Читать книгу The Dead Fathers Club - Matt Haig - Страница 24

Barbarism

The next day when I got home Uncle Alan was there putting wood in the smashed window and banging nails.

He said All right son.

The word son itched me inside and I looked at the black on his hands that he never washed off and I thought it will be hard to kill someone with massive hands who hammers in nails really hard. His hands are as big as Queen Angelfish which is the biggest type of Angelfish and too big for my tank.

I went upstairs and Mum was making tea in the kitchen.

I tried to act normal and so I had my book on The Romans in Britain by Graham Fortune but I could only read one sentence. The sentence was

For the Roman soldier Hadrian’s Wall was more than just a defence against the Caledonian tribes – it also represented the dividing line between the known world of order and civilisation, and the unknown world of chaos and barbarism.

I didnt know what barbarism meant. It sounded like something to do with haircuts but that didnt sound right. The picture in the book showed the tribes with long messy hair and the Romans with short hair or helmets so maybe barbarism was to do with haircuts.

I couldnt read any more so I fed my fish.

I had just finished feeding them and I was watching the five Guppies and I was watching them come to the surface and take the biggest flakes which are too big for them. Then the Neons below them fed on the bits that dropped out of the Guppies mouths and fell slowly through the water. And I was sitting on the bed and watching the flakes and rubbing the smell of them off on my trousers and I saw Dads Ghost in the glass.

I turned round and he said Hi son.

His face was sadder than it was before and I knew it was because he had spent all the time in the Terrors.

Then he said Im sorry.

I said Why?

He said About the mini bus. About getting the wrong day.

I said Its OK.

He said Your Mum wasnt in danger. Even last night you and your Mum were safe.

I said The men smashed up the Pub. They could have smashed us up.

He said No. It wasnt his plan. He just wanted to scare you both. He must have sorted the CCTV out. He knew the police wouldnt be able to do anything.

I said There were three men.

He said Yes. But it was one mans idea. He paid the other two. He will probably just add it to their wages. They work for him in the Garage.

I said No.

He said Yes. My brother. My blood.

I said Why?

He said He wants the Pub Philip. He wants your Mum. Dads Ghost started to flicker out but I got his last words before he went which he said in his serious ghost voice

fear

brings

him

near

And then Dads Ghost was gone.