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Back The Trickster
Chapters (74)
  1. The Trickster
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. Preface to the 20th anniversary edition
  6. Introduction
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. Keep Reading
  70. FURNACE
  71. Acknowledgements
  72. About the Author
  73. ALSO BY THE AUTHOR
  74. About the Publisher

What must it be like, he wondered, to be greeted with such smiles? The smiles of parents who love their child so much their hearts ignite on sight of that face. No one had ever ignited like that for Sam the child. Not ever.

And this time was no different. He was invisible. They didn’t see him at all. He stood right beside Katie, his shoulder touching hers, and yet they didn’t see him. Not until he let Katie wrap herself around her mother’s neck like a shawl and he stood behind her waiting to pick up her father’s case. There was a beat. A second’s pause while Frank and June Crosby looked at him and assessed the situation. Their faces were still happy, open, as they looked at him with that grateful expression polite liberal people reserve for workmen. He knew then they thought he was a cab driver. He heard Katie say in a distant and far-away voice, full of a pride that seemed so misplaced, This is Sam. My husband, and he watched those faces change.

Mrs Crosby’s hand went into a small fist between her breasts, and Mr Crosby stood with his legs apart, looking at Katie like she’d dropped her panties in public.

Katie was still smiling up at Sam with love.

No one moved. Sam put a hand out to Katie’s father. ‘Pleased to meet you Mr and Mrs Crosby. Katie’s told me so much about you both, feel I know you.’

If Sam thought that talking in white middle-class cliché was going to help, he was on the wrong lawn. Frank Crosby looked at the calloused brown hand on offer and then at Katie again. Katie said, ‘Dad?’ in a small quiet voice. Not small and gentle with pleading, but loaded with a warning Sam had never heard.

Her father looked back up at Sam’s face and took his hand. He didn’t speak. He nodded once and then let the hand go. Sam looked at June Crosby and decided not to put her through a handshake with an Indian. He lifted their two cases and stood waiting for Katie to drive the situation.

She slid between her parents and took their arms in hers, marching them towards the exit. Unwittingly, despite the smile she flashed him, she left Sam in the role he’d been cast, a servant, following behind the family with the cases.