Is (29 page)

But that don’t matter, she thought then. We can still talk however far apart. And indeed a tremendous wave of warmth and friendship came up to her as the train approached the bridge, and she leaned over the rail, tossing her good wishes back and her love for all of them. It’s a huge family, she thought. It’s us! All over the country. And there’ll be more . . .

‘And they aren’t
all
going,’ said Arun, astonishing her by suddenly breaking into thought-speak. ‘Quite a parcel of them decided to stay here for a while at least and help rebuild Old Blastburn.’

‘Arun! You are talking in thoughts!’

‘Everybody else seemed to have the knack so I reckoned it was time I began.’ He gave her a teasing grin.

‘Oh, heavens! Look! Down on the track – ’ Is clutched Lemman’s arm in horror.

Down on the track was Gold Kingy, almost black-faced with rage, dancing, shouting and screaming inaudible curses, shaking his fists at the train which came implacably towards him.

‘Stop! I order you to stop! I command you to stop!’

They could see him mouthing the words, willing the order, as he had willed himself to walk on the water.

The train did not stop. It was going too fast, by now, for braking to make the least difference. The train tossed Gold Kingy indifferently to one side, and he flew through the air, over the parapet, and into the Wash river.

Lemman ran down to look over the wall, then shook his head, and began walking slowly back.

Now he’ll never be able to try saloop and see if it works for him, thought Is. But my guess is that it wouldn’t have. She could not feel the least regret for the death of her Uncle Roy; he had caused too much harm and misery.

Arun was saying something about Captain Podmore.

‘Ship turned up last night. He’d been down at Plymouth; missed the worst of the tidal waves. We could sail with him tomorrow – he sometimes puts in at Folkestone, he says. He told me to tell you the king’s cousin – the new king – is a cove called the Duke of Battersea. Podmore thought you might be pleased. He’ll be King Simon the First.’

‘Oh, Arun, that’s right good news! Simon! Yes, he’ll make a prime king – he’s got real good sense. Funny, I knew he’d high-up connections, but I never knowed he was the king’s cousin.’

‘So what Davie did won’t have been wasted,’ said Arun.

‘We gotta
see
that it wasn’t wasted,’ said Is. And she started wondering where the token might be now.

‘And I’ll tell you another thing,’ said Arun, putting a comfortable brotherly arm around Is, who still looked and felt very sick and shaky. ‘They’re starting to rebuild old Blastburn, and they’ve decided to change the name. And they’re going to call it
Is
– after that city Aunt Ishie told of, that once got drowned in the sea. ‘Why – dearie!’ – he had caught the trick from Lemman – ‘Why, dearie, what in the world is there in
that
to make you start crying – ?’