The Running Grave полностью

Shivering, soaked to her skin, Robin was dragged to her feet. She retched again, then vomited more water and fell back to her knees. Taio, who she now realised was wearing night vision goggles, pulled her roughly upright again, then marched her through the dark temple, Robin’s legs almost giving way at each step. The doors opened automatically and she saw the starlit courtyard, and felt the freezing night air against her soaking skin. Taio led her roughly past the dragon-carved doors of the farmhouse and then to the side entrance which opened onto the stairs to the basement.

They proceeded through the deserted underground lecture theatre in silence. Taio unlocked the second door leading off the screen room, through which Robin had never gone before. The room beyond was empty except for a small table at which stood two metal-legged plastic chairs.

‘Sit there,’ said Taio, pointing at one of the chairs, ‘and wait.’

Robin sat. Taio walked out, locking the door behind him.

Terrified, Robin fought with herself not to cry, but lost. Leaning forwards on the table, she hid her bruised face in her arms and sobbed. Why hadn’t she left with Barclay a week ago? Why had she stayed?

She didn’t know how long she cried before pulling herself together, attempting to breathe slowly and deeply. The horror of her near drowning was now eclipsed by terror of what would come next. She stood up and tried the door, even though she knew it was locked, then turned to look at the room to see nothing but blank walls: no air vent, no window, no hatch, but one very small round black camera in a corner of the ceiling.

Robin knew she must think, to prepare for whatever was coming, but she felt so weak after the twenty-four-hour fast she couldn’t make her brain work. The minutes dragged by, Robin shivering in her wet robe, and she wondered what was taking so long. Perhaps other people were being subjected to near drowning in the pool? Doubtless other misdemeanours had been committed at Chapman Farm, by people to whom she’d never spoken.

At long last, the key turned in the lock, and four robed people entered the room: Jonathan, Mazu, Taio and Becca. Wace took the chair opposite Robin. The other three lined up against the wall, watching.

‘Why d’you think Daiyu’s so angry with you, Rowena?’ asked Wace quietly and reasonably, like a disappointed headmaster.

‘I don’t know,’ whispered Robin.

She’d have given anything to be able to look inside Wace’s mind and see what he already knew.

‘I think you do,’ said Wace gently.

There was a minute’s silence. At last, Robin said,

‘I’ve been thinking… of leaving.’

‘But that wouldn’t make Daiyu angry,’ said Wace, with a little laugh. ‘Church members are free to leave. We compel nobody. You know that, surely?’

Robin thought he was playing to the camera in the corner, which presumably also picked up sound.

‘Yes,’ she said, ‘I suppose so.’

‘All we ask is that church members don’t try and manipulate others, or act cruelly towards them,’ said Wace.

‘I don’t think I’ve done that,’ said Robin.

‘No?’ said Wace. ‘What about Will Edensor?’

‘I don’t understand what you mean,’ lied Robin.

‘After his trip to the Retreat Room with you,’ said Wace, ‘he asked for writing materials, to contact the person he used to call his mother.’

It took everything Robin had to feign perplexity.

‘Why?’ she said.

‘That’s what we want you to—’ began Taio harshly, but his father raised a hand to silence him.

‘Taio… let her answer.’

‘Oh,’ said Robin slowly, as though she’d just remembered something. ‘I did tell him… oh God,’ she said, playing for time. ‘I told him I thought… you’re going to be angry,’ she said, allowing herself to cry again.

‘I’m only angered by injustice, Rowena,’ said Wace quietly. ‘If you’ve been unjust – to us, or to Will – there will be a sanction, but it will fit the transgression. As the I Ching tells us, penalties must not be imposed unfairly. They should be restricted to an objective guarding against unjustified excesses.’

‘I told Will,’ said Robin, ‘that I wondered whether all our letters were being passed on.’

Mazu let out a soft hiss. Becca was shaking her head.

‘Were you aware that Will has signed a non-contact declaration regarding his family?’ asked Wace.

‘No,’ said Robin.

‘Some church members, like Will, voluntarily sign a declaration that they no longer wish to receive letters from former flesh objects. Step five: renunciation. In such cases, the church carefully preserves the correspondence, which can be viewed at any time, should the member ever wish to see it. Will has never made such a request, and so his letters are kept safely filed away.’

‘I didn’t know that,’ said Robin.

‘So why should he suddenly wish to write to his mother, after almost four years without contact?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Robin.