Part 28 (2/2)
All Sonny could think of was his father, powerless to defend himself or ------------------------------------430 even to dodge the grasp of the world. ”Get out,” he screamed, and when his voice only made Sam flinch, he forgot the warning his father had given him, the warning that was so important Sonny's stomach had been bruised for a week. He put his hands on Sam to cast the intruder out of the house.
And then he realised how thoroughly the world had tricked him, for Sam's chest was the memory Sonny had driven so deep in his mind it had been like forgetting: his mother's chest, soft and warm and thrusting. He cried out as loudly and shrilly as Sam did, and flung her backwards onto the broken road. He staggered after her, for he wasn't fit to stay in a house that had been dedicated to G.o.d. He hadn't been ready to venture into the world after all, and it had possessed him. In the moment when he'd flung Sam's b.r.e.a.s.t.s away from him he'd felt his body reach secretly for her.
He slammed the door and s.n.a.t.c.hed the key and flew at her, driving her towards the waste where the lost souls swarmed under the dead sky. He tore the spectacles off and s.h.i.+ed them at her, narrowly missing her face. The lost souls might tear him to pieces when they saw he was routing one of them, but perhaps he could destroy her first--anything to prevent the world from reaching his father ahead of the Kingdom of G.o.d. Then he threw up his hands and wailed and gnashed his teeth, for the world had already touched his father. He had been so anxious to take his father to the safety of the Bibles that he'd forgotten to disinfect himself. He'd held his father with hands the world had tainted.
A smell that made him think of disinfectant drifted along the street to mock him. It was of petrol, in a jug that the trader who had kicked the van was carrying. The trader glanced at the spectacle of Sonny lurching at Sam, trying to knock her down as she retreated towards the market with her hands held out to calm him, and then the trader turned away as if he'd seen nothing unusual. He put down the jug in order to unscrew the cap on the side of the van, and at once Sonny knew exactly what to do.
He ran past Sam and grabbed a stick with a peeling red-hot tip from the nearest fire, and darted to the jug of petrol. He had just seized the handle when the trader turned and lunged at him. Sonny would have splashed petrol over him to drive him back, but how could he waste his father's only salvation? He tipped the jug over himself, and the world shrank back from him, unable to stop him. He poured the last inch of petrol into his mouth.
”Don't,” Sam cried, and Sonny knew he was doing right at last. The taste like disinfectant stronger than he'd ever drunk confirmed it too. He ran at Sam, and she sprawled backwards, afraid he meant to spew petrol at her or ------------------------------------431 brand her with the stick. Smiling for the first time since he could remember, Sonny strode back to the house.
He was turning the key when Sam and more of the devil's horde came running. Sonny made a red-hot sign of the cross in the air and stepped into the house, and threw the key contemptuously at them. The stick had burned short as he strode, the mouthful of petrol was searing his nostrils, but he had time, he mustn't swallow. The stick scorched his fingers as he took the three strides across the room to his father. Carefully opening his mouth, he anointed his father and the chair, and then he sat on his father's lap for the first time in his life. It was unyielding as iron, yet he had never felt so peaceful. Perhaps this was the Kingdom of G.o.d, or was about to be. As he touched the fire to his chest, he knew he had reached the end of the parable. He prayed he was about to learn its meaning. ------------------------------------432 ------------------------------------433
End of the Line
”Pook.”
”Is this Mrs Pook?”
”Who wants to know?”
”My name ... My name is Roger and I think you may be interested in what I have to offer you.”
”That's what you say. You don't know a thing about me.”
”Don't you wish you could see what I look like?”
”Why, what have you got on?”
”I mean, don't you wish you could see my face?”
”Not if it looks like you sound. Mum, there's some weird character on the phone.”
”Hang on, I thought you said you were Mrs--was ”He's saying would I like to watch him.”
”Who's speaking, please? What have you been suggesting to my daughter?”
”My name is Rum, that is, my name's Ralph, and I think you may be interested in what I'm offering.”
”I doubt it. Don't I know you?”
”My name's Ralph.”
”I don't know anyone called Ralph, but I'm sure I know your voice. What's your game?”
”He said his name was Roger, Mum, not Ralph.”
”Did he now. Charlie? Charlie, pick up the extension and listen to this.”
”Mrs Pook, if I can just explain--was ”Charlie, will you pick up the extension. There's one of those perverts who like to hide behind a phone. He can't even remember his own name.”
”Who the f.u.c.k is this? What do you want with my wife?”
”My name's Ralph, Mr Pook, and perhaps I can speak to you. I'm calling on behalf of--was ”Whoever he is, Charlie, his name isn't Ralph.” ------------------------------------434 ”My name isn't important, Mr Pook. I should like to off--was ”Don't you tell me what's important, pal, specially not on my f.u.c.king phone. What do you want? How did you get this number?”
”Out of the directory. Can I take just a few minutes of your time? We'd like to offer you a way of avoiding misunderstandings like this one.”
”It's we now, is it? You and who else?”
”I'm calling on be--was ”Charlie, I think I know who--was ”Tell you what, pal, I don't care how many of you there are. Just you say where I can find you and we'll settle it like men.”
”Just put it down. Just put it down.”
”What are you mumbling about, pal? Lost your voice?”
”Mrs Pook, are you still there?”
”Never mind talking to my f.u.c.king wife. This is between you and me, pal. If you say another word to her--was ”That's enough, Charlie. Yes, I'm here.”
”Mrs Pook, would your first name be Lesley?”
”That's it, pal! I'm warning you! If any f.u.c.ker says another f.u.c.king word--was ”Just put it down,” Speke told himself again, and this time he succeeded. The long room was full of echoes of his voice in voices other than his own: ”I'm speaking on behalf. ...8 ”Don't you wish. ...8 During the conversation his surroundings--the white desks staffed by fellow workers whom he scarcely knew, the walls to which the indirect lighting lent the appearance of luminous chalk, the stark black columns of names and addresses and numbers on the page in front of him--had grown so enigmatic they seemed meaningless, and the only way he could think of to escape this meaninglessness was by speaking. He crossed out Pook and keyed the next number. ”Mrs Pool?”
”This is she.”
”I wonder if I could take just a few minutes of your time.”
”Take as much as you like if it's any use to you.”
”My name is Roger and I'm calling on behalf of Face to Face Communications. I should have said that to begin with.”
”No need to be nervous of me, especially not on the phone.”
”I'm um, I'm not. I was going to ask don't you wish you could see what I look like.”
”Not much chance of that, I'm afraid.”
”On the phone, you mean. Well, I'm calling to offer--was ”Or anywhere else.” ------------------------------------435 ”I don't rum real um realura really under--was ”I could have seen you up to a few years ago. Do you look as you sound?”
”I suppum.”
”I'm sorry that I'm blind, then.”
”No, it's my fault. I mean, that's not my fault, I mean I'm the one who should be sorry, apologising, that's to sum--was He managed to drag the receiver away from his mouth, which was still gabbling, and plant the handset in its cradle. He crossed out her name almost blindly and closed his eyes tight, but had to open them as soon as he heard voices reiterating portions of the formula around him. He focused on the next clear line in the column and, grabbing the receiver, called the number. ”Mr Poole?”
<script>