Read Online Smokeheads by Doug Johnstone - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Doug Johnstone
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priorities have changed, you know?’
‘Ethan, who the hell are we to take the piss out of you? You’ve got a proper, grown-up life, we’re all still dicking around like teenagers.’
More silence as the sun disappeared in a distant grey haze.
‘So what are we doing today?’ said Ethan after a while.
Adam looked at him. ‘I’ve got something special planned.’
‘Oh yeah?’
14
‘Take it easy,’ said Adam, hand braced against the glove compartment.
They were bumping over a rough single-track in the Audi, Roddy tanning it too fast over summits and round blind corners. If they met something coming the other way they were screwed. Molly was nestled between Luke and Ethan in the back, Snow Patrol blaring out of the speakers.
Roddy laughed. ‘I’ll slow down if you tell me where the fuck we’re going.’
Adam looked at him. ‘We’re nearly there.’
‘What’s the big fucking mystery?’
‘You’ll see soon enough.’
Adam looked at his watch. He pressed the button – 102 bpm. He took deep breaths and looked out the window. At least the weather was decent, clear cobalt skies above, just a murky grey cloudbank miles away to the west. It would hopefully show the distillery buildings in a good light. He felt his palm sweaty against the glove compartment and lifted it to see red lines where he’d been pressing. The car swung round a corner and he reached forward again. His other hand patted his jacket pocket, checking yet again that the business plans were still there. Serenity now.
They came over a rise and spotted a huge stone tower in the distance.
‘What’s the giant cock?’ said Roddy.
‘American Monument,’ said Molly, leaning forward.
‘What?’
‘Built to commemorate the people who died when an American ship was torpedoed by a German sub off the coast in 1918.’
‘And they thought a massive bell-end was appropriate?’
‘It’s supposed to look like a lighthouse.’
They drove on, glimpses of dark moorland on either side, peat bog then heather and bracken, rough, unwelcoming terrain all around.
Ethan struggled to unfold an OS map. ‘Where exactly are we?’
‘On the Oa,’ said Molly.
‘The what?’
‘The Oa.’
‘It sounds like you’re saying “The Oh”.’
Molly laughed. ‘I am.’
‘How do you spell it?’
‘O, A. Oa. The Oa.’
‘Oh, the Oa,’ said Ethan, smiling. He peered out the window. ‘Not much sign of life on the Oa.’
‘It’s the island’s most remote peninsula,’ said Molly. ‘Thousands used to live here, forced out in the Clearances.’
They passed a ruined farm, rough stone gable ends still standing, roof long since collapsed. Black-faced sheep chewed at grass tufts on both sides of the crumbled walls.
‘Apparently there are two whole abandoned villages on the Oa,’ said Molly. ‘Although I’ve never seen them. You can’t get to them by road.’
‘Does anyone still live out here?’ said Ethan.
‘A few farms, that’s about it.’
‘So where are we going?’
Molly looked at her lap.
‘You know, don’t you?’ said Ethan.
She shrugged.
‘Illicit still?’ drawled Luke.
‘What?’
‘All this wilderness, man, perfect peace and quiet for making peatreek, yeah?’
Molly laughed and shook her head. ‘Not any more, I don’t think. Used to be loads of bootlegging all over the island, but not for a long time.’
‘Why not?’
Molly lifted her shoulders.
‘Maybe nobody’s got the balls,’ said Roddy, changing up through the gears.
Molly and Adam shared a glance. Adam started to feel queasy as they got closer to their destination.
‘Buzzard,’ said Luke, eyes skywards.
A large brown bird was gliding high over a cliff, charcoal sea spraying against ragged rocks below.
Molly nodded. ‘A lot of the Oa is an RSPB reserve. There are golden eagles at the American Monument somewhere, but I’ve never spotted them.’
Luke raised his eyebrows.
‘Don’t get twitcher going,’ laughed Roddy.
‘Ethan, who the hell are we to take the piss out of you? You’ve got a proper, grown-up life, we’re all still dicking around like teenagers.’
More silence as the sun disappeared in a distant grey haze.
‘So what are we doing today?’ said Ethan after a while.
Adam looked at him. ‘I’ve got something special planned.’
‘Oh yeah?’
14
‘Take it easy,’ said Adam, hand braced against the glove compartment.
They were bumping over a rough single-track in the Audi, Roddy tanning it too fast over summits and round blind corners. If they met something coming the other way they were screwed. Molly was nestled between Luke and Ethan in the back, Snow Patrol blaring out of the speakers.
Roddy laughed. ‘I’ll slow down if you tell me where the fuck we’re going.’
Adam looked at him. ‘We’re nearly there.’
‘What’s the big fucking mystery?’
‘You’ll see soon enough.’
Adam looked at his watch. He pressed the button – 102 bpm. He took deep breaths and looked out the window. At least the weather was decent, clear cobalt skies above, just a murky grey cloudbank miles away to the west. It would hopefully show the distillery buildings in a good light. He felt his palm sweaty against the glove compartment and lifted it to see red lines where he’d been pressing. The car swung round a corner and he reached forward again. His other hand patted his jacket pocket, checking yet again that the business plans were still there. Serenity now.
They came over a rise and spotted a huge stone tower in the distance.
‘What’s the giant cock?’ said Roddy.
‘American Monument,’ said Molly, leaning forward.
‘What?’
‘Built to commemorate the people who died when an American ship was torpedoed by a German sub off the coast in 1918.’
‘And they thought a massive bell-end was appropriate?’
‘It’s supposed to look like a lighthouse.’
They drove on, glimpses of dark moorland on either side, peat bog then heather and bracken, rough, unwelcoming terrain all around.
Ethan struggled to unfold an OS map. ‘Where exactly are we?’
‘On the Oa,’ said Molly.
‘The what?’
‘The Oa.’
‘It sounds like you’re saying “The Oh”.’
Molly laughed. ‘I am.’
‘How do you spell it?’
‘O, A. Oa. The Oa.’
‘Oh, the Oa,’ said Ethan, smiling. He peered out the window. ‘Not much sign of life on the Oa.’
‘It’s the island’s most remote peninsula,’ said Molly. ‘Thousands used to live here, forced out in the Clearances.’
They passed a ruined farm, rough stone gable ends still standing, roof long since collapsed. Black-faced sheep chewed at grass tufts on both sides of the crumbled walls.
‘Apparently there are two whole abandoned villages on the Oa,’ said Molly. ‘Although I’ve never seen them. You can’t get to them by road.’
‘Does anyone still live out here?’ said Ethan.
‘A few farms, that’s about it.’
‘So where are we going?’
Molly looked at her lap.
‘You know, don’t you?’ said Ethan.
She shrugged.
‘Illicit still?’ drawled Luke.
‘What?’
‘All this wilderness, man, perfect peace and quiet for making peatreek, yeah?’
Molly laughed and shook her head. ‘Not any more, I don’t think. Used to be loads of bootlegging all over the island, but not for a long time.’
‘Why not?’
Molly lifted her shoulders.
‘Maybe nobody’s got the balls,’ said Roddy, changing up through the gears.
Molly and Adam shared a glance. Adam started to feel queasy as they got closer to their destination.
‘Buzzard,’ said Luke, eyes skywards.
A large brown bird was gliding high over a cliff, charcoal sea spraying against ragged rocks below.
Molly nodded. ‘A lot of the Oa is an RSPB reserve. There are golden eagles at the American Monument somewhere, but I’ve never spotted them.’
Luke raised his eyebrows.
‘Don’t get twitcher going,’ laughed Roddy.
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