The island was quiet, apart from the buzz of the insects in the trees, which, during daylight hours served as a constant backdrop to daily life there, along with the crashing of the ocean waves against the beach and the rocks. Today the water was mildly turbulent, with some salt spray splashing against the dilapidated jetty on the eastern side of the island.
On more turbulent days the white horses of the waves could be an astonishingly beautiful sight, great rollers building up and building up, and then crashing onto the land. Even after nearly a month on the island the newcomers were still mesmerised by this sight, often standing on the beach and watching in awe. Elaine had been heard to say that she could spend the rest of Eternity watching the ocean when it was like this. For once, even an old cynic like Julian, had been known to agree with her.
Occasionally there were lethargic comments about moving on, but no one seemed remotely enthused at the prospect. A general feeling of laissez-faire had come over them all, almost like recovering from a long and protracted illness. Work still had to be done, simply in order to survive from day-to-day. The animals had to be cared for, food and water had to be obtained, the boats had to be maintained. On the galleon Bardin instituted an operation of spring-cleaning, with the clowns using their considerable acrobatic kills to run all over the vessel, and up and down the sides. Even the anchor was hauled out and scrubbed to within an inch of its life. All of these tasks, combined with much-needed periods of rest, filled the days quite amply.
On exceptionally hot days some of them retreated into the cool, shady forest to explore more of the island. Apart from the abandoned Romany wagon they had found no previous sign of human habitation. They had already ascertained that wild boar inhabited the island, but they also found rabbits. To Adam’s relief, Kieran showed no objection to these being hunted, as he had on Hy Brasil. If anything, the wild boar seemed to be the spiritual guardians of this particular island. Mieps and Hillyard found this a bit frustrating, but no talk on barbecues on the beach could sway Kieran (and was very unlikely to, all things considered), so the wild boars went unscathed.
The forest covered three-quarters of the island, and ran steeply up the side of the volcanic rock. The trees were very densely packed in some areas, but in other parts roughly-hewn paths wound through the trees. There was no shortage of kindling for fires.
“At some point we’ll have to move on I guess”, said Bardin, who was sitting with Bengo on a large rock near the jetty, the waves lapping gently below them.
“You say that every day”, Bengo sighed “And I don’t see the point of it”.
“Just keeping the thought in my head that’s all”.
“What on earth for?!”
“I suppose because we can’t stay here forever”, Bardin shrugged “It’s not sustainable in the long-term”.
“Maybe not”, said Bengo “But we don’t constantly have to keep harping on as if we’re about to move in the next 5 minutes either. No one is deluding themselves Bardy, but can’t we just accept that we’re having a breather? You were always like this. We were never allowed to have a moment’s respite. As soon as we finished one show you’d start maundering on about the next one”.
“Maundering on?” Bardin exclaimed.
“Yes, maundering on”, said Bengo.
“Is that the word of the day is it?”
They both exchanged a look and then burst out laughing.
“We haven’t explored everything this island’s got to offer yet”, Bengo continued “And we’ve never set foot on the other one”.
He looked over at the second island which set out to sea nearby, a rectangular, completely flat and bare outpost.
“Probably because we can see all its charms just by sitting here”, said Bardin “Though we could give the ships a quick run taking them up round it, and then doing a circumnavigation of this island. I do think it might be a good idea to do that soon”.
“Thinking about it …” Bengo began.
“Uh-oh”, said Bardin.
“I don’t know what you mean by the island not being sustainable in the long-term”, said Bengo “We’re well doing alright out here”.
“Hasn’t anyone complained about the fish-based diet yet?” asked Bardin.
“No they haven’t”, said Bengo “Not even the tinned sardines we use as fall-back. Plus there’s fruit on the island, and Joby’s got his vegetable plot in the hold, the bits he managed to salvage from the old lighthouse anyway. We’re doing brilliantly, all things considered. I think you’re got permanent ants in your pants, that’s your trouble”.
“No I haven’t!” Bardin retorted “it’s just that the world’s been potty for so long that I’m finding it hard to relax and settle. Anyway, at least I’ve stopped worrying that that lot over there” [he gestured towards the far horizon and the general vague direction of Zillligot Bay] “are going to come for us”.
“Pfft!” said Bengo “That lot didn’t even have the nous to even sail out to Bald Rock, or venture into the Saturn Desert, let alone come all the way out here!”
Woolly had taken to spending most nights either sleeping on the beach or on the deck of the yacht. For a man who had lived in a claustrophobic, over-stuffed house in Zilligot Bay, he had now well and truly embraced outdoor living. He said sleeping outside was addictive. If he slept on the deck of the yacht, he would often climb out of his sleeping-bag at dawn, and chat to Rumble, or whoever else was just finishing the nightwatch on the galleon.
On this occasion he found Rumble staring pensively towards the eastern horizon. Woolly blinked behind his spectacles, and could just make out strange assorted colours streaking the sky in the very far distance.
“Something up?” said Woolly.
“It’s been going on for the past hour-or-so”, said Rumble “Since it first began to get light. There feels something odd about it. I think I need to go down and fetch Bardin up here. He should see this”.
When Bardin saw Woolly on the neighbouring deck, he gave thanks that he had remembered to put his trousers on first before coming topside. He clambered up to the poop-deck, binoculars in hand, to get a better view of the lights on the far horizon.
“It felt like fireworks at first”, said Rumble, at his side “But they’re too streaky for that, like smudged paint that gradually evaporates”.
“Mm yes”, said Bardin “OK I think this is one for Kieran. I’ll go and fetch him”.
Kieran gazed at the lights for several minutes, chewing his lip thoughtfully.
“Well?” Bardin demanded, feeling he had waited long enough “Do we need to sail out there and see what’s what?”
“I really wouldn’t advise that”, said Kieran.
“H has been suggesting taking the air-buggies out over the ocean recently”, said Rumble “That might be easier than sailing out there, certainly quicker”.
“Yes, as long as he can get a good height on it”, said Kieran “I would not suggest getting too close or too low”.
“You make it sound like it could be some kind of magnetic thing”, said Bardin.
“I wouldn’t rule that out as a possibility”, said Kieran.
“Are we safe from it here, on the island?” asked Rumble “How far out can its reach go?”
“How is he supposed to know all that?” said Bardin “He’s only just seen it!”
“No no it’s OK”, said Kieran “It’s a reasonable question. My gut feeling - for what it’s worth anyway - is that it’s some kind of distortion, although exactly of what kind I couldn’t say. But if it IS magnetic, then certainly don’t sail or fly too close to it, in case it’s got a whirlpool effect. And in answer to your question, Rumble, no I think we’re OK out here. We’re quite some distance away, but it might alter our plans to sail out that way”.
“Boot Island is as far west as we go?” said Bardin.
“At this stage in time, quite possibly”, said Kieran “Though it doesn’t stop us going north or south”.
“Or even back to the Old Continent”, said Rumble, dubiously.
“The Old Continent doesn’t have to mean Zilligot Bay”, said Kieran, patting his arm, before moving down from the poop-deck.
Along with the ships, the air-buggies had been scrupulously cleaned and maintained over the past few weeks. They had been mainly used for wheeling above the islands, so a more lengthy trip out over the ocean generated considerable excitement. H, Rosa, Jane and Woolly went in one buggy, and Hillyard, Bardin, Bengo and Kieran in the other. Naturally, everyone left behind was apprehensive about this trip, mainly because, for the first time, the buggies would be out of sight.
“Never fear, we’re not going to be long”, said Hillyard, hoisting himself into the pilot’s seat “Have the kettle on for us for when we get back”.
“You shouldn’t say things like that, Hillyard”, said Lonts “It has a feel of foreboding about it”.
“Yeah thanks for that!” said Joby to Lonts “Can always rely on you as a reassuring presence!”
“Don’t worry, Lonts”, said Ransey “If they’re not back by teatime we’ll take the fishing-trawler out and investigate”.
The two air-buggies flew out over the western ocean. The strange lights in the far distance were now flickering constantly, although not getting any worse either. H and Hillyard had agreed beforehand to keep a steady height, but not flying low at all. The only life-form of any kind that they saw was a seal resting on a tiny bare rock poking out of the water far below.
As they got further out over the ocean they ascended higher. Kieran felt it was best not to be too low down, even though the lights were still quite some distance away. At a certain point it became clear that the lights were now merging all into one, and the water was becoming more turbulent, with a ripple effect.
“Probably best not to go any further”, said Kieran to Hillyard.
Hillyard indicated out of his window to H, jerking his thumb backwards. H gave a thumbs-up sign in acknowledgement.
*
“So what was it then?” said Joby, when Kieran and the others had returned to the galleon.
“Something that I don’t think we should get too close to”, said Kieran, sitting down on the sofa in their cabin, and wearily taking his boots off.
“Oh that’s a great help that is!” said Joby “I think all the others are gonna want a damn sight more info than that!”
“I don’t know precisely what it is”, said Kieran “Other than that it’s something supernatural. It is sucking in everything in its nearby vicinity, a sort of magnetic effect”.
“Bloody hell”, said Joby “That’s not good. What the fuck do we do now?”
“Please be assured we are OK on this island”, said Kieran.
“You sure about that?”
“I don’t think it can reach out this far. We are beyond its range. And I can work on giving us some added protection anyway. Don’t be surprised if we find ourselves in the grip of a strange fog bank over the next few days”.
“Somebody needs to go over and warn the others”, said Bardin, after a meeting had been called in the dining-room amongst the Indigo-ties, to assess the situation “And I suppose it has to be me, although I’d much rather it was someone with a more user-friendly approach”.
“Kieran?” suggested Bengo, now standing in the doorway of the galley.
“No I don’t think so”, said Bardin, chewing on his thumb “He might go all esoteric or what-have-you on them. Let’s try and keep it as practical as we can”.
“Send Hillyard over”, said Adam “I’ve often thought he would make a splendid diplomat. He has just the right approach”.
“I’ve been told the fog might last a few days”, said Hillyard, now in the main room of the yacht, where all the non-Indigo-ites were gathered “Don’t ask me exactly what it is, because this is all Kieran’s doing. I find it best at times like this to just roll with it”.
“Is it like some kind of cloaking device?” asked Rosa.
“I think so”, said Hillyard “We can go outside, so it’s not as claustrophobic as it might sound, but perhaps best not to sleep outside. Sorry mate”, he said to Woolly.
“Well, probably a bit on the nippy side anyway”, said Woolly.
“But what IS the light phenomenon?” said Glynis.
“All I know is it’s something magnetic”, said Hillyard “And that it’s best not to fly or sail too close to it. It was having a whirlpool effect on the ocean, that much we could tell anyway. But Kieran seems convinced it can’t reach us out here on the island”.
(Nobody wanted to voice the general fear of But What If It Gets Any Stronger?).
“We’ll certainly be keeping an eye on it”, Hillyard aded “As much as we can see it through the fog anyway!”
“In some ways this will be the biggest test so far for our guests”, said Bardin, chatting with Bengo in their cabin before dinner that evening. He was busy giving himself a quick stand-up wash.
“What, the fog?” said Bengo.
“Well more accepting that sometimes supernatural things happen to us”, said Bardin “The ones that are initiated by Kieran I mean. We just accept them. It’s part and parcel of everything for us, but it might not be the same for outsiders”.
“Glynis has always accepted it”, said Bengo “And I’d be amazed if any of the others were a problem. They’ve all come across plenty of strange things in their time”.
“True, I keep forgetting that”, said Bardin, pulling on a fresh shirt “It’s just that sometimes they’ve almost been too good to be true, the way they’ve accepted everything”.
“Can’t you get it into your head?” said Bengo, lightheartedly “They WANT all this. It’s a whole new lease of life for them, literally so. Do you think Elaine and Nyx would want to go back to that dilapidated old railway station they were marooned in for 7 years? Or Rosa and Ernesto having to serve drinks and food every day to a bunch of miserable, ungrateful bastards?”
“Oh God, I’ve forgotten something!” said Bardin, slapping his forehead “I don’t know where the fuck my brain is these days. I’d better tell the others to keep some lanterns lit on the main decks”.
“Do we need to? Right out here?” said Bengo.
“Just in case some idiotic moron decides to come out here and tries to ram their boat into us”, said Bardin, leaving the room “You never know!”
Hillyard was despatched again to tell the neighbours what was going on. He suggested that Ernesto and Rosa should also hang a lamp over the side of their little fishing-trawler, even though they were mainly sleeping on the yacht these days.
“Good heavens”, said Rosa “What kind of a reckless driver is he expecting out here?”
“Probably best just to roll with it when he gets like this”, said Hillyard.
Rosa accompanied him topside, and watched as he clambered onto the trawler, and hung the lamp from the entrance to the wheelhouse.
“You don’t want a nifty little vessel like this to get damaged”, Hillyard called back to her.
“I know”, said Rosa “I love it, she’s such a cutey. We almost need our own fog-horn to warn people off”.
“We’ll put Bardin on deck permanently in that case!” said Hillyard.
Rosa helped him back up onto the yacht. The fog was starting to arrive in thick eerie waves.
“I always loved a good sea mist back in Zilligot Bay”, said Rosa “I remember some mornings it would come right up to the bar window, and you couldn’t see any further. So atmospheric”.
“You’re right though”, said Hillyard, straightening up “A foghorn wouldn’t be a bad idea”.
“You’ll be suggesting building a lighthouse next”, Rosa laughed.
“That would be a worthwhile challenge”, said Hillyard.
Bardin imposed only one rule during the Fog Hiatus (as it became known), and that was that no one, on any of the boats, should ever be topside completely alone.
“It would be all too easy to fall overboard and never be seen again”, he said “Or get dragged overboard”.
“Is there something in the fog then?” said Bengo, when they were alone together.
“We don’t know what this fog is going to be!” said Bardin.
*
The fog, when it came, seemed to have a sentience all of its own. It was hard to believe that it was simply a freak of the weather, or some basic hocus-pocus conjured up by Kieran. It wasn’t sinister, neither was it benign. It was simply There, different. It had the basic indifference of the Universe at large.
It seemed almost surreal to carry on doing normal things in this atmosphere, yet the normal routine business of the different ships had to carry on. And occasionally they would have to leave the vessels too, to exercise the animals, or collect firewood. The atmosphere of the island at such times was heavy with an other-worldly atmosphere, like being on a distant planet. At times like this Boot Island felt every bit as magical as Hy Brasil had done.
Joby spread a generous coating of butter onto a slice of brown bread and ate it, savouring every mouthful.
“This bread of Ad’s is bloody good”, he said, when Bengo walked into the galley “Here, have a slice”.
Bengo perched himself next to Joby on a stool at the rickety old table.
“What’s he done to it?” said Bengo, his cheeks now bulging like a hamster “It takes gorgeous”.
“Dunno”, said Joby “Must have been trying out a new recipe”.
Adam walked in whilst this appreciation of his culinary skills was in progress.
“This bread of yours is bloody gorgeous, Ad”, said Joby “What did you do to it?”
“Only you could make a compliment sound like an accusation, Joby”, said Adam “I found some dried nuts down in the hold and decided to jazz it with them, that’s all”.
“Here, let’s have some more”, said Joby, preparing to hack off another couple of slices from the loaf.
“Wouldn’t you like to take it through to the dining-room?” said Adam.
“When we’re ready”, said Joby “If we take it through now, we won’t stand a chance of getting anymore of it, not when that greedy lot get their thieving hands on it”.
“Oh Joby”, Adam laughed “Well clearly I’m going to have to make some more. I had no idea it would be such a stunning success”.
“Can I take some through to Bardy?” said Bengo, clambering off the stool.
“Yes”, said Adam “Tell him it’s a blatant act of bribery, as I shall probably want to spank him very shortly”.
“He won’t need bribery for that!” said Joby “I was wondering when you were gonna get round to it”.
“Haven’t had a chance”, said Adam “He keeps disappearing topside to look at the fog”.
Bengo sidled out of the room, bearing the “bribe” for Bardin.
“Those nuts are actually a bit of a mystery”, said Adam, lowering his voice and going over to the cupboard next to the stove. He pulled out a small cloth sack and placed it carefully on the table, opening the top of the sack. Nestling within were a substantial heap of brown, wizened nuts.
“Ransey and I found them when we were doing an inventory down in the hold yesterday”, he said “The thing is, I can’t remember buying them”.
“Perhaps Hillyard did before we left town”, said Joby “Or Rosa donated them to us, and he forgot to tell us. Easily done”.
“They’re perfectly alright though”, said Adam “Ransey and I ate a couple yesterday, just to err on the side of caution, as it were, and well … to cut a long story short, we’re both still here”.
Joby fished out a couple of them, and chewed on them.
“Nice”, he concluded “Like a cross between popcorn and peanuts”.
“Exactly”, said Adam “I was wondering if it would be worth asking Patsy about them”.
“No point asking him!” said Joby “We’ll just get some whimsical load of old cobblers back about ‘how it’s all part of the magic of the island to be sure’”.
“Well this kind of magic I can definitely live with”, said Adam “Anything that stops us serving up the same old stuff all the time. I’m amazed we don’t get complaints”.
“How could they complain?” said Joby “S’not as if they can all take their custom elsewhere is it!”
Bengo burst back into the room, looking flushed with excitement.
“He’s ready for a session!” he announced “Right now!”
“The Spanking Bardin Club is back in session”, said Joby.
“Are any of the neighbours on board?” asked Adam.
“If they are, we’ll soon get rid of ‘em”, said Joby.
“No I don’t think they are”, said Bengo “Anyway, Hillyard was going over to the yacht to see them, so hopefully he’s keeping them entertained and out of the way”.
He espied Mutton Broth walking past the doorway.
“Hey!” he said, grabbing him “Go back upstairs and keep watch at the hatch for intruders”.
“Oh have a heart, Benje”, Mutton complained “I’ve just got back below. I’m freezing. I came down here to warm up!”
“You’ve got your coat on haven’t you”, said Bengo, hustling him to the bottom of the quarterdeck steps “Go and get on with it. Just listen out for Bardy being walloped”.
Fortunately Mutton was rather taken with this idea, and he trudged back up the steps.
“Good”, said Adam “We can do an Outside The Galley Door effort. They are always so satisfying”.
“I was wondering when you were going to get round to it”, said Bardin, appearing for duty “I’ve been wanting to have my bum smacked for days”.
“I think if any of the neighbours appear now, I’ll shout at ‘em meself”, said Joby, as Adam placed one of the kitchen stools outside the galley door.
He put Bardin across his knee, and spanked him with the much-loved vigorousness of old. Bardin tried to hold back the ejaculation for as long as he could, but it was impossible. Neither could he hold back the groaning, even though he was acutely aware that any sounds travelled all too well on this remote island.
“Don’t try and hold back, Bardin”, said Adam, pausing to rest his hand “Don’t worry about the rest of them. They already know we do our own thing. Let it all out”.
“I have”, Bardin mumbled, feeling the cum seeping into his tight shorts “But don’t stop. Do some more”.
Adam grabbed the back of his shorts, and smacked him some more.
“Right, we should stop for now”, said Adam, caressing the pert, starched behind “We don’t want to wear you out all at once”.
Bardin groaned some more. His behind was tingling from the hiding he’d just received.
“We can always stick a hanky in your gob next time”, said Bengo.
“Yes I’m sure you’d love that!” said Bardin. *
“Magic nuts now, eh?” said Julian, a short while later “So now we have magic nuts on a magic island. Only Kieran could come up with a whimsical storyline like that!”
He was sitting in his cabin, joined for tea by HIllyard - newly-returned from the yacht - and Joby.
“We don’t know it’s anything to do with Kieran y’know”, said Joby.
“But what’s the betting it is?” said Julian “We’ll probably all eat them, and wake up a hundred years in the future, to find the island infested with mermaids and leprechauns!”
“Perhaps the odd unicorn too”, said Hillyard.
“Sometimes it is truly astonishing how much we put our destiny in his hands”, said Julian.
“Be fair, mate”, said Joby “We’re scarcely suffering are we!”
“How are the neighbours?” Julian asked Hillyard.
“They’re alright”, said Hillyard “I don’t know why we worry about them interrupting us, I think they’re more worried we might burst in on them!”
“The handbell system on deck would be a convenient way round that”, said Julian “We ring a handbell when we want to attract each other’s attention. Mention it to Bardin … when he’s recovered from his exertions”.
“Why does everyone think that whenever something strange and mysterious happens that it’s immediately down to something I’ve done?” said Kieran. He was sitting on the sofa in his cabin, with a blanket wrapped round his shoulders.
“Probably because it is!” said Joby, who was busy applying a skin-scraper to the bottom of Kieran’s feet “And you said yourself we were to expect this fog bank, so there’s no point now trying to pretend you knew nothing about it”.
“You’re sounding a wee bit grumpy, Joby”.
“Look I just get fed up with you being all enigmatic at times like this. We’re going along with it, so the least you could do was to tell us what it’s all about”.
“I don’t actually know much more than you”, said Kieran “I prayed for a protection device, something to keep us concealed for a little while, and I got an image of a dense sea-mist in my head, so I had a shrewd feeling that’s what was going to happen”.
“OK, that makes sense”, Joby conceded, pausing in his chiropadist endeavours “But what exactly is it protecting us from?”
“Being detected”.
“To do with those strange lights on the horizon?”
“We know that Evil runs rampent on the New Continent”, said Kieran “The demons chased us off there all that time ago. Something has now taken control there. Something vampiric”.
“Oh great”, said Joby “But from what I recall they can’t cross water very well”.
“No, but whatever this is, it is trying to suck the rest of the world towards it. Hence the magnetic, ripple effect on the ocean that we saw”.
“Fucking hell. But what happens now? We can’t stay shrouded in fog forever”.
“The fog is just a temporary protection measure”, said Kieran “To give us some vital time to get ourselves together as it were. Build up our spiritual defences. This island is already special, like Hy Brasil was, so that will help. Unfortunately it means we can’t go any further West, as we originally planned to do, although South remains an option. We might even have to face the possibility that we may have to go backwards, back to the Old Continent. When the Fog Hiatus is over, we will have to estimate how much stronger the lights have got. If they have magnified tremendously, then we may have to back there and warn everyone”.
“And a fat lot of bloody difference that will make”, said Joby “They never listened to us before!”
“Well if not, at least find a safe place we can broadcast from on the airwaves. No don’t look at me like that, if there’s any possibility of the Ministry trying to pay us a little visit, then we simply decamp elsewhere. We are nomads after all”.
In truth, no one knew exactly how long they were in the Fog Hiatus for. Time seemed to lose all meaning. There was a difference between night and day, but no one bothered to make note of how many cycles they went through. At first it was hard to lose their curiosity of what was going on beyond the fog. Kieran only spoke - with enthuriating obtuseness - of a “miasma” at large in the world which they had to be shielded from.
The hardest problem to deal with was the coldness, exacerbated by the lack of sunshine. At times it felt like a neverending Winter. “Like being in bloody Narnia”, was Joby’s comment.
Everyone thought that when the fog finally cleared it would clear very suddenly. That they would wake up one morning and find it all gone. Instead it went in small phases. Noticeable at first by them noticing gaps through the wool-like density. Lonts gave up a shout of “the sky’s reappearing!” From then on it became a kind of game every day to see how much of the sky would reappear. The day that sunlight first penetrated was a cause of celebration.
“If it still wasn’t so damn cold everyone would be living up on deck”, said Bardin.
“How long have we been in this cotton-wool fug?” said Julian.
“Dunno”, Bardin shrugged “I was going to keep a daily tally of it, but then I thought that might be counterproductive. Bad for morale. So I abandoned it after a few days”.
“Any idea what all this was about?” said Julian “I can’t seem to get any sense out of Kieran, even less than usual”.
“Some kind of cloaking device”, said Bardin.
“Deflector shields up?”
“Something like that. Every time I try and find out anymore though, Bengo has a go at me that I simply must put all my trust in Kieran, so I give up. To be honest I’m not that bothered. He wouldn’t have done this if it wasn’t important. Anyway, perhaps now Ransey will stop faffing as to whether he should reconnect or disconnect the wireless set”.
“I’ve lost track where we are with all that”, said Julian “He reconnects it, then rips it all out again in a fit of rage. I’ve stopped asking him”.
“I think it’s a combination of him being nosey, wanting to know what’s going on in the outside world”, said Bardin “And not wanting to accidentally alert anyone as to where we are. I can understand that. We know the Ministry are back in force again, but I’ve no idea how extended their reach is. Hopefully not right out here in the ocean”.
Over the next couple of days the fog retreated gradually back up over the island. It was like unveiling a painting in stages, or, as Adam put it, cleaning an old oil painting and seeing the original reappearing from under all the layers of crud. When the fog had retreated to the forest halfway up the island they found one noticeable difference. The old Romany wagon had completely disappeared. There was simply a large patch of flattened, yellow grass where it had once been. There were no footprints or track-marks to hint that somebody had stolen in and taken it way. It seemed to have just evaporated on the spot. Many of them went over from their respective vessels and spread out around the patch, gazing at in some understandable confusion.
“Things like this used to happen on Hy Brasil all the time”, said Kieran “We have to accept it with places like this”.
“Is this island like Hy Brasil then, Kieran?” asked Lonts.
“In some ways”, said Kieran “There are a number of these special islands dotted around the oceans of this world. Not always staying in the same place. Floating islands. They are like inter-dimensional portals”.
“Did you somehow plan for us to come here?” said Elaine.
“Well no I didn’t plan it to be this way”, said Kieran “But let’s just say it happens like that sometimes. The island may have its … quirky aspects, but please be assured that it is a safe haven. You just have to roll with its little eceentricities from time to time”.
Kieran wandered off down to towards the beach, closely followed by Joby.
“I hope he didn’t think we were getting at him”, said Elaine “I’m very happy to stay here. There is so much about this island, and this area generally, that isstill unknown to us”.
“He’s alright”, said Hillyard “It’s probably all Julian’s fault really, he keeps teasing hima bout being deliberately fey, things like that”.
“I am in no hurry to embrace the outside world again”, Rosa sighed “I think if we had stayed in Zilligot Bay for much longer, I woul dhave grown to hate the human race!”
On realising that Boot Island was going to carry on being their billet for the foreseeable future, many of them began to make plans to make the area more sustainable, including setting up enclosures for the goats and the chickens, and starting a vegetable garden. Rosa in particular seemed to be fizzing with ideas, and it was easy to tell how she had been the driving force behind the Driftwood. To Bardin’s annoyance, she even took to sketching out maps of the island, and saying that total detailed reconnaisances by both boat and air-buggy were necessary.
“You can’t mock her for liking maps, Bardin”, said Adam “After all, you’re often quite fixated on them yourself”.
“Yes I know, but I don’t like feeling like I’m being harassed all the time”, said Bardin.
“Well now you know how the rest of us feel with you around!” said Rumble.
“Considering she always asks you for your advice”, said Adam to Bardin “I think she’s being very reasonable, and anyway a reconnaissance IS a good idea. Ransey thinks so too. And I’m pretty certain you would feel the same way, if Rosa hadn’t thought of it first!”
At daybreak a day-or-so later Rosa was up on the deck of the yacht. Her energy was now so fizzing that she found it hard to sleep beyond the first glimmers of daylight. As she approached the front of the deck closest to the galleon, she caught a glimmer of white out of the corner of her eye. She caught her breath when she spotted a white deer standing on the edge of the forest, near where the Romany wagon had been. She noiselessly gestured at Hillyard, who had been doing the pre-dawn shift of the nightwatch. He came over to the stern end of the galleon. They watched the animal in silence for a few moments, before it move gracefully back into the forest, out of sight.
“Oh that was such a magical moment”, said Rosa “Like something out of a fairy tale”.
“This place really is like Hy Brasil”, said Hillyard.
“Did you have white deer there too?”
“No, large rabbits. We were under strict orders from Kieran not to slaughter any fo them”.
“I can’t imagine why anyone would want to slaughter a beautiful creature like that”, said Rosa “Well actually yes I can … some of that lot back in Zilligot Bay!”
One evening, when the weather felt particularly benign, the yacht gang invited over a few of the Indigo-ites for a little soiree. As the yacht wasn’t big enough to invite all of the Indigo-ites all at once, or even half of them, it was decided that Adam, Julian and Hillyard would go over. Bardin wanted to have a sea-water bath in his cabin, and Kieran wanted to do some sunset meditation on the rocks by the beach. Joby said he would stay up on the forward deck of the galleon to keep an eye on him.
Ransey elected NOT to accompany them, because he wanted to make sure that nobody would go near the wireless room. He seemed to have developed a fixation that some of the others might try using the wireless behind his back, even though it was pointed out to him quite firmly that nobody else but him was remotely interested in the wretched thing.
“Maybe”, said Ransey “But human curiosity is a powerful thing, and even if someone was harmlessly dicking about on it, they could accidentally alert the Ministry - or any other possible undesirables - to our location”.
“Wouldn’t it be better just to lock the door, old love?” said Adam “I’m sure Julian’s got all the keys in his desk. Then you could simply pocket the key and join us”.
“There’s no point trying to get through to him”, said Hillyard “He’s got a complete obsession with that damn wireless set. Sometimes I feel like ripping it all out again and chucking it in the sea!”
“That sounds somewhat reckless”, said Adam “So are you going to sit perched outside the door here, staring at it intently?”
“No I am not!” said Ransey “I shall be in the dining-room. Umbert’s going to play the piano”.
“Well that’s something at least”, Adam sighed.
It was a pleasant little gathering in the saloon of the yacht, which Adam always felt had a quaintly cottagey feel, with its flower-patterned curtains, soft carpet and squashy sofas. A marked change from the hurley-burly of the galleon. More feminine. Like all good parties, people broke off into little groups and had interesting conversations of their own. Adam found himself chatting to Elaine and Rosa, who had been mulling over the topic of immortality.
“Is it bothering you?” said Adam “That that is what you’ve become? I know it’s quite a daunting transition”.
“It would be if I was alone in the world”, said Elaine “It would be so lonely then. Glynis has told us what it was like for her in Toondor Lanpin, having to pretend that there was nothing different about her, and how it got harder as the years went on”.
“Yes it did”, said Adam.
“If you’re alone with it like that, then it would be extremely difficult to form relationships with anyone”, said Elaine “Knowing for certain that you were going to outlive them, and then have to carry on all by yourself”.
“Plenty of mortals have had that problem too”, said Rosa “I swear that’s why some people get scared of forming relationships”.
“But as we’re all together, it’s not a problem”, said Elaine “If I’m worried about anything, it’s leaving this island. We’ve got very cosy here, even though I know it can’t last forever”.
“We are nomads really”, said Adam “And we’ve had to move from place to place so many times over the years, but one thing I’ve always been certain of is that we can make a home anywhere. There were times when I found it impossible to imagine moving on from The Bay or Wolf Castle, or Toondor Lanpin, but we have”.
“Tell him about you waking up one night worried that the world was coming to an end, and what would happen to us then”, said Rosa “Something about us being stranded on a bare rock hurtling through space”.
“It was a classic case of one of those 3 AM moments”, said Elaine.
“I don’t believe for one minute that the world is coming to an end”, said Adam “Although there are certainly a lot of strange things going on, and have been for quite a few years now. I think we are here to sit things out for a while, for whatever reason isn’t clear yet, but I don’t believe it’s the end of the world. If you’re worried, then please chat to Kieran. He’s very easy to talk to really”.
“I know”, said Elaine “Although he’s so deep and spiritual, that he alarms me a bit sometimes. I would feel more comfortable talking to Bardin”.
“Are you sure about that?” said Adam, causing the women to giggle.
“He’s just more what I’m used to”, said Elaine “Kieran is like one of those beautiful old statues come to life”.
When Adam got back onto the galleon he found puddles of sea water on the floor of the passage which ran past the galley door.
“Is there actually any water in Bardin’s bath?” he asked Bengo, who was hovering between the galley and his cabin “Or is it all over the floor instead?”
“That’s Toppy’s fault”, said Bengo, fiercely “You’ve never seen such a performance with him carrying jugs of it through here. It would have been easier to use a hose!”
“Bengo, you know I don’t like Toppy being criticised”, said Adam “He provides us with some much-needed civilised living on this boat. We would soon notice if he wasn’t here”.
“Well you were the one who was complaining about the water on the floor”, said Bengo “And it wasn’t me who spilt it!”
Adam moved on to Bengo and Bardin’s cabin, where he found Bardin sitting in the hip-bath, with Toppy standing solicitously nearby, holding another jug of water in case “the Captain” needed it. Hillyard was watching the whole thing with some amusement.
“I still think it would be easier just for you to have a dip in the sea”, he said.
“The ocean’s too damn cold for that!” said Bardin.
“Oh so much for the tough, resilient clown who can cope with anything then”, said Hillyard.
“Huh!” said Bengo “That’s a joke!”
“I think Hillyard’s right, Bardin”, said Adam “Even a quick bracing dip would be a lot easier than all this hassle”.
“It does no harm to have a proper bath occasionally”, said Bardin “I’m surprised we haven’t all got fleas on this boat sometimes”.
“Nonsense”, said Adam.
“How did the little soiree go over on the yacht?” said Bardin, as Toppy tentatively poured more warm water into the tub.
“It was very pleasant”, said Adam “Very civilised”.
“That’s probably because we weren’t there”, said Bengo.
“What did you talk about?” asked Bardin.
“Immortality”, said Adam.
“I hope they weren’t complaining”, said Bardin.
“Not at all”, said Adam “I think the luxury of endless time is something they’re having to adapt to, and it can be a bit of a daunting thing. It seems to make them more determined though that we should spend as long as possible on this island”.
“That’s classic women that is”, said Bardin “They worry about how long things are going to last, instead of just getting on and living in the moment”.
“What, like you do you mean?” said Bengo, sarcastically “You’re always drawing up plans, drives me nuts sometimes”.
“It does no harm to have a plan of campaign”, said Bardin “We would never have put on any shows if we hadn’t had a guide list of what we needed to do, and when to do it. You seemed to think all we had to do was go out there and ad-lib all the time, and hope everyone would be so awed by the sight of your curls and dimples, that it wouldn’t matter”.
“Can I pour a jug of water over his head?” said Bengo.
Bardin reached over and put his cap on.
“I think it’s time I got out”, he said, and rose majestically out of the tub, causing more water to go over the sides.
“So I’m like a statue now?” said Kieran, who was chatting with Adam up on the main deck of the galleon the following morning.
“Well if you are Patsy, you’re Michaelangelo’s David”, said Adam.
“Hah!” Kieran laughed “Sometimes I think you should be Irish with your gift of the blarney! If I have been a bit remote since we came here it’s because I wanted to give them all a bit of space. I didn’t think it would help if I went muscling in like some overbearing parish priest. They have a lot to adapt to, and they need time to adapt”.
“I sometimes think you’re getting like Bardin”, said Adam “He can’t seem to accept that they’re perfectly happy with the situation. They are loving it. It’s a whole new lease of life for them. People are worrying too much about the future, when we’ve got more than enough to be dealing with in the here and now. I wish it would stop”.
Mutton Broth trotted over to them, and indicated Rosa, who was standing at the front of the yacht, with a large scrapbook under arm.
“Rosa asks if this is a good time to come over and show you one of her recipe books”, he said to Adam.
“Yes of course”, said Adam “Pipe her aboard, Mutton”.
Adam got to his feet.
“I’ll take her down to the galley”, he said “And I hope Julian doesn’t make any tiresome jibes at our expense”.
“You know he will”, said Kieran.
“Then I’ll clout him with a tea-towel”, said Adam.
Whilst Adam and Rosa were having their little gathering in the galley, Bengo went topside. He was joined by Elaine and Jane, who watched as he demonstrated some of the clownish acrobatic skills he had developed on stage. Both were suitably impressed.
“I suppose it’s not bad, considering I’m a bit out of shape these days”, he said “Hold on, let’s see if I can still do a back-flip”.
They watched in apprehension, but he managed to execute it, even if it wasn’t with quite the lithe panache he had once known in his clowning days. Unfortunately Bardin chose that moment to emerge from the top of the stairs, and Bengo cannoned into him, knocking him over.
“You daft barn-pot!” said Bardin, picking up his cap and whacking him with it.
“Are you alright, Bardin?” asked Elaine.
“Of course he is”, said Bengo “He’s been knocked over tonnes of times”.
“Yes, by you!” said Bardin.
Elaine went to help Bardin to his feet, and held him tightly in her arms for rather longer than Bardin would have wished.
“Now let me check you’re still in one piece”, she said.
“I am absolutely fine”, said Bardin, wriggling loose from her iron grip, and planting his cap back on his head.
He aimed a kick at Bengo’s backside, who promptly kicked him back.
“Hey hey pack that in!” Hillyard called from the other side of the deck.
“What’s going on up here?” said Ransey, also now emerging from the top of the steps.
“Bardin kicked me up the bum”, said Bengo, gleefully.
“You bloody well knocked me over!” said Bardin.
“Pack it in”, said Ransey “You two are worse than a couple of over-excitable horses. I’m amazed anyone wants to visit us at all sometimes”.
“I think some of us need to work off a bit of excess energy”, he said, a short while later, now back below deck and helping himself from a pot of tea in the dining-room.
“Well there’s always plenty needs doing”, said Hillyard, sawing off the end of a loaf of bread “There’s the animals to do, the ship needs maintenance, and Joby’s getting started on his forest garden”.
“He kept going on about the fruit trees earlier”, said Julian, who was already lounging at the table.
“They are a great asset to the island”, said Ransey “But he’s right, we need to make sure we plant fresh, and don’t just strip everything bare”.
Bardin wandered into the room, still dusting himself down.
“Hah!” Julian laughed “I heard Elaine got you in her grasp. You’ve lived to tell the tale then”.
“From what I could see, she wanted any old chance to get her arms round you”, said Hillyard.
“She finds you sexually irresistable”, Julian smirked at Bardin.
“Oh c’mon”, said Hillyard “We all find Bardin sexually irresistable”.
“That’s enough of that”, said Bardin “If that bone-headed clot Bengo hadn’t knocked me over, none of it would have happened. And Elaine has to calm down. We can’t afford her getting all frisky like that all the time. God knows, it’s bad enough having to keep trying to avoid Woolly!”
“It’s not fair really”, said Bengo, coming into the room “I’M supposed to be the cute and sexy one, not you”.
“You’re a complete twit, that’s what you are”, said Bardin.
“That makes two of us then don’t it”, said Bengo.
The following morning saw a hive of activity on the island. Joby took Lonts with him to begin planting some fruit trees at the edge of the forest. A short distance away Ransey and Hillyard were sawing up stray bits of wood to begin building the island’s new bar, or The Driftwood 2, as it was nicknamed. It was to be a simple wooden shelter, with one side completely open, where they would store a still and a beer-making kit. Once it was up and running, it was planned to kit it out with a few basic chairs and lanterns on poles. Adam had reluctantly parted with a large aluminium pot they could use for the still, on condition that any moonshine recipes were carried out far from the ship itself.
“He seems to think we’re going to blow the place up!” said Hillyard.
“It never does any harm to err on the side of caution”, said Ransey.
Woolly was watching all this with great interest from a fold-up chair nearby.
“How long will it take before it’s ready to drink?” he asked.
“Hold your horses, mate”, said Hillyard “We haven’t even got it set up yet!”
“Up to 3 weeks”, said Ransey.
“We’d better keep an eye on the days passing then”, said Woolly.
“S’alright”, said Hillyard “We can borrow Bardin’s chalkboard, mark off the days on that”.
Progress on the new build was interrupted a short while later by the disconcerting sound of the drone of an air-buggy in the distance, approaching from over the ocean from the East. Hillyard halted in his shed building. Julian and Glynis had been exercising a couple of the horses along the beach, and pulled them to a halt. Rosa, Ernesto and Elaine had been playing an improvided game of Crazy Golf, and also paused in their endeavours. Bardin ran out on the main deck of the galleon, carrying a pair of binoculars.
The air-buggy appeared as a speck, like a giant buzzing fly, in the far distance. As it got nearer to the island it dropped its height markedly. It was clearly coming in to land.
“Who is that bloody idiot?” said Julian, waspishly “He’s going to land on the beach!”
He grabbed the bridle of Glynis’s pony to steady it, and gestured for Glynis to move up onto the grass. The air-buggy flew low over the island, creating a considerable down draft. As Julian predicted, it flew the length of the beach before coming to a rather ramshackle sudden halt at the western end.
“That’s Dr Xavier’s buggy!” said Elaine, running towards the beach.
Bardin clambered down from the galleon, and they all ran towards it. By the time they all reached the air-buggy, Xavier was struggling to open the door on the pilot’s side. Bardin came up and yanked it open from the outside, with some difficulty as it seemed to have got jammed.
“I come in peace!” Xavier cried, when he emerged, looking somewhat exhausted and dishevelled.
HIs long limbs were clearly stiff from the flight, as he tried to unwind himself from the cramped cockpit. His discomfort can’t have been helped by the fact that all the three remaining seats of the air-buggy were clogged with cardboard boxes. He nearly fell over when he finally planted himself on the sand. Adam and Elaine rushed to help him steady himself.
“Oh thank God”, the Doctor gasped “I only just made it. I was down to the last emergency reserve of the battery. If I’d had to go any further I would have come down in the ocean, and that would have been the end of me. The battery is done for”.
“I suspect it just needs charging up”, said Hillyard “Ransey’ll get onto that very shortly”.
“I had no idea you were so far out, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever spot land again!” said Xavier “Apart from my overnight bag, all the boxes are for you all. I salvaged what goods I could find in a hurry. You might want to rescue them as soon as possible”.
“I’ll get the other clowns onto that immediately”, said Bardin, and he blew on his whistle, causing Xavier to jump.
“I think we’d better get you onto the galleon for a nice cup of tea”, said Adam “Being around Bardin can be a nerve-shattering experience at the best of times”.
“Adam, can I talk to you alone for a little while?” said Xavier “I hope the others don’t mind”.
“I’m sure they don’t”, said Adam “There’ll be bags of time to catch up with everyone. That’s one thing we’re not short of on this island. Time”.
*
Adam parked Xavier in the dining-room on the galleon, and then made a fresh pot of tea. He brought it in accompanied by a plate of rock cakes and a small bottle of cooking brandy.
“You look as if you could do with a good sleep”, said Adam, setting everything on the table in front of him.
“I really wanted to talk to you first”, said Xavier, mopping his face with a hankie “There’s so much to say, and I didn’t want to spring it on everyone at once”.
“What happened to you back in Zilligot Bay?” asked Adam “Because clearly something has. Did you have to get out suddenly?”
Xavier nodded and sipped at his tea.
“Yes”, he said, eventually “After your departure the townsfolk turned completely against me. I wasn’t terribly surprised, I was expecting it. To think I used to try and help those people! It’s enough to make a man bitter and twisted. They trashed the Driftwood you know. I don’t know how I’m going to break that to Rosa and Ernesto”.
“I suspect they won’t be terribly surprised”, said Adam.
“Thugs”, said Xavier “Lunatics. Morons. And then I got wind of a rumour that they were going to steal my air-buggy and come after you. Well to be honest I thought this was darkly hilarious when I first heard it. I mean, that lot? They wouldn’t even venture into the Saturn Desert let alone fly out over the ocean! But I couldn’t take the risk of them damaging the air-buggy, it’s my pride and joy, but it was also enough to tip me over. I didn’t want to stay there anymore. I knew that very likely they would trash my house at some point, like they did the bar. So over a couple of days I salvaged what supplies I could, both from my pantry and my cellar, and anything I could surreptitiously find in the town, from the wreckage of the Driftwood. I had a feeling you all might need some fresh supplies”.
“It’s extremely good of you”, said Adam “I’m sure all contributions will be gratefully received”.
“But I wasn’t just thinking of protecting myself or the air-buggy”, said Xavier “I could not take the risk, however remote, that one of them might steal it and come after you. Some in the town are now completely in thrall to the new regime in the City. They listen avidly to the Ministry wireless broadcasts. They act like lobotomised morons. I suppose the world has been so chaotic for so long that they are desperate for any kind of Authority, however monstrous it may be”.
“What makes you say the Ministry is monstrous?” said Adam “Genuine question. What gives you that impression of them?”
“Because when I say the Ministry I don’t just mean a bunch of bureaucrats, like Ransey and Cloris were”, said Xavier “This lot are a cult, an heritical cult. They worship something that is an abomination to the senses. Sort of half-human half … well I know it’s going to sound silly, but the only way I can describe it is as half giant worm”.
“Giant worm?”
“I told you it was going to sound silly, but that’s the way it is”, Xavier threw his hands in the air “There seems to be no limit to the stupidity of the human race at times. Some big vampiric creature that has to be constantly appeased and revered, and can suck the life force out of anything it chooses. They parade its image on wheels through the streets of the City, to intimidate the people”.
“The worm/snakelike aspects of it sounds almost voodoo-ish”, said Adam.
“It’s far worse than that”, said Xavier “This … Thing … whatever it is, is REAL. It exists!”
Dr Xavier was taken over to the yacht, and slept on the sofa in the lounge. For several hours he was completely oblivious to anything, wrapped tightly in a blanket. Coming back to consciousness was like climbing out of a deep well, slowly clawing his way back up. When he came to, he found Elaine kneeling by his side, wearing a long orange kaftan, and holding up a mug of tea to him.
“Elaine, oh my God”, said Xavier, struggling to sit up “How long have I been asleep?”
“About 18 hours”, Elaine smiled.
“Eighteen … ?” Xavier stammered.
“You have been completely out for the count. I think if the yacht had blown up you wouldn’t have noticed anything. Here have some tea, you must be feeling quite dehydrated”.
“Thank you”, Xavier took the mug from her and sipped at it gratefully.
“I’ve put some sugar in it”, said Elaine “I thought you might need a bit of a lift”.
“It’s very nice. Have I missed anything going on?” he asked.
“No”, said Elaine “Everyone’s been busy unloading your supplies, and Ransey has taken the buggy battery onto the galleon to charge it up. He says it might take a few days, but it should be fine when it’s done”.
“Good”, said the Doctor “I’m so glad those thugs back at the town didn’t get their hands on it. I think that would have finished me off. What an ugly world this has become”.
Elaine nodded thoughtfully.
“It has”, she said “But we have to make a little oasis when we can, and I hope we have here”.
After he had breakfasted, and then washed and shaved, Xavier accompanied the women of the yacht on a little walk up the centre of the island. They went into the shady depths of the forest. There was a rustling from some bushes further up.
“Oh there are wild boar on the island”, said Rosa “They largely keep themselves to the forest”.
“Is the volcano dormant?” asked Xavier, looking up towards the top of the island.
“Sadly no, we don’t think so”, said Jane “But if my knowledge of volcanoes is anything to go by, we should get some warning if it starts smoking and rumbling”.
“I keep on at H that we should fly over it sometime”, said Rosa “Just to see”.
“That would be interesting”, said Xavier “How long would it take to walk up to the edge of the forest at the base of it?”
“Not long”, said Elaine “About an hour, tops. There’s a flight of wooden steps there, which someone must have built sometime. We’re not sure why, as they don’t lead anywhere in particular, but you do get a good view of the ocean when you climb to the top. Perhaps that’s why they did it, like a viewing-platform”.
“We think someone may have had a house in that part at one time”, said Rosa “There are some old bricks and stone flooring lying around near the steps. We keep meaning to move the bricks down, in case Hillyard can find a use for them”.
“It can be a bit unnerving, not knowing anything about the previous residents”, said Jane “We keep expecting them to turn up and demand to know what we’re doing here. But we think whoever was here was a very long time ago. Decades in fact”.
The women had decided amongst themselves that they wouldn’t mention the mysterious Romany wagon just yet. They felt Xavier needed time to adjust to the little strange nuances of the island. And it had been decided by all of them, both on the yacht and on the galleon, that they wouldn’t mention the Fog Hiatus either. Simply because there was a depressing feeling that if Xavier had tried to reach them then, he would have found it impossible and would almost certainly have come down in the ocean.
Back on the galleon Julian was sitting up on the poop-deck, staring at the group through a pair of binoculars.
“What are you doing, you nosy old bugger?” said Adam, coming up onto the deck.
“The body language amongst that lot is quite fascinating”, said Julian, putting the binoculars down “A psychologist or relationship expert would have a field day”.
“Can’t you just leave them all to go for a walk without spying on them like MI5?” said Adam.
“Elaine can’t keep her eyes off the Doc”, said Julian, wholly unrepentant as always “Gazes up at him adoringly every time he speaks”.
“Well I’m sure Bardin will be relieved to hear that”.
“No he won’t, because the Doc is nuts about Glynis, keeps surreptitiously glancing over at her, as if he’s gauging her reaction to everything he says”.
“I think you’re reading far too much into it”, said Adam.
“No I’m not”, said Julian, winding the neck-strap round the binoculars “I know when a man fancies a woman”.
“No you don’t, you preposterous old fool!”
“Yes I do, it’s all sex at the end of the day. Chemical attraction and all that. When it’s there it can’t be hidden, however much someone may try, never mind the sexual orientation involved. And I’ll tell you exactly where Elaine is going wrong”.
“Oh for heaven’s sake …” said Adam.
“She’s making it all too obvious”, said Julian “Flinging herself at him as if she’s for sale in some bargain basement”.
“Julian!” Adam exclaimed “What a horrible thing to say, and very ungallant!”
“The truth is often painful”.
“It is when you administer it!”
“Ah, so you admit I’m onto something”, said Julian “Elaine is making exactly the same mistake she makes with Bardin, practically shouts ‘I’m available, come and get it’”.
“Yes, but it was very unlikely Bardin would ever be interested, whereas Dr Xavier …”
“Isn’t interested either. Men often like women to be a challenge, a bit of a mystery”.
“Well in that case why doesn’t he go after Rosa, she’s the most quiet and self-contained of all of them?”
“He knows there’s no point, Rosa is nuts about you”.
“I could wring your bloody neck sometimes”, said Adam “Rosa and I …”
“Have an understanding, yes I know. Anyway, H has made it very clear that he’s summoning up the energy to put a depost down on Rosa”.
Adam boxed his ears.
“This is outrageous”, said Adam “You’re making me feel like I’m living in some kind of tawdry soap opera”.
“Life often is like a tawdry soap opera”, said Julian, smoothing his hair “Just because you try to act all superior as if you’re above such things, which is complete nonsense as everyone knows. You, Joby and Bengo spend all day gossiping down there”.
“Maybe”, said Adam “But at least we don’t talk about the girls in such a derogatory way”.
“I don’t think I was being derogatory”, said Julian “Anyway, I’d say it far more bluntly if they were men. You’d better warn Bardin, when Elaine realises she’s onto a losing wicket with the Doc, she’ll be homing back into him”.
“I damn well hope not. Bardin gets very tense when she starts going all ‘luvvy’ around him”.
Over the next couple of weeks though things settled down again on the island. Dr Xavier’s arrival had changed the dynamics on the yacht. They became more self-contained, more like neighbours at a small distance, than neighbours who kept busting in. The women were happily fussing around the Doctor, constantly stressing that he had clearly been through an awful time and needed plenty of rest. There was no denying that Xavier did seem both physically and emotionally exhausted at times. What had happened back at Zilligot Bay had frightened him.
“I’ve been through some stressful times in my life, God knows”, he confided in Adam, when they were strolling along the beach one afternoon “I thought nothing could top losing Antonia for distress value, but having to flee for my own safety wasn’t far off it. I sometimes wonder, in the still watches of the night, if they might have torn me to pieces at some point. I haven’t mentioned this to anyone else, but … well the thought is there”.
“How on earth did it come to this?” Adam gave a heartfelt sigh.
“Many years of chaos followed by the madness that is currently happening in the City”, said Xavier.
“Nature abhors a vacuum”, said Adam “When there is a gap on the power levels then there is always the danger that something truly reprehensible may move in and fill it”.
“I’m not even sure it’s that”, said Xavier “I’m wondering if it was planned all along. That whoever this evil regime is deliberately plunged the world into constant chaos so that they could then move in …”
“And achieve what though? I know evil is all about destruction. I’ve heard Kieran say it enough over the years, but I confess I’ve never fully understood WHY it wants to destroy. After all, once you have destroyed you are left with nothing”.
“They destroy because they can’t build, they can’t create”.
The two of them paused and looked out over the sparkling ocean.
“And to cap it all”, said Xavier “There is this wretched Vampire Worm or whatever it is. They worship it, and it feeds off other people’s emotions. Be glad for this big blue sea, Adam. I don’t believe the Evil can reach you here”.
“It struggles with crossing water”, said Adam “We’ve encountered that one before. Many years ago we confined some of it to the Cursed Isle, quite some way to the North of here. The ocean around it can be troublesome though, we’ve experienced that too, but it is a long way from here. We’re still speculating occasionally as to whether we’re here for the long haul, or whether to move on at some point, I think we’re all still undecided on that one”.
“I would urge you to stay here”, said Xavier “For as long as you reasonably can anyway”.
“Are you staying with us?”
“I have nowhere else to go. And I seem to keep trying to find you guys! Plus I’ve felt like a weight has been lifted off me since I arrived here, I’ve felt younger”.
“You do look a bit younger too”, said Adam “It must be some of Kieran’s Magic”.
Much to Joby’s annoyance Adam badgered him into going for a walk the following day. The yacht crew, plus Lonts, Hillyard and Kieran had elected to take Doctor Xavier for a walk up through the forest to show him the volcano area. Joby had no inclination to go along, but Adam wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
“Why are you so keen for me to go?” said Joby, suspiciously “What are you getting up to back here that I’m not supposed to know about?”
“Nothing”, said Adam “But I’m sure at some point Xavier will talk more about what’s going on on the Old Continent, and it would be interesting to know, that’s all”.
“Then why don’t you ask him yourself!”
“Well then he’d have to repeat it all, and it might be useful to know what the others make of it all”.
“Then why don’t you go?” said Joby, in exasperation.
“I want to stay here and spank Bardin”, said Adam “Plus I thought it would be a nice little treat for you. I don’t think you’ve been getting enough sunshine lately”.
“I won’t be getting much in the forest either!” said Joby.
“Honestly, I don’t know what all the fuss is about”, said Adam “Anyone would think I was putting some horrible burden on you, and instead I’m proposing a nice little jaunt out, and I thought you’d want to be with Patsy and Hillyard”.
“I can see them anytime”.
“Oh now Joby! Look between you and me, I think Patsy’s been a bit too mellow lately, and I think it would do him good to have a little walk with you”.
“He’s just been thinking, that’s all”, said Joby “He says there’s a lot to process about everything that’s happened, and what the Doc has told us. It’s nothing more than that, I promise you”.
“Well I still think it would be nice for him to go out with you”.
The galley door was flung open, and Lonts burst through.
“Are you ready, Joby?” he bellowed “Only we’re going to set off soon”.
“I’m not ready yet”, said Joby “I’m wanna take a water bottle with me, and things like that”.
“I’ve left all that out on the dining-room table”, said Adam “Along with a spare tote bag”.
“Blimey, you think of everything doncha”, said Joby.
Joby grabbed the supplies from the dining-room, and then followed Lonts up the quarterdeck steps. Bengo was waiting at the top by the hatch.
“I hope you all have a fabulous time”, he trilled.
“Yeah, I notice you’ve got out of it too”, said Joby.
“Someone’s gotta keep an eye on Bardy”, said Bengo.
“Come along Jobe”, Hillyard called from the other side of the deck “A bit of exercise’ll do you good”.
“I get plenty of exercise in my job”, said Joby.
“That’s not real exercise”, said Hillyard “The only walking you do is from the galley to the dining-room and back again, this will be REAL walking”.
Fortunately the cool shade of the forest provided a welcome relief from the intense heat of the sun.
“I think we’re in for a heatwave”, said Hillyard “We’re on roughly the same latitude as Zilligot Bay, and the Summers were often hot there”.
“I have no idea what the date is”, said Joby “I’ve completely lost all track of time since we’ve been here, particularly during the Fog Hiatus”.
“Let’s just assume the Dog Days have begun”, said Kieran.
“As long as we don’t have to work outside too much in the midday heat I don’t mind”, said Hillyard “Ranz and I can get on with building the bar come the evenings”.
“Why hasn’t he joined us today?” said Joby “He’s not gonna fiddle around with that wireless set is he?”
“Nah, rest your brain on that one”, said Hillyard “He wants to do another inventory, and make a plan for when we need to replace some stuff”.
“That doesn’t involve leaving here does it?” said Rosa, who had been walking in front of them. She turned round sharply to face them.
“And go where?” said Joby “It’s not as if we’ve got some big shit supermarket on an island a few miles away!”
“I would strongly advise not leaving”, said Xavier, also pausing to face them “This is such a remote island. You are safe here”.
“What makes you say it like that?” said Kieran.
“A feeling that the Ministry will be after you”, said Xavier.
“There’s nothing new there!” said Kieran.
“Not the first time we’ve been outlaws”, said Joby.
“If you keep the wireless disconnected, that should help a lot”, said Xavier “Otherwise I strongly suspect they will be constantly scanning the airwaves for your location. It’s best to err on the side of caution”.
“Are we outlaws too?” Elaine laughed “What a lark”.
Both Joby and Hillyard thought it was good that neither Julian nor Bardin were around to hear this remark.
Joby was annoyed by Dr Xavier’s warning, however well-meant it was, because it seemed to set Kieran on edge from that moment on. A situation not helped by the fact that, on emerging from the forest, about a quarter of the way up the volcano, the heat felt more intense than ever. They arranged themselves on a different parts of the strange wooden viewing platform, and availed themselves of the bottled water they had carried up with them.
Xavier stood at one point and peered out over the island with his binoculars.
“I’m surprised you haven’t erected a flag-post here”, he laughed.
“Why would we do that?” said an uncharacteristically sullen Kieran.
“Oh just an idea”, said Xavier “I’ve read this is what people did, historically. Plant a flag to assert their ownership of a place”.
“There will be no flags on this island”, said Kieran, firmly “Or anywhere else we arrive at for that matter”.
“For fuck’s sake, Kiel”, Joby whispered “Lighten up, he was only joking”.
“Sorry”, said Kieran “I guess I’m a wee bit unsettled with any talk of the Ministry”.
“I’m not surprised!” said Hillyard “But I can’t imagine the Ministry having the nous to get right out here”.
“That’s for sure”, said Joby.
“Hey!” H called from further up the platform. He had been staring out westwards towards the New Continent “Have you guys noticed something?”
They all stood up, and focussed various binoculars and hand-held telescopes. From the very far distant horizon a thin plume of smoke was heading directly upwards.
“Most likely a volcano”, said H.
“I hope it doesn’t give this one any ideas”, said Joby.
“Well if it does it should give us plenty of warning if we need to leave”, said Kieran.
Once the hike up to the volcano was out of the way, progress was rapidly made on the new bar, and nearby Joby concentrated on the fruit and veg garden he was cultivating at the edge of the forest. The torrid heat of high Summer was slowly easing, and the temperatures were becoming more tolerable. One afternoon he noticed that Elaine was standing motionless at the edge of the beach, staring out across the sparkling ocean. She was standing there for so long that Joby became concerned and went over to join her.
“Everything alright Elly?” he said, following her line of vision, but unable to see anything that could be causing her total unbroken fascination.
“I’m OK”, she replied, sounding vague and dreamy.
“Well you don’t seem like your usual self”, said Joby “Is there anything you want to talk about? Or do you want me to fetch Kieran?”
“I’m not wanted around here”, Elaine blurted out.
“What on earth makes you say that?”
“Everyone’s forging deep new relationships, and I’m like a spare wheel”.
“Is this about Dr Xavier?” said Joby.
“It’s not just him”, Elaine snapped “It’s all of them. H keeps trying to coax Rosa out for flying lessons …”
“That’s because he knows she’s interested!” said Joby.
“And I know everyone keeps telling me I have no hope with Bardin …”
“Bardin is married to Bengo y’now”, said Joby, impatiently “Nobody ever seems to consider that little fella’s feelings in all of this!”
“B-Bengo?” said Elaine, as though she was hearing his name for the very first time.
“Yes Bengo”, said Joby “Bardin’s spouse, lifelong friend and comedy partner!”
“I-I …” Elaine now looked completely confused “Oh you’re going to think I’m an awful person, but I never think of those two as that serious!”
Joby took a sharp intake of breath, as he didn’t trust himself to reply in a civilised manner.
“What did you think they were then?” he said, eventually “Brothers?! They’re nuts about each other!”
To his relief he noticed that H was loitering nearby with his hands thrust into his trousers pockets, and looking concerned.
“I think there’s someone you could talk to over there”, said Joby, and he gestured at H to come and join them.
“I could’ve wrung her fucking neck!” Joby expostulated, when he was back on the galleon.
“She does seem to have been remarkably obtuse”, said Adam.
“Obtuse?!” said Joby “Fucking dense! How long have we known her now? I’m flabbergasted, I really am. She must’ve known Bengo and Bardin are an item!”
“Oh she knows it”, said Adam, wearily “But for some reason she’s convinced herself that it’s not real. I know it beggars belief, but people can do that sometimes. Oh they’re just boyhood chums, that sort of thing. Somehow she’s fooled herself that it’s not a proper grown-up relationship”.
“Well I know those two can act like a couple of kids sometimes, but that’s ridiculous!” said Joby.
“It sounds like you did the right thing by parcelling her onto H”, said Adam.
“And what’s all this me-me-me what about me garbage?” Joby continued “What about Jane? She’s bumbling along on her own, and you don’t get any of this rubbish out of her”.
“I think there’s a bit difference between ex-Ministry and ex-showbusiness somehow”, said Adam “Look, take this tea along to Patsy. He’s changing the bedding in your cabin and I promised him a cup. It’ll work off some of your pent-up energy”.
“There was me thinking she was about to wading off into the ocean!” said Joby, a few minutes later “She got me really concerned there. I know she can’t really kill herself, not now, but it still got me worried”.
“No, you were right to be concerned”, said Kieran “The Elaines of this world can be lost souls. She wants so desperately to be loved by everyone, and who knows what damage that 7 years isolated at the old railway station did to her. I think having a loving community around her again has over-stimulated her a wee bit. And she’s latched onto Bardin because she seems him as the strong, capable leader”.
“Sounds like she’s latched onto the Doctor for the same reason”.
“Let’s see where we go with Xavier”, Kieran sighed “At the moment I’m not sure if I really believe what he’s telling us about the outside world, and this giant worm or whatever it is, in the City”.
“Eh what?” said Joby “You think he’s deliberately lying to us?”
“I don’t think he’s doing it out of any directly malevolent intent”.
“Now I’m completely confused!”
“By making this stuff up, he think he’s protecting us”, said Kieran “It keeps us safely here on this island. We’re not likely to go venturing back there in a hurry. He thinks he’s telling these lies for our benefit”.
“Hm”, said Joby “Sounds like Ransey needs to get back onto the wireless again. See if he can suss what’s really going on out there”.
The women had all gone swimming in the sea, amidst much shrieking, laughing and hollering. They were being watched by Julian and Adam sitting up on the poop-deck, and Woolly and H standing on the beach. Woolly was grinning all over his face.
“I do like to see the girls enjoying themselves”, he said.
“Are you sure you’re queer?” said H “Have you been fooling us all this time?”
“I just like to see women having fun. Being carefree”.
“This must be the famed alliance between straight women and gay men I’ve heard so much about. I never understood all that”.
“I think it’s because we both know what it’s like to be bullied and intimidated by straight men. Present company excepted of course”.
“Of course”, said H.
Up on the galleon Julian was perusing the whole scene with a pair of binoculars.
“Look at the Doctor”, he said, indicating Dr Xavier, who was standing on the bit of rough grass near the yacht “He can’t keep his eyes off Glynis. I told you, didn’t I? He and H are like a pair of hungry men standing outside a pie shop, waiting to be let in”.
“Julian, for heaven’s sake”, said Adam “Have some decency”.
“Oh be quiet, you’re every bit as fascinated as I am. At least I can admit it. Y’know, if H were to play his cards right, he could have both Rosa and Elaine”.
“Now you’re really being coarse”.
“Not coarse, practical. The last thing we need is a bunch of frustrated, sex-starved people on this island. Elaine’s already caused us enough worry as it is”.
“Yes, but it’s not down to you to meddle in the sex lives of the neighbours”, said Adam “Frankly, I would rather stay well out of it”.
Ransey suddenly loomed into view, looking rather disconcerted.
“Everything alright, old love?” said Adam.
“Where’s Kieran?”
“He’s helping Joby over at the allotment”.
Ransey nodded and wandered off over to the gangpank.
“I don’t like the sound of that”, said Julian “Not at all. I knew no good would come of him farting about with the wireless again”.
Ransey came upon Kieran and Joby laying out strawberries and runner beans near the trees. From the look on Ransey’ face Joby knew this would not be just any old social call.
“I can bugger off if you like”, he said.
“You don’t have to”, said Ransey “It’s not exactly confidential, and you’re bound to find out anyway”.
“Nah, I’m happy to”, said Joby, straightening up “I’ll go and have a chat with Hillyard”.
He strolled over to where Hillyard was working on the wooden structure of the new bar.
“You’ve found something on the wireless”, Kieran sighed.
“Weird crap”, said Ransey, flinging up his hands in exasperation.
“Well it’s anything to do with the Ministry, that’s not really surprising”.
“Some public service announcements. The airwaves are clogged with them. The Big Worm - I’m serious, that’s what they called it - is dead, and the whole world has to go into a state of enforced mourning. Indefinately”.
“That might explain why I couldn’t seem to get a handle on this Thing, whatever it is”, said Kieran “I was starting to think that it had never really exited at all, but it makes just ass much sense that it’s dead. And if it is dead, I suspect it’s been that way for quite some time. It’s only now that they’re telling people”.
“And INDEFINATE state of mourning?” Ransey exclaimed “How the hell is that going to work? They are telling people to stay in their houses, and that all businesses will be closed. It’s like the Sickness all over again, only even worse!”
“They are trying to destroy civilisation. They had a damn good go with the Sickness, but human beings are too naturally resilient for them. So this is their next attempt”, he gave a sigh “We went through all this a long time ago with Father Gabriel and his voodoo nonsense. By the time he had finished the City was in complete ruins”.
“I remember it well”, said Ransey, grimly.
“Do you mind if I have a moment to think about it?”
“No, not at all, I’ll go and tell Joby and Hillyard”.
Kieran wandered into the woods, going a short distance until he reached a small clearing. He stopped and pressed his forehead against a tree, concentrating deeply for several minutes. After a while he sensed that the atmosphere had changed, had got denser, heavier, somehow. He lifted up his head and turned. Angel was standing a few steps away.
“Things must be bad if you’ve summoned me to your sacred little island”, he said.
“You’re not looking too bad”, said Kieran “Well I’ve seen you looking a lot worse anyway”.
“Yeah thanks”, Angel growled “You might have noticed that my ear hasn’t grown back yet!”
“Think of it as a little souvenir”.
“What do you want? You’re always bothering me. Wanting favours. You’re so damn boring”.
“Thank you”, said Kieran “You must know what’s happening over there on the Old Continent”.
“The shit that’s going down in the City again? Huh yeah. Nothing to do with me though. Not been near the place in ages. And no, it’s none of your damn business where I’ve been”.
“I know I know, it’s just that …. Well I guess there are many different levels of wickedness”.
“What are you trying to say?”
“That I don’t believe you are completely wicked. More like a lost soul. A fallen angel. That’s what you are, but there are evils in this universe on a whole nother level”.
“Huh”, Angel snorted “I almost feel insulted!”
“You see? Real evil wouldn’t make a joke like that …”
“If you’re trying to soft-soap me for some reason, pack it in. Whatever it is. I’m not interested. I’m too bloody tired. All I want to do these days is rest”.
“And yet you came when I called”.
“Curiosity”, Angel replied “Plus I wanted to see this island for myself. And I couldn’t do that unless you invited me here. I knew you must be desperate to do that”.
“Angel, I sense there is something at large in the City that is completely without any kind of a soul. You have a soul, but it’s a damaged one. A brutally damaged one, but a soul nonetheless. Whatever this is though, has nothing at all”.
“As you said, different levels of Evil”.
“You’re not comfortable with me mentioning it”, said Kieran “Is that why you’re avoiding the City? To keep away from it?”
“I’m not scared of it, if that’s what you mean”, said Angel “But something about it fills me with total disgust. It’s vile. It barely operates on the level of any other thing, and I include vampires in that”.
“Did it control the Worm?”
“The Worm was just something it used to intimidate people. This … Thing controls everything. It kept the Worm going for a while, and then destroyed it when it felt it was of no further use”.
“And needless to say, it controls the Ministry?”
“Huh, need you ask!”
Kieran paused in thoughtfulness for a while. He was silent for so long that Angel began to grow restive, and made as if he was suddenly going to depart the island.
“All this is very interesting, Angel”, said Kieran, at last “Except none of it is real is it? Not the giant worm, nor the Evil devoid of all feeling”.
“I’m not making any of it up!” Angel snapped.
“No I know you’re not”, said Kieran “You’ve been had, just like everybody else”.
“What do you mean?” Angel now sounded dangerously angry.
“Don’t take offence”, Kieran held up his hands in a surrender gesture “They’ve been fooling so many people. The only thing that began to get me suspicious was that I couldn’t pick up on this worm, or this Evil Thing, not at all. There was nothing there …”
“But you’ve just said yourself that you could sense there was something in the City that had no soul …”
“Yes, and it’s called the Ministry”, said Kieran “For reasons best known to itself it is trying to constantly scare people into submission. Back in the very old days, when you and I first knew each other, the Ministry was controlled by the vampires, and they all used each other to rule by fear. People lived in terror of the vampires, and for good reason. They also used Fear to try and wipe out the women. As you said yourself, they put about this ludicrous story of the Worm, and then destroyed the Worm when they couldn’t go any further with it … except the Worm never existed to start with. Hence the images of it being pulled through the streets. No one saw the real thing”.
“You’re doing my head in”, said Angel, now sounding genuinely pained “So who are these psychopaths at the Ministry?”
“Just that. Extreme psychopaths”, said Kieran “They have no soul. They are like vampires, but unlike you lot who feed off flesh and blood, they feed off Fear. And like drug addicts they need more and more of it. They keep ramping it up. Don’t look so traumatised. It’s a lot to get your head around. And the problem is, that - although things like the Worm and the Ultimate Evil Entity - may not be real, the Ministry can still cause a great deal of harm. They will kill, and say they are doing it in the public interest”.
“Yeah yeah that sort of thing’s always gone on”.
“And it’s very depressing that it keeps going on. It’s pained them so far though that the human race has still kept going about its business, no matter what crap has been flung at them. But then they got an idea from the Sickness pandemic, when people were ordered to isolate and live in fear. The difference was, the Sickness was real. The Mourning isn’t”.
“So people will get wise to it”, Angel shrugged “It’s got a limited shelf life”.
“The Mourning is just the start”, said Kieran, sombrely.
“This island seems OK”, said Angel, standing upright as if to move off “But if I were you I’d check for any underground tunnels below the ocean. And get off the wireless, you can’t afford for them to track you”.
“Damn it, we should’ve done that about the underground tunnels right at the start”, said Hillyard, when Kieran called an Indigo-ite summit meeting in the dining-room on the galleon afterwards.
“It’s no problem to make a start on it as soon as possible”, said Ransey.
“Do we tell the neighbours that I met with Angel on this island though?” said Kieran “I don’t like the thought of keeping secrets from them, not if we are to build a community here, but the idea that I invited the Devil to this island might be a wee bit much for them to absorb”.
“Try it”, said Bardin, from the top of the table “It’s better they know. And I don’t see how we can go about checking for underground tunnels and boycotting the wireless without them knowing. What are we going to do? Mooch about looking really shifty, and saying ‘it’s OK, nothing to see here’. Better they know everything, well as much as we know anyway”.
“Bardy can be really sensible sometimes”, said Bengo.
“Yes, everyone should sit up and take note of this momentous event”, said Bardin, sarcastically “Kieran, it’s best you go over and talk to all of them. And try to keep it as simple as possible. Not too much airy-fairy esoteric shit”.
“Well I’ll try me best to be as charming as you would be”, said Kieran, matching him for sarcasm.
*
If Kieran was worried that the neighbours might be alarmed by Angel’s presence on the island, he was in for a surprise. Rosa said something along the lines of that she had always suspected the forest on the island was enchanted, and, alarmingly, Elaine seemed to go into hanky-wringing mode about Poor Angel.
“From what I’ve heard he had a terrible start in life”, she said, looking anguished “No wonder he’s ended up so damaged ….”
“Elly! ELLY!” said Kieran, firmly “Let’s not get carried away here. Please try and remember that Angel is a vampire, he exists by killing. No amount of love and sympathy will impact on him”.
“But you’ve said yourself that he’s helped you many times over the years”, said Elaine.
“Yes he has”, said Kieran “And I’m grateful for that. But as the old saying goes ‘He Who Sups With The Devil Should Have A Long Spoon’. You keep your distance, and you never for one moment forget what he is. The blunt fact is that he’s a monster. Literally. I’m sorry, but that’s the way of it. Some entities are indeed lost souls, but that doesn’t make them any the less dangerous”.
Rosa could see that Kieran was getting himself worked up, and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“Hillyard tells me that it will almost be soon for the opening night of the bar”, she said “I hope we will see you there”.
“I’m Irish”, Kieran smiled “Of course you’ll see me there!”
“That bloody woman, I could fucking throttle her!” said Bardin, in his cabin on the galleon a short while later.
“Who?” said Bengo, who had only just come into the room “Who are you ranting about now?”
“Who do you think?” said Bardin “There is only one woman on this island who grinds my gears to this extent. Need you ask!”
“Well I suppose not”, said Bengo, and he gave a deep sigh “What’s Elaine done now?”
“She came out with a lot of bloody rubbish to Kieran about Poor Old Angel, and what a terrible start he had in life, and … oh God, I could smash up the furniture!”
“Don’t!” said Bengo “What would we sit on if you did that? What did Kieran say?”
“He said he tried to get it through to her that Angel is a vampire, that he lives by destruction, but God knows if any of it sunk into that batshit crazy brain of hers”.
“I sometimes think it must be a nice place, inside her brain”.
“Well there’s plenty of room in it that’s for sure!” said Bardin “Limitless empty space!”
“Calm down”, Bengo laughed “You should be used to empty-headed numbskulls by now, you’ve been married to me all these years”.
“Bengo”, said Bardin, with forced patience “Even at your most gormless and well-meaning you have nothing on her”.
“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not, but thanks”, said Bengo.
“Do you know what she had the bloody brass nerve to say to me yesterday?”
“What?”
“‘I’m a glass half person’, that’s what she said, that she’s a glass half full person”, exclaimed Bardin.
“Well that’s a bloody lie for a start”, said Bengo “It was only very recently that we all practically had her on Suicide Watch!”
“Oh she didn’t stop here”, said Bardin “‘I believe’, she said ‘I believe that the sun will always rise tomorrow, and the birds will sing, and the dogs will bark …’ by that point I could have cheerfully strangled her with my own bare hands, if it was humanly possible! The bloody unspeakable irritating nerve of the woman!”
“Look calm down”, said Bengo “We’re having the big opening of the new bar tonight, and it’s not going to be much fun if you’re threatening to murder Elaine is it!”
“Just keep me well away from her”, said Bardin “And if she starts blathering on about being a glass half full person, I won’t be held responsible for my actions! She’s a nutcase!”
Early that evening many of the others had assembled over at the new wooden shack which was to be the bar. Dr Xavier and Glynis though were currently in the saloon on the yacht, sitting opposite each other. Glynis was holding up a large hand-mirror so that Xavier could see himself. He ran a hand through his dark hair, which was now long enough to be touching his shoulders.
“I don’t think I’ve looked like this since I was in my thirties”, he said.
“It’s quite something when the immortality first hits you”, said Glynis.
Xavier continued staring at himself and shaking his head.
“I’m … well I’m literally lost for words”, he said “This is Kieran’s doing isn’t it? It’s not the magic of the island?”
“He made me immortal many years ago”, said Glynis, putting the mirror down carefully “And I think it happened to Rosa and the others on the voyage here. If we are all to travel together from now on, I think it makes sense to be this way”.
“I don’t wish to sound ungrateful”, said Xavier “But a part of me wishes it had happened before Antonia passed”.
“That’s perfectly understandable”, said Glynis “But sadly none of us expected to have to flee Zilligot Bay the way we did. It doesn’t make us invincible. I get the impression Tamaz was in grave peril back at the Bay. I’m not quite sure how, but I know Kieran had to save him somehow, so we can still be got at, as it were”.
“It must have made things tricky for you sometimes”, said Xavier “Being immortal I mean, particularly when you were on your own”.
“I had to be careful back in Toondor Lanpin”, said Glynis “I was trying to make myself look much older, but I’m not sure how much it fooled anyone. I’m hoping I don’t have to do all that again, not for a while anyway. It’s so much easier being amongst people who are like yourself. The thing is it does make us outsiders. And we have to accept that. We have moved onto another level, and we are nomads now. Our boats are our home”.
“I have no one else anywhere”, Xavier sighed “Antonia was my whole life for so long. My parents died many years ago and I was an only child. I had an aunt, but she passed away some time back, and she was the last member of my family who existed. I put everything, all my love, onto Antonia. I’m not sure I recommend that as a healthy way to live. I always knew I would be destroyed if anything happened to her”.
“But you haven’t been destroyed”, said Glynis, softly “You’re still here”.
“If you don’t mind me saying so”, said Xavier “And I don’t wish to sound creepy, but I don’t understand why a very kind, attractive woman like you was by herself”.
“I was married once”, said Glynis “To a man called Codlik, you may or may not have heard of him. It wasn’t a good marriage. He got himself in such a state that he ended up drowning himself”.
“I’m sorry”.
“It was a very long time ago, and … well he’d caused a lot of harm, so I’m afraid it was more of a relief than anything. I have two children somewhere. You might as well know now, so you can decide that perhaps I’m not quite such a nice woman as you think I am. They are immortal too, but they went off to the City and made their own lives. We lost touch”, Glynis gave a heartfelt sigh “It can happen”.
“You won’t disappoint me”, said Xavier “I know how complex families can be. When I was a hospital doctor I heard families come out with the most outrageous things. Complain an elderly relative wasn’t dying fast enough, that sort of thing! I had a patient who died in the prime of life once, a beautiful young woman. She had blood cancer. Such a tragic waste. When her mother turned up a the hospital after the passing the first thing she said was to demand to know where her jewels were! There was I, all ready to come out with the heartfelt sympathy, and I genuinely meant it, I was deeply saddened by it all, so were the nurses, one had tears streaming down her face, and then I got ‘where are her jewels?’ from her old bat of a mother. Good lord, I’m amazed I didn’t put her through a window!”
“You were a miracle of restraint!” said Glynis.
They went ashore and joined the others at the Driftwood 2. Rosa was standing by, wearing a silk dressing-gown over an ankle-length dress, to do the official inauguration, but was waiting for Ransey to confirm that the beer was fully drinkable.
“I hope you’re not in any rush”, said Hillyard, to Glynis and Xavier “This is what we get when we put The Man From The Ministry in charge of things”.
“You’ll thank me when I’ve saved you all from guts ache and going blind”, said Ransey, who was squatting down behind the counter, attending to the taps on the beer kegs.
“Oh we from the Ministry always get the blame”, said Jane.
“And never any credit when things go right!” said Ransey.
“A bit like being God really”, said Kieran.
“OK I think we’re getting somewhere”, said Ransey.
Glasses, mugs and general drinking vessels of all assorted sizes were produced, and lined up in a jumbled row on the counter. Rosa declared the Driftwood 2 officially open.
The evening was so calm and mild that Hillyard, Joby and Elaine went for a short walk along the west coast of the island. Picking their way through the rocks, the ocean gently lapped at their feet.
“I can’t believe how lucky we’ve been with this place”, said Elaine, as they paused to gaze out across the vast expanse of the water “I used to think of the ocean as a horribly scary place. When we lived at the old railway station it could often be very tumultuous”.
“It probably can be here as well”, said Hillyard “We haven’t got into Winter yet, but yeah, we’ve been lucky so far”.
“I’m sure we will deal with it when it comes”, said Elaine, relishing the bottom of her kaftan getting soaked in the satiny feel of the water.
“You never had moments like this at the old railway station?” said Hillyard “After all, you were right by the coast there”.
“Well we went fishing quite a bit”, said Elaine “My brother and I. But I never felt we could entirely relax in that area. There was always the fear that someone would appear from the outside world. Oh not nice people like yourselves, but hostile ones. Before we ran away from the City I had heard about people being carted off to death-camps, well that was the rumour anyway, I still don’t know how true it was”.
“And you feel a lot safer here?” asked Joby.
“Yes, perhaps I’m mistaken, but it’s safety in numbers”, said Elaine “When there’s just the two of you, you feel so vulnerable. So insignificant in the great scale of things I suppose. In all the years we lived there I never even went swimming in the ocean, in case something happened to me, and then Nyx would be all on his own”.
“You poor thing”, said Joby, squeezing her arm.
“I guess that’s why I don’t ever take offence when Bardin’s shouting his head off”, said Elaine “It’s nice to know there’s someone around who is so capable. Don’t look at me like that, Joby, I’m not vamping for him again. I took what you said on board”.
“Sorry, probably just my face reacting and I didn’t realise it”, said Joby.
“We understand how you feel”, said Hillyard “There have been plenty of times over the years when I’ve been glad there’s a lot of us around each other”.
“We haven’t known that vulnerability in small numbers since the very early years”, said Joby “When Ad, Kieran and me were travelling on our own up in the north. God, that was bleak and bloody scary. And then we met Hillyard”.
“And everything changed for the better!” said Hillyard.
He looked up the coastline, at the edge of the forest crowding as far as it could go to the ocean.
“I suppose we’re going to have to go looking for those tunnel entrances tomorrow”, he said “Bardin will be organising groups. Going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack”.
“Surely even the vampires couldn’t come this far out under the ocean?” said Elaine.
“Good point”, said Hillyard “Sometimes I think it would be easier just for Kieran to bless the island”.
“He’s been doing a bit of that anyway”, said Joby.
“Look at the sunset”, said Elaine, as the sky spread in pink all over.
The following morning H accosted Bardin as Bardin was leading Marigold, one of the horses, off the ship for some exercise.
“This plan today to look for the underground entrances”, said H.
“Yes, it’s a faff”, said Bardin “I’d rather we didn’t have to do it. I’m not even sure it’s possible. Just searching through the forest is going to be hard enough. It’s going to waste valuable time that would be better spent doing other things”.
“The Doc and I have been talking”, said H, indicating towards Xavier, who was standing near the yacht “Why don’t we take the air-buggies out, fly as low as we can over the island, see if we spot anything untoward that we missed before?”
“It’s an interesting idea”, said Bardin, patting Marigold’s neck whilst keeping a firm grip on the bridle “But I’m not sure they’re going to be that obvious”.
“It doesn’t matter”, H shook his head “As I said, we’ll fly as low as we can, do several circles. Take some passengers up with us armed with the best binoculars. It’s gotta be better than painstakingly combing through the undergrowth, which is going to take forever, and then there’s no certainty we’ll find anything. I’m not trying to tell you how to run things, but it would probably be a waste of everybody’s time. We should be able to see anything of any significance”.
“Let’s do it, Bard”, said Hillyard, approaching them “At the same time I’ll borrow the fishing-trawler off Ernesto and do a circular run round the island”.
“Well as H said, anything’s got to be better than crawling through the undergrowth on our hands and knees, analysing every sodding blade of grass”, said Bardin “Go for it. Let’s get it done today”.
H broke into a rare smile and gave a thumbs up gesture to the Doctor.
“Choose whichever passengers you want”, said Bardin, nimbly pulling himself onto the horse “You’ll probably be besieged with offers. Best not to take Bengo or Joby though, otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it from Adam”.
It was perhaps inevitable that Rosa would bag the front passenger seat on H’s air-buggy, and Glynis the one on the Doctor’s. Rumble, Jane, Farnol and Umbert took up the rear seats on both aircraft. Elaine meanwhile elected to go with Hillyard in the fishing-trawler. She wanted to see more of the west coast of the island. It was an exciting moment as the buggies whirred up into the air, rustling the leaves and grass at the lower centre of the island. Bardin had taken Marigold down to the beach, so that she wouldn’t get spooked by being too near the lift-off. He paused and patted her neck, watching as the buggies alighted into the sky. They had barely ascended when the gentle putt-putt-putt of the fishing-trawler started up behind him.
When they neared the north-western corner of the island, Hillyard and Elaine paused the trawler for a short while, so that they could take in the view. They sampled some bottles of homemade beer, which they had put cooling in a small bucket of cold water on the boat. They could hear the steady drone of the air-buggies - like flying lawn-mowers - in the near distance. Elaine was staring pensively towards the far horizon.
“It’s unnerving to think of demons taking over an entire continent”, she said “What if it happens with the old one as well? Things have been going that way for a long time now. We might be a small bubble lost in the middle”.
“I don’t think that will happen”, said Hillyard “It’s easy to get carried away and think things are the worst they’ve ever been”.
“Aren’t they though?”
“If you ask me, I think it was a lot worse when I was younger. When the vampires had complete control of the Ministry, when Kieran first arrived in this world. Or when Father Gabriel destroyed the City. I’d rather be living like this now than when we were travelling up in Kiskev and Marlsblad”.
“I know”, said Elaine “But look how strange the people in Zilligot Bay went”.
“They’ve always been a funny lot”, said Hillyard “Comes of being stuck right at the foot of the world like that. Isolation can do that to some communities. Makes them paranoid and distrustful, and all that will be made worse by the Sickness too. We got out at the right time”.
“I worry sometimes they will come and find us here”.
“You are a bit of a worrier on the quiet aren’t you? In spite of that wacky showbiz exterior”.
“I suppose so”, Elaine gave a little laugh “I never used to be. When I was younger I never gave a hang what happened in the outside world, I was so wrapped up in my work. It was everything to me. But 7 years at that old railway station …”
“That was bound to have an effect”, said Hillyard, sympathetically “Try to remember though that you and Nyx aren’t alone anymore. You’re surrounded by the rest of us. I firmly believe in the old Safety In Numbers thing”.
“I couldn’t have asked for better people to be marooned on an island with. Sometimes I literally pinch myself because I can’t believe my luck … oh my God, look at that!”
She pointed towards the ocean. A large bluey-grey fish was weaving in a predatory fashion through the salt water.
“It’s a barracuda”, said Hillyard, turning round to look properly.
“Ferocious looking thing isn’t it”, said Elaine “Do they attack humans?”
“Only if they mistake you for food”, said Hillyard “He’s not likely to come and get you on here!”
“Are they poisonous to eat?”
“Can be, but it’s like any seafood you just have to be careful. I’ve never had one, but I’ve heard they’ve got quite a strong taste, not for everyone”.
“I think we should all have a clambake one evening”, said Elaine “I went to one once, when we were filming just outside the City, it was fun. Do you think Adam would be up for cooking on the beach?”
“Well it might make a change from that poky old galley I suppose”, said Hillyard “It’s a bit hard to know with him, as he can be an awkward old bugger. He’ll either love it, or accuse me of trying to make life more stressful for him!”
“Then I shall ask him when we get back”, said Elaine.
“Come on then”, said Hillyard, getting to his feet “Let’s chug on behind the island now”.
The rest of the journey was pleasantly uneventful. They chugged round the top of the island, and then progressed back down the east side. They found a sizeable gap in the base of the volcano, but it didn’t seem to be substantial enough to merit further investigation. The general consensus when they caught up with the flying squad was that they couldn’t see anything about the island which appeared to be suspicious.
“If it’s as magical as Hy Brasil, as Kieran keeps saying”, said Bardin “Then there’s no point obsessing over it’s geography I suppose”.
“Still it was a bit of fun, Bardin”, said Elaine “And so will the clambake be”.
“Whatever that is I’m leaving it up to you!” said Bardin.
The following morning Rosa was hanging out some washing near to where Joby had set up his fruit and vegetable garden near the foot of the forest. She reached down to get a pillowcase from the basket, and as she straighted up again she realised she was being watched. Angel was standing a few feet away, staring intently at her. Rosa gasped and instinctively genuflected in a religious fashion, a habit she had been taught in childhood.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Joby yelled. He had been watering the garden nearby. He dropped the watering-can and ran over to Rosa “Get over to the galleon, Rosa, and fetch Kieran”.
Rosa scooted off in the direction of the galleon. Hillyard had been building a wooden bench near the bar when he heard the shouting. He looked up to see Joby stamping towards Angel.
“Jobe, no!” he shouted.
Angel turned to head into the forest, but Joby caught up with him and jumped on his back, forcing Angel onto the ground. Joby caught his arms around Angel’s neck.
“You can’t kill me, you fucking moron”, Angel shouted “I’m as immortal as you are”.
“Oh yeah?” said Joby “So how would you to like to spend the rest of eternity with a broken neck, eh? How would you like that?”
“Get off me!” shouted Angel, but he could feel Joby’s grip getting tighter around his neck.
Panting, Hillyard caught up with them and tried to haul Joby off.
“Come on mate, help me out here”, he grunted “Pack this in, nothing but trouble’ll come of it”.
He fell backwards, with Joby landing on top of him. Angel stayed crouched nearby, spitting and groaning.
“What the hell is going on here?” said Adam, his long, slim shadow looming over them “What are you three doing?”
“Hey, don’t include me in this”, said Hillyard, rolling Joby to one side “I’m the peacemaker here, the referee”.
Adam grabbed hold of Joby’s arm and hoisted him to his feet.
Kieran appeared, and took in the situation with one glance. He went over to Angel and half-dragged half-walked him into the forest.
“That’s all the fucking thanks I get”, said Angel, falling slumped against a tree trunk “The amount of favours I’ve done for you in the past few years, and I get half-strangled for my pains!”
“Joby wouldn’t have reacted like that for no reason”, said Kieran “What were you doing?”
“I just came out of the forest that’s all!” said Angel.
“Focking bullshit”, said Kieran “You were trying to cause trouble. You were trying to cause intimidation. You must be damn bored Angel, that’s all that I can say”.
“I wasn’t going to harm that woman”, said Angel “When have you ever known me harm a woman? I’m not interested!”
“I know exactly what you were doing”, said Kieran “By trying to intimidate one of our friends you were hoping to cause a rift on this island. Make us fall out with the neighbours. So that they would be scared enough to turn on us. It’s the sort of focking crappy divisive shit that Evil does all the time!”
“Not everything’s about you all the time!” Angel yelled back “I was curious that’s all! I didn’t realise she could see me!”
Kieran released his grip on the vampire.
“It’s never occurred to me that you can’t be seen by some people”, he said, astonished.
“You would be amazed”, said Angel “I’m totally invisible to some. They just don’t notice. At best with some people they just notice me as a vague movement nearby. Those ones are easy pickings”.
“Holy mother”, Kieran exclaimed, in wonderment “All these years and I never knew that”.
“I thought it would be the same with some of your lot”, said Angel “I really did”.
“So why were you creeping up on her then?”
“I wasn’t fucking creeping up on her! I was just curious. Shitting hell. Even vampires are allowed to have curiosity about things! And yes, if you really want to know, I AM bored. There’s something about this island which draws me here, and I don’t mean you and your little friends. I saw her there, and I came out of the forest to see what everyone was doing. Sometimes I get curious about what people are doing. How do you lot fill up your time, that sort of thing. I didn’t realise how far out I had come. I didn’t expect her to see me!”
“Jayz, I think it would have been easier if vampires had to avoid sunlight, like in the old stuff!” said Kieran.
“Oh yeah, you’d like that wouldn’t you, banish me to eternal darkness. The one who’s dangerous round here is that bloody lover-boy of yours. Total maniac!”
“Joby must have panicked when he saw you near Rosa. I don’t blame him. The sight of you is enough to creep anyone out”.
“Have we come to a conclusion here?” said Hillyard, marching up to them “Ad’s taken Joby back to the galleon”.
“To put him in a straitjacket I hope”, said Angel.
“I’ve never understood with you why you always had to cause trouble all the time”, said Hillyard.
“Hillyard, he’s a vampire, I shouldn’t need to say anymore than that”, said Kieran.
“Now listen”, said Angel, thumping Hillyard on the arm “I might be a troublemaker …”
“Might be?!” said Hillyard.
“But I’m still bloody useful to you lot sometimes aren’t I”, said Angel “A little bit of gratitude occasionally might not be a bad thing”.
“You get the pleasure of my company sometimes Angel”, said Kieran “Isn’t that gratitude enough?!”
Angel gave a snarl and slid back into the forest, like the Cheshire Cat retreating from view. Still rubbing his neck.
Joby was sitting hunched up in an armchair in Bengo and Bardin’s cabin.
“Here”, said Bardin, holding out a glass of brandy to him.
Joby glanced at it, but made no attempt to take it.
“You don’t normally need a great deal of persuading to take a drink, Joby”, said Bardin.
“Thanks”, said Joby, accepting the glass off him and then taking a hefty gulp.
“That’s more like it”, said Bardin, sitting down in the opposite chair.
“I dunno what came over me out there”, said Joby, eventually “Normally I’d run a mile from getting my hands on that slimy little sod”.
“You were protecting Rosa. It must have been instinctive”.
“I didn’t know what he might do. He was just standing there, and I could see she was freaked out by it. As anybody would be. I also don’t want him thinking he can just come here and intimidate us any time he wants. And he thinks he can, that’s the trouble. I’ll probably get the blame now if anything goes wrong as a result”.
“Let’s have no Kieran Catholic guilt stuff here”, said Bardin “Angel’s quite capable of causing trouble whatever happens”.
Bardin took another sip of his drink and set it carefully on the arm of his chair.
“There is a problem with you though”, he said.
“Well go on!”
“You’re suffering from burn-out. You’ve been working too hard”, said Bardin.
“Isn’t everybody?” said Joby “We’ve all been working our arses off to get this island into a sustainable shape”.
“Yes, but you get very little time off”.
“Not surprising is it, working for that wicked old fairy!”
“You still at least used to take more time off than you do now”, said Bardin “I can’t remember the last time I saw you and Bengo having a tea-break up on deck”.
“Yeah, I don’t know why that is. I just seem to prefer being below deck a lot of the time. I dunno why. I dunno why about a lot of things these days”.
“As I said, it’s burn-out”, said Bardin “Used to see a lot of it in showbiz. It’s perfectly normal, and don’t try and fade it out just because it’s not affecting everybody else exactly the same way. I’m starting to wonder if this island’s worth it. We do seem to have got a bit locked in here, and it’s probably time we were on the move again”.
“Where to though?”
“That’s what needs to be discussed. But I do know one thing, I’m really starting to miss the open sea”.
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