wasn't much.'
'Yeah, I think that fat bastard's put the muzzle on.'
'That won't please Cap.'
'Goose feather up the arse wouldn't please her.'
'I'm not sure it would do much for me either,' said Ellie. 'There was something about a body . ..'
Wendy told the story quickly, dismissively, scattering more ash than Etna.
Ellie said, 'Good God, Wendy, no wonder you're shook up.'
'Who says I'm shook up?' demanded the smaller woman.
'Well, if you're not, you ought to change your make-up,' said Ellie spiritedly.
'What? Oh yeah.' She managed a faint smile, then went on, 'No it wasn't that, something else . . . when they took us inside and Cap ran riot .. . look, Ellie, I need an ear . . . someone to tell me if I'm being stupid or what ... and you said, anything came up, I should let you know, right? Or was that just one of the things you lot say to keep us lot happy?'
'Wendy,' said Ellie dangerously. 'That you lot crap only works when you're up in the fighting line and I'm with a bunch of noncombatants shouting encouragement from the back. This is about friendship or it's about nothing.'
'Yeah, sorry,' said Wendy. 'It's just with your man being a bobby .. . he's not at home, is he? I'm not ready...’
As if in answer the door opened and Pascoe appeared.
'Peter,' said Ellie brightly. 'You remember Wendy, don't you? Wendy Walker, from Burrthorpe?'
Burrthorpe. Where he'd almost lost his life down a mine. And almost lost his wife to a young miner.
'Yes, of course. Hi. Keeping well, I hope?'
'Fine,' said Wendy Walker. 'Hey, look at the time. I'd better get going.'
She stubbed her fag in a saucer and stood up.
Pascoe said guiltily, 'Don't rush off on my account.'
She said, 'No, my timing's bad today. Ellie, are you going to the party tonight? Thought I might cadge a lift home afterwards if you were. Buses stop at ten and the bike's a menace when you're pissed.'
'Party?' said Pascoe.
'You know, the Extramural Department's do.'
'But I thought. ..' He changed his mind about uttering the thought.
Wendy flashed a bright smile and said, 'Cheers then,' and went past him into the entrance hall. Ellie caught up with her on the doorstep.
'You haven't said what you want to talk about,' she said.
'Probably all in my imagination,' said Wendy unconvincingly. 'Look, we'll have a chat at the party, OK? You will be there, won't you?'
She fixed Ellie with those bright unblinking eyes, like a hungry whippet that doesn't know how to beg.
'Yes,' said Ellie reluctantly. 'I'll definitely be there.'
She watched as Walker mounted the dilapidated mountain bike which was her urban transport and stood on the pedals to accelerate away.
'Shit,' said Ellie.
The party in question was basically a celebration of the University Extramural Department's twenty-fifth year of running day-release courses for the National Union of Miners. Ellie had taught on the course briefly, and it was here that had begun the relationship which had caused so much pain. She'd backed off any further involvement in the course after that. Peter had urged her to go to the party, particularly as it wasn't just a celebration but a wake. The present course was the last. After Christmas the NUM wouldn't have enough miners left to make day-release viable. Samson had been brought low. The triumph of Dagon was complete.
But despite her husband's urgings, or perhaps because of them, Ellie had resolved not to go, a decision confirmed by the coincidence of his return from Ada's funeral this same day.
Now the case was altered but not in any way she could explain.
It would be nice, she thought, just now and then, to be like one of those bright-eyed brain-deads in the telly ads who never had a problem more pressing than which pack of chemical crap washed whiter.
But that wasn't an option she had been programmed for.
She turned back into the entrance hall and banged her shin against Ada's secretaire.
'And up you too!' said Ellie Pascoe.
xii
By early afternoon, even with the help
'Yeah, I think that fat bastard's put the muzzle on.'
'That won't please Cap.'
'Goose feather up the arse wouldn't please her.'
'I'm not sure it would do much for me either,' said Ellie. 'There was something about a body . ..'
Wendy told the story quickly, dismissively, scattering more ash than Etna.
Ellie said, 'Good God, Wendy, no wonder you're shook up.'
'Who says I'm shook up?' demanded the smaller woman.
'Well, if you're not, you ought to change your make-up,' said Ellie spiritedly.
'What? Oh yeah.' She managed a faint smile, then went on, 'No it wasn't that, something else . . . when they took us inside and Cap ran riot .. . look, Ellie, I need an ear . . . someone to tell me if I'm being stupid or what ... and you said, anything came up, I should let you know, right? Or was that just one of the things you lot say to keep us lot happy?'
'Wendy,' said Ellie dangerously. 'That you lot crap only works when you're up in the fighting line and I'm with a bunch of noncombatants shouting encouragement from the back. This is about friendship or it's about nothing.'
'Yeah, sorry,' said Wendy. 'It's just with your man being a bobby .. . he's not at home, is he? I'm not ready...’
As if in answer the door opened and Pascoe appeared.
'Peter,' said Ellie brightly. 'You remember Wendy, don't you? Wendy Walker, from Burrthorpe?'
Burrthorpe. Where he'd almost lost his life down a mine. And almost lost his wife to a young miner.
'Yes, of course. Hi. Keeping well, I hope?'
'Fine,' said Wendy Walker. 'Hey, look at the time. I'd better get going.'
She stubbed her fag in a saucer and stood up.
Pascoe said guiltily, 'Don't rush off on my account.'
She said, 'No, my timing's bad today. Ellie, are you going to the party tonight? Thought I might cadge a lift home afterwards if you were. Buses stop at ten and the bike's a menace when you're pissed.'
'Party?' said Pascoe.
'You know, the Extramural Department's do.'
'But I thought. ..' He changed his mind about uttering the thought.
Wendy flashed a bright smile and said, 'Cheers then,' and went past him into the entrance hall. Ellie caught up with her on the doorstep.
'You haven't said what you want to talk about,' she said.
'Probably all in my imagination,' said Wendy unconvincingly. 'Look, we'll have a chat at the party, OK? You will be there, won't you?'
She fixed Ellie with those bright unblinking eyes, like a hungry whippet that doesn't know how to beg.
'Yes,' said Ellie reluctantly. 'I'll definitely be there.'
She watched as Walker mounted the dilapidated mountain bike which was her urban transport and stood on the pedals to accelerate away.
'Shit,' said Ellie.
The party in question was basically a celebration of the University Extramural Department's twenty-fifth year of running day-release courses for the National Union of Miners. Ellie had taught on the course briefly, and it was here that had begun the relationship which had caused so much pain. She'd backed off any further involvement in the course after that. Peter had urged her to go to the party, particularly as it wasn't just a celebration but a wake. The present course was the last. After Christmas the NUM wouldn't have enough miners left to make day-release viable. Samson had been brought low. The triumph of Dagon was complete.
But despite her husband's urgings, or perhaps because of them, Ellie had resolved not to go, a decision confirmed by the coincidence of his return from Ada's funeral this same day.
Now the case was altered but not in any way she could explain.
It would be nice, she thought, just now and then, to be like one of those bright-eyed brain-deads in the telly ads who never had a problem more pressing than which pack of chemical crap washed whiter.
But that wasn't an option she had been programmed for.
She turned back into the entrance hall and banged her shin against Ada's secretaire.
'And up you too!' said Ellie Pascoe.
xii
By early afternoon, even with the help
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