Shukshin gulped, tried to force his fear of these men -and his hatred of their weird ESP talents – to the back of his mind. It was there, it wouldn’t go away, but for now he must try to ignore it. His life hung by a thread and he knew it. He must get his thoughts in order, lie as he’d never lied before. Some of it would be the truth anyway, and of that much at least he could speak with absolute conviction:
‘You know I’m a spotter?’
‘Of course, it’s why Borowitz sent you here: to find them and kill them. You haven’t been too successful, apparently.’ Dragosani’s sarcasm was acid.
Shukshin ignored that, too. ‘When I came in here a moment ago – the moment I stepped into this room – I knew you were here. I could almost taste your presence. You’re powerful ESPers, both of you. Especially you,’ he glared at Dragosani. ‘There’s a terrific, a monstrous talent in you. It… it hurts me!’
‘Yes, Borowitz told me that,’ Dragosani answered dryly. ‘But we know about spotters, Shukshin, so stop stalling and get on with it.’
‘I wasn’t stalling. I was trying to explain about the man I’m going to kill – today!’
Dragosani and Batu exchanged glances. Batu looked down on the top of Shukshin’s head and said: ‘You were going to kill a British ESPer? Why? And who is he?’
‘It was my way of getting back into Borowitz’s good books,’ Shukshin lied. ‘The man’s name is Harry Keogh. He is my stepson. He got his talent – whatever it is -from his mother. Sixteen years ago I killed her, too . . .’ Shukshin continued to glare at Dragosani. ‘She fascinated me – and she infuriated me! Is she the one you meant when you said I was “probably” a murderer? No “probably” about it. Oh, I killed her all right. Like all ESPers, she hurt me. Her talent drove me mad!’
‘Never mind her,’ snapped Dragosani. ‘What about this Keogh?’
That’s what I was trying to tell you. With you two, powerful as you are, still I had to actually enter the house to know you were here. But with Harry Keogh -‘
‘Yes?’
Shukshin shook his head. ‘He’s different. His talent is . . .vast! I know it is. You see, the bigger it is, the more it hurts. So I’m not only killing him for Borowitz but also for myself.’
Dragosani was interested. He could always finish this thing with Shukshin later; but if Harry Keogh was that powerful, he would like to know more about him. And in any case, if he was a member of the British E-Branch it would be like killing two birds with one stone. As his interest expanded he forgot to ask Shukshin the important question: was Keogh a member of the British E-Branch? And that was something the other wasn’t going to volunteer.
‘I think we might be able to accommodate you,’ Dragosani finally said. ‘It’s always good when you can reach an understanding with old friends.’ He put away his gun. ‘When, exactly, were you going to kill this man, and how?’
And Shukshin told him.
After Shukshin had gone back to the house, Harry returned to his car and drove it to the foot of the hill in the direction of Bonnyrigg. Down there he parked again, off the road, then made his way on foot across a field to the river. Frozen over, the area was unfamiliar and made more so by the first feathers of snow where they drifted down from the leaden skies. Everything began to take on the soft, misty aspect of a winter painting.
Harry began to make his way upriver. His mother’s resting place was up there somewhere, he couldn’t say where exactly. That was one of the reasons he’d come
again to this place: to make sure he knew exactly where she was, that he could find her under any and all circumstances. Walking on the frozen water, he reached out his mind:
‘Ma, can you hear me?’
She was there immediately. ‘Harry, is that you? So close!’ And at once her apprehension, her agony of fear for him: ‘Harry! Is it … now?’