adult gossip, which lost none of its sparkle in his eleven-year-old eyes for the obscurity of its implications. He simply liked the tone of it, knew they were talking about sex when they lowered their voices and went into corners. In his own home with two babies, he was not a powerful person, always last in line, listening. Brilliant, Rick would say, sometimes in genuine amazement at what this child, so silent indoors and so loquacious out, could collect as second-hand knowledge. Stonewall sensed attention was beginning to wander.
`Going to get your girlfriend on the boat?' he asked, to rekindle interest.
`She ain't my girlfriend, I tell you. You deaf?'
`She thinks she is,' Stonewall muttered.
Rick swaggered. 'Her and who else?' he said, then caught sight of his face in the cracked mirror propped over the mantelpiece, let his mouth drop in a leer. 'Her and Granny Pardoe, at this rate, any woman draws a short straw with me,' he muttered. 'Fancy an ice-cream down on the beach?'
The boy hid his enthusiasm by shrugging, nodded, followed with a little skip and a sigh of pleasure which somehow got out before he could stop it.
Ànd there's another thing,' he began as they went out into the alley.
Òh yes, another ghost, I suppose. The one with white hair? Tall bloke? Come on, everyone says they've seen that.'
`Maybe ghosts come out at the same time.'
`Well, I don't know,' said Rick admiringly, cuffing him round the ear. 'I think you need glasses, boy. Dark ones, with wipers, stop you seeing so much.'
`That ghost got my dog,' said Stonewall stubbornly, horribly ashamed of the way his eyes filled with tears. 'He did. I saw him, and then Sal ran away.'
Rick was thinking of his evening date, half wishing he hadn't made it. Thought of Jo and tried to put her out of his mind.
When Sarah got back to the homestead, wondering whether it was better simply to pack up her bags and leave before she was sacked, two sights met her eyes as she went, like an old familiar, to the back door. The first was Mrs Pardoe, sunbathing in the cabbage patch. She looked like a religious emblem, lying in the pose of a crucifixion with her legs discreetly crossed, the dress hoiked up and the arms spreadeagled. A little dirt didn't seem to matter. Sarah approached with caution until her shadow fell over the body. It was very hot; her own longing for the sea was intense.
`Hallo.'
`You're taking my sunlight,' said Mrs Pardoe, shifting in irritation. 'Give me back my rays.'
`Can I get you anything?' The body laid out on the earth still had very good legs, the face resembled a pixie, oddly ageless.
Ìce-cream,' said the lady, dreamily, then closed her eyes.
The second sight was Joanna crying in the kitchen, with none of her mother's aplomb, but again, there was a sense of absent beauty.
`Sorry,' said Joanna, beyond embarrassment. `Sorry. I can't help it.'
Ìs it your mother?'
Òh no, I'm used to her. She's fine, honestly. Absolutely fine. You sort of adjust, you know?'
Sarah didn't know, but nodded.
Ì mean, she's quite safe by herself and everything, and she doesn't ask for much, never did. I mean, I could go out this evening, even though Ed and Julian are always out on Fridays. I mean, I think Ma quite likes a bit of time to herself and anyway, she goes to bed ludicrously early, so that's fine, she doesn't need a babysitter; but I can't go anywhere, can I? I mean, not even round to Caroline's, can I? Even though she's asked me twice and I said I would . .
Sarah continued nodding.
`Because I'm different, and Caroline's very together, you see. And she knows I was going out with Rick who is, let's face it, the best looking boy around, but he won't talk to me now. Julian warned him off. And she'll have her friends there, and I've got to pretend I just don't care, you know, have a glass of wine and make a joke of it. Which I just about could, just about, even if it isn't true and it's only a small party, but not like this. Not when I've got nothing
`Going to get your girlfriend on the boat?' he asked, to rekindle interest.
`She ain't my girlfriend, I tell you. You deaf?'
`She thinks she is,' Stonewall muttered.
Rick swaggered. 'Her and who else?' he said, then caught sight of his face in the cracked mirror propped over the mantelpiece, let his mouth drop in a leer. 'Her and Granny Pardoe, at this rate, any woman draws a short straw with me,' he muttered. 'Fancy an ice-cream down on the beach?'
The boy hid his enthusiasm by shrugging, nodded, followed with a little skip and a sigh of pleasure which somehow got out before he could stop it.
Ànd there's another thing,' he began as they went out into the alley.
Òh yes, another ghost, I suppose. The one with white hair? Tall bloke? Come on, everyone says they've seen that.'
`Maybe ghosts come out at the same time.'
`Well, I don't know,' said Rick admiringly, cuffing him round the ear. 'I think you need glasses, boy. Dark ones, with wipers, stop you seeing so much.'
`That ghost got my dog,' said Stonewall stubbornly, horribly ashamed of the way his eyes filled with tears. 'He did. I saw him, and then Sal ran away.'
Rick was thinking of his evening date, half wishing he hadn't made it. Thought of Jo and tried to put her out of his mind.
When Sarah got back to the homestead, wondering whether it was better simply to pack up her bags and leave before she was sacked, two sights met her eyes as she went, like an old familiar, to the back door. The first was Mrs Pardoe, sunbathing in the cabbage patch. She looked like a religious emblem, lying in the pose of a crucifixion with her legs discreetly crossed, the dress hoiked up and the arms spreadeagled. A little dirt didn't seem to matter. Sarah approached with caution until her shadow fell over the body. It was very hot; her own longing for the sea was intense.
`Hallo.'
`You're taking my sunlight,' said Mrs Pardoe, shifting in irritation. 'Give me back my rays.'
`Can I get you anything?' The body laid out on the earth still had very good legs, the face resembled a pixie, oddly ageless.
Ìce-cream,' said the lady, dreamily, then closed her eyes.
The second sight was Joanna crying in the kitchen, with none of her mother's aplomb, but again, there was a sense of absent beauty.
`Sorry,' said Joanna, beyond embarrassment. `Sorry. I can't help it.'
Ìs it your mother?'
Òh no, I'm used to her. She's fine, honestly. Absolutely fine. You sort of adjust, you know?'
Sarah didn't know, but nodded.
Ì mean, she's quite safe by herself and everything, and she doesn't ask for much, never did. I mean, I could go out this evening, even though Ed and Julian are always out on Fridays. I mean, I think Ma quite likes a bit of time to herself and anyway, she goes to bed ludicrously early, so that's fine, she doesn't need a babysitter; but I can't go anywhere, can I? I mean, not even round to Caroline's, can I? Even though she's asked me twice and I said I would . .
Sarah continued nodding.
`Because I'm different, and Caroline's very together, you see. And she knows I was going out with Rick who is, let's face it, the best looking boy around, but he won't talk to me now. Julian warned him off. And she'll have her friends there, and I've got to pretend I just don't care, you know, have a glass of wine and make a joke of it. Which I just about could, just about, even if it isn't true and it's only a small party, but not like this. Not when I've got nothing
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