Read Online The Way to Babylon (Different Kingdoms) by Paul Kearney - Free Book Online
Authors: Paul Kearney
Tags: Fantasy
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know—shapeshifter that he is. Ah, the beers he will ply me with tonight for the stories I have gathered!’
‘You are the one to tell them.’ The dark man smiled. ‘But come, we must be on. The wind grows cold, and we have a mile or two yet to do before dark.’
They spurred their weary mounts, and the little column set off once more on the descending slopes to where the lights of the Dale were burning in the deepening darkness.
A YE. B UT FOR some, the darkness comes too quickly for us to go any farther.
He closed the book and then his eyes, still seeing the evening hills of another world. Then he got up slowly, retrieved his stick and, making the laborious way to the recreation room, left his work where it was.
As Christmas was for the less lively of Beechfield’s inmates, so New Year was primarily for those who, as Doody put it, had less than five pinkies in the grave. Many patients went home for the holiday season, but a fair percentage remained, as did the staff who looked after them.
‘Well, sir,’ Doody said when he returned on New Year’s Eve, ‘I intend to party it anyway, whatever that old cow Bisbee says. Orange juice, my fucking foot! Anne and me are trying to get some booze in for the old boys who are up to it. You’d be surprised how many of them perk up at the mention of the hard stuff.’
New Year. It was always a big thing in Scotland. Should auld acquaintance and all that.
Nurse Cohen took him round the garden in his chair that afternoon. He listened to her as she talked about the New Year and the party, and Bisbee’s tyrannies, not so much aware of what she said as the way she said it.
It was cold, but it had stopped raining, and a fitful sun was drifting through a wrack of clouds. The river was full and noisy, throwing away sunlight as it broke over stones, and the willows were almost bare.
‘There will be snowdrops here soon,’ said Nurse Cohen. She imprisoned some hair that the wind had freed. ‘Then the daffodils come up in the spring, and this whole bank is covered with them. It’s quite a sight; sort of cheering.’ The chair halted. ‘Will you really not be here to see it, Mr Riven?’
He shrugged. ‘Maybe. I’m pretty much put together again now. I’ve no excuse for staying any longer.’ And I have things to do. He forced a smile. ‘I’ll tell you next year.’
‘Next year. Well, I’ve no resolutions made, so I won’t be breaking any as I usually do. Doody promises to behave himself a little more, though I’ve never seen bacon with wings. I reckon old Bisbee could make a resolution to take that poker from up her backside.’
Riven laughed.
‘Mr Riven?’
‘Yup?’
‘You can call me Anne, you know, if you want to. Most of the other patients do.’
‘Okay. Anne it is.’
‘Good.’ She looked at the sky. ‘Rain. I’d best get you inside. Patients aren’t supposed to get wet.’ She wheeled him back towards the Centre.
The meal was not as big an occasion as at Christmas, but it was certainly livelier. The staff ate with the patients, and there was a good deal of merrymaking at Riven’s end of the table, where Doody and Nurse Cohen—Anne—had stationed themselves. In front of them sat several innocuous-looking bottles which housed rather fiery liquid. Hence the noise level, at which Nurse Bisbee shot more than one suspicious look.
Some electronic wizard had rigged up a system whereby Big Ben chimed on speakers set in the wall. As the meal ended, and the magical moment approached, it grew quieter. Riven wheeled himself away from the table and took up position near a window that looked out on to the garden, which was now lost in the dark.
A fine night for Hogmanay.
The stars were so bright that he could make out Sirius, even from inside. He wanted to be out, alone under the sky as he had so often been in his life. The lights in the room dimmed and the speakers began to crackle. A voice began telling of the crowds in Trafalgar Square and
‘You are the one to tell them.’ The dark man smiled. ‘But come, we must be on. The wind grows cold, and we have a mile or two yet to do before dark.’
They spurred their weary mounts, and the little column set off once more on the descending slopes to where the lights of the Dale were burning in the deepening darkness.
A YE. B UT FOR some, the darkness comes too quickly for us to go any farther.
He closed the book and then his eyes, still seeing the evening hills of another world. Then he got up slowly, retrieved his stick and, making the laborious way to the recreation room, left his work where it was.
As Christmas was for the less lively of Beechfield’s inmates, so New Year was primarily for those who, as Doody put it, had less than five pinkies in the grave. Many patients went home for the holiday season, but a fair percentage remained, as did the staff who looked after them.
‘Well, sir,’ Doody said when he returned on New Year’s Eve, ‘I intend to party it anyway, whatever that old cow Bisbee says. Orange juice, my fucking foot! Anne and me are trying to get some booze in for the old boys who are up to it. You’d be surprised how many of them perk up at the mention of the hard stuff.’
New Year. It was always a big thing in Scotland. Should auld acquaintance and all that.
Nurse Cohen took him round the garden in his chair that afternoon. He listened to her as she talked about the New Year and the party, and Bisbee’s tyrannies, not so much aware of what she said as the way she said it.
It was cold, but it had stopped raining, and a fitful sun was drifting through a wrack of clouds. The river was full and noisy, throwing away sunlight as it broke over stones, and the willows were almost bare.
‘There will be snowdrops here soon,’ said Nurse Cohen. She imprisoned some hair that the wind had freed. ‘Then the daffodils come up in the spring, and this whole bank is covered with them. It’s quite a sight; sort of cheering.’ The chair halted. ‘Will you really not be here to see it, Mr Riven?’
He shrugged. ‘Maybe. I’m pretty much put together again now. I’ve no excuse for staying any longer.’ And I have things to do. He forced a smile. ‘I’ll tell you next year.’
‘Next year. Well, I’ve no resolutions made, so I won’t be breaking any as I usually do. Doody promises to behave himself a little more, though I’ve never seen bacon with wings. I reckon old Bisbee could make a resolution to take that poker from up her backside.’
Riven laughed.
‘Mr Riven?’
‘Yup?’
‘You can call me Anne, you know, if you want to. Most of the other patients do.’
‘Okay. Anne it is.’
‘Good.’ She looked at the sky. ‘Rain. I’d best get you inside. Patients aren’t supposed to get wet.’ She wheeled him back towards the Centre.
The meal was not as big an occasion as at Christmas, but it was certainly livelier. The staff ate with the patients, and there was a good deal of merrymaking at Riven’s end of the table, where Doody and Nurse Cohen—Anne—had stationed themselves. In front of them sat several innocuous-looking bottles which housed rather fiery liquid. Hence the noise level, at which Nurse Bisbee shot more than one suspicious look.
Some electronic wizard had rigged up a system whereby Big Ben chimed on speakers set in the wall. As the meal ended, and the magical moment approached, it grew quieter. Riven wheeled himself away from the table and took up position near a window that looked out on to the garden, which was now lost in the dark.
A fine night for Hogmanay.
The stars were so bright that he could make out Sirius, even from inside. He wanted to be out, alone under the sky as he had so often been in his life. The lights in the room dimmed and the speakers began to crackle. A voice began telling of the crowds in Trafalgar Square and
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