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Authors: Martin Millar
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landing on the moon, weâre landing on the moon,â repeated as often as sounded appropriate at the time. She had decided against writing a chorus as it sounded just fine as it was. Back when she had played in her first band, long before she even met Mo, this had always been a crowd-pleaser. She played it now.
Next Elfish retuned her guitar and practised her slide technique, plucking long mournful notes with her fingers, and singing a little blues. Elfishâs voice accompanied by the bottleneck guitar made an
effective and sad combination. She would never play like this in public, however, and only Aran had ever heard her play the blues.
She could pass away hours in this fashion. It was dark when she placed her guitar carefully against the wall. Summer was approaching and the encroaching heat was already troubling her but the sun was safely gone when she glanced through her window. She frowned, displeased to see Cary and Lilac bending over something in their backyard. Annoyed, she hunted her room for some money to buy a drink, going through the lining of every garment she possessed in case a coin had somehow lodged there unnoticed. This was futile and she knew it because she had been through all these linings only three days ago. After the linings had revealed nothing she got round to lifting up the edges of her rug in case anything had rolled there.
Cary and Lilac were also concerned with money. It is amazing how an enterprise, long thought about, can blossom once finally started. Now that they had got round to saving their pennies the tin was already showing results. Extremely careful not to go near it when Dennis was about, they had now amassed several pounds in their underground store and the prospect of a country holiday was beginning to seem real.
Up above, Elfish found no money. She felt slightly desperate, and wondered if anyone else in the house might have some alcohol. If they had, it would be well hidden from her, and Perlita was hanging around downstairs which would hinder her in making a thorough search.
She picked up her copy of Romeo and Juliet, intending to learn the last few lines of the speech, but was interrupted by Perlita knocking on her door.
Perlita smiled at her. She was always smiling. Elfish detested her.
âSomeone put this note through the door for you,â she said, handing Elfish a scrap of paper with her name on it.
Elfish took the note.
Full as a Bee with Thyme, and Red,
As Cherry harvest, now high fed
For Lust and action; on heâll go,
To lye with Mab, though all say no.
âHERRICK
Elfish was completely bewildered by this. Why had a peculiar poem about Queen Mab suddenly appeared through her door? What did it mean? Where had it come from? Who was Herrick?
She was gripped by a great unease. She did not understand it but surely it was some form of subtle attack. She studied it suspiciously, glaring at the paper as if it might suddenly lash out and attack her. Where could it possibly have come from? Perhaps it hadnât really been pushed through the door. Perlita might have written it herself to upset her. It could be part of their ongoing campaign to get her out of the house. Or it might be from Mo. But why sign himself Herrick? Perhaps Herrick was the name of Moâs new drummer and Mo had recruited him solely to write unsettling poems and send them to Elfish. She pondered it for a long time, pacing up and down in her small dark room.
Eventually Elfish noticed that her copy of Romeo and Juliet was still in her hand. Remembering that she had been about to finish learning the speech she tossed the mysterious note on the floor. She tried to put her disquiet out of her mind and run through the large portion of the speech she already knew before studying the few remaining lines.
O! then, I see, Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairiesâ midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone
On the fore-finger of an . . .
Elfish came to a
Next Elfish retuned her guitar and practised her slide technique, plucking long mournful notes with her fingers, and singing a little blues. Elfishâs voice accompanied by the bottleneck guitar made an
effective and sad combination. She would never play like this in public, however, and only Aran had ever heard her play the blues.
She could pass away hours in this fashion. It was dark when she placed her guitar carefully against the wall. Summer was approaching and the encroaching heat was already troubling her but the sun was safely gone when she glanced through her window. She frowned, displeased to see Cary and Lilac bending over something in their backyard. Annoyed, she hunted her room for some money to buy a drink, going through the lining of every garment she possessed in case a coin had somehow lodged there unnoticed. This was futile and she knew it because she had been through all these linings only three days ago. After the linings had revealed nothing she got round to lifting up the edges of her rug in case anything had rolled there.
Cary and Lilac were also concerned with money. It is amazing how an enterprise, long thought about, can blossom once finally started. Now that they had got round to saving their pennies the tin was already showing results. Extremely careful not to go near it when Dennis was about, they had now amassed several pounds in their underground store and the prospect of a country holiday was beginning to seem real.
Up above, Elfish found no money. She felt slightly desperate, and wondered if anyone else in the house might have some alcohol. If they had, it would be well hidden from her, and Perlita was hanging around downstairs which would hinder her in making a thorough search.
She picked up her copy of Romeo and Juliet, intending to learn the last few lines of the speech, but was interrupted by Perlita knocking on her door.
Perlita smiled at her. She was always smiling. Elfish detested her.
âSomeone put this note through the door for you,â she said, handing Elfish a scrap of paper with her name on it.
Elfish took the note.
Full as a Bee with Thyme, and Red,
As Cherry harvest, now high fed
For Lust and action; on heâll go,
To lye with Mab, though all say no.
âHERRICK
Elfish was completely bewildered by this. Why had a peculiar poem about Queen Mab suddenly appeared through her door? What did it mean? Where had it come from? Who was Herrick?
She was gripped by a great unease. She did not understand it but surely it was some form of subtle attack. She studied it suspiciously, glaring at the paper as if it might suddenly lash out and attack her. Where could it possibly have come from? Perhaps it hadnât really been pushed through the door. Perlita might have written it herself to upset her. It could be part of their ongoing campaign to get her out of the house. Or it might be from Mo. But why sign himself Herrick? Perhaps Herrick was the name of Moâs new drummer and Mo had recruited him solely to write unsettling poems and send them to Elfish. She pondered it for a long time, pacing up and down in her small dark room.
Eventually Elfish noticed that her copy of Romeo and Juliet was still in her hand. Remembering that she had been about to finish learning the speech she tossed the mysterious note on the floor. She tried to put her disquiet out of her mind and run through the large portion of the speech she already knew before studying the few remaining lines.
O! then, I see, Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairiesâ midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone
On the fore-finger of an . . .
Elfish came to a
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