny was born on wheels,” she said. “Just like all the others. His old man used to truck coal an’ cement up the M68. That’s why he understands them, he talks their language as well. There’s a lot born on wheels, now. Die on wheels too. You didn’t know that, did you? I guess you ain’t ever seen a Trucker cemetery though. They build ’em on the centre reservations …”
She wielded the soap. “That’s where they made their big mistake,” she said. “With their own people. Forcin’ ’em on to the road. They weren’t brothers under the skin no more then. Not after that. That’s what Johnny could see. Why he was smart. You seen the big Jugs, ain’t you? The ones with the living cabs? Just prime movers, back the whole fambo on to the load … I seen families with three-four, sometimes five-six kids, all livin’ in a space about eight foot square …
“That’s where Johnny got his big idea from. Gettin ’em all together, all the Truckers all over the country, all the people that were just plain sick an’ tired. And when that started, man did it spread. Like a prairie fire. That’s when we got interested. In the U.S. The ones that cared. That’s why I came over. Wasn’t a thing we could do, before …”
She laughed. “You should see those trucks,” she said. “They think it’s all a gas. Sort of a Mickey Mouse newreligion. Well, I guess it is a religion. In a way. But Mickey Mouse ain’t got nothin’ to do with it.” She shook her head. “They put one artist on that damn Commissariat of theirs, they’d understand. But they’re still makin’ tins of pilchards …”
She flicked lather from her hands, and pushed the Rural’s shoulders. “OK,” she said, “sit back down now. And gimme the left paw. No, you don’t wanna go slappin’ that stuff round no more. You done enough …” She began brushing delicately, working the bristles under the small flat nails. “ ‘
Der Herr ist gross und sehr löblich
,’” she said. “That’s Johnny’s waggon. Know what it means? ‘
The Lord is great, and highly to be praised
…’ Sounds good, don’t it? It’s right, too. Because one day, he’s goin’ to be King. King Johnny the First. Or maybe the Second. Then there’s ‘
On Calvery that is so hye
,’ she’s a great big truck. I seen folk stand an’ laugh when she goes by; with her name boards an’ all. Only they don’t know the rest of the words.”
She paused in her work. “ ‘
On Calvery that is so hye
,’” she said, “ ‘
ther shall I be. Man to restore, naylid full sore, upon a tre
… ‘Man to restore’ … That’s what she’s for, honey. What she’s all about. There’s gonna be some nailin’s too, before she’s through …”
She moved round the bath, captured the Rural’s other hand. “Girl,” she said, “you got tidemarks where I wouldn’t of even
thought
of tidemarks. But we’re nearly through.” She scotched on to a crate. “Get to sayin’ ’em through in my head sometimes,” she said. “All the names. Sort of like hymns. ‘
Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress
.’ That’s a great name for a truck as well. And you know what she’s carryin’? Enough hardware to flatten a fair-size town. We brought that in. She’s got thank-you placards all the way round; and they don’t even know … Then there’s ‘
Kys thy moder, Jhesu
.’ Can’t mistake her. She’s got an icon on her forehead, right here. Slap over the windshield. Real icon too, found it on a rubbish tip in back of the British Museum. And ‘
Edi be thu, heven-quene
…’ That’s Middle English, that really gets ’em guessin’ … And ‘
Go hert, hert with adversitee
…’ She’ll do her share ofhurtin’, one day. Soon, now
She added the rest of the hot water. “Johnny was born on wheels,” she said. “Just like all the others. His old man used to truck coal an’ cement up the M68. That’s why he understands them, he talks their language as well. There’s a lot born on wheels, now. Die on wheels too. You didn’t know that, did you? I guess you ain’t ever seen a Trucker cemetery though. They build ’em on the centre reservations …”
She wielded the soap. “That’s where they made their big mistake,” she said. “With their own people. Forcin’ ’em on to the road. They weren’t brothers under the skin no more then. Not after that. That’s what Johnny could see. Why he was smart. You seen the big Jugs, ain’t you? The ones with the living cabs? Just prime movers, back the whole fambo on to the load … I seen families with three-four, sometimes five-six kids, all livin’ in a space about eight foot square …
“That’s where Johnny got his big idea from. Gettin ’em all together, all the Truckers all over the country, all the people that were just plain sick an’ tired. And when that started, man did it spread. Like a prairie fire. That’s when we got interested. In the U.S. The ones that cared. That’s why I came over. Wasn’t a thing we could do, before …”
She laughed. “You should see those trucks,” she said. “They think it’s all a gas. Sort of a Mickey Mouse newreligion. Well, I guess it is a religion. In a way. But Mickey Mouse ain’t got nothin’ to do with it.” She shook her head. “They put one artist on that damn Commissariat of theirs, they’d understand. But they’re still makin’ tins of pilchards …”
She flicked lather from her hands, and pushed the Rural’s shoulders. “OK,” she said, “sit back down now. And gimme the left paw. No, you don’t wanna go slappin’ that stuff round no more. You done enough …” She began brushing delicately, working the bristles under the small flat nails. “ ‘
Der Herr ist gross und sehr löblich
,’” she said. “That’s Johnny’s waggon. Know what it means? ‘
The Lord is great, and highly to be praised
…’ Sounds good, don’t it? It’s right, too. Because one day, he’s goin’ to be King. King Johnny the First. Or maybe the Second. Then there’s ‘
On Calvery that is so hye
,’ she’s a great big truck. I seen folk stand an’ laugh when she goes by; with her name boards an’ all. Only they don’t know the rest of the words.”
She paused in her work. “ ‘
On Calvery that is so hye
,’” she said, “ ‘
ther shall I be. Man to restore, naylid full sore, upon a tre
… ‘Man to restore’ … That’s what she’s for, honey. What she’s all about. There’s gonna be some nailin’s too, before she’s through …”
She moved round the bath, captured the Rural’s other hand. “Girl,” she said, “you got tidemarks where I wouldn’t of even
thought
of tidemarks. But we’re nearly through.” She scotched on to a crate. “Get to sayin’ ’em through in my head sometimes,” she said. “All the names. Sort of like hymns. ‘
Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress
.’ That’s a great name for a truck as well. And you know what she’s carryin’? Enough hardware to flatten a fair-size town. We brought that in. She’s got thank-you placards all the way round; and they don’t even know … Then there’s ‘
Kys thy moder, Jhesu
.’ Can’t mistake her. She’s got an icon on her forehead, right here. Slap over the windshield. Real icon too, found it on a rubbish tip in back of the British Museum. And ‘
Edi be thu, heven-quene
…’ That’s Middle English, that really gets ’em guessin’ … And ‘
Go hert, hert with adversitee
…’ She’ll do her share ofhurtin’, one day. Soon, now