‘He shouldn’t be doing that!’
‘He’s crazy!’
‘Yes, but what a climber!’
The shouts filled the air, but the climbing man seemed oblivious to the sensation he was creating. Up, up he moved, never looking down, untroubled by the height, although the pole was beginning to sway.
‘Is he going right to the top?’
‘He won’t dare. It isn’t safe.’
It seemed that the man agreed, because he stopped and made a dramatic gesture to the crowd below, signifying the end of the performance. Cheers erupted as he began to descend and applause filled the air.
‘What’s that for?’ Mark demanded indignantly. ‘He got nowhere near the top.’
‘He got pretty high, though,’ Dee pointed out.
‘Anybody can settle for second best. It’s reaching the top that matters.’
‘Yes, if you want to risk your neck for nothing,’ she said.
As soon as the words were out she knew they were a mistake and the look on Mark’s face confirmed it. To him, the risk alone was worth it. The more danger, the more fun; those had been his words.
‘Mark-wait!’ she cried as he turned away, resolution written in every line of his body.
He ignored her, if he even heard her. Terrified now, she seized his arm and at last he turned.
‘Take your hands off me,’ he said softly.
‘Mark, please-’
‘Let go, now!’
She’d never heard such a tone from him before, or seen such a look in his eyes. Where was the sweet-tempered joker that she loved? Gone, and in his place this hard-faced man who would brook no interference in his wishes.
‘I told you to let me go,’ he repeated coldly.
Appalled, she stepped back, her hands falling away from him as the strength drained out of them.
He was a stranger, a man she’d never met before and never wanted to meet again. In her heart she’d always known something like this was waiting for them, a moment when she would look down the road ahead and shiver.
Mark saw her withdrawn expression and misunderstood it.
‘It’s all right,’ he said, speaking more gently. ‘I know what I’m doing.’
He was gone before she could reply, striding towards the terrifying pole, leaping onto the bottom rung and climbing fast before anyone could stop him. Now there were more cheers, mingled with screams.
Dee’s heart almost stopped. It was unbearable to watch him, yet impossible to look away. He was approaching the point where the first man had given up. If only he would be satisfied with going a little further and claiming victory! Surely that would be enough for him!
‘Please, please,’ she whispered. ‘Make him stop-let him be satisfied without going to the top.’
But he wouldn’t be satisfied with less, she knew that. It had to be all or nothing. That was how he was made.
The crowd roared as he reached the crucial point and climbed beyond it. On the ground, the other climber groaned and swore. ‘Show-off,’ he growled.
‘And what were you?’ Dee turned on him.
‘All right, I’m a show-off too, but I knew when to stop. The metal’s much thinner up there. It won’t support him.’
Right on cue, a metal strut bent under Mark’s foot. He hesitated, clinging on, looking down, then looking up.
‘Come down,’ yelled someone. ‘Be sensible.’
Fatal. Be sensible! Like a red rag to a bull, Dee thought frantically.
At last he tightened his grip, raised his head to the sky and began to climb again. The pole swayed but this time the crowd didn’t scream. Instead, there was silence, as though the universe had stopped until they knew what would happen.
Four more rungs, then three-two-one-and finally-
The roar was deafening as Mark reached the summit and threw up one arm in victory, waving down at them as the applause streamed up to him in waves.
‘Did you see that?’
‘What a hero that man must be!’
‘He’s not afraid of anything.’
Gradually he descended while everyone in the crowd crossed their fingers, willing him to succeed, until at last he vanished into their open arms and the roar exploded again.
‘Hey, aren’t you with him?’
Dee opened her eyes to see a young couple.
‘We saw you talking,’ the boy said. ‘Are you his girlfriend?’
‘I…er…yes.’
‘You must be so proud of him,’ the girl sighed. To her companion she said, ‘You never do things like that.’
‘Then you’re very lucky,’ Dee said with a tartness that even took herself by surprise and moved away quickly.
Mark saw her coming and threw up his arms, his eyes alight. Everything in his manner said, How about that?
‘Are you all right?’ she asked.
‘Of course I’m all right. It was nothing.’
‘It was reckless and stupid,’ said a man who’d appeared behind him. He was middle-aged and heavily built. ‘I’m the owner of this fair and I’ve a good mind to hand you over to the police for damage to my property.’
There were cries of indignation. ‘You can’t do that-we’re gonna need fellows like him soon-’
‘I didn’t say I was going to,’ the owner defended himself. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’ He shook Mark’s hand. ‘Just don’t do it again.’
Roars of laughter. More applause. Congratulations. Dee watched, wondering why she couldn’t join in the general delight, but she didn’t want to spoil it for him so she tried to smile brightly as she approached, playing the role of the woman proud to bursting point of her man.
Clearly it was what he was expecting, for he flung his arms around her and drew her close in an exuberant embrace. The crowd loved that, clapping their hands, laughing and hooting.
She never heard them. The feel of his lips on hers almost deprived her of her senses. It wasn’t the kiss she longed for, intimate, loving, personal. It was a kiss for show, but it was the best she could hope for and she would relish every moment. She kissed him back, putting her heart into it, wondering if he could ever recognise that she even had a heart.
The crowd’s applause brought her back down to earth. Embarrassed, she drew back and began to walk away.
‘You’re very quiet,’ he said as he caught up with her. ‘Are you annoyed with me?’
‘You’re an idiot!’ she told him.
‘No question!’ He rested his hands on her shoulders. ‘I know I’m a fool, but you’ll forgive me, won’t you? It’s just me, it’s the way I am. Once a fool, always a fool.’
She pulled the toy bear out of her bag and held him up so that they could look at each other, face to face.
‘You hear that?’ she said. ‘He admitted he’s a fool. I suppose you’re on his side. Mad bruins, both of you.’
He chuckled. ‘Mad Bruin. I like it.’
She knew a little flare of anger at his lack of understanding. She’d suffered a thousand agonies watching him, but that had never occurred to him. He’d seen only what he wanted to do and the satisfaction it gave him. Now he was up in the clouds, bursting with delight, and no thought for her.
But then, she thought, why should he think of her? He didn’t know that she was in love with him. It probably hadn’t occurred to him that she suffered.
Stop complaining, she told herself. You chose to become engaged to a man who’s not in love with you. Live with it!
‘Wait here,’ she said, rising suddenly and darting away.
In a few moments she was back at the stall where he’d won the little bear.
‘He’s lonely,’ she said, holding Bruin up. ‘He wants his mate. How much to buy her?’
‘You’re supposed to win her,’ the stall-holder protested.
‘With my aim, we’ll be here all night. How much?’