Deadly Sky (ePub), The by David Hill Read Free Book Online Page A

bombs?’
    Darryl felt awkward. Then he remembered his mother’s words. ‘Our government’s opposed to nuclear testing.’ Yes, he thought as he said it, we’re a long way away from it all, and we’re lucky.
    ‘We do not wish the bomb, too,’ the same boy said. Another voice quickly went, ‘The
nucléaire
stop the communists!’ Someone else chimed in: ‘
La France
needs bomb to protect our islands!’ The young teacher raised both hands, said something in French, and then told Darryl: ‘People here argue on both sides.’ Darryl remembered his mother had said the same thing.
    Whisperings at the back of the room. Then: ‘What are like
les filles de la Nouvelle-Zélande
… the NewZealand girls?’ Everyone laughed, including Darryl.
    ‘There are … some really nice ones.’ (What are you
saying?
went the voice inside his head.) ‘Girls are – different.’
    The teacher laughed. ‘In French, we say
Vive la différence
’. Long live the difference.
Merci, Monsieur
Dah-reel. Claude?’
    A tall boy stood up. ‘Thank you of – from – us. Have enjoy in Tahiti.’
    Hey, Darryl told himself as he was led back to the school office. Mr Reidy must have known something: I
did
speak to a class!
    ‘You were so good!’ his mother said that evening, as they ate in the previous night’s café once more. ‘People kept telling me!’
    Darryl pulled a face. ‘Lucky it was a guys’ school.’ Actually, he thought again to himself, I wouldn’t have minded talking to the girls’ high, too … Aloud, he said: ‘They can’t leave the nuclear tests alone.’
    They’d finished their fish (with pineapple) and were waiting for their meringues (with pineapple). The waitress arrived with someone else’s order, looked awkward, apologised and hurried away. ‘I suppose the tests won’t leave
them
alone, Da,’ his mother replied.
    ‘Yeah, but remember what Grandad Davis reckoned?’ Darryl reminded her. ‘Lots of new weapons were invented in World War II. New artillery shells, landing craft, aircraft carriers. They all helped win the war faster, and saved lives. Grandad said the atomic bomb was the same, only more powerful.’
    He felt startled at his sudden rush of words. ‘And if the Americans hadn’t dropped those bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Grandad and thousands of other prisoners would never have got back home alive.’
    Mrs Davis held up her hands. ‘I know. Anyway, we’re on holiday. One more church group tomorrow morning, and a school visit on Monday morning, but we’ll see all the sights we can fit in around them. Early flight to Mangareva on Tuesday. Early – and long.’
    The waitress returned with their meringues. As she placed them on the table, a spoon went clanging onto the floor. ‘Oh,
non!
’ the woman exclaimed. ‘So sorry!’
    ‘Don’t worry.’ Darryl’s mother had already picked up the spoon. She glanced at the waitress. ‘Are you all right?’ Darryl looked, too. The woman was crying.
    ‘I – sorry,’ she said again. ‘My son: he is hurt in demonstration march. Now police say will arrest him.’
    Mrs Davis put her hand on the woman’s arm. ‘He sounds a brave boy.
My
son’ – she nodded at Darryl – ‘he was there.’
    ‘I’d just been to the mark—’ Darryl began, then froze as the waitress embraced him.
    ‘They say bomb is to protect us. Who protects us from bomb?’ She moved away.
    On Monday, Mrs Davis left early for a group on the other side of the island.
    He heard her running around on tiptoes when birds began singing outside the wooden shutters. Turning over, he went back to sleep, then got up at nine o’clock, and yawned off to breakfast in their café, as he and his mum were now calling it. A different waitress smiled as she brought him crisp rolls, milky coffee, his own basket of fruit, including – ta-dah! – some pineapple.
    The rain was gone, and Tahiti steamed under a bright sun. Darryl headed off along the beach, feet crunching in the clean, shelly