The Running Grave полностью

As the group reached automatically for their piles of hollow straws, Robin saw that her companions had now graduated to making Norfolk lanterns, which were more complex than those she’d previously made. As nobody seemed inclined to help her, she reached for the laminated instructions on the table to see what she had to do, the sun beating down upon her back.

Becca disappeared into the crafting room and returned with the leatherbound copy of The Answer from which Mazu had previously read while they worked. Removing a silk bookmark indicating where they’d last got to, Becca cleared her throat and began to read.

‘“I come now to a part of my personal faith story that’s as dreadful as it’s miraculous, as heartrending as it’s joyful.

‘“Let me first state that to those who live in the bubble world, what I’m about to relate – or at least, my reaction to it, and my understanding of it – is likely to be baffling, even shocking. How, they’ll ask, can the death of a child ever be miraculous or joyful?

‘“I must begin by describing Daiyu. Materialists would call her my daughter, although I’d have loved her just the same had there been no fleshly bond.

‘“From her earliest childhood, it was evident that Daiyu would never need awakening. She’d been born awake, and her metaphysical abilities were extraordinary. She could tame wild livestock with a glance and locate lost objects unerringly, no matter how far away they were. She showed no interest in childish games or toys, but turned instinctively towards scripture, able to read before being taught, and to speak truths it takes many people a lifetime to understand.”’

‘And she could turn herself invisible,’ said a cool voice from over beside the towering straw man.

Several of the group glanced at Emily, but Becca ignored the interruption.

‘“As she grew, her powers became only more exceptional. The idea of a four- or five-year-old having her degree of spiritual calling would have seemed nonsensical to me had I not witnessed it. Every day she grew in wisdom and gave further proofs of her pure communication with the Blessed Divinity. Even as a child, she far surpassed me in understanding. I’d spent years struggling to understand and harness my own spiritual gifts. Daiyu simply accepted her abilities as natural, without inner conflict, without confusion.

‘“I look back now and wonder how I didn’t understand what her destiny was, although she spoke to me of it, a few short days before her earthly end.

‘“‘Papa, I must visit the Blessed Divinity soon, but don’t worry, I’ll come back.’

‘“I imagined she was speaking of the state pure spirits attain when they see the face of the Divinity clearly, and which I have achieved myself, through chanting, fasting and meditation. I knew that Daiyu, like me, had already seen and spoken to the Divinity. The word ‘visit’ should have warned me, but I was blind where she saw plainly.

‘“The Divinity’s chosen instrument was a young woman who took Daiyu to the dark sea while I slept. Daiyu walked joyfully towards the horizon before the sun had risen and disappeared from the material world, her fleshly body dissolving into the ocean. She was what the world calls dead.

‘“My despair was unconfined. It was weeks before I understood that this is why she was sent to us. Hadn’t she said to me, many times, ‘Papa, I exist beyond mere matter’? She’d been sent to teach us all, but to teach me particularly, that the only truth, the only reality, is spirit. And when I fully understood as much, and after I’d humbly told the Blessed Divinity so, Daiyu returned.

‘“‘Yes, she came back to me, I saw her as plainly—’”

Emily laughed scornfully. Becca slammed the book shut and got to her feet while the apprehensive corn dolly-makers pretended not to be watching.

‘Come in here for a moment, Emily, please,’ Becca told her sister.

Her expression defiant, Emily set down the straw she’d been binding to the torso of the gigantic statue and followed Becca into the cabin. Determined to know what was going on, Robin, who knew there was a small portable toilet to the rear of the crafting rooms, muttered, ‘Loo,’ and left the group.

All the windows of the Portakabin were open, doubtless in an effort to make it cool enough to work in. Robin moved round the building until she was out of sight of the other workers, then crept to stand beneath a window at the back, through which Becca and Emily’s voices, though low, were just audible.

‘… don’t understand what the problem is, I was agreeing with you.’

‘Why did you laugh?’

‘Why d’you think? Don’t you remember, when we recognised Lin—’

‘Shut up. Shut up now.’

‘Fine, I’ll—’

‘Come back. Come back here. Why did you say that, about invisibility?’

‘Oh, I’m allowed to speak now, am I? Well, that’s what you said happened. You were the one who told me what to say.’

‘That’s a lie. If you want to tell a different story now, go ahead, nobody’s stopping you!’

Emily let out something between a gasp and a laugh.

‘You filthy hypocrite.’