The Riders by Tim Winton

Author:Tim Winton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scribner

Twenty-four

ALONG THE DARK SHUTTERED WATERFRONT in the storm, Scully held the shivering child to him and saw Arthur ahead holding grimly to the luggage that bucked and swung in the wind. The sky was starless and whining. Masts lurched amid the shriek of rigging and the seance groan of hawsers. Scully felt himself gone from here. He was almost faint with relief. His eyes ran in the wind and his hair ripped back from his head till it ached at the roots.

Beneath the statue of the hero, its head lit wildly by an upstairs window, the shadow of a man came forth. Arthur met him and Scully heard their hissing. He waited, feeling light, careless, away.

Arthur came back.

‘Forget it, Scully. He wants twenty thousand.’

‘Give it to him,’ said Scully, holding out the flapping wad.

‘The price is too high and the sea is too bloody rough.’

‘Tell him we go now.’

‘For God’s sake!’

‘Give it to him, Arthur.’

‘You’re not thinking!’ said the Englishman, the pale palms of his hands flashing. ‘You’re overwrought, Scully!’

‘Let’s go.’

Scully felt his body unwinding, the heat leaving his temples and feet, and he knew that if the boat didn’t leave he’d simply spring from the wharf and hit the water swimming. He saw the flash of Meatballs’ teeth, the twinkle of his fingernails as he took the money. The Greek led them down between fishing boats to where his taxi laboured in the swell.

‘Was she here, Arthur?’ Scully asked as Meatballs slid the canopy back.

Arthur scowled. ‘I can’t get a straight answer out of anybody. Rory and his chums say things, but can you believe them? Seems certain she’s not here now.’

‘Fair enough. Thank you.’

‘Well, what a pleasant visit.’

‘I’ll miss the funeral.’

Arthur grunted, shrugged and walked back down the mole.

Scully watched him a moment before stepping down into the taxi. The big Volvo started and purred. Meatballs cast off fore and aft and the boat eased out among the pens. Billie lifted her head to see the lights of the town rising above them like Christmas.

Meatballs throttled down hard.

‘You sit! Sit!’

Scully went back to the upholstered bench as the canopy slid shut above them. The Volvo began to bawl. The lights of the Maritime School blurred by above. The boat rose to the plane and then the water beneath them began to harden up as they left the harbour wall.

The first wave crashed across the bow as the navigation lights went on. Water streamed down the windows. Meatballs wore a green halo from the glow of his dashboard. With the harbour police and the moles out of sight already, they rode down into the trough and broke the back of the next swell with a crash that jarred Billie and Scully to the deck. Shaken, the two of them clawed back up and looked for ways to brace themselves. The luggage raced about at their feet. Meatballs shoved a cassette into the tape deck so that bouzouki music screeched through the little cabin. Scully held himself in position and watched Billie’s face as they ploughed on into the darkness.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.