The strange man said, ‘Get hold of yourself, Mrs Baines.’
‘I saw his hand on the door,’ screamed Lila, and then suddenly it was like a cat fight and Lila was spitting words at Vanessa and Vanessa spat back, and their voices grew louder and angrier until people all up and down the street came out on their front verandas to listen to the terrible things they were calling each other, like ‘kidnapper’ and ‘madwoman’, and then Lila said to him, ‘Get inside and stay there,’ and he ran behind the gate and hung on, watching people strolling over towards the car and Mr Grindel called out, ‘Let the kid alone!’ and someone else called out, ‘Leave him where he belongs,’ and the street seemed to catch on fire with voices in the dark, lighting up and then dying away and lighting up again and Mr and Mrs Grindel started booing but the little circle of light around the car was the centre of the fire where Vanessa and Lila shouted and shouted things about hate and home. Shouted, ‘I dare you—’ and ‘I defy you—’ until at last the strange man leaned into the light and seemed to be reasoning with Vanessa and suddenly the light snapped off and the big car roared off down the street while a few people cheered and Mr and Mrs Grindel were helping Lila back into the house but it was a long time before anyone came to find him still hanging on to the front gate and being sick into the hydrangeas.
Since then all they had talked about was the Case and things began changing very suddenly all the time. A few nights later there was a lot of murmuring and spelling out of words over the tea table and the next day his Aunt Agnes came to live with them. She lived in the glassed-in back veranda room, where she hung up a picture of Jesus walking on the water at Balmoral Beach near the zoo. She sat at the kitchen table a lot of the time with her eyes closed and a smile on her face as if she was picturing something very nice happening. She told Lila that it didn’t matter much who won the Case as there was very little time left anyway, but Lila just sighed and said, ‘Meanwhile, Agnes, your corned beef and cabbage is getting stone cold.’ Agnes patted his head and said, ‘Sweet thing, wait till you see the glory that is reserved for thee,’ and Lila said, ‘Let’s hope the judge sees it.’
Lila hardly had time to talk to him these days. For one thing she had to get two meals every night because now George had his tea very early at five o’clock and then went off to work at night instead of in the morning. He had got a job, Lila said, as a night watchman to see that burglars didn’t get into a factory. In the mornings and when you came home from school, you had to be very quiet so as not to wake up poor tired George who now went to bed after breakfast and got up at twilight. It was all back-to-front like the writing on the window above him. eltneg dna.
Mr Gentle jumped up, washing his hands in the cold air, and said, ‘Well, Mrs Baines, we’ll see, we’ll see.’
Lila said, ‘But I have a lot more to tell you, Mr Gentle,’ and Mr Gentle said, ‘We’ll put it all in your affidavit.’
Lila said anxiously, gathering her bag, her gloves and umbrella, ‘Tell me truthfully, do you think we have a case?’
Mr Gentle looked at her fiercely and said, ‘Well, I would venture to say there is no reason not to be optimistic in view of the fact that the presiding judge may very well be Mr Justice Hay-Piggott.’
‘Why, what’s he like?’ Lila asked.
‘Hard as steel, but fair, very fair, and he thinks highly of Sam Hamilton. They’re both members of the Rose Bay Golf Club,’ and as Lila’s face immediately became pink with hope, Mr Gentle added, laughing, ‘But that could also go against us. It could be the very worst thing for us. But we’ll see, we’ll see.’
Beaming, Mr Gentle jumped forward and opened the door, saying, ‘We’ll get going on those affidavits right away.’
In the outside office Diana was sitting, wearing a green mackintosh and trying to hide her big hands behind her small purse. She said, ‘Hello, Master Marriott,’ and he ran to her very surprised and Lila said, ‘We’re very grateful to you for—’ but Mr Gentle rushed between them, laughing and muttering something about a collision or a collusion. Shooing Diana into his office, he slammed the door.
As they went up the steps into the cold raining street, he said to Lila, ‘Are we going to the court now?’
Lila said, ‘Not yet, but when we do, Mr Gentle is going to speak to the judge and then everything is going to be all right.’
But when he looked up at her, her face seemed to be saying, ‘Just the same …’
‘Just the same …’ Lila said to George, packing a thermos and a package of damp tomato sandwiches into his night bag, and then let her voice trail off. ‘He said—well, he practically said that he thought the judge would be on our side because he’s a great friend of Sam Hamilton’s.’
‘Just the same,’ said George, ‘it would have been better if Sam had handled the case himself. This bloke sounds very green to me.’
Just the same, Lila said to herself later, hearing PS and the new little friend Alan from across the street laughing in the sitting room. She tried to put an end to the nibbling doubts by once again adding up the positive factors but they dissipated under the ever-present ugly voice that murmured, ‘Just the same …’
Agnes said, taking off her tricorn hat, ‘I’ve had a very marvellous, joyous revelation.’
‘Have you, Agnes?’
‘Yes, and I want you to listen to me, please, and not fiddle at the stove like Nero.’
‘I’m listening.’
‘This afternoon Sinden spoke to me in the Temple—Lila, you’re not listening to me.’
‘I am, Agnes, but the potato pie has to be taken out of the oven.’
‘If you’re more interested in a pie than in hearing about a spiritual revelation—’
‘All right, all right. There. Now I’m listening.’
‘Thank you. This afternoon I was looking towards Jerusalem—’
‘In all that rain?’
‘Lila, if you’re not going to allow me to tell—’
‘I’m sorry; go on.’
‘I was looking towards Jerusalem and suddenly Sinden spoke very clearly to me.’
‘What did she say?’
‘I’m about to tell you if you’ll kindly stop interrupting me on every second word. Sinden spoke to me. She wishes you and George to win the court case. Well, haven’t you anything to say to that?’
‘You said not to interrupt.’
‘I hope you realise the importance of all this. I’m not just making it up. The thing is that Sinden wishes PS to be with you and George on the Day.’
‘On what day?’
‘The Day. What day? Goodness gracious me— what day!’
‘Oh, the Day, yes; I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking.’
‘Well, you had better think. Sinden is very much against PS being with Vanessa when the Day comes. So she has asked me to testify on your behalf in court.’
‘Oh, I see.’
‘I promised that I would. I gave Sin my promise.’
‘I see. Well, the only thing is, Agnes—’
‘So I’m prepared not only to sign an affidavit in your favour but also to appear in court with your other witnesses and defend your cause to the judge. There now!’
‘It’s very good of you Agnes but—’
‘It’s not good of me at all, Lila. Try to understand this from a less earthbound point of view. It is Sinden’s wish. The judge must be made to understand this.’
‘Uhuh. The only thing is that Mr Gentle thinks we have enough affidavits with George and Vere and the housemaid and Mrs Grindel and—’
‘They are not in contact with someone on the Seventh Plane as I am.’
‘I know but—well, Agnes, you know what judges and lawyers are like.’
‘I know all about judges and lawyers. I’m not a fool, Lila. I’ve lectured to thousands of people here and in Seattle. And I’m not a nobody, thank you very much.’
‘I didn’t say you were, Agnes. We all know how sincere you are, dear, but other people may think—’
&nb
sp; ‘May think what, please?’
‘Might think it was a bit peculiar.’
‘What’s peculiar about it?’
‘Well—’
‘I’m peculiar. Is that what you mean, Lila? I’m a crank?’
‘I didn’t say that, Agnes.’
‘That’s what you think, all of you except Sinden, who knows better and who loved me more than any of you and sat and listened to me. She didn’t agree then, but she listened. When have you ever paid me the courtesy to listen? So what do you know about me and about my work? You’re worse than a sceptic, Lila, you’re a hypocrite. You call me “dear” to my face and laugh at me behind my back—’
‘Agnes, dear, I’ve never—’
‘I’ve heard your little remarks to the others; I’ve seen your smirking to George when you thought I wasn’t looking—’
‘Gracious, I never—’
‘Don’t deny it, Lila, that’s more insulting. But let me tell you something. I don’t care about being laughed at. That’s where you and I differ. I’ve never minded being a figure of fun for what I believed; far greater people than I have been scorned and laughed at. I wouldn’t care if that whole courtroom rocked with laughter at me—’
‘Oooo, watch out, your hat’s in the butter. Here, let me put it on—’
‘Listen to me, Lila. I wouldn’t care because a long time ago, years and years ago, Mater laughed at me very cruelly and it made me cry. For the last time, for the very last time, Lila. Because then that was the very worst thing and when the very worst thing has happened to you you learn not to fear and I fear not. Oh, I fear nothing. I fear not what man can do unto me. Whereas you fear everything.’
‘Tommyrot!’
‘You always have, even as a little girl, and I’m sorry for you.’
‘Well, my goodness, everybody’s afraid of something, Agnes.’
‘Yes, but they don’t all instil their fears into others.’
‘Why, what do you mean?’
‘You do. You’ve instilled your fears into George until—’
‘I never—’
‘Oh, yes you have. Worry, worry, worry about everything. Maybe he wouldn’t win that election; well, he didn’t!’
‘That had nothing to do with—’
‘Maybe he wouldn’t get a job; then, what if he lost it?’
‘Ha, ha. I s’pose it’s my fault we’re having a depression.’
‘Don’t go blaming outside circumstances, Lila; you were just as nervous in the boom, saving string and brown paper—’
‘Heavens, if I can’t—’
‘Always worry, worry, negative, negative. Doubt is very catching and finally George started doubting himself. Oh, I saw it happen. I saw the change beginning in him. Why, he was a positive, self-confident man until you got at him with all your cries and omens; “Oh, you walked under the ladder, George,” and “Oh, listen to the rainbirds.” No wonder he goes to sleep all the time. And now you’re doing the same thing to PS.’
‘That’s the most unfair thing I ever heard in my entire—’
‘Exactly the same thing.’
‘Would you mind telling me how?’
‘You brought about this whole fight with Vanessa.’
‘Oh, yes. Yes, of course. I wanted all this trouble.’
‘You’re afraid of Vanessa, Lila, and long before she came back you planted your little seed of fear in PS. Well, it’s borne fruit.’
‘My God, if you could only know how fair I’ve been. I’ve never ever said one word against Vanessa to PS.’
‘You didn’t have to.’
‘Do you know what’s been going on in that house? Do you know what the housemaid told us? He had to lock himself in a bathroom to get away from her! I suppose a child does that because of my fear!’
‘Your original fear started the whole train of events.’
‘Look, just whose side are you on?’
‘The Lord’s.’
‘Really? You make it sound as if you’re on Vanessa’s.’
‘No, but don’t be so sure that you’re absolutely right and she’s absolutely wrong.’
‘I can be sure of one thing, Agnes. We won’t need your affidavit.’
‘I take my orders from Sinden, not you. I shall go to the lawyer tomorrow and tell him that.’
‘Yes, you do. You do. And Mr Gentle will tell you you’re crazy. He will tell you you’re a crazy woman!’
Lila, hearing her own ugly screech, instantly ashamed, turned from Agnes’ crucified look, past PS’s inquiring face around the door, and ran from the kitchen into the back yard.
Crazy! What a cruel thing to say to the poor wretch, with her pathetic clothes, worn shoes, cold hands and dignified believing heart. Believing nonsense but dignified because of its unswerving faith; craziness of the heart which can win an argument over logic in its very madness.
‘Mad,’ Lila said to the pepper tree. ‘Mad as a hatter,’ she said to the first cold winking star. It was ridiculous to get upset by anything Agnes said; absurd to be drawn into a debate with her.
And yet. And yet …
Suppose in a cracked way Agnes had hit upon some dreadful truth? But how? How could there be a pattern to all the years of failure and disgrace? Admittedly, even in childhood, her life had been a sea of qualms; a long-standing family joke regarding her distress over spilled salt, broken mirrors, falling pictures, hats on beds and seeing three nuns. But what did all this have to do with George’s disappointments? How could her prescience of doom have had anything to do with Sinden’s dying? Sinden would have died anyway and George had been bound to lose the election because he had campaigned for prohibition and everyone knew that it had failed in America. All the worrying in the world had never changed Vanessa’s personality so how could Agnes possibly say that those worries had brought about this battle over PS? No, there was only one unpleasant truth to face—that failure begets failure and after a while it is printed on the face, evident in the step, heard in the voice. Even the new dress will not cover it up or hide the shame of it from anyone, let alone a judge. But why was this her own fault? It wasn’t fair. Nothing had ever been fair as far back as Lila could remember.
‘Not fair,’ she said aloud. ‘Not fair.’ And cupping her hands over her mouth, she cried like a child.
Vanessa came out of her room, dressed to go to town for her fifth visit with the lawyer. She crossed quickly to the stairs, deliberately not glancing at the closed and locked door of PS’s bedroom. Since he had left, she had not entered the room. She had not even allowed the new maid, Elsie, to dust in there. Surprised by her own curious intuition that to prepare the room for his return might tempt unknown gods to overthrow the case against her, and annoyed at this singularly uncharacteristic behaviour, she had nevertheless succumbed to the superstition, locked the bedroom door and then dropped the thought of it neatly into the wastebin of her mind. From then on, whenever a doubt scuttled across her thoughts, she stepped firmly on it as she might on a cockroach. There was no cause for doubt; she had Mr Hood. Hadn’t Mr Lawson, who was president of the English, Scottish and Australian Bank, himself recommended Mr Hood? She had been instantly impressed by Mr Hood’s quiet luxurious offices and his funereal clothes—custom-tailored black flannel suits and black silk socks with clocks—his deep oratorical voice without a trace of that horrid Australian accent, and above all, his comforting redolence of guile. (‘Tell me that again, Miss Scott. Aha! Interesting!’) In the shallow, sleepless dawns when her resistance to doubt was at bedrock, she turned her thoughts to Mr Hood and clung voluptuously to the echo of his rich red-burgundy voice and his massive assurance. She began to look forward to the visits to his office and subtly to prolong them. (‘There was something else I wanted to bring up; now what was it?’ ‘Take your time, Miss Scott, I’m in no hurry.’) She had begun to cart home small treasures—his glances and sudden dazzling smiles—would find herself stopped en route from room to room, gazing at the carpet, lost in the luxurious remem
brances. Once, drawing on her gloves, her look fell upon a large silver-framed picture standing on his mahogany desk—a fish-faced woman in a dated dress—and she asked casually, ‘Your wife?’ Mr Hood answered curtly, ‘Yes,’ and then cast her a look of such gimlet-like intensity that her heart turned over, and speechless, she received with thrilling joy Mr Hood’s message of silent anguish.
Blue today, she thought, taking out the soft, subtle Patou that she had not worn for a long time and putting on the lapis lazuli beads. She studied her face for a long time in the mirror, put on and took off earrings, fussed with perfume and avoided mascara; strayed dangerously into a brown study where vague figures moved and touched and from which Mr Hood emerged through smoke, annoyingly wearing Logan’s face, so that she stood up suddenly, fracturing the absurd vision, and shook herself like a cat. But a moment later, the pleasant anticipation again flooded her being and an old vanity that she had not felt for years rushed over her. Mater, momentarily disinterred, said grudgingly, ‘I’ll say this much for Ness—she’s the beauty of the family.’
Yes, and still pretty good, Mater dear, not too many lines and no grey hair and nice clothes help, so thank you for giving me away to Ettie, knowing that she really wanted Vere then. Your not wanting me has turned our pretty well on the whole, Mater dear, and while we’re on the subject, I’d like you to know that I’ve done better than all the others put together so put that in your pipe and smoke it! How I wish you weren’t dead, my dear; oh, how I’d love to sit you down and wipe that sanctimonious Church of England smile off your face, you and your malignant sweetness; you and your marvellous Lila—how you loved to rub her into me. ‘Lila was so thoughtful today, Ness; look at the lovely scent she brought me.’ ‘Lila massaged my back, Ness.’ ‘Lila’s got engaged to a lovely man, Ness; I hope you will one day.’ And all because Pater turned away from you to me. Wasn’t that it? Was that why, Mater? Kindly answer the question put to you by my lawyer, Mr Hood.
What?
Elsie at the door, a midget maid, apologetic for breaking into the sanctuary but the limousine was at the gate.
Vanessa put poor well-meaning Mater back in the grave, picked up the crocodile bag and passed through the hall, not glancing at the closed and locked door of PS’s bedroom.
Careful, He Might Hear You Page 24