Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson Read Free Book Online

a room that opened on to a room that opened on to a room that opened on to a room that opened on to a room that … room, opened, a, on to, room, room, room, room, room, room, ooooooooooooo!

Midnight
Everywhere?
    It was late at night.
    Abel Darkwater and Mrs Rokabye were sitting over the fire in the study. Silver was fast asleep in her bed. The great house Tanglewreck was keeping watch over its new prisoners.
    At eight o’clock that evening, Sniveller the manservant had delivered fish, chips and peas and jam roly-poly pudding to Silver in the little wooden-panelled rooms that sat by side on the third floor of the house. He put down the plate, and knocked out a huge dollop of tomato sauce on the side.
    ‘The more you eat the bigger your feet,’ Sniveller had said, putting down the plates. ‘Eat today, gone tomorrow.’
    ‘Are you talking to me or someone else?’ said Silver.
    ‘I don’t know who and neither do you. Ignorance is a closer friend than knowledge.’
    ‘Why is this house full of clocks?’ asked Silver.
    ‘Why is the sea full of fish?’ replied Sniveller.
    ‘Why do your trousers only come down as far as your knees?’
    ‘But my legs come down as far as my feet.’
    ‘But you aren’t wearing any socks or shoes,’ said Silver.
    ‘It’s after eight o’clock. No shoes or socks after eight o’clock. Wouldn’t want me to run away, would you?’
    ‘Would you run away if you were wearing socks and shoes?’
    ‘Oh, I would, if it was past eight o’clock. Yes, I would, everybody knows that. Now eat your supper and go to sleep. Tails and heads in the bed. Which is which?’
    Sniveller spun a coin in the air.
    ‘HEADS,’ shouted Silver.
    ‘Heads to the window, tails to the door,’ announced Sniveller, pocketing the coin, and re-arranging the pillows on the little iron bed. ‘That’s your head lying North and your feet lying South, all compass-like and content. Goodnight.’
    Sniveller had made a little bow and backed out of the door, sniffing his way down the stairs.
    Silver was sleepy after the journey, and the strangeness of the place, and although she wanted to keep awake, her eyes kept dropping shut. The room was warm and soft, with its low fire burning in the grate, and its two candles flickering on the table. The food was plentiful and hot, but as soon as Silver had finished eating, she forced herself to get into her pyjamas before she went to clean her teeth at the little washstand in the room. She was so tired that she couldn’t even pull faces at herself in the mirror, which was what she usually did while she cleaned her teeth.
    She was busy scrubbing away with the toothbrush when she suddenly looked up. In the mirror she saw Abel Darkwater’s face – yes, it was his face! She spun round, but the room was empty.
    Silver was feeling uneasy. She went through into the connecting room, with its little iron bedstead. The bed looked soft and inviting. She swung up her legs, then suddenly, for no reason, decided to turn round the pillows and sleep the other way. Yes, that felt better. She leaned on her elbow to blow out the candle, then changed her mind.
    ‘I won’t blow out the candle. I’ll play a game with the shadows until I fall asleep. I’ll pretend I’m on a ship sailing out to sea with Sir Roger Rover.’
    Then she thought of her daddy, and how he would have kissed her and told her not to worry about anything at all.
    ‘I wish Daddy was here,’ she whispered to herself. ‘He’d tell me what to do.’
    And Silver’s eyes were full of tears but she was brave too. She burrowed herself deep under the blankets and let herself go to sleep.
    Down in the study, Sniveller was serving wine to his Master and Mrs Rokabye.
    ‘I am going to hypnotise Silver,’ said Abel Darkwater.
    ‘I was once hypnotised,’ observed Mrs Rokabye. ‘I was told I was a chicken and I laid an egg.’
    ‘This is not seaside entertainment,’ snapped Darkwater. ‘I shall draw Silver back through Time