Read Cold Shoulder Road Online
Authors: Joan Aiken
Cold Shoulder Road (29 page)
. . . They were too late. The crack widened with startling speed, the whole quarter-acre of man-made garden peeled away from its support and fell – carrying the man and woman with it – straight down on to the ship, which vanished under the water. A dull boom came up later from the foot of the cliff, and the shock of huge waves could be felt.
“So they got their deserts,” remarked Mrs Nefertiti, who had been walking slowly up the cliff path and now reached Ruth and Is. “Not before time. Things’ll be better from now on. You done well, child!” she said approvingly to Pye. “You fetched a lot of folk from a long ways off . . . And now I reckon everybody can enjoy a big hop-about. The Gentry’s finished. There’ll be no more of them.”
Indeed, the hop-about was already beginning. People were dancing in rings, they were laughing and forming sets, waltzing and weaving.
Into this scene of festivity rolled a carriage from along the Dover Road. And out of it stepped a tall, plump, cheerful man in white breeches and a green velvet jacket.
“Where is Miss Is Twite?” he was asking.
“Podge! It’s Podge Greenaway!”
“Well, there you are, little Is! You haven’t growed much!” he said. “But how’s this?” His pleasant face wore a look of mild surprise. “In your note you said that things were mighty terrible round here. But this looks to me more like a jollification!”
“Well,” said Is, “things has turned out better than expected. But we’re mighty pleased to see you, Podge, just the same . . . This here’s my cousin Arun Twite, this is his Mum, Mrs Ruth Twite, here’s my sis, Penny, and this is little Pye.” With a grin she added, “Her name’s really Pye Fishskin, but I reckon she ain’t too keen on that monacker.”
“What happened to the Admiral?” Podge asked, looking round. “When I got your note I decided that it would be quite unsuitable for him to attend the dinner at Dover Castle. So I had him denied at the door. Until his name should be cleared of the suspicion of running the Merry Gentry.”
“I reckon his name never will be cleared now,” said Is, “for he’s dead, drownded, along with his ship. But if you step into his house you’ll find it’s just chockablock with mammoths’ tusks all ready to be carved into sneezecoffers.”
“Oh well,” said Podge cheerfully, “if that’s so, that saves a deal of trouble.”
“And, Podge. You know King Charles’s treasure? Well, we found it. Three great king-sized crocks of gold and stuff – it’s all hid away over yonder. Or under yonder.” Is nodded to the Admiral’s conservatory and the hillside beyond. “But it’ll take a deal of digging out, for the ground’s very sliddery thereabouts.”
“Bless my soul!” said Podge. “Who found it?”
“Me and Arun.”
“Well, then, young ’uns, I reckon it’s yours – if it was lost, that is; if it was hidden for safe keeping, then it belongs to the Crown. There’ll have to be an Inquest about it.”
“It
was
lost,” said Is, “for first of all it was on the sloop
Victory
and she sank. And then someone found it on the Goodwins and stowed it in the cave; but they weren’t the owners, the folk who stowed it away.”
was
lost,” said Is, “for first of all it was on the sloop
Victory
and she sank. And then someone found it on the Goodwins and stowed it in the cave; but they weren’t the owners, the folk who stowed it away.”
“I reckon that’ll be for the Crowner to sort out,” said Podge. “But if it’s yours, what would you want to do with it?”
“Oh, me and Arun don’t
want
it,” said Is hastily. Arun shook his head in agreement. “But what we thought . . . those poor Silent Secters might like a lump of it, to help ’em buy themselves a passage to the New World and a plot of land there.”
want
it,” said Is hastily. Arun shook his head in agreement. “But what we thought . . . those poor Silent Secters might like a lump of it, to help ’em buy themselves a passage to the New World and a plot of land there.”
“You’d think there would be plenty for that,” said Podge. “The Silent Sect – which are they?”
“Umn,” said Is, looking about. “They’re the ones in black hats. But they seem to have taken a day off from being silent.”
Down the hill she could see a number of the Silent Sect in their black and blue costumes, laughing and dancing just as freely as everybody else. Window and Micah had found each other and were dancing hand in hand.
“I think I’ll go with them,” said Ruth suddenly. “With Micah. And Window. To the New World.”
“But . . .
Ma
!” Arun was tremendously shaken. “Just when you got into the way of talking? You’re going back into Silence?”
Ma
!” Arun was tremendously shaken. “Just when you got into the way of talking? You’re going back into Silence?”
Ruth gave him a hug.
“We’ll see! But I find that silence suits me very well. There’s a lot to be said for it. You get time to listen. And paint pictures. I’ll go to the New World for a trial. A year, perhaps. Just to see . . .”
“Not for always, Mum, please! And what about Pye?”
“Pye’s going to have plenty of friends,” said Ruth affectionately. “She could live with Penny and Is. Or with Dido. Or with her grandma.”
“No thank you!” said Pye firmly.
“So you are Arun Twite?” said Podge. “I have a message for you from His Majesty. From King Simon.”
“From the
King
?” Arun was startled to death.
King
?” Arun was startled to death.
“You were a great friend, I believe, of the last Prince of Wales – of Prince David?”
Arun nodded.
“And you make up songs?”
“You can hear ’em!” said Is. “Listen.”
The crowd were singing:
“Whales and snails aren’t bothered by thunder
Snails and whales play hooky in gales
Snails slip over and whales dive under
Weather’s a pleasure to whales and snails . . .”
“The King,” said Podge, “wants to appoint a court musician and songwriter. And he would like you to apply for the post.”
“M-m-me?” said Arun, stammering.
Mrs Nefertiti said to Is, “You and your sis and little Pye are welcome to come and stay at Womenswold, dearie, until you’ve got your home built again. And – I didn’t bring him, for I reckon he wouldn’t enjoy the crowds – but I’ve a friend of yours back at the farm—”
“Not Figgin?”
“Figgin
?” cried Pye, her cheeks scarlet with joy. “Let’s start now!” And then she added, sliding her hand into her pocket, “Penny! Can you mend my ocarina?”
?” cried Pye, her cheeks scarlet with joy. “Let’s start now!” And then she added, sliding her hand into her pocket, “Penny! Can you mend my ocarina?”
Other books
How Not to Calm a Child on a Plane by Johanna Stein
Razzamatazz (A Crime Novel) by Scoppettone, Sandra
Bucking the Tiger by Marcus Galloway
Seduced By The General by India T. Norfleet
Naughty Nanny (Wealthy Taboo Bareback Steamy Romance) by Wild, Nikki
Best Sex Writing 2013: The State of Today's Sexual Culture by Rachel Kramer Bussel
The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter
The Risk: A Billionaire Romance (Wagered Hearts Series, Book 2) by Calista Kyle
The Crowfield Demon by Pat Walsh
Stolen Heart by Bennett, Sawyer