Read Online The Satyr's Head: Tales of Terror by Brian Lumley, Ramsey Campbell, David A. Riley - Free Book Online Page B
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she was never underneath a hog at the time. Guess we ought’ve waited ’till Herb Tindy climbed offern her.’
‘He shoulda waited ’till the proper courting time. Not takin’ her on the best bed like he already owned it.’
For a while the brothers rocked in unison, remembering.
‘Anyway,’ said Adam at last, ‘she’s had that best bed ever since.’
Overhead in the silent air circled the great bird, watching for carrion.
‘Perhaps we shoulda buried her at the time,’ said Kez.
The way the man went on about burying. ‘Perhaps we shoulda eaten her,’ said Adam sharply. ‘The way we did Herb Tindy.’
‘The dawg sure appreciated them bones,’ chuckled Kez appreciatively.
‘The Lord will provide,’ pronounced Adam.
‘The Lord will provide,’ came the response. ‘I guess Herb Tindy was what you’d call a sign ’cause, the Lord has gone on providin’ for us ever since.’
The peace of the afternoon was broken. Adam could see that Kez was set on talking, and there would be no dozing for anybody until he had talked himself to a stop.
‘Jus’ like he said,’ confirmed Adam, stretching his bear-like arms. ‘Jus’ you sit back, you brothers,’ says the Lord. ‘You done a good job in takin’ that couple in ’dultery, an’ to show my ’preciation I’m agoin’ to have fresh meat delivered to your door whenever you’re in need. And the Lord has been as good as his word, Praise the Lord.’
‘Praise the Lord,’ cried Kez ‘The dawg sure appreciates them bones.’
The afternoon was still again. No breeze rustled the dried grass around the porch. An acute ear might have caught the sound of a dog scratching himself, or of the spring bubbling behind the shack. A sharp eye might have spied movement on the road a couple of miles below. But Adam sank his fifteen stone into his chair and plied the rockers.
Kez whistled soundlessly. He was still thinking. ‘Hope the Lord ain’t gettin’ absent-minded,’ he said at last. ‘Near a month since we had fresh meat.’
‘There’s always the good spring o’ cool, clear water. Cool clear spring water makes good drinkin.’
‘But kinda thin eatin’,’ mumbled Kez.
‘Don’t you go questioning the ways of the Lord.’ Adam was unusually sharp. ‘You don’t want Him withdrawin’ his appreciation now. The Lord provides. Remember the time when we was near starvin’ with nothin’ but a cup o’ berries between us. What did the Lord do? The Lord sent a Boy Scout aknockin’ at the door.’
‘Tender young shoat,’ murmured Kez.
‘And with a whole stock of canned beans in his pack.’
‘Mighty tasty beans,’ reminisced Kez.
‘And didn’t the lord send the whole campin’ o’ scouts around afterwards, askin’ after him?’
‘One by one,’ agreed Kez. ‘Kep’ us eatin’ the whole winter. Lucky we kep’ that barrel o’salt in the back.’
Adam suddenly raised his hand, commanding silence. On the road below the sun glinted on the windscreen of a car. The sound of its engine could just be beard labouring up the hill.
‘The lord sure is quick to answer,’ grinned Kez.
‘Fresh meat,’ said Adam. His eyes were suddenly sharp and alert. All traces of his recent sleepiness vanished.
‘Wonder if he’ll have any beans with him?’ mused Kez,
‘Don’t you go aquestioning the Lord’s provisioning arrangements,’ snapped Adam.
‘I ain’t aquestioning nothin’,’ protested Kez, ‘I was just athinkin’ how beans can be tasty.’
‘The Lord provides,’ intoned Adam.
‘The Lord provides,’ responded Kez.
The car could be heard rasping and choking along the dusty road. In it the driver cursed the map that had rated this second-class mule trail as a usable road. For over two thousand miles he had run over mountain and through desert, avowedly trying to forget, but in fact damning divorce, damning alimony, damning community property laws, damning over-eager juniors anxious to edge a man from his hard-won place
‘He shoulda waited ’till the proper courting time. Not takin’ her on the best bed like he already owned it.’
For a while the brothers rocked in unison, remembering.
‘Anyway,’ said Adam at last, ‘she’s had that best bed ever since.’
Overhead in the silent air circled the great bird, watching for carrion.
‘Perhaps we shoulda buried her at the time,’ said Kez.
The way the man went on about burying. ‘Perhaps we shoulda eaten her,’ said Adam sharply. ‘The way we did Herb Tindy.’
‘The dawg sure appreciated them bones,’ chuckled Kez appreciatively.
‘The Lord will provide,’ pronounced Adam.
‘The Lord will provide,’ came the response. ‘I guess Herb Tindy was what you’d call a sign ’cause, the Lord has gone on providin’ for us ever since.’
The peace of the afternoon was broken. Adam could see that Kez was set on talking, and there would be no dozing for anybody until he had talked himself to a stop.
‘Jus’ like he said,’ confirmed Adam, stretching his bear-like arms. ‘Jus’ you sit back, you brothers,’ says the Lord. ‘You done a good job in takin’ that couple in ’dultery, an’ to show my ’preciation I’m agoin’ to have fresh meat delivered to your door whenever you’re in need. And the Lord has been as good as his word, Praise the Lord.’
‘Praise the Lord,’ cried Kez ‘The dawg sure appreciates them bones.’
The afternoon was still again. No breeze rustled the dried grass around the porch. An acute ear might have caught the sound of a dog scratching himself, or of the spring bubbling behind the shack. A sharp eye might have spied movement on the road a couple of miles below. But Adam sank his fifteen stone into his chair and plied the rockers.
Kez whistled soundlessly. He was still thinking. ‘Hope the Lord ain’t gettin’ absent-minded,’ he said at last. ‘Near a month since we had fresh meat.’
‘There’s always the good spring o’ cool, clear water. Cool clear spring water makes good drinkin.’
‘But kinda thin eatin’,’ mumbled Kez.
‘Don’t you go questioning the ways of the Lord.’ Adam was unusually sharp. ‘You don’t want Him withdrawin’ his appreciation now. The Lord provides. Remember the time when we was near starvin’ with nothin’ but a cup o’ berries between us. What did the Lord do? The Lord sent a Boy Scout aknockin’ at the door.’
‘Tender young shoat,’ murmured Kez.
‘And with a whole stock of canned beans in his pack.’
‘Mighty tasty beans,’ reminisced Kez.
‘And didn’t the lord send the whole campin’ o’ scouts around afterwards, askin’ after him?’
‘One by one,’ agreed Kez. ‘Kep’ us eatin’ the whole winter. Lucky we kep’ that barrel o’salt in the back.’
Adam suddenly raised his hand, commanding silence. On the road below the sun glinted on the windscreen of a car. The sound of its engine could just be beard labouring up the hill.
‘The lord sure is quick to answer,’ grinned Kez.
‘Fresh meat,’ said Adam. His eyes were suddenly sharp and alert. All traces of his recent sleepiness vanished.
‘Wonder if he’ll have any beans with him?’ mused Kez,
‘Don’t you go aquestioning the Lord’s provisioning arrangements,’ snapped Adam.
‘I ain’t aquestioning nothin’,’ protested Kez, ‘I was just athinkin’ how beans can be tasty.’
‘The Lord provides,’ intoned Adam.
‘The Lord provides,’ responded Kez.
The car could be heard rasping and choking along the dusty road. In it the driver cursed the map that had rated this second-class mule trail as a usable road. For over two thousand miles he had run over mountain and through desert, avowedly trying to forget, but in fact damning divorce, damning alimony, damning community property laws, damning over-eager juniors anxious to edge a man from his hard-won place
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