按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
'What？' I asked the door； stopping my rocking。
'It was； wasn't it ？ I thought it was you； you were trying to disguise your voice。 What were you doing ringing at that time？'
'Aah。。。 I don't remember ringing； Dad； honest；' I said carefully。
'Hnnh。 You're a fool； boy；' he said； and clumped off down the hall。 I lay there； thinking。 I was quite sure I hadn't called the house the previous night。 I had been with Jamie in the pub； then with him and the girl outside； then alone when I was running； and then with Jamie and later him and his mother； then I walked home almost sober。 There were no blank spots。 I assumed it must have been Eric calling。 From the sound of it my father couldn't have spoken to him for very long； or he would have recognised his son's voice。 I lay back in my bed； hoping that Eric was still at large and heading this way； and also that my head and guts would stop reminding me how unfortable they could feel。
'Look at you；' my father said when I eventually came down in my dressing…gown to watch an old movie on the television that afternoon。 'I hope you're proud of yourself。 I hope you think feeling like that makes you a man。' My father tutted and shook his head； then went back to reading the Scientific American。 I sat down carefully in one of the lounge's big easy chairs。
'I did get a bit drunk last night； Dad； I admit it。 I'm sorry if it upsets you； but I assure you I'm suffering for it。'
'Well； I hope that teaches you a lesson。 Do you realise how many brain cells you probably managed to kill off last night？'
'A good few thousand；' I said after a brief pause for calculation。
My father nodded enthusiastically： 'At least。'
'Well； I'll try not to do it again。'
'Hnnh。'
'Brrap！' said my anus loudly； surprising me as well as my father。 He put the magazine down and stared into space over my head； smiling wisely as I cleared my throat and flapped the hem of my dressing…gown as unobtrusively as I could。 I could see his nostrils flex and quiver。
'Lager and whisky； eh？' he said； nodding to himself and taking up his magazine again。 I felt myself blush and I gritted my teeth； glad he had retreated behind the glossy pages。 How did he do that？ I pretended nothing had happened。
'Oh。 By the way 〃 I said； 'I hope you don't mind； but I told Jamie that Eric had escaped。'
My father glared over the magazine； shook his head and continued reading。 'Idiot；' he said。
In the evening； after a snack rather than a meal； I went up to the loft and used the telescope to take a distant look at the island； making sure that nothing had happened to it while I rested inside the house。 Everything appeared calm。 I did go for one short walk in the cool overcast； just along the beach to the south end of the island and back； then I stayed in and watched some more television when the rain came on； carried on a low wind； glum muttering against the window。
I had gone to bed when the phone rang。 I got up quickly； as I hadn't really started to drop off when it went； and ran down to get there before my father。 I didn't know if he was still up or not。
'Yes？' I said breathlessly； tucking my pyjama jacket into the bottoms。 Pips sounded； then a voice on the other end sighed。
'No。'
'What？' I said； frowning。
'No；' the voice on the other end said。
'Eh？' I said。 I wasn't even sure it was Eric。
'You said 〃Yes〃。 I say 〃No〃。'
'What do you want me to say？'
'〃Porteneil 531。〃'
'OK。 Porteneil 531。 Hello？'
'OK。 Goodbye。' The voice giggled； the phone went dead。 I looked at it accusingly； then put it down in the cradle。 I hesistated。 The phone rang again。 I snatched it up halfway through the first tinkle。
'Ye…' I started； then the pips sounded。 I waited until they stopped and said； 'Porteneil 531。'
'Porteneil 531；' said Eric。 I thought it was Eric； at least。
'Yes；' I said。
'Yes what？'
'Yes； this is Porteneil 531。'
'But I thought this was Porteneil 531。'
'This is。 Who is that ？ Is that you…'
'It's me。 Is that Porteneil 531？'
'Yes！' I shouted。
'And who's that？'
'Frank Cauldhame；' I said； trying to be calm。 'Who's that？'
'Frank Cauldhame；' Eric said。 I looked around； up and down the stairs； but saw no sign of my father。
'Hello； Eric；' I said； smiling。 I decided that； whatever else happened； tonight I would not make him angry。 I'd put the phone down rather than say the wrong thing and have my brother wreck yet another piece of Post Office property。
'I just told you my name's Frank。 Why are you calling me 〃Eric〃？'
'e on； Eric； I recognise your voice。'
'I'm Frank。 Stop calling me Eric。'
'OK。 OK。 I'll call you Frank。'
'So who are you？'
I thought for a moment。 'Eric？' I said tentatively。
'You just said you were called Frank。'
'Well；' I sighed； leaning against the wall with one hand and wondering what I could say。 'That was。。。 that was just a joke。 Oh God； I don't know。' I frowned at the phone and waited for Eric to say something。
'Anyway； Eric；' Eric said； 'what's the latest news？'
'Oh； nothing much。 I was out last night； at the pub。 Did you call last night？'
'Me？ No。'
'Oh。 Dad said somebody did。 I thought it might have been you。'
'Why would I call？'
'Well； I don't know。' I shrugged to myself。 'For the same reason you called tonight。 Whatever。'
'Well； why do you think I called tonight？'
'I don't know。'
'Christ； you don't know why I've called； you aren't sure of your own name； you get mine wrong。 You're not up to much； are you？'
'Oh dear；' I said； more to myself than to Eric。 I could feel this conversation going all the wrong way。
'Aren't you going to ask me how I am？'
'Yes； yes；' I said。 'How are you？'
'Terrible。 How are you？'
'OK。 Why are you feeling terrible？'
'You don't really care。'
'Of course I care。 What's wrong？'
'Nothing that would interest you。 Ask me something else； like how the weather is or where I am or something。 I know you don't care how I feel。'
'Of course I do。 You're my brother。 Naturally I care；' I protested。 Just at that moment I heard the kitchen door open； and seconds later my father appeared at the bottom of the stairs and； taking hold of the great wooden ball sculpted on to the top of the last banister； stood glaring up at me。 He lifted his head and put it slightly to one side to listen better。 I missed a little of what Eric said in reply to me； and only caught ；
'。。。 care how I feel。 Every time I ring up it's the same。 〃Where are you？〃 That's all you care about； you don't care about where my head's at； only my body。 I don't know why I bother； I don't。 I might as well not take the trouble of calling。'
'H'm。 Well。 There you are；' I said； l