Clay by David Almond Read Free Book Online

goggled in at us. I found Stephen at my side.
    “So that’s your monster out there?” he said.
    “Aye,” I said.
    He had a handful of ash. He threw it into Mouldy’s eyes.
    “Go to Hell!” he said.
    Mouldy squealed and the letter box dropped shut. He battered with his feet and fists at the door.
    Stephen laughed.
    “Stupid lump,” he said, and he yelled at the door: “The police is coming! They’re on their way now! They are! They are! Begone!”
    The battering went on for a while; then it relented, and Mouldy spoke to us once more before he went away.
    “You’re dead,” he growled through the door. “Every bliddy one of you.”
    Crazy looked at us in confusion.
    “But we’re not,” she said.
    She looked at us.
    “Are we?” she said.
    I shook my head. No.
    I looked out through the letter box. Stephen stood beside me and looked out too. We saw Mouldy lumbering back towards the Swan.
    “Aye, scary,” said Stephen. “But stupid as well.”
    He wiped the ash from his hands. My terror started to fade.
    “Such devils walk the streets these days,” said Crazy Mary.
    “They do, Aunty Mary,” said Stephen.
    “But these two is the good altar boys,” said Crazy Mary.
    “We are, missus,” said Geordie.
    “Come and have some jam and bread,” said Crazy.
    I dipped my fingers into Crazy’s holy water and crossed myself. We went towards the back of the house. Crazy cut thick slices of bread. She spread them thick with rhubarb jam.
    “Eat,” she said. “This is the good food of the Lord.”
    Geordie and I looked at each other.
    “Narrow escape, eh?” he said.
    We tried to laugh, but we both knew we’d been terrified.
    I crammed the bread into my mouth.
    Stephen watched, so calm.
    “Davie,” he said. “I’ve got something I want to show you.” He looked at Geordie. “Not you,” he said. “Just Davie. Is that OK?”
    I saw the suspicion and anger in Geordie’s eyes.
    “I’ve just saved your bliddy life,” said Stephen. “I’d like you to stay here.”
    They watched each other for a moment. Then Geordie shrugged.
    “We’ll not be long,” said Stephen. “Come and see, Davie.”
    I hesitated. My heart was still thundering, but it started to calm as I gazed back at Stephen.
    “Howay,” he said. “You’ll be interested.” He stepped towards the back door and opened it. “Bring your jam and bread if you want to. Come with me, Davie.”

four
    Crows flew out from the grass as he led me to the shed. He took me in, shut the door behind us.
    “Forget the outside, Davie,” he said. “Forget what you were scared of.”
    The place was pale with clay dust. Dust on the bench top, on the dark creosoted timber walls, on the window. Milky light fell on us.
    “It’s great stuff,” he said, “the stuff I get from your pond. Slick and smooth, easy to work, like it wants to live.”
    I shivered at the thought of ever going to the pond again. I shivered at the thought of Mouldy waiting beside it in the shadow of the rock.
    “You’re still thinking about Mouldy, aren’t you?” he said. “You’re safe here, man.” He laughed. “Mouldy! What a name, eh? Mouldy!” He licked his lips and laughed. “Mouldy. That’s what he will be when he’s dead.”
    There was clay in glass bowls with wet cloths over them. There were finished figures, half-formed figures. Stephen dipped his hand into a bowl of cloudy water and splashed it over them.
    “Don’t want them drying out too quick,” he said. “Don’t want them cracking and crazing, do we?”
    He grinned and flicked water at me, too.
    “Calm down, man,” he said. “Everything’s all right now.”
    There were figures that were nearly formless. Just blocks of stone with lumps for arms and legs, and skulls like boulders balanced on top.
    “Mebbe God made things like these first,” he said. “Before he got to us. Tryouts. Thick stupid lumpy things without a soul. What d’you think, Davie?”
    “Dunno,” I said.
    “Dunno,” he echoed.