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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

‘Yeah. Exciting.’ Katie said it through her mouth full of melted cheese, but it couldn’t disguise the disgust in her voice. Her friends looked at her now, the way they’d looked at Billy. Katie could see they wanted to talk. ‘Okay, Billy. Since you’re the oldest son in this house, you win the prize of getting to finish your pizza in front of the TV.’

He looked up, surprised but delighted. ‘Can Bart come too?’

‘Sure. Long as he doesn’t use the VCR and tape over Citizen Kane.’

‘Neat.’

He needed no more encouragement, and the three adults watched him and the big dog go in a silence that persisted until they heard the canned laughter of some game show float in from the other room. Gerry clasped his hands in front of him on the table.

‘What’s happening, Katie?’

Katie looked at Gerry’s big kind face, then across at Ann’s pretty and worried one, and the flood gates opened. She opened her mouth in a wail that she only managed to stifle with both hands. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks like there was a hose behind each ear, and she gulped and gasped in her sobbing as Ann stepped down behind her and held her shaking body. ‘Dear God, I don’t know. I just don’t know. My world’s turning upside-down.’

She wept uncontrollably, rocked in Ann’s arms for what seemed like an age. And then the grief and self-pity subsided. Katie shuddered, drew in some halting breaths and pulled herself upright and off her friend’s shoulder. ‘God. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s up with me.’

‘Shush, honey. It does you good, a weep. Do you want some water? Anything?’

Katie wiped her nose with the back of her hand. ‘There’s a malt whisky in the left-hand cupboard. I broke it open last night.’

Ann laughed. ‘That’s what I meant. When I said water I meant malt whisky.’

Katie laughed through her tears. A strange, shuddering laugh.

Ann had three glasses and the bottle on the table at the speed of light and they watched as Katie took a big mouthful of the yellow liquid and swallowed it with a gasp.

‘Better?’

Gerry was leaning forward.

‘Yeah. Sorry.’

‘Stop saying you’re sorry.’

‘Sorry.’

They all laughed gently. Then they stopped laughing. Gerry put a hand out and placed it on Katie’s. ‘Can you talk about it?’

Katie looked down and shook her head, ‘I don’t think so, Gerry. Because I don’t know what there is to say, and I think I’m going mad.’

‘Well let me start. Is it Sam?’

Her mouth did that wide thing again, as she pulled back the corners, trying to control the crying that was starting again. ‘Sure …’ She gasped, controlling the sobbing. ‘It’s Sam.’