" Where is he?" " In the dining room." "Bye." "Excuse me." "Don't try to look up my skirt." "God Almighty!" "I thought it was finger painting this afternoon." "Bloody hell!" "The cows were here before me." "Seems to be alright today." "Look at that." "More to the right." "More to the right!" "Glad you found your way." "The village couldn't raise a team, so you're the scorer." "Why's that?" "I think they're afraid of our fast bowls." "Glad I'm scoring." "I think you'll have a very interesting time" "You have a rather..." "extraordinary companion." " Companion?" " Yes, the other scorer." "He's the most intelligent man in the place." "I'll introduce you." "¡Just give them a bit of practice!" "His name's Charles Crossley." "He's incredibly well read." "Claims to have traveled all over the world." "A type of genius." "Keeps my old bike spinning off." " The old motorbike?" " Yeah." " And why is he here?" " He's not entirely normal." "What's normal?" " See that tree over there?" " Yes." "That's normal." " Now look at that." " Yes?" "That's not..." "Get your body behind it!" "Unfortunately, he believes that his soul is... shattered into four pieces." "Charles." " Yes, doctor." " I'd like to introduce you to Robert." "He's your opposite man for this afternoon." "Please see that he gets a pencil and notebook." " Good luck." " OK." "Come inside." "I rather like the doctor." "Without a doubt, the most intelligent man in the place." "Well educated, well read, traveled, etc." "Isn't that what he said?" "More or less." "We're fielding!" "Did he say that tree was mad?" "Yes." "He's very repetitive." " How many patients on your team?" " I think, five." "The rest are all outsiders or members of the staff." "That one over there is John Drake." "He'll probably open the bowling." "Played for England a couple of times." "He's likely to bowl straight at the batman's head." "He's not really insane." "He's just magnificently bad-tempered." "And the doctor isn't a bad player, of course." "Where are the umpires?" "Come on, girls!" "Although he's not a startlingly innovative thinker." "But he indulges me, and I'm grateful because I'm interested in his subject..." "Psyche." "And because I can read German and French and he can't..." "I can generally stay ahead of him." "Does he resent the competition?" "You studying his subject." "No." "It's not really competition, is it?" "God helps those that help themselves." "Does He not?" "Shit!" "What's that umpire signaling?" "Four leg bars, I think." "Anyway, I like to keep him happy." "I make up dreams for him." "I fill them with every significant symbol I can find." "Fathers, snakes... apple pies." "Does he suspect you?" "Anyway, I find it..." "quite amusing." "There you are." "Sorry, did you say something?" "That man had a wife who loved him." "A rare phenomenon, wouldn't you say?" "Had?" "And what happened to her?" "He lost her." "I could tell you the rest of the story if you like." "Think you can listen and score at the same time?" " I'm sure I can." " We can make things easy for ourselves." "You could keep both scores, and I could tell the story... and at the fall of each wicket..." "I could copy down what you've written." "You're very well organized, Mr. Crossley." "Every word of what I'm going to tell you is true." "Though I tell it in a different way, it's always the same story." "It's always the same story, but I..." "I change the sequence of events... and I vary the climaxes... a little, because I like to keep it alive." "Have you ever walked the sand dunes?" " What an extraordinary dream." " Terrible dream!" "I saw a man in the sand dunes." "Actually, it was around here." "Running and..." "He had a... tailcoat." "A sort of... admiral's uniform." "My God, it's freezing!" "He had something in his hand..." "That's funny, where's the... buckle?" " Rachel, come on!" " Coming!" "I lost the buckle in my shoe." "Can you match it?" " Rachel!" " Coming!" "Did I tell you I was playing the organ tomorrow?" "Yes, you did." " Do you want to come?" " I don't know." "Come on, Buzz!" "Anthony." "You're going to be late, love." "What?" " Church." " Oh, Jesus!" " Are you coming?" " No, you're too late." "Hello, Harry." "Going to church today?" "No." "In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, amen." "We find ourselves living in disturbing times." "The foundations of our society are not firm." "We're like a rudderless ship." "No direction." "No one has any conviction any more." "You see, we don't believe..." "Anything!" "We are in a period of moral starvation." "And it is in times like these that our faith in Jesus Christ is the... only thing we have to hold on to." "We must believe again..." "You see, I..." " Did you enjoy the sermon?" " What?" "...it was very good." "Yet..." "I've always found it hard to believe that the soul... is imprisoned in the body until death liberates it." "Don't you think that in periods of spiritual starvation... that the soul might take refuge in a tree... a stone?" "I'll walk with you, and talk some more." "No, I'm afraid I can't because my wife's waiting for me." "Are you all right?" "I've been on a walking holiday for a few days." "I see." "Sorry I bothered you with that theological discussion..." "Your wife must be worried about you." "Well my... bicycle broke down." "Oh, yes." "Do you mind if I invite myself to lunch?" "We can continue our discussion." "And I haven't eaten for two days, you see." "Really?" "Well, ...in that case, ...certainly, yes, of course..." "Yes, and we'll continue our discussion having something to eat." " You're mister...?" " Crossley." "Charles Crossley." "Hello, love." "What happened?" "I'm sorry I'm late, darling, but... uh..." "Oh, this is..." "Mr. Crossley." "He's come for lunch." "Mr. Crossley, this is my wife, Rachel." "How nice!" "I think there should always be people in the house Sunday lunch." "I must admit I invited myself." "You don't have to do that with Anthony, he just expects people to arrive." "Whether they've been invited or not." "Were there many in church?" "The usual crew of stalwarts." "How was the sermon?" " Well..." " Standard Christian dogma." "Religions all have to answer the same question." " What?" " Has the human a soul?" "And if he has..." "Where does he keep it?" "Has the Vicar any idea?" "His belief is based on speculation." "Well, you can't base it on anything else." "Anyway, we've had this discussion before." "Anthony, ask Mr. Crossley if he'd like a glass of wine." "No." "I'd like a glass of water, please." "That's very easy." "Is there anywhere I can wash my hands before lunch?" "Yes, there's a bathroom." " Upstairs." " Thank you." " Where did you find him?" " He found me, and he... came into the area of service and started chattering about the sermon." "It's a bit overdone." "So is Mr. Crossley." "Please, sit down." "It's easier if you help yourself." "Of course." "You must be hungrier than that if you haven't eaten for two days." "Must be starving." "I've been without food for much longer than two days." " Recently?" " No, not recently." "But, why?" "I was traveling in the Australian outback." "Food there was often hard to find." " How long were you living there?" " 18 years... and in all that time I never saw a white man." "18 years?" "Did you have an aboriginal wife?" "Yes, I did." "Children?" "No." "No children." "None that survived, anyway." "Under their law..." "Either parent has the right to kill their offspring within a few weeks of birth." "I chose to exercise that right." "I killed them because I knew that one day I would leave, and I knew that when I left..." "Does that shock you, that I admit to the killing of my children?" "Since..." "Anthony and I... have not managed to have children..." "Do you think you'll go back?" "I'm sorry if I've upset your wife." "The killing of one's children is the only natural death in aboriginal society." "They believe that every other death is the result of either violence... or some malevolent sorcery." "Sorcery?" "That's what I've heard of the pointing bones that they use to kill with." "Yes, that's the most common type of death magic." "It's the defect." "I've seen a man die three days after learning that a bone has been pointing at him." "Who pointed the bone?" "A magician he had wronged." "Such a man could creep up behind you as you lay asleep..." "And dip his hands into the small of your back." "Remove your kidneys." "Peel off the fat that surrounds them." "And replace them without a scar." "Death would be short following..." "Two or three days." "Interesting idea." "Once there was no rain for a whole year." "The chief magician had been sent for." "He was a genuinely terrifying figure." "Often parading in... in an old 18th century naval type officer's tailcoat." "He cut his body with a sharp stone." "Where would he get hold of the tailcoat?" "I'm sorry I'm spoiling the lunch..." "I have a sort of migraine..." " Can I lie down somewhere, please?" " There's a sofa in the sitting room." "There's a spare room, he'll be more comfortable there." "It's to the left of the bathroom." "Do you like friend much?" " Hardly my friend." " Anyway, say goodnight to him." " I am going to bed." " Already?" "Yep." " Anything wrong?" " No." " I'm sorry." " Come in." "You... you said that he... cut himself with a stone." "With floating feathers in the air, to represent clouds." "Then he took a sharp stone and cut... deep around his waist." "Blood flowed like a waterfall." "Then he tucked his fingers into the wound... dragged at his flesh, tearing it up across his chest... like a snake discarding his skin." "It began to rain at that very moment." "And it rained for four days." "I presume you believe in the power of that magic." "Oh, yes." "I believe in its power." "It's there." "If a man is convinced he's going to die, he simply slips away... and dies." " Yes, I see." " Don't patronize me with that tone!" "That magician in the tailcoat gave me a terrible power over my enemies." "He taught me the use of the terror shout." "It took me 18 years to perfect it." "Now I can kill with it." "Kill." "Instantly." "Yes, all right." "I find this very interesting, but I think..." "I think that two days without food have affected your mind quite badly." "You haven't the imagination to understand anything outside your own experience." "I've heard your music." "It's nothing." "It's empty." "Yes, well if there's anything you need before you leave..." "I shall be downstairs." "Bastard!" "I'd very much like to hear your shout, Mr. Crossley." "I'm on my way now." "Perhaps you'd like to walk with me for a bit." "If I shouted for you now, you would die." "As would your wife... and anyone else around here." "I don't believe in that shout of yours, Mr. Crossley." "I'll stay tonight..." "In the morning we can walk on the dunes." "There'll be no one about." "Well, it's fine with me." "You'd be wise to bring some wax or cotton wool to stuff up your ears." "I want to be able to hear it." "I have heard some sounds in my time, you know." "It will kill you, then." "Coffee?" "We should be off." "Yes, well, I... won't be a second." " I'll wait for you outside." " Fine." "Hold on there, I've got a stitch." "Put your fingers to your ears when you want me to stop, not before I begin." "These could do well, sir." "Good new walks." "Make sure that I get some bees' wax into the hand bin." "I'm not a shoe maker!" "I'm a musician!" "What a wonderful smell." " How are you this morning?" " Well." "I'm sorry Anthony left you this morning, he..." " He got back all right, didn't he?" " Yes, just wasn't feeling well." " Are these cooked enough for you?" " A little more, please." "Will you watch them?" "I'll go and see how Anthony is." "I think he may be asleep." "Well, I shall wake him if he is." "So you took my advice." "How wise of you." "I thought perhaps I might help you." "In the garden... or whatever tasks you feel you can't escape." " Feeling any better?" " What's Crossley doing?" "Mending the bike." " I'm going to the village." " When's he leaving?" "I don't think he is." "I thought you'd get rid of him somehow." "He's perfectly harmless." "I don't give a damn how harmless you think he is, I just want him to go..." "Just tell him that he's overstayed his welcome!" "Thank you." "I'm no master mechanic, but it should get you home all right." "It's very sweet of you to take so much trouble" "How long will you be?" "A couple of hours." "Hour and a half, maybe." "Thanks." "Go carefully." "That was a... splendid delivery." " Out!" " How was that?" "How was that?" "You garden is wild." "A virgin forest." "I like it this way." "I shall not change it." "I didn't mean that you should." "I think that Anthony is jealous of you." "Are you happily married?" "Possibly." "What about you?" "Could I have some sugar, please?" "Marriage in an aboriginal society... is different to what it is here." "Oh, yes, it's true." "If a young man wants a girl for his wife..." "He steals some trivial possession from her..." "Casts a spell over it... and then she finds him irresistible." "And does it last?" "Until death." "Or until the husband leaves..." "Or until he deliberately relaxes the magic." "I'm so glad you felt well enough to come down." "Just thought I'd go for a short walk." "In the direction of the village?" " Why?" " My sandal needs mending." "Why didn't you take it in this morning?" "Because I had other things to do." "I'm not sure that I'm going to be going that far." "If I get it for you, you might just make the effort." " When's he leaving?" " In a month for all I care." "He's got your buckle." "I've seen him playing with it." "Why don't you ask him for it?" "Why?" "Because I'm just going to buy another one, that's why!" "Look, if he's got the buckle he probably wants to keep it." " Don't be ridiculous, Rachel!" " Go on with you!" "Go upstairs to my room." "You're lucky to find me open today." "I had a terrible turn this morning." "Worst thing that ever happened in my life..." "Like someone was pounding me." "And that noise, like a terrible music." "I was in bed, you know." "I had this feeling all over me." "Like ripples under my skin." "As though someone was skinning me from the inside." "It was like a hand inside me, it was pulling on my kidneys... and my soul." "Then as suddenly as it'd come, it stopped." "You know where I was?" "You know where I was?" "You know where I was?" "In the corner, and that music had stopped." "Look, do you think you could..." "you could fix some... steel tips, the leather heel type with the..." "Look!" "Why don't I do it?" "You can go home, you know." "Love!" "Steel tips..." "leather..." "Rachel!" "Thank you...." "You're a fabulous dog." "Come here." " Let's get on with the game." " No!" "Out!" "Out!" "Out!" "The umpire's decision is final." "It's the... weather." "Thunderstorm weather." "It makes everyone here behave more irregularly... than the usual." "Darling, would you run me a bath?" " Is he up yet?" " I don't know." "He's gone." " He's gone?" " Gone." " Where's he gone to?" " I didn't ask him." "Anybody there?" " Good morning, Vicar." " Hello, Mr. Fielding." "I'm here to ask you a small favor." "Yes, what's that?" " Harry, the shepherd died suddenly." " And the organist is still away." " Harry died?" "We need someone to play at the funeral service, at four." " When did he die?" " Yesterday morning." "They found him on the dunes." "Yes, in that case, of course..." "I'm sorry to talk to you like this." "It's all right." "Goodbye." "It's probably Crossley's" "I don't know why you let him bother you so much." "I didn't realize that... we were expecting you." "No?" "Sit down." "How long do you think you'll be able to stay?" "Months, rather than days." "And when I finish eating, Anthony..." "Rachel and I are going to bed." "So you'd better make yourself scarce." " What?" " You heard me." "Rachel, what's he talking about?" "You heard him." "For God's sake, Rachel!" "Get out of here, Anthony." "Or I'll shout your bloody ears off." "There we go!" "I'll find you!" "What's the matter?" "Is there something wrong?" "I may need you." "I may need you." "I may need you..." "Someone's trapping me." "Someone's trying to kill me!" "Someone is trying to kill me..." "There's not a soul about!" "You bitch!" "Don't look at me like..." "Go on!" "Tell them I'll kill them!" "Tell them... they'll be dead unless they leave!" "Dead!" "I'll have to shout!" "I'll have to shout them dead!" "Got you, you bastard!" "Charles Crossley!" "I have a warrant for your arrest." "For the murder of your children." "Nobody moves!" "I'll shout you dead!" "That's what the shout is like!" "Only a thousand times worse!" "It's true!" "Everybody will tell you it's true!" "I was a Christian!" "I was!" "Hold your positions, it's only a shower." "Crossley!" "The shout only you have it!" "Go back to your room at once." "Leave me alone, or I'll shout you dead!" "I'll shout you dead!" " Where is he?" " In the dining room."