Read Online Dark Harbour: The Tale of the Soul Searcher by Joseph Kiel - Free Book Online Page A

set of balls.
    ‘Why don’t we make it interesting? How about best of seven?’ Michael replied.
    ‘Yeah, because all of us so want to be here,’ Eddie added, before being promptly ignored.
    ‘We’ll need some warm up frames first,’ Michael said.
    ‘I’ll get some more fifties at the bar,’ Danny said. ‘What are you all drinking?’ Being the one who worked, he was used to getting the first round in. Before any of them could reply, Larry caught sight of someone.
    ‘Hey there! How are you doing, man?’
    They all turned round. Danny’s heart sank. It was Samuel Allington. Of all the people.
    ‘Good evening, Larry,’ Samuel replied cheerfully. ‘Where were you last week?’ He walked over to him and shook his hand warmly, as though Larry was suddenly the most important person in the world.
    Danny so disliked him. Samuel Allington was just too damn nice and sincere to everyone that it had to be fake. Or maybe Danny disliked him because there was nothing to dislike him about.
    ‘Yeah, sorry about that. I had a bit of a sore head,’ Larry replied, actually proud of it.
    ‘Ah, I see! You students! We could have done with you, man. We lost 7-2.’
    ‘Damn. Well, I’m getting in some practice with these amateurs. Usually do on a Friday evening. Hey, do you want to play?’ Larry asked as he lifted the triangle from the pool balls.
    What a sycophant. Danny wasn’t starstruck by the high flyer at all. Samuel Allington may drive around in a real BMW Z4 Roadster while Danny only drove them on his Playstation games, but that was no way to judge a person.
    ‘Take my place if you want,’ Eddie said as he offered Samuel a cue.
    ‘No, no I can’t tonight. Meeting some friends in a bit.’
    ‘That’s all right. I’ll kick their arses on my own,’ Larry said.
    Eddie rolled his eyes.
    ‘Yeah, right,’ Michael chipped in.
    ‘Be careful,’ Samuel said. ‘Larry’s our star player in the league, you know.’
    ‘Ah, we taught him all he knows,’ Michael replied. As Larry wasn’t going to introduce them, Michael took it upon himself to do so. ‘My name’s Michael by the way. This is Danny here, and that’s Eddie.’
    Samuel turned to Danny and Eddie and nodded a salutation to them each, a bright smile on his face as he did so. ‘Nice meeting you guys. You not drinking anything?’ he asked them.
    ‘Yeah, Danny was just about to get them in,’ Larry replied.
    ‘I’ll get them. What do you want?’
    ‘Nah, you don’t have to, man,’ said Larry.
    ‘Sure, no problem. You’re all students yeah? What do you guys want?’ Samuel persisted.
    He wouldn’t be doing this to try to be nice, not with a bunch of guys he’d only just met. Danny figured it was easy to be giving when you had money to burn like he did, and when you had a girl like Stella to make you happy.
    ‘Cheers, Samuel. I’ll have a Bass,’ Eddie replied.
    ‘A Fosters would be great,’ Michael added.
    Samuel then turned to Danny. There was something of an irony in asking for his usual drink, so Danny opted for another.
    ‘Yeah, Fosters too,’ he said.
    ‘Coming right up.’
    As soon as he was out of earshot, Eddie shook his head. ‘Man, that guy’s a dick,’ he muttered, and was promptly ignored again. Danny, however, had to suppress a grin.
    If he was honest with himself, he could feel Samuel’s infectious spirit, how he was able to uplift everyone he came into contact with. As he began chalking up his pool cue, Danny gazed on him as he walked gracefully across the room. He seemed so vivid, so ‘there’, like a magnificent eagle soaring above a field of turkeys. Danny realised he was a million miles away from being anything like Samuel. He felt like just another face in the crowd, learning all too well about the disappointments involved in reaching for heavenly bodies.
    Would anyone want to leave a person like Samuel Allington? Was he, perhaps, as perfect as Stella was, the yang equivalent? Man, the two of them were like