Grand Canyon by Vita Sackville-West

Author:Vita Sackville-West [Sackville-West, Vita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781447215998
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

“Lord,” said Mr. Dale moving Mrs. Temple away into a corner of the lounge, “what a bore that woman is. So intense. And her horrid bird.”

“Yes, but now look here,” said Helen hurriedly, “don’t bother any more about Madame de Retz, let us think instead about what we ought to do. I don’t want to be officious, but there are planes overhead and we may get bombs at any moment. We must ask Royer what arrangements he has made.”

“I don’t trust Royer.”

“Nor I, but there is no one else, unless we could find the Park Superintendent.”

“I have already looked for him. He has gone out to the aerodrome. After all, that is what matters; we are only a handful of civilians here; we don’t count.”

“Only to ourselves.”

An explosion came; it was very muffled, but everything in the lounge rattled. Women grabbed at each other, and waited expectantly for the next bump.

“That was a long way off,” said Mrs. Temple.

“On the other side of the canyon, I should say,—ten or twelve miles at least.”

“What will happen if they drop bombs into the canyon itself?”

“It will wake some fine echoes,” said Mr. Dale, “and some fine pieces of rock will go flying about. With any luck we may be there to see it. If things get too lively up here, or if the hotel gets destroyed, we may all have to take refuge in that dug-out provided by Nature. I think I should pack a little suitcase if I were you, Mrs. Temple. Meanwhile shall we go outside and see what is going on?”

The planes were louder and searchlights were fingering the sky. Suddenly a large yellow square of light appeared in the blackness of the hotel, and another, and another, and another.

“Good God,” said Mr. Dale, “it’s the landing-window and the windows of the corridor, look, the whole row of them. They must have forgotten to draw the curtains and someone has switched on the lights.”

“The curtains were drawn,” said Mrs. Temple, “and the lights were on as I came downstairs. This is deliberate. It’s a signal. Come!”

She pushed the curtain back and let it fall behind them.

There was an uproar in the lounge, a crowd of people gathered round one gesticulating figure in the centre. Royer it was, shouting at the top of his voice while the crowd of his guests surged round him. The man was in a frenzy and the only people who appeared to be trying to protect him were the three white-coated negroes from the dance whizz-band. Blows had been struck already and there was blood on their coats. Two of the Park rangers were there, struggling to get at Royer.

“Aha!” the Manager was screaming, “I hold you, enemies of my Führer. I die with you but you die too. I show our boys the way. My lights show the way. Then comes the bigger light, the beacon, the column of light, the fifth column. It roars up, red, tall.”

“What on earth does he mean?” whispered Mrs.

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