Read Online Glass by Alex Christofi - Free Book Online Page A

the vet said he needed lots of tablets, so I called him Moses. We are stewards of all God’s creatures, are we not?’
    She directed this last question at the young reverend, who carried on staring. The cat strutted through and rubbed itself along his leg. He gave it a little kick and it decided to lick itself instead. It probably wasn’t a cat video.
    â€˜Come on, let’s take a walk outside. The quality of light this time of year is quite spectacular.’
    Outside, the sun had gilded the tops of the trees.
    â€˜Just look at it,’ she said, squinting up at the cathedral. ‘Still beautiful, no matter how many times you see it. You always notice something different.’
    â€˜Why has the light stopped flashing?’ I asked.
    She beamed at me and clasped her hands.
    â€˜You did say you paid close attention to detail, didn’t you? And you’re good with heights. It’s all worked out splendidly.’
    There was an ominous rumbling in my bowels.
    â€˜This job that you mentioned—’ I began.
    â€˜We had a very good chap who used to replace the light. It normally lasts a year or two. He’d come every May. But he is almost as old as me now, and he had a little scare last time. It does get windy up there, but karabiners so rarely fail …’ She trailed off.
    â€˜I see.’
    â€˜It’s not exactly a common job, so I’ve been having a little trouble knowing where to find a replacement. But when I saw you standing there looking up at the spire for so long, I thought I might lean tentatively on God’s Providence. Of course, one mustn’t test the Lord, but I thought I might see whether or not you were one of his little jokes. So I invited you in for tea.’
    â€˜I thought you were just being nice.’
    â€˜No, no,’ she said, waving at an invisible fly. ‘It wasn’t anything so trivial as niceness. I had a purpose to deliver, and you were searching for one. “That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.”’ 30
    â€˜I’m not sure I follow.’
    â€˜There is a right time for everything, Günter, and I believe that you came here for a reason. Whatever you were looking for, I believe you’ll find it up there.’ I looked back up. It really was very high. Four hundred feet, Wikipedia said.
    â€˜I suppose I wouldn’t mind doing it, but all I have is a fifteen-foot ladder.’
    â€˜Oh, I’m sure we can sort all that out. And you’ll be remunerated, of course. We used to pay Mr Giddings a hundred and fifty pounds, I hope that sounds reasonable.’
    I thought of Dad.
    â€˜I’ll do it.’
    â€˜Sterling,’ she said. ‘Let’s go and get the harness.’
    She set off towards the cathedral, taking me by the arm. We walked through the back office and into a sort of broom cupboard, where she bent from the hips and started rummaging around in an old Asda carrier bag on a low shelf.
    â€˜Now what you must do, when you get outside – I was sure I had left it here – there should be two ropes, you see, one for – oh no, here it is, I could have sworn I’d put it – it’s crucially important to make sure that you – and here’s the other.’ Flushed and triumphant, she handed me two sets of ropes and a harness. Her part of the task was over. I wasn’t sure I had understood her instructions, or even whether she had given any. 31 We went to the bottom of the spire, and walked upstairs in a spiral so uniform that it made me wonder whether I was travelling at all, or whether I was stuck in a nightmare by Escher.
    After some time, we reached the bell tower.
    â€˜The world’s oldest working clock,’ she said. ‘The day this bell stops chiming I’ll be listening for the sound of sixteen hooves.’ 32
    There was another staircase leading off from this main