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Ritual, 1969 [two stories]
97
would become her envoy,
making others see her in a
whole new light.
As they began down the
drive to the house, he gave
no sign of surprise at its
majesty. But then he had
no idea of her relationship
to the house, she might
have been a live-in skivvy
for all he knew and lived in
a caravan around the back.
‘Here it is.’
He stepped in and looked
around.
She had almost stopped
seeing how grand the hall
was, but now she could see
its magnificence reflected
in his gaze.
‘How many people live
here?’
‘Just me.’
‘Just ... you?’
‘I’m the caretaker.’
He seemed relieved to
hear that. She smiled. How
easily the lie had come to
her.
‘Well...’
she
began,
but then she sensed a
presence near her, very
close by, and a fleeting
touch of something cool
and very slightly moist on
the back of her hand. A
quick glimpse and there
they were, fading and
drying already, two bare
footprints that seemed
to be waiting, hungry for
attention.
‘You okay?’ he said.
‘Yes, just tired. Let’s find
you a room, eh?’
When they were halfway
up the stairs, he said, ‘You