Ice Diaries by Lexi Revellian Read Free Book Online Page A

approved by the People’s
Democratic Dictatorship.”
    I hadn’t expected him to
reference Mao Tse-Tung, but he had a point. If he’d said he
wanted a lot of things, there’d have been a discussion;
whatever conclusion it came to completely pointless, as there was
nothing to stop him coming on his own and taking what he liked. It
didn’t belong to any of us, after all.
    Below ground again, we got organized.
Greg, Paul and Sam brought boxes of tins to the foot of the stairs,
Morgan took them up two flights to Charlie, she took them two flights
up to me and so on. We’re all pretty fit because the life we
lead is strenuous. Charlie prides herself on being as strong as any
of the men, and this is probably true amongst our lot; but Morgan was
in a different league. He could carry two cases to our one. Working
next in the line to him and trying to keep up half killed her. I
didn’t worry if the boxes stacked up on my landing, but for
Charlie it was a matter of pride not to fall behind. Her face got
redder and sweatier and her breath shorter till by the time we
stopped for lunch she could hardly speak.
    While we were eating perched on the
Co-op’s steps, Morgan told me he’d got things to do that
afternoon and wouldn’t be staying. Clearly, he’d failed
to Develop Effective Working Relationships with Colleagues in
Logistics Operations like the rest of us. Archie came over and sat
down next to me to eat his tin of beans and pork sausages. With his
hair badly cut by Nina he looks like a cheerful medieval saint from
an illuminated manuscript. Archie has a particularly innocent smile
that beams goodness. He held out his hand, and after a moment Morgan
shook it.
    “Welcome. It’s nice to see
a new face among us. I expect Tori’s warned you I’m a God
botherer by profession. I don’t suppose you’re a
believer … ?”
    Morgan shook his head.
    “Tori will tell you you needn’t
be worried I’m going to try to convert you or anything
alarming, but if you ever want a private chat – any subject,
doesn’t have to be God – and think I could be useful, I’m
always available.”
    “Right,” said Morgan.
Archie smiled again and chatted for a while about other things. He’s
a sensitive soul and never intrudes where he feels he’s not
wanted. Morgan didn’t speak to anyone else during the break
except Greg who did most of the talking; Paul tried to strike up a
conversation with him but Morgan’s responses were so brief and
unforthcoming it petered out. After Morgan left Greg asked where he
was and I said he’d gone. I could see the others thought it a
bit off. An extra pair of hands had speeded things up. Charlie
muttered, “Typical,” looking pleased. Later, when we were
working side by side, she brought the subject up again.
    “Where did he come from?”
    “He hasn’t said.”
    “Honestly, Tori, why haven’t
you asked him? He could be anyone. He could be a serial killer
escaped from prison.”
    I realized I’d been put off by
Morgan’s guarded manner; I’d respected his obvious desire
not to talk about himself. This was absurd. Not that he’d tell
me if he was a murderer. It’s the sort of thing you’d
keep to yourself.
    “I’ll ask him tonight.”
    He strolled back again late afternoon
and took his place in the line, everyone except Greg and Archie
looking askance at him.

    By seven o’clock we’d got
everything to the top and decided to call it a day. The wind was
getting up, blowing a light powdering of snow into the sheltered
corner where we sort the stuff into shares. My gaze travelled over
the motley assortment arranged in our six roof box trailers. As we
couldn’t stick to the list we’d strayed from the straight
and narrow, and all grabbed things we wanted. Apart from the tins of
food which we’d split as usual, Paul had got loads of nappies
for the baby and toys for Gemma, Sam had hair spray, perfume and what
looked like the chemist’s entire stock of highlighting kits,
and I’d gone