Shadowmancer by G.P. Taylor

Author:G.P. Taylor [G. P. Taylor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780571271153
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 2010-03-13T16:00:00+00:00

The Miracle

IT was two hours before dawn and already news of the night before was sweeping through the workers’ cottages and around the alum works like a fire out of control.

The story of the miracle was repeated over and over again from man to woman, house to house. It was talked about in the brewer’s yard and by the fermenting pits. Men stood and passed on the rumour that the dumb boy could hear and speak. Mrs Landas couldn’t stop telling everyone she met about the wonder that had happened, parading the boy around like a trophy, proudly telling all that this fine lad was her son. She had washed away the white lead powder and the beauty spot from her face, combed her hair, and in the growing dawn looked like a new woman. There was no gin with breakfast, and no pipe. She had even tried to rub the brown stains from her teeth. For Mrs Landas, the new day was indeed the start of a new life, a life that she wanted to share with her son.

‘Call me stupid,’ she said in her gravelly voice to the young girl in the doorway of the cottage next to the workhouse, ‘but I do believe I feel ten years younger.’ She wheezed as she spoke, her chest making sounds like the strains of some failing harmonica. ‘Since the black lad made my John better I just can’t stop smiling. You ought to meet him, he’s a proper gentleman, a little angel. What he says makes you feel clean inside.’

She looked up from the doorway of the cottage to the Vicarage high above the mine. Dark purple storm clouds like high mountains gathered in the fading moonlight filling the sky. The incandescent light from the horizon lit the front of the Vicarage. Each of the many panes of glass reflected the red and orange glow. It appeared to stand defiant against the forthcoming storm, the tall tower reaching, Babel-like, towards heaven.

Mrs Landas dried her hands on her apron and spoke to the girl. ‘I don’t know what Demurral wants with the lad; I only hope he doesn’t do him harm. Too many children have gone up there and never come back.’ She looked at the gathering storm. ‘I don’t believe the tale that they’ve all been sent to sea or to London to work. Demurral’s done something with ’em. I pray I’ll see the lad again.’

She stepped inside the cottage and closed the door behind her against the rain that had started to fall from the black sky.

*

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.