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Back The Trickster Save as PDF
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

‘For killing the dog?’

‘Partly. Mostly because I thought he’d … I thought he’d harmed Billy.’

‘So I believe.’

She sat up and stared at him. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Detachment got a call from Billy’s teacher. When the news broke today.’

Agnes Root. Doing her job. Getting her Indian.

Katie looked at the floor again. ‘I don’t think he did. Harm him I mean. I got it wrong.’ She looked up at him with a hint of anger and shame. ‘We all did.’

‘Billy told you?’

She nodded.

‘That’s all I needed, Craig. I needed to know he hadn’t harmed his son. Now I believe in him again.’

‘Even if he’s harmed other people’s sons? Cut them into bits?’

Katie studied his face carefully, trying to see the facial match for the brutality of his words. ‘Do you believe that?’

Craig McGee churned inside as he thought about what he did and didn’t believe. He was lying last night. Everything had changed. Sure the sun had come up and the cups in her kitchen were still cups. But that was all. Everything else was different. He had seen it.

His mouth was dry. Honesty was dry work.

‘No. I don’t.’

Katie put her face in her hands, leaned forward and sobbed. Maybe with relief, maybe with the shame that she had doubted her love. Craig didn’t know. She sat up, wiped her face and choked back her sobs.

‘The stuff Billy’s been saying. It’s crazier than anything we talked about last night. But I believe him about Sam. I do.’

‘But not about the rest? The crazy stuff.’

‘How can I? It’s off the scale.’

‘Tell me.’

‘Why?’

‘I need to know.’

Katie looked at this ill, sallow-skinned man with eyes that were now haunted instead of searching. Only last night he looked strong and determined. Something had happened.

Yes. He did need to know. So she told him.

53

Alberta 1907 Siding Twenty-three

The hare watched him enter, and the pure white of its winter coat let him see it almost immediately. It sat, unafraid, unblinking in the middle of the floor.

Far behind it, tiny drops of water running from the end wall of the unfinished tunnel echoed lugubriously as they dripped onto the rubble-strewn floor. Henderson tried to breathe normally, but it was beyond his control. His lungs seemed incapable of retaining oxygen, merely panting the air out again as soon as he drew breath. He stayed framed in the arch of the tunnel for a moment, struggling for that elusive breath, praying for strength, then took two steps inside.

The animal continued to watch him passively. He took another trembling step, then stopped, only a few feet away.