The Running Grave полностью

Over the last few days Shawna had sought Robin out wherever possible, taking it upon herself to test Robin’s understanding of various UHC terms, then rewording Robin’s answers back to her, usually making definitions less precise or simply wrong. Their conversations had revealed Shawna’s belief that the sun rotated around the earth, that the leader of the country was called the Pry Mister and that Papa J was in regular contact with extra-terrestrials, a claim Robin had heard nobody else at Chapman Farm make. Robin didn’t think Shawna could read, because she shied away from written material, even instructions on the backs of seed packets.

Shawna had met Papa J through one of the UHC’s projects for underprivileged children. Her conversion to believer and church member appeared to have been almost instantaneous, yet key parts of the UHC’s teaching had failed to penetrate Shawna’s otherwise highly permeable mind. She routinely forgot that nobody was supposed to name family relationships and, in spite of the UHC’s insistence that fame and riches were meaningless attributes of the materialist world, evinced a breathless interest in the high-profile visitors to the farmhouse, even speculating on the cost and make of Noli Seymour’s shoes.

‘Yew hear about Jacob?’ she asked Robin, as they passed the old barn where the latter had found the biscuit tin and the Polaroids.

‘No,’ said Robin, who was still wondering why Emily had such a strong aversion to vegetables.

‘Papa J visited with him yesterday.’

‘Oh, is he back?’

‘He don’ need to come. ’E can visit people in spirit.’

Shawna looked sideways at Robin through the dirty lenses of her glasses.

‘Don’tchew believe me?’

‘Of course I do,’ said Robin, making an effort to sound convinced. ‘I’ve seen amazing things in here. I saw the Drowned Prophet appear when Papa J summoned her.’

‘It’s not appearing,’ said Shawna, at once. ‘It’s manny-fisting.’

‘Oh, yes, of course,’ said Robin.

‘Papa J says it’s toime for Jacob to pass. The soul’s too diseased. ’E won’t come roight now.’

‘I thought Dr Zhou was helping him?’ asked Robin.

‘’E’s done way more’n they do outsoide for someone like Jacob,’ said Shawna, echoing Penny Brown, ‘but Papa J says there’s no point goin’ on any more.’

‘What exactly’s wrong with Jacob?’

‘’E’s marked.’

‘He’s what?’

‘Marked,’ whispered Shawna, ‘boi the devil.’

‘How can you tell someone’s been marked by the devil?’ asked Robin.

‘Papa J can always tell. There’s marked people everywhere. Their souls aren’ normal. Some of ’em are in governments, so we gotta weed ’em out.’

‘What d’you mean, “weed them out”?’

‘Get rid of ’em,’ said Shawna, with a shrug.

‘How?’

‘’Owever we ’ave to, because thass one of the ways we’ll git the Lotus Way farster. You know what the Lotus Way is, roight?’

Robin started saying that the Lotus Way was a term for the earthly paradise that would descend once the UHC won its battle against the materialist world, and which would segue smoothly into the afterlife, but Shawna interrupted.

‘Thar she goes. BP, look.’

Becca Pirbright was crossing the yard ahead of them, her glossy hair shining in the sun. Robin had already overheard mutterings about Becca from the farmhands and kitchen workers. The consensus was that Becca was too young to have ascended so rapidly in the church, and had a very inflated opinion of herself.

‘Know why we all call ’er “BP”?’

‘Because her initials are the same as a bubble person?’ Robin guessed.

‘Yeah,’ said Shawna, who seemed disappointed Robin had got the joke. ‘Gawn,’ she muttered scornfully, as Becca kneeled quickly at the fountain of the Drowned Prophet. ‘She’s always showin’ off about ’ow she and Daiyu were mates, but she’s lying. Sita told me. Yew know Sita?’

‘Yes,’ said Robin. She’d met the elderly Sita during her last session in the kitchens.

‘She says BP an’ Daiyu never loiked each other. Sita can remember all of that, what ’appened.’

‘About Daiyu’s drowning, you mean?’ asked Robin, watching Becca disappear into the temple.

‘Yeah, an’ all the miracles BP says she saw ’er doin’. Sita dunt reckon BP saw all what she says she did. And Emily’s BP’s sister.’

‘Yes, I—’

‘We think that’s why Papa J won’t increase with BP, like she wants.’

‘He won’t what?’ said Robin innocently.

‘Increase with her,’ said Shawna, as they stopped at Daiyu’s pool to kneel and dab their foreheads with water. ‘The Drowned Prophet will bless all ’oo worship ’er. Yew don’t know nuffing, do yew?’ said Shawna, standing up again. ‘Increase means ’ave a baby! Oi’ve ’ad two in ’ere,’ said Shawna proudly.

‘Two?’ said Robin.

‘Yeah, one right after I got ’ere, an’ ’e went to Birmingham, an’ one that’s spirit born, so she’s gonna be better than the firs’ one. We all know BP wants to increase by Papa J, but ’e won’t. She’s got a disruptive sister and there’s Jacob too.’

Thoroughly confused, Robin said,

‘What’s Jacob got to do with it?’

‘Yew don’t know nuffing, do yew?’ said Shawna again, chuckling.