‘I am going to be working even harder, Alice. As Mamoon knows, earning a living for life at this game is difficult. We will have to go where the money is — America, where I hope I’ll be able to get work teaching—’
‘Teaching what?’
‘Creative writing.’
‘You know nothing about it,’ she said. ‘I’ve been thinking we should move to Devon.’
‘What would we do?’
‘We have to be somewhere quiet. Somewhere we can hide.’ She began to weep. ‘Not only am I pregnant, Harry, but threatening letters from bailiffs have been arriving while you’ve been down here. I’ve gone a bit over with the spending. I’m terrified that someone is going to enter the flat when you’re down here and seize your Telecaster and the Gibson.’
For him there was nothing like hearing the word ‘bailiff’ to evaporate all hope in the world. ‘What did you say to them?’
‘Don’t scold me. I’ll cut back,’ she said. ‘But now he’s here, please ask Rob for more money.’
‘I will. But what have you been buying?’
‘Coats, jewellery, dinners with girlfriends and a few pairs of shoes. I’ll show them to you.’ They were by the front door, and she called out, knowing Julia would be nearby. ‘Julia, could you bring out the pumps, please? I think they’re in our room.’ She said in a low voice, ‘Julia’s a lovely girl. We have similar backgrounds. Council estates and single mothers.’
‘Is that right?’
‘I think you’ve got it from Mamoon, but I wish you wouldn’t answer a question with another. It’s evasive.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Haven’t you noticed Julia?’
‘I’ve been preoccupied with the book.’
‘She and I went shopping together again. She knows where to go in town. Her brother might give me kickboxing lessons to give me confidence.’
‘He knows how to kick, does he?’
‘You seem annoyed. Is it because she’s a cleaner that you’re rotten to her?’
‘Rotten?’
‘Harry, you can be a snob, you know.’
Julia came out with two boxes. Alice tried on a pair of shoes, and Julia an identical pair. They stood in front of Harry. Rob came out and saw the girls showing Harry their feet.
He said, ‘I knew it. This is what you do down here — look at girls. Now, I’ve worn out two pencils and I’m done for today,’ he said, not giving anything else away. ‘Let’s talk later.’
Liana drove Alice to the station, where she waited for the London train. Harry accompanied them, promising Alice he would get a lot of work done, while thinking about their future. He waved her off, before Liana dropped him at the pub, where Rob was waiting. Harry would get the money question settled immediately, text Alice and relax for a bit.
In the pub Rob was already in a good position where he could see Julia sitting with friends across the bar. Unlike most of Harry’s friends, Rob still felt at ease in pubs where there was nothing to do but drink and talk.
‘Thanks for coming down today to see me, Rob,’ said Harry. ‘I need a further advance, my friend. Cash-wise I’m a bit hemmed in and pressured right now.’
Rob laughed. ‘I can’t organise another payment until it looks like you might not only complete this but make it original. What work are you actually doing?’
‘I’m interviewing and planning. But most of it is in my head.’
Rob shook his head. ‘I’m fighting hard to keep you in place here. Mamoon thought you’d run up an innocuous Reader’s Digest life to increase his standing. He didn’t understand that not only would you be wearing his pants on your face, you’d tell him about it. I might come to regret hiring you.’
‘Looks like you made a mistake.’
‘Anything to do with art is always a risk.’
‘But you over-idealise artists, Rob. There are more interesting and useful people.’
‘That is a blasphemy.’
‘I’m working well, but you’re undermining me. I feel pretty disturbed by this. Look at my shaking hands.’
‘Don’t drop the drink you’re going to be kind enough to get me. You know I never carry any change.’ Harry got up. Rob said, ‘By the way, can you do me a favour while you’re at it? Please ask that girl—’
He pointed across the bar.
‘Julia?’ said Harry.
‘Ask her if she’d copulate with me later. I put it crudely to save time. Rustle up some smoother words, word-wanker.’
‘Where should she go for the aforementioned copulation?’
‘How about on a coat thrown down on a moonlit field? Being in the country makes me come over bucolic. But it might be draughty. How about your luxurious car?’
Harry said, ‘Consider, Rob, think for a moment how you might appear to her, not having shaved or washed for some time—’
Rob grabbed his collar. ‘What are you talking about? It’s like Iceland here, they haven’t seen an outsider for decades. They queue up to fuck Londoners.’
But Julia had left and Rob was delayed by his drinking. Harry listened to him for too long about interesting events in the world of literature before saying he was going back to the house. He needed to phone Alice and talk calmly. She’d be at home by now; sometimes she could be kind and would listen to him.
It was arduous getting Rob to his feet. Having been consuming duff speed to enable himself to drink for longer, by now his brain appeared to have been drowned, like a Ferrari driven into a pond.
Harry was helping Rob along the lane when Scott and some mates, with their heads covered, stepped out in front of them. Harry and Rob stopped. Scott was in shorts and, as they were near a rare working street light, Harry was able to notice that he had a grey police tag around his ankle.
‘You went too far. You banged my sister and stole my stuff,’ said Scott. ‘You laughed at me. What’s all that about?’
‘Who is this?’ said Rob to Harry, in a low voice.
‘The brother of the girl you were going to fuck.’
‘Ah,’ said Rob, leaning forward to vomit.
‘What stuff?’ said Harry to Scott.
Scott and his mates made a move towards Harry and Rob. Harry fancied giving the little shit a slap; he thought it would help the kid see straight. But Rob was swaying and the boys probably had knives; Harry wouldn’t be able to take the three of them on. Anyway, his legs were trembling.
Scott was swinging a piece of wood. ‘I’d love to kill a nigger tonight. I’m in the mood for a dune coon. Failing that — there’s you.’
‘Look here, chaps,’ said Rob. He took another step forward and dropped his phone, which one of the thugs stamped on.
Harry said to Scott, ‘I can’t imagine you’d have anything I’d want to steal.’
‘Them drugs. In our Julia’s room. You think you can come down from London and take our stuff?’
Harry put his hand in his pocket and offered a couple of twenties to Scott. ‘How much?’
Scott spat on the ground and rubbed his trainer in it. ‘I’m going to remember that you are a stupid boy.’
In the car Rob said, ‘No chance with the girl then? You’re well embedded down here. It’s racy, innit? I haven’t had such a good time for ages. It’s not England or Britain, but another place altogether. Ingerland they call it, and Ingerland it is.’ Rob sang, ‘Ingerland, Ingerland, Ingerland. .’ all the way to Prospects House.
Twenty-four
Everything good in art came from seeing a new thing and saying it, Harry said to himself. So when it came to the book, what mattered most was that he liked it. And despite the fact the world seemed be exploding in his face, with everything suddenly shifting and moving in ways he couldn’t comprehend, Harry knew that to write he needed time and regularity. He worked all day and, at the end of each afternoon, had taken to running in the woods, illuminating his way, when it got gloomy under the heavy trees, with the light of a miner’s helmet Julia had found in a market.