Read Online The Beating of His Wings by Paul Hoffman - Free Book Online

spent days watching him swimming naked in the lakes around Treetops. Cale had laughed and shouted for joy for the first time in his life as he swam and fished and ate the wonderful food prepared by IdrisPukke, and sang horribly out-of-tune garbled versions of the songs he’d picked up while he was in Memphis:
Weigh a pie in the sky
.
The ants are my friends. She’s got floppy ears, She’s got floppy ears.
    Jennifer had been convinced that Kitty meant Cale harm: this was not the case, in fact, or at least probably not the case. Jennifer had tried to stab Cadbury in a bid to protect her beloved and when she failed had run towards the astonished Cale screaming blue murder. It was at this point that Cadbury had put an arrow in her back. What choice did he have? Afterwards, he had decided it might be better if he told Kitty that Cale was responsible, startled into action by the sudden appearance of a murderous screaming harpy. ‘Honesty is thebest policy’ may not be a virtuous guideline (the man who believes that honesty is the best
policy
is not an honest man) but it was one he should have followed in this instance. Not only was he now left with the problem of what to do about Deidre Plunkett, but also of working out whether her sudden appearance was just a coincidence or Kitty’s revenge for having been lied to. If the latter, the question was what sort of lesson his employer had in mind.
    At any rate, he took Deidre with him to negotiate with the Two Trevors. If things went fat-fingered, which they easily might, there was a chance the Trevors might solve the problem for him. On the other hand, they might solve all his problems permanently.
    ‘You’re coming with me, keep your cake-hole shut and don’t make any sudden moves.’
    ‘You’ve no call to talk to me like that.’
    Cadbury didn’t bother to reply.
    ‘The rest of you,’ he said to the others. ‘Keep back but in calling distance.’
    They ignored Kevin Meatyard on their way past, it being clear he wasn’t going to be any trouble given the state he was in, and in a few minutes they caught up with the Two Trevors.
    ‘Can we talk?’ shouted Cadbury from behind a tree.
    Lugavoy nodded the two of them forward. ‘That’s far enough. What do you want?’
    ‘Kitty the Hare thinks there’s been a misunderstanding and he’d like to resolve it.’
    ‘Consider it resolved.’
    ‘He’d like to resolve it personally.’
    ‘We’ll be sure to drop in next time we’re passing.’
    ‘Your friend looks a bit peaky.’
    He was, in fact, the colour of half-dry putty.
    ‘He’ll live.’
    ‘I’m not sure you’re right about that.’
    ‘Who’s your skinny friend?’ Lugavoy asked.
    ‘This young lady is a most deadly person. I’d show her more respect.’
    ‘You look familiar, sonny.’
    ‘Keep going, mister,’ said Deidre, ‘and you’ll be laughing on the other side of your face.’
    ‘My apologies, but she’s very young and doesn’t know any better.’
    ‘Don’t be apologizing for me,’ said Deidre.
    Cadbury raised his eyebrows as if to say, ‘What can you do?’
    ‘As I see it, Trevor, you’re not going to make it to wherever you were planning to go so the question of your intentions coming into conflict with Kitty the Hare’s interests doesn’t apply for the foreseeable future. If you want your partner to live, I don’t really see what the problem is.’
    ‘What’s to stop you killing us as we sleep?’
    ‘You shouldn’t judge others by your own low standards.’
    Trevor laughed. ‘Point taken. But still I worry.’
    ‘What can I say? Except that it’s not in Kitty the Hare’s mind to do so.’
    ‘And what
is
in his mind?’
    ‘Why don’t you come back to Spanish Leeds and ask him?’
    ‘So he doesn’t trust you enough to tell you?’
    ‘Are you trying to hurt my feelings? I’m touched. The thing is that while Kitty the Hare has considerable respect for you both, it so happens you’re on a path that brings your interests