by Mark Tilbury
‘Satan is more than capable of jumping from one host to another. Especially in circumstances such as these.’
‘Do you think Satan is inside Brother Marcus?’
Ebb was willing to nail it to a mast and set sail in a high wind with it. ‘It’s a certainty.’
Alice looked away. ‘Is it wise to let him have possession of a rifle, Father?’
Ebb tried to sniff with a nose that was largely missing from its post. ‘It’s best not to alert Satan. Let him believe that he’s fooled us. That way we can buy some time.’
Sister Alice peered closer at the congealing wound in the middle of Ebb’s face. ‘You need to go to a hospital.’
‘I’m not going to hospital. Not with the group in such disarray.’
‘Then let me call a doctor.’
‘No. I’m not having any agent of the state setting foot on my premises.’
‘I know you always want to put yourself first, Father, but the wound needs treating. It might need suturing.’
Ebb shifted on the bed and tried to make himself comfortable. His beautiful king-sized bed had turned itself into a bed of nails. ‘Suturing, my eye. It needs bathing and dressing. There’s TCP and bandages in the medicine cabinet. You’ll find a small plastic bowl in the cupboard beneath the basin. It might be prudent to give it a swill out. I usually use it for soaking my feet.’
Alice straightened up and headed off to the en-suite bathroom... ‘As you wish, Father.’
Ebb watched her go. He wished all the members of The Sons and Daughters of Salvation behaved with the same level of decorum and dignity as Sister Alice. Unfortunately, the rest of them seemed to be mutinous trouble makers who needed constant observation and appraisal.
As for Madeline, his mind was torn in two. One part of him believed that Brother Tweezer was guilty as charged and sentenced accordingly. But there was a tiny sliver of doubt. What if she had enticed him? It was well within the capabilities of Satan to use such tactics. Money wasn’t the root of all evil; seduction was.
Act in haste, repent at leisure.
Ebb twisted his head to one side as his mother’s hot breath blew against his ear. He could even smell stale booze on her breath, which was scary considering Tweezer had robbed him of the best part of his nose. ‘Go away. Leave me alone.’
‘Pardon, Father?’ Sister Alice called from the bathroom.
Ebb didn’t hear her. All his senses were tuned in to that hot breath.
All the bunnies must burn, Pixie-pea.
Ebb opened his mouth to disagree and then clamped it shut. His mother had a point. Apart from Sister Alice, how could he trust any of the others? Sister Dixie was nothing more than a pay-as-you-go whore. Sister Emily was a decent housemaid, but utterly dispensable. Bubba was a dangerous mute, and Brother Marcus a glorified drug dealer with the brain capacity of a pebble.
By the time Sister Alice returned with a bowl of warm water laced with TCP, a length of bandage and a bag of cotton wool balls, Ebb was convinced that he would have to start afresh with The Sons and Daughters of Salvation. A clean sweep. Even Madeline and Benjamin would have to be sacrificed. He couldn’t afford to take any more risks. You only needed to take a peek in the Revelation Room to understand how dangerous it was to trust people.
Alice cleared the bedside table and placed the bowl on top. She put the bag of cotton wool balls on the bed, took one out and dipped it in the water. ‘Are you ready, Father?’
Ebb nodded, his mind cast adrift with thoughts of burnt bunnies.
Alice dabbed his wounded nose with the cotton wool.
Ebb screamed as the rocket took off again from its launch pad in the centre of his face. Fire roared from his injured nose and went into orbit around the inside of his skull.
Sister Alice withdrew the cotton wool ball from Ebb’s nose and stepped away from the bed. ‘I told you that you needed medical attention.’
Ebb was in no mood to listen to reason. He was too busy piloting his own internal rocket. He beat his fists against the white cotton sheet as though trying to transfer the pain. After close on two minutes, the rocket switched off the burners. Ebb lay panting on the bed, his neck contorted at an awkward angle.
Sister Alice studied him the way someone might study a dangerous animal. ‘You’ll have to let me call a doctor.’
‘No,’ Ebb wheezed. ‘No doctors. Just get me sleeping pills. There’s some in the medicine cabinet.’
‘Okay.’
‘And there’s a half bottle of whiskey under the kitchen sink.’
‘Is it wise to drink alcohol and take sleeping tablets?’
Ebb hoped that Sister Alice wouldn’t get all motherly with him. He was in no mood to be anyone’s Pixie-pea. ‘I’ve had half my face bitten off by that madman. I don’t need any lectures about pain relief.’
‘Yes, Father. Sorry, Father.’
Ebb watched her walk out of the room. Tears leaked down his cheeks. He resisted an urge to wipe them away in case he touched the pothole in the middle of his face. As he tried to shift his neck into a more comfortable position, a terrible thought struck him: What if Tweezer had AIDS? Or hepatitis? Or syphilis? A sudden urge seized him to phone the hospital and demand a blood transfusion.
The more he considered it, the more convinced he became that Tweezer was a carrier of some horrendous disease. It was well known that syphilis turned its victim as mad as a Mormon. It made perfect sense when you considered the man’s lifestyle prior to joining The Sons and Daughters of Salvation. Those biker sorts were always at it like spring bunnies in a meadow.
By the time Sister Alice returned with the sleeping tablets and the bottle of whiskey, Ebb was already preparing for death. He relayed his fears to Sister Alice.
Sister Alice did little to allay those fears. ‘Let’s just deal with one thing at a time.’
He washed down three sleeping tablets with all the whiskey. Straight down the hatch as Reg the Veg might have said in his more liberated days. He then handed the bottle back to Alice and eased himself down on the bed. ‘As soon as I’m asleep, tend to the wound and bandage it.’
‘Yes, Father.’
Sister Alice’s spiky grey hair put him in mind of stalactites. He started to sink into beautiful black oblivion. ‘I am the wolf.’
Chapter thirty-one
Alice walked into the Sisters’ Room and stood just inside the door. It was almost eight o’clock in the morning. She smiled and clapped her hands together as if bringing a class to attention.
Dixie unzipped her sleeping bag. ‘What do you want?’
Maddie watched the smile leave Alice’s lips. ‘I would advise you to keep a check on your manners.’
Dixie laughed. ‘Would you now? And who put a rod up your backside?’
‘I know being crude is the weapon of choice for women like you, but as of today I’m in charge, so you just be careful how you speak to me, Sister Dixie. Very careful.’
Dixie sat up and rubbed her eyes. ‘In charge? You? Why?’
Alice puffed out her flat chest. ‘The Father is currently indisposed.’
‘Indisposed? What’s that supposed to mean? Why can’t you talk in plain English?’
‘Sorry, I forgot about your council estate background. Brother Tweezer attacked the Father. There. Is that plain enough for you?’
Dixie yawned. ‘Tweezer attacked Ebb?’
‘He’s called the Father. Show some respect.’
Emily lifted her head up from the bucket between her knees and looked at Alice with bloodshot eyes. She wiped sick from the corner of her mouth. ‘Why did he attack the Father?’
Alice took a deep breath. ‘Because Satan was inside him.’
‘Who? Ebb or Tweezer?’ Dixie asked.
Alice ignored her. ‘Brother Tweezer has been dealt with and the Father is recuperating. Anyway, I’m not here to discuss the ins and outs of it with you. I’ve already told you that Brother Tweezer attacked the Father. Why he attacked the Father, or what happened after that is no one’s busin
ess but the Father’s.’
Maddie feigned concern. ‘Is the Father hurt badly?’
‘Nothing that a few days rest and some TLC can’t cure.’
‘I shall pray for him,’ Maddie said. ‘If there’s anything at all I can do to help…’
‘Thank you, Madeline. I shall bear that in mind. In the meantime, I’m afraid the farm has got to remain in lockdown. All I ask is that you girls remain patient whilst things get back to normal.’
Emily wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. ‘For how long?’
‘For as long as it takes. We’re a man light with Brother Tweezer’s departure. Marcus is manning the tower and the Father is confined to bed. I know it’s not ideal, but—’
‘So what are you saying? You don’t trust us?’ Dixie said.
‘I’m not saying anything of the sort. I trust Sister Emily and Madeline.’
‘But not me?’
Alice seemed to weigh this up for a moment or two. And then: ‘No, I don’t trust you, Dixie.’
Dixie snorted. ‘Fuck you.’
‘That’s one for the Father when he’s fit and well.’
Maddie tried to diffuse the situation. ‘Wouldn’t it be better if we all pitched in and helped?’
‘Yes, it would. But the Father has instructed me to keep the farm in lockdown, so that’s what I’m going to do.’
Dixie snorted. ‘I suppose you’d jump off the tower if he told you to?’
‘Save your sarcasm, Dixie. I don’t care what you say. God is watching you, and you can rest assured I’m going to report your behaviour to the Father.’
Emily peered into the slop bucket. ‘How long’s this going to last? I keep throwing up.’
Alice ran a hand through her hair. ‘A day or two, tops. No longer than that.’
‘A day or two?’ Dixie said. ‘And what are we supposed to do if we need the toilet? Crap on the floor?’
‘You’ll have to use the bucket.’
Dixie laughed. ‘How are we meant to use the bucket with Emily hogging it day and night?’
‘I’m not hogging it “day and night”. Just in the mornings,’ Emily corrected.
Dixie looked at Emily as though she wanted to ram the bucket over her head. ‘And where are we supposed to empty it? Out of the window? Oh, no, oops, forgot, the window’s locked.’
Alice held up a hand. ‘For God’s sake, all I’m asking is for you to bear with it for a couple of days. I’ll come in twice a day and empty it.’
‘You’re too kind,’ Dixie said.
Alice ignored her. ‘We’ll be back to normal before you know it.’
‘I can’t stay locked up in here,’ Emily said.
‘You’ll be fine,’ Alice assured her.
‘No I won’t. You don’t understand. I need access to a toilet.’
‘I’ve just told you: I’ll come in and change the damned bucket.’
Dixie grinned. ‘Language, Sister Alice, language.’
Emily gripped the rim of the bucket as though it were a lifebuoy. ‘But I’m throwing up all morning. And my bladder’s weak. I need access to a toilet.’
‘You’ve probably got a tummy bug. It’ll pass. I’ll bring you some bottled water with breakfast. Make sure you drink plenty; it’ll help to flush out your system.’
‘I’m pregnant,’ Emily blurted.
Alice opened her mouth to respond and then closed it again without speaking.
Dixie shook her head. ‘Not the famous phantom pregnancy again.’
‘It’s not a phantom pregnancy. It’s real.’
‘Shall I tell you how she got pregnant?’
‘Shut up, Dixie. You don’t know anything about me.’
‘She fantasised that Brad Pitt came in through the bedroom window and made love to her in his latest movie.’
Alice crossed herself. ‘Pregnant? How?’
Dixie laughed. ‘Don’t you know about the birds and bees?’
‘I’m not a whore like you.’
‘Fuck you.’
Alice turned her attention back to Emily. ‘Who got you pregnant?’
‘I don’t want to say.’
Dixie held up her right hand and counted out the possibilities on her fingers. ‘Let’s see. If it wasn’t Brad Pitt, that leaves four possibilities. Was it the resident rapist, Tweezer? Did he rape you, Emily?’
Emily peered into the bucket as though the answer might lay among the bile and the urine. ‘Leave me alone.’
Dixie forged ahead. ‘Then there’s the Father, but he only runs rent boys up his flagpole. So that just leaves Bubba and Marcus. I’m still putting my money on Brad Pitt.’
Emily lifted her head up from the bucket. ‘It’s Marcus.’
Alice’s jaw went slack. ‘Brother Marcus?’
‘We’re in love.’
‘In love?’ Dixie said. ‘That magic mushroom wouldn’t know what love was if it bit him on the arse.’
‘Shut up,’ Emily shouted.
Maddie watched the three women facing each other like wronged victims on a reality TV show. All it needed now was Jeremy Kyle to come waltzing out from behind the wardrobe and offer counselling.
Although Maddie saw Dixie as a possible ally, her mouth seemed to spring into action before her brain thought things through properly. As for Emily, the poor girl was obviously confused and afraid.
‘Copulation is against the rules?’ Alice said.
‘We’re in love.’
‘You’re far too young to know the first thing about love, you silly girl.’
Emily bent back over the bucket. ‘Leave me alone.’
‘She’s lying,’ Dixie said.
‘I’m not lying.’
Alice shook her head. ‘The Father will go spare when he finds out.’
Dixie rounded on her. ‘Then don’t tell him.’
‘Don’t tell him? What happens when she starts showing?’
Dixie shrugged. ‘We could get rid of it.’
‘I’m not getting rid of it. Marcus said the Father will understand.’
Alice’s eyes flashed in the morning sunlight. ‘And you believe him, do you?’
Emily raised her head from the bucket. ‘Yes.’
Dixie rolled her eyes. ‘Marcus just told you what you wanted to hear to get inside your knickers. Trust me. All men are pigs.’
Alice glared at Emily. ‘Even if Marcus carries a torch for you, you’ll end up getting burned by it. Oh, God, child, what in heaven’s name were you thinking?’
‘I love him.’
‘How far gone are you?’ Dixie asked.
Emily didn’t answer.
Dixie walked over to Emily. ‘Look, there’s no way on earth the Father will give this his blessing. If you want my advice, you’ll get rid of it. There are pills you can use. I’ve used them myself, dozens of times.’
‘What you’ve done in your sordid past bears no relation to this mess,’ Alice said. ‘You know full well that the use of medication is prohibited. I don’t even want to think about the use of medication to get rid of a child.’
‘And the alternative is?’
‘The answer lies with God. God and the Father. I’m in no position to offer solutions. I’m just a humble servant.’
Dixie shook her head. ‘You can’t tell him.’
Alice stepped out onto the landing. ‘I have no choice.’
‘Yes, you do,’ Dixie shouted, as Alice slammed the door and locked it behind her.
Maddie looked at Dixie. ‘Now what are we going to do?’
‘I haven’t got a clue. Stupid bitch. She doesn’t have to tell him. She wants to tell him.’
‘What will he do?’
Dixie chewed her nails and glared at Emily. ‘What did you tell her for?’
Emily didn’t look up from the bucket. ‘I had to tell her. I can’t stay locked up in here like this forever.’
‘You’ve really gone and done it now.’
‘Marcus said the Father will understand.’
/> Dixie laughed. ‘Marcus is so full of shit.’
Maddie was inclined to agree, but it wasn’t going to help matters throwing insults at one another. ‘We have to get out of here.’
‘The only way out of here is in a coffin,’ Dixie said. ‘I’ve seen first-hand what that bastard’s capable of.’
‘I don’t care what anyone else says. I’m going to have this baby.’
‘Yeah, right,’ Dixie said. ‘And we’re all going to come to the Christening and stick a silver spoon in its gob.’
Chapter thirty-two
Sister Alice crossed the landing to the Brothers’ Room. She unlocked the door and stepped partway into the room. She smiled. Loose flesh hung beneath her eyes like tiny black hammocks. ‘We’ve had a slight problem.’
Ben’s heart capsized. ‘Is Maddie all right?’
‘Madeline? Yes, she’s fine. I’m afraid it’s the Father. He’s had an accident.’
Ben hoped the accident turned out to be fatal. ‘What happened?’
‘Brother Tweezer attacked him. The Father wants everyone to stay in lockdown for the time being.’
Ben tried not to get his hopes up. ‘Why did Tweezer attack him?’
‘I’m not here for twenty questions. I’m sure you’ll find out in due course.’
‘How long are we supposed to stay locked up for? I can barely bend over, let alone crap in that stupid bucket.’
‘Please refrain from being crude, Benjamin. The Father doesn’t tolerate profanity.’
Ben groaned. Reasoning with Ebb and his cronies was like trying to reason with mud. He wondered if it would be possible to force his way out of the room before Alice reacted. ‘I’m in absolute agony.’
Alice made a face like his mother used to make when she was about to tell him to be a big boy after falling off his bike. ‘Your pain and suffering are as nothing compared to the Father’s pain and suffering.’
Ben’s wounds disagreed. ‘I need painkillers.’
‘We don’t allow medication.’
Ben snorted. An action Ebb might have envied with his missing nostrils. ‘And does that rule apply to Ebb?’
Alice stepped back as if the words had physically assaulted her. ‘Don’t you ever call him that. Show some respect.’
