Snake Ropes by Jess Richards Read Free Book Online

might be cutting off hims feelings so him is not full of missing him. Men’re just like that.’
    ‘No, it’s not like that. Him really
dun
miss him. Not at all.’
    ‘Well, it may be that’s the way of it, and you know your Da the best, I’m sure. And if hims not missing him and you are, that’s like to be hurting you now. But not one boy has come back. Your Da knows that. Dun be seeing blame where there’s none.’ She frowns.
    ‘Have you ever seen this thing, a white owl with a woman’s face? Mam did a broiderie of her, and I saw her, like a real thing, on the beach.’
    She stares at me, her mouth wide open. ‘Them’ve done it,’she says. ‘Mary get yourself home. Get your Da indoors.’ She pushes me away.
    ‘So she’s real?’ I gasp out.
    ‘Doug!’ Nell shrieks, her eyes wide. Then she says to herself, so quiet I almost dun hear it, ‘I’ve got to get the key to Valmarie. She’s on the bells tonight.’
    ‘I’ll take it to her.’ I reach out my hand.
    She starts. ‘No you will not.’
    Dougan comes round the side of the barn. ‘You all right Nell? Mary, not troubling her are you?’
    ‘Get indoors Doug. You done with the tall men?’
    Him walks up to us. ‘Aye, them’re heading off. But I’ve got the furnace still blazing – I’m not done in there.’
    Nell grips Dougan’s arm. ‘Leave it to die down. Get in.’ She shoves him through the cottage door. ‘Mary, get your Da indoors. Go. Now!’
    I say, ‘But Da’s out on the sea—’ but she shuts the door. Her and Dougan bicker behind it. Him is yelling at her that him dun want to be shut indoors and she’s yelling back that him should be grateful to her, but she’s not going to tell him why. The next thing I hear is a wallop what sounds like one of them has clanged the other over the head with a pan. There’s a crash and it all goes quiet.
    I’m about to look in through the window but Nell opens the front door, comes outside and locks it behind her. ‘You still here? You never heard none of that Mary Jared, get off home. Get your Da indoors.’
    ‘Why?’ I call out, but she scuttles away around the side of the cottage. I follow her but she’s gone over a stile, and hurtles off, scattering brown sheep through the field in the direction of Valmarie’s house. So she can walk fast enough even with her walking stick, when she’s got a purpose.
    I go back to Nell’s cottage and listen at the door. Dougan must be still out cold. Nell’s left the cottage key in the front door so I draw it out. It sings in my hand as I shove it in my dress pocket. It’s mine now.
    The two tall men walk towards the cliff path.
    I call, ‘Wait – you’ve got to tell me—’
    The tall men turn round.
    I choke out, ‘You took—’
    One of them says, ‘Nothing that wasn’t traded.’ Them turn and walk away.
    ‘Wait—’ I walk after them. ‘What’s—’
    The one with Barney’s eyes stops again, turns to face me.
    The other one says, ‘Leave her, Langward. Got to get on.’ Him walks away.
    I say quiet, ‘That your name then, Langward? And is that the name my brother should’ve known as hims real father?’
    Hims lips draw up in a smile what dun reach hims eyes. ‘So, has your brother been found?’
    ‘You’re saying you dun know where him is, then?’
    ‘Not yet.’
    ‘But you
do
know – you took him!’
    Him leans forwards. ‘I don’t have him. I want to find him too.’
    ‘So you
are
Barney’s Da!’ I cry out. ‘But how can you be – Mam wouldn’t have … not with you, not with any one of you! But you took him.’
    ‘You searched our boats.’
    ‘You could’ve hid him, then put him in your boat when I were crying – my eyes blurred with tears, couldn’t see. Give me him
    back!’
    ‘I said, I don’t have him.’ Langward glances at the other tall man walking away and says, ‘Don’t work yourself up to another fever. I heard your father was very … attentive. But there’s only so much time he can spend