Read Online Thirteen Days By Sunset Beach by Ramsey Campbell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ramsey Campbell
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identify. Had there been carvings on the trees nearest the road? William was already dashing to the next one, silencing its stridulation. "I've found him," he cried.
"Don't go any further, William," his father called. "You're nearly at the cliff."
In fact the edge was several hundred yards beyond the tree, on which another image had been hacked out of the wood. The foe skewered by the lance looked as unsure of its own shape as a cloud, and the saint wasn't much clearer. William hopped from foot to impatient foot while he waited for someone to head for the cliff, and followed Doug so closely that he might have been tempted to slip past him. Doug caught hold of his hand as they left the path, and leaned over the edge of the cliff. "Here's your beach, mum," he called, "and your cave."
Ray took a step along the path and glanced back. "No need to wait for us," Sandra said more sharply than he thought was called for. "We're coming."
Doug waved to her and the teenagers under the tree. "Plenty of shade down there."
"I thought we were here for the sun," Julian said and strode towards the slope down to the beach. "Come along, William."
Ray found Natalie waiting for him at the end of the path. "Don't think too badly of Julian, will you?" she murmured while nobody else could hear. "He needs a holiday if any of us do. They've cut back at the company and he's doing two people's jobs. Tell mum when you're alone, could you?"
In that moment he was close to telling Natalie a great deal. Then she hurried to catch up with her husband and son, and Ray watched Sandra and her young companions advance along the path. He felt he'd overlooked something, but try as he might he couldn't bring it to mind. Was this yet another unhappy symptom of age? He gave up when Sandra reached him, and took her hand to usher her to the beach. As long as they were on the wide gentle slope he was able to imagine he could keep her safe.
***
"I think he's finished, William," Jonquil said. "What are you going to call him?"
The boy was scooping up sand with his hands to replenish the face of the supine figure he and Jonquil had built in the shadow of the cliff, a shadow that had merged with the beach since the sky had clouded over. Whenever William succeeded in shaping the features the hot breeze erased them, which no longer amused him as much as it had. "I thought he was going to be the man in the box," he said.
"We call that a shrine," Sandra said before Julian could. "And he's called St Titus."
"If that's who he is, William," Jonquil said, "we ought to find his spear."
The boy surveyed the beach, which offered only sand and pebbles polished by the waves. "What's he got to fight, then?" he was eager to hear.
"I don't think that's necessary," his father said and gazed at Jonquil. "No good comes of bringing badness."
William made a last attempt to consolidate the rudimentary upturned face but gave up once the eyeholes he'd poked began to crumble. "Thank you for helping me make him, Jonquil," he said.
"I wanted to show you. My daddy used to make them with me."
As William's father conveyed how quiet he was remaining, Sandra said "I don't know what's the matter with my brain today. It must be too much sun."
She added a weak smile as though she'd made a joke she didn't fully understand. "Why," Ray had to ask, "what's wrong?"
"We should have bought somebody some beach toys when we were in the supermarket. I'd like to while I have the chance."
"I'm certain you've plenty of time left," Julian said.
Ray felt as if the response he and Sandra were withholding had stolen his breath. He was searching for words to say before the silence tarried too long when William said "Can I go for a swim now?"
"Please may you?" Once he'd heard the required phrase Julian said "I expect your lunch will have gone down by now. Swim out to your mother."
"I'll come with you, William," Jonquil said at once.
"Are you coming too, grandad? We'll teach you how to swim."
"I don't think
"Don't go any further, William," his father called. "You're nearly at the cliff."
In fact the edge was several hundred yards beyond the tree, on which another image had been hacked out of the wood. The foe skewered by the lance looked as unsure of its own shape as a cloud, and the saint wasn't much clearer. William hopped from foot to impatient foot while he waited for someone to head for the cliff, and followed Doug so closely that he might have been tempted to slip past him. Doug caught hold of his hand as they left the path, and leaned over the edge of the cliff. "Here's your beach, mum," he called, "and your cave."
Ray took a step along the path and glanced back. "No need to wait for us," Sandra said more sharply than he thought was called for. "We're coming."
Doug waved to her and the teenagers under the tree. "Plenty of shade down there."
"I thought we were here for the sun," Julian said and strode towards the slope down to the beach. "Come along, William."
Ray found Natalie waiting for him at the end of the path. "Don't think too badly of Julian, will you?" she murmured while nobody else could hear. "He needs a holiday if any of us do. They've cut back at the company and he's doing two people's jobs. Tell mum when you're alone, could you?"
In that moment he was close to telling Natalie a great deal. Then she hurried to catch up with her husband and son, and Ray watched Sandra and her young companions advance along the path. He felt he'd overlooked something, but try as he might he couldn't bring it to mind. Was this yet another unhappy symptom of age? He gave up when Sandra reached him, and took her hand to usher her to the beach. As long as they were on the wide gentle slope he was able to imagine he could keep her safe.
***
"I think he's finished, William," Jonquil said. "What are you going to call him?"
The boy was scooping up sand with his hands to replenish the face of the supine figure he and Jonquil had built in the shadow of the cliff, a shadow that had merged with the beach since the sky had clouded over. Whenever William succeeded in shaping the features the hot breeze erased them, which no longer amused him as much as it had. "I thought he was going to be the man in the box," he said.
"We call that a shrine," Sandra said before Julian could. "And he's called St Titus."
"If that's who he is, William," Jonquil said, "we ought to find his spear."
The boy surveyed the beach, which offered only sand and pebbles polished by the waves. "What's he got to fight, then?" he was eager to hear.
"I don't think that's necessary," his father said and gazed at Jonquil. "No good comes of bringing badness."
William made a last attempt to consolidate the rudimentary upturned face but gave up once the eyeholes he'd poked began to crumble. "Thank you for helping me make him, Jonquil," he said.
"I wanted to show you. My daddy used to make them with me."
As William's father conveyed how quiet he was remaining, Sandra said "I don't know what's the matter with my brain today. It must be too much sun."
She added a weak smile as though she'd made a joke she didn't fully understand. "Why," Ray had to ask, "what's wrong?"
"We should have bought somebody some beach toys when we were in the supermarket. I'd like to while I have the chance."
"I'm certain you've plenty of time left," Julian said.
Ray felt as if the response he and Sandra were withholding had stolen his breath. He was searching for words to say before the silence tarried too long when William said "Can I go for a swim now?"
"Please may you?" Once he'd heard the required phrase Julian said "I expect your lunch will have gone down by now. Swim out to your mother."
"I'll come with you, William," Jonquil said at once.
"Are you coming too, grandad? We'll teach you how to swim."
"I don't think
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