The Count of Eleven by Ramsey Campbell Read Free Book Online Page A

go and see it, Laura.”
    “Stay well clear and do as the firemen say,” Jody’s mother told the girls as they sprinted out of the house.
    As soon as Laura set foot on the driveway she saw black smoke oozing into the blue sky above the roofs. It made her think of the evil genie in a book of fairy tales and legends she’d been given for her birthday years ago. She ran after Jody, up the side street to another which was full of retirement homes and nursing homes and which ended near her father’s shop.
    Many of the residents seemed enlivened by the fire. More than a dozen were making their way to the end of the street as if the fire was attracting them like moths. Others stood with their nurses in front gardens, either willing the fire to stay away or expecting it to show itself out of respect for their age. As Jody and Laura outdistanced the old folk two teenage boys in denim dodged around the corner from the direction of the fire and crossed to the pavement which was deserted. Laura stared after them as she came to the corner herself, and didn’t turn until Jody wailed “Oh, Laura, look.”
    Fine Films had gone. Between the two boarded-up shops was a gaping hole stuffed with oily smoke at which orange flames were clawing. Two fire engines were shooting water into the black hole. A sizeable audience had gathered on the pavement opposite, and people were watching from cars parked at the barriers of plastic cones which closed the road in both directions, but Laura felt as if all this was falling short of her mind, as if it was a picture she wasn’t quite able to grasp. As she began to run up the middle of the road she felt the blackness which had engulfed the shop reaching for her mind. Then two people ran out of the crowd to meet her, and she saw they were her parents. To her astonishment, both of them were smiling.
    In a moment she saw that her mother’s smile was trying to be brave, but her father was smiling widely. He, pulled Laura’s mother towards her as if to make certain she shared a surprise, and flourished the clown’s head on his key-ring like a talisman. “Don’t be upset, Laura,” he shouted. “Everything works for you if you know how to do your sums. This is the best thing that could have happened to us.”

FIVE
    Laura looked exactly as her mother had when he’d tried to reassure her wishing she could be convinced. What he had to tell them had already transformed the sight of the flames into a dance of celebration for Jack, but he shouldn’t tell them while there was an audience. “I wouldn’t let you down, would I?” he said, lowering his voice, which had caused several bystanders to glance at him. “I’ll tell you as soon as we’re home.”
    Laura was staring at the crowd. “Why can’t they go away? Why do they have to watch?”
    “We all like a bit of excitement in our lives, don’t we? Maybe I needed this to make me realise.” He wiped away a tear which had begun to trickle down her cheek. He was saying too much if he didn’t intend to say everything now. “I’d better stay, but you needn’t if it bothers you.”
    “Of course she’s bothered,” Julia said almost accusingly. “Why wouldn’t she be?”
    Take her home. I’ll be as quick as I can.” He hugged them both and winked at Julia. “Think of the insurance.”
    He hoped he hadn’t spoken loud enough for anyone outside the family to hear. When he sneaked a glance at the crowd, the woman in the housecoat and the hooded man and Mr. Pether were watching him. Jack gave them a toned-down smile as he walked uphill, hearing Laura say shakily Tve left my T-shirt at Jody’s‘ and Julia’s response, a shade too enthusiastic: “I saw you had a new one. Is that from you, Jody? It’s lovely.” The trio of watchers peered at him as he rejoined the crowd, and he could only grin. “Got to laugh, haven’t you?”
    “He thinks this is funny, what he did to my wife’s shoe,” Mr. Pether cried, flourishing its remains. “She