scales upon it, zig-zagged. Oddly, the nurse’s cap was not ill-fitting. It did not perch incongruously as had the caps of kitten, sheep and cow. She took the handkerchief.
‘You embarrass me,’ said the voice, ‘staring at me so hard. Are you trying to read my thoughts?’
Marda West did not answer. The question might be a trap.
‘Tell me,’ the voice continued, ‘are you disappointed? Do I look as you expected me to look?’
Still a trap. She must be careful.‘I think you do,’ she said slowly, ‘but it’s difficult to tell with the cap. I can’t see your hair.’
Nurse Ansel laughed, the low, soft laugh that had been so alluring during the long weeks of blindness. She put up her hands, and in a moment the whole snake’s head was revealed, the flat, broad top, the tell-tale adder’s V. ‘Do you approve?’ she asked.
Marda West shrank back against her pillow.Yet once again she forced herself to smile.
‘Very pretty,’ she said, ‘very pretty indeed.’
The cap was replaced, the long neck wriggled, and then, deceived, it took the medicine-glass from the patient’s hand and put it back upon the wash-basin. It did not know everything.
‘When I go home with you,’ said Nurse Ansel, ‘I needn’t wear uniform - that is, if you don’t want me to. You see, you’ll be a private patient then, and I your personal nurse for the week I’m with you.’
Marda West felt suddenly cold. In the turmoil of the day she had forgotten the plans. Nurse Ansel was to be with them for a week. It was all arranged. The vital thing was not to show fear. Nothing must seem changed. And then, when Jim arrived, she would tell him everything. If he could not see the snake’s head as she did - and indeed, it was possible that he would not, if her hypervision was caused by the lenses - he must just understand that for reasons too deep to explain she no longer trusted Nurse Ansel, could not, in fact, bear her to come home. The plan must be altered. She wanted no one to look after her. She only wanted to be home again, with him.
The telephone rang on the bedside-table and Marda West seized it, as she might seize salvation. It was her husband.
‘Sorry to be late,’ he said. ‘I’ll jump into a taxi and be with you right away. The lawyer kept me.’
‘Lawyer?’ she asked.
‘Yes, Forbes & Millwall, you remember, about the trust fund.’
She had forgotten. There had been so many financial discussions before the operation. Conflicting advice, as usual. And finally Jim had put the whole business into the hands of the Forbes & Millwall people.
‘Oh, yes. Was it satisfactory?’
‘I think so. Tell you directly.’
He rang off, and looking up she saw the snake’s head watching her. No doubt, thought Marda West, no doubt you would like to know what we were saying to one another.
‘You must promise not to get too excited when Mr West comes.’ Nurse Ansel stood with her hand upon the door.
‘I’m not excited. I just long to see him, that’s all.’
‘You’re looking very flushed.’
‘It’s warm in here.’
The twisting neck craned upward, then turned to the window. For the first time Marda West had the impression that the snake was not entirely at its ease. It sensed tension. It knew, it could not help but know, that the atmosphere had changed between nurse and patient.
‘I’ll open the window just a trifle at the top.’
If you were all snake, thought the patient, I could push you through. Or would you coil yourself round my neck and strangle me?
The window was opened, and pausing a moment, hoping perhaps for a word of thanks, the snake hovered at the end of the bed. Then the neck settled in the collar, the tongue darted rapidly in and out, and with a gliding motion Nurse Ansel left the room.
Marda West waited for the sound of the taxi in the street outside. She wondered if she could persuade Jim to stay the night in the nursing-home. If she explained her fear, her terror, surely he would
‘You embarrass me,’ said the voice, ‘staring at me so hard. Are you trying to read my thoughts?’
Marda West did not answer. The question might be a trap.
‘Tell me,’ the voice continued, ‘are you disappointed? Do I look as you expected me to look?’
Still a trap. She must be careful.‘I think you do,’ she said slowly, ‘but it’s difficult to tell with the cap. I can’t see your hair.’
Nurse Ansel laughed, the low, soft laugh that had been so alluring during the long weeks of blindness. She put up her hands, and in a moment the whole snake’s head was revealed, the flat, broad top, the tell-tale adder’s V. ‘Do you approve?’ she asked.
Marda West shrank back against her pillow.Yet once again she forced herself to smile.
‘Very pretty,’ she said, ‘very pretty indeed.’
The cap was replaced, the long neck wriggled, and then, deceived, it took the medicine-glass from the patient’s hand and put it back upon the wash-basin. It did not know everything.
‘When I go home with you,’ said Nurse Ansel, ‘I needn’t wear uniform - that is, if you don’t want me to. You see, you’ll be a private patient then, and I your personal nurse for the week I’m with you.’
Marda West felt suddenly cold. In the turmoil of the day she had forgotten the plans. Nurse Ansel was to be with them for a week. It was all arranged. The vital thing was not to show fear. Nothing must seem changed. And then, when Jim arrived, she would tell him everything. If he could not see the snake’s head as she did - and indeed, it was possible that he would not, if her hypervision was caused by the lenses - he must just understand that for reasons too deep to explain she no longer trusted Nurse Ansel, could not, in fact, bear her to come home. The plan must be altered. She wanted no one to look after her. She only wanted to be home again, with him.
The telephone rang on the bedside-table and Marda West seized it, as she might seize salvation. It was her husband.
‘Sorry to be late,’ he said. ‘I’ll jump into a taxi and be with you right away. The lawyer kept me.’
‘Lawyer?’ she asked.
‘Yes, Forbes & Millwall, you remember, about the trust fund.’
She had forgotten. There had been so many financial discussions before the operation. Conflicting advice, as usual. And finally Jim had put the whole business into the hands of the Forbes & Millwall people.
‘Oh, yes. Was it satisfactory?’
‘I think so. Tell you directly.’
He rang off, and looking up she saw the snake’s head watching her. No doubt, thought Marda West, no doubt you would like to know what we were saying to one another.
‘You must promise not to get too excited when Mr West comes.’ Nurse Ansel stood with her hand upon the door.
‘I’m not excited. I just long to see him, that’s all.’
‘You’re looking very flushed.’
‘It’s warm in here.’
The twisting neck craned upward, then turned to the window. For the first time Marda West had the impression that the snake was not entirely at its ease. It sensed tension. It knew, it could not help but know, that the atmosphere had changed between nurse and patient.
‘I’ll open the window just a trifle at the top.’
If you were all snake, thought the patient, I could push you through. Or would you coil yourself round my neck and strangle me?
The window was opened, and pausing a moment, hoping perhaps for a word of thanks, the snake hovered at the end of the bed. Then the neck settled in the collar, the tongue darted rapidly in and out, and with a gliding motion Nurse Ansel left the room.
Marda West waited for the sound of the taxi in the street outside. She wondered if she could persuade Jim to stay the night in the nursing-home. If she explained her fear, her terror, surely he would
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