The Ice Soldier by Paul Watkins

Author:Paul Watkins [Watkins, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical
ISBN: 9780312426507
Goodreads: 981132
Publisher: Picador
Published: 2005-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

FOR SOME REASON, the Feast of the Gods had been removed from the menu at the Greek restaurant.

“A shortage of testicles,” suggested Stanley.

I was relieved to make do with a meal of stuffed peppers and avgolemono sauce.

We did not speak of making the trip.

All through the meal, I kept my eye on Stanley, trying to read his thoughts in case my attempt to persuade him had not worked after all.

But his expression gave nothing away.

After the plates had been cleared, we sat back with little glasses of ouzo.

Stanley drank his quickly, wincing at the fire it ignited in his belly. Then he announced that he was going to find the manager and sort out whether or not Sugden really had eaten those testicles.

“You’re obsessed,” I told him.

He winked at me and wandered off.

“I think it’s marvelous,” said Helen, “what you and Stanley are doing for his uncle.”

“What’s that?” I asked cautiously.

She sat back. Her hand slid away. “Going to the Alps, silly!”

“Oh,” I said. “So we are going.”

She looked confused. “Well, Stanley seems to think you are. He told me all about it before you got here.”

I nodded. “He hadn’t been exactly clear about it when we talked.”

“Well, anyway,” said Helen, sipping at the ouzo, “I think it’s very grand.”

“Why don’t you come with us?” I asked. It seemed like a good idea.

She smiled and shook her head. “I’d love to, but I can’t.”

“Why on earth not?”

She turned the little ouzo glass around in circles. “Because I never was a member of the Society of Former Mountaineers.”

“But that was just a thing we called ourselves! It didn’t exist.”

“It did exist,” she said, “and in many ways it was more important than that other club you both belong to.”

I saw what she was saying.

“And you’ve got to undo what it was,” she continued, “each of you for your own reasons. It’s a pity, really.”

“It is?”

“Yes. That you won’t be going to the Himalayas.”

I gritted my teeth and nodded.

She started to laugh.

“What is it?” I asked nervously, knowing this must be at my expense.

Now she laughed even harder. “I knew you weren’t actually going.”

“You did?” My voice rose almost to a squeak. “But how?”

“Carton told me. He said I ought not to judge Stanley too harshly.”

“Well, I wish you had let me in on the joke a little earlier.”

“I wanted to see how you’d get out of it.” She pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh again.

“Getting out of it was Stanley’s job,” I told her, “seeing as he got us into it.”

“I suppose I should be angry,” said Helen, “but I’m not.”

“Because you know, as I do, that Stanley said the stuff about the Himalayas because he wanted you to like him. And I happen to know that he likes you very much. In fact, he’s completely mad about you. You’re why he’s going to the Alps.”

“Me and the inheritance.”

“No,” I said. “He wants his inheritance all right, but not enough to climb this mountain. The reason he’s going is you.

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