Read Online Absolute Hush by Sara Banerji - Free Book Online

turned into Loki, god of fire, walker of destruction, changer of the universe. Even his face became more spiritual in the presence of fire. His heavy eyes would glitter and the flesh of his cheeks shrink and harden. While the fire was burning, George would be filled with a wonderful bliss that was beyond excitement, beyond satisfaction, beyond thought. George had almost envied the pilot burning to death inside his plane in the haystack for if just watching fire could fill one with such glory, imagine what being consumed by it must do.
    For George, Hell was a place of agonising ecstasy, and those in Heaven did not know what they were missing. George knew the pain of fire for he had been often burnt, yet so wonderful was the bliss that accompanied it that it was worth even ferocious pain.
    At the very height of the burning, George never felt pain. Redhot matter could cling to his arms without him noticing, though later he would be in agony with weeping sores and scabs sticking to his shirt-sleeves. He would walk over blazing boards without noticing, and then, for days after, limp on blistered feet.
    Although George never told anyone about his injuries, Sissy always knew.
    â€˜Why did you go and do it, stupid? Do you like hurting all the time?’ she would scold savagely. The sight of George suffering always made her cross especially when she was unable to help him.
    One afternoon when her mother was on her sofa, going through her magazines, Sissy sneaked into Elizabeth’s bedroom.
    It took her half an hour and a dozen sheets of lavatory paper to give herself a new mouth with her mother’s lipstick. At last, equipped with a dear little cupid’s bow reaching nearly up to her nostrils, she slipped softly downstairs and left the house.
    The bright red mouth had taken up a lot of Sissy’s face, but if it was mouth that was wanted then it was worth sacrificing a bit of face for, she decided.
    She left the garden, tiptoeing quietly, like a bird leaving its cage after a lifetime of captivity. She had hardly ever gone into the High Street without George, and she felt quite nervous. But it was essential that she made this trip on her own. Sissy, feeling vulnerable and shy, threw back her shoulders, arranged her expression into its most bright and uncaring, and stepped out of the sunshine and into the pub. The men in the bar turned to look, and fell silent at the sight of Sissy with her enormous scarlet mouth. There rose a swiftly suppressed chuckle. Two old men playing darts turned, looked, then quickly – as though the sight appalled them – went back to their game.
    Mr Lovage emerged out of the gloom.
    Taking Sissy’s hand, he said, ‘Kiddies not allowed in here, my darling.’ His breath was heavy with the smell of beer.
    Sissy’s cheeks went nearly as red as her mouth. Everyone in the bar seemed to be staring at her. She tried to say, ‘I am not a kiddy. I am thirteen,’ but the words wouldn’t come out at all at first, and, when they did, her voice was terribly hoarse, so that Mr Lovage had to ask, ‘What’s that, ducks? What did you say?’ He was propelling her towards the door as he spoke, and they were both outside by the time he had understood her answer.
    â€˜Yes, yes,’ he said soothingly. ‘We all know you’re a little lady now. But ladies don’t go into the bar on their own, you know. Not nice ones that is.’
    â€˜I’m thirsty,’ muttered Sissy, catching sight of her blazing lips in the window glass.
    Mr Lovage pushed her gently on to a wooden bench by the wall.
    â€˜Sit there, ducks,’ he said. ‘I’ll bring you a fizz.’
    While she waited, she examined her reflection in the pane and could not decide if she looked desirable.
    She was sitting there, still drinking something almost as scarlet as her mouth, when George appeared, shuffling along the road, shoulders hunched, eyes down, lips pursed in a soundless