Printer's Devil Court by Susan Hill

Author:Susan Hill
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Profile Books
Published: 2014-09-22T16:00:00+00:00

4

‘One thing I do not understand and that is why? What possible reason could you have for performing this whole charade?’

We were all three of us sitting round the fire, which was smoking and sulking dismally in the grate, in spite of our best efforts. None of us was calm enough to sleep. I had said nothing on the way home or for some time after we had all our brandy and battled with the fire but I had been thinking hard, my brain trying to produce a plausible explanation for what had happened, which had shocked and unnerved me until, as if some piece finally clicked into place, I saw what should have been clear all along. Walter and Rafe had performed an elaborately staged series of clever conjuring tricks.

‘You went to a good deal of trouble,’ I said now. ‘You prepared the way carefully and prepared me too for that matter and at some considerable risk. I see it all but I still do not see a reason, so perhaps before we retire please, Walter and Rafe, an explanation.’

Then I saw that Walter was angry. His mouth was tight, his eyes narrowed.

‘You do not understand – you? Correct me, Hugh, but I think we are the ones owed an explanation and an apology.’

‘How so?’

‘Do you not believe the evidence of your own eyes? How can what you witnessed tonight be some kind of trick or charade? If it had been, then I agree you would be fully entitled to ask for a reason and an explanation, but credit us with more intelligence and maturity. What possible reason indeed could be behind such a trick? What a puerile game we would have been playing, what a waste of our time and energy – what an offence that would have been.’

‘You cannot expect me to believe that it was anything other than a fraud.’

‘I do expect it. What we witnessed was a triumphant success – the culmination of much work and strain over many months and many setbacks.’

I stood up. ‘So you refuse to give me your reason – so be it. I am horrified that you should have played such macabre games with the bodies of your patients. Shame on you. I want no more part of it. I will find new lodgings. I bid you both good night and God grant you forgiveness which is better than you deserve.’

I did not go to bed, merely took off my jacket and shoes, loosened my collar and sat in my chair for the few hours that remained of the night, in a turmoil of confused and angry thoughts. I could not forget the sight of the old vagrant dying before us, and the look of release and acceptance on his face. I could not forget the sight of the beautiful young woman in her coma, in that cold basement room. I intended to scour the hospital on the following day, to find her and discover what state she was in and whether she was expected to recover.

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.