The Chalice by Phil Rickman

Author:Phil Rickman
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-06-22T21:44:00+00:00

'I'll ring him again.' Trying to sound calm, but her too-thin, nervous fingers prodding at the wrong numbers. She held the phone up to the light, began again.

And the phone rang and rang and the old bastard didn't answer.

Juanita pulled feverishly at her cigarette. There was a time when she didn't actually need to smoke. Didn't need the wine. Never over-reacted.

The breeze tossed some rain at the window like a handful of pebbles.

'OK. How did you mean?' Her voice limp. 'How did you mean it had darkened?'

Diane swallowed. 'That red fine. Like a red-hot wire. It

had gone black. It was a black line. It was like a thin cut bleeding ... black. All over the painting.'

'Why can't I see it?'

'I can't see it now. These things don't last.'

Juanita started to shake her head, wrapped her arms around herself, began to pace the room, staring down and rocking.

'Diane, you'd ... OK, listen, you'd come in off the street, into a darkened shop, darkened hallway, and then you burst into a lighted room ...'

'Juanita, sometimes you've got to trust me.'

Juanita blinked. 'Look, OK, 'I'll go over to Jim's. Check him out. You stay here. Stay by the phone, just in case.'

'You're not going on your own.'

'Well, you're not coming.'

'Juanita, I can be frightfully stubborn. You are not going on your own. If I have to get the van going and follow you.'

Juanita told her why it was impossible. She told her that her friends, the Pilgrims, were back. Not all of them. Maybe half a dozen. But back. They'd be spread all over the hill.'

'Oh.' Diane became very still. 'In that case, there're a few things I need to ask them. About Headlice.'

Juanita's calves ached: varicose veins, was it, now?

Your time is close, woman. It'll happen sooner than you dread.

Diane said, 'I'll get the van.'

'No. OK. We'll take the Volvo.' Juanita was sweating. Her posh, grey jacket felt like rags.

Hot sweat, cold sweat, menopause, hag.

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