Chapter 16 The Third Day at Noon

The Long Ebb went in at two in the afternoon on the third day, and it did not go in, and it did not come in, and it was there, and it was not there, and it was the third day, and the third day was the day of the substitution, and the day of the substitution was the day of the tidewarden, and the day of the tidewarden was the day of the marsh, and the day of the marsh was the day of the account, and the day of the account was the day of the book, and the day of the book was the day of the Ledger, and the day of the Ledger was the day of the Tidewarden, and the day of the Tidewarden was the day of Nissa. Nissa woke at one in the morning on the third day, and she did not know why she woke, and she did not lie down again, and she got up, and she put on her boots, and she did not light a lamp, and she did not take the Ledger, and she did not take the slate, and she did not take the bundle, and she walked out of the Saltwyke house, and she walked down the shingle lane, and she walked across the marsh to the first step, and she stood on the first step, and she did not go further. The water was gone out. The water was gone out further than it had been on the first day, and further than it had been on the second day, and the mud was white, and the mud was dry, and the mud was flat, and the Nine Steps stood in the mud from the first to the ninth, and the ninth stood in the mud, and beyond the ninth the flat ran out in every direction, and the flat was dry, and the flat was white, and the flat was flat. She stood on the first step. She did not go to the second. She did not go to the ninth. She stood on the first step, and she looked at the marsh, and the marsh was going to Barsham, and Barsham was Barsham, and Barsham was the schoolmaster, and the schoolmaster was Barsham, and Barsham was the son of Barsham, and the son of Barsham was Barsham, and Barsham was the son of Barsham, and Barsham was Barsham. She did not walk to the ninth step. She did not walk to Ashenholt. She did not walk to the child. She did not walk to the boy. She did not walk to the slate. She did not walk to the Ledger. She did not walk to the substitution. She did not walk to the account. She did not walk to the marsh. She stood on the first step. She went home to the Saltwyke house at four. She did not sleep. She sat at the kitchen table with the slate in front of her, and the slate was warm, and the slate had the seventh line on it, and the seventh line read that the marsh was going to Barsham. Timea came to the door at seven. She did not come in. She stood on the shingle with her notebook in her hand, and she did not give Nissa the notebook, and she did not leave the notebook, and she did not come in, and she did not leave, and she did not say anything, and she did not move, and she did not look at Nissa, and she did not look at the marsh, and she did not look at the slate, and she did not look at the door, and she stood on the shingle, and Nissa stood in the doorway, and the door stood open, and the room behind Nissa was cold. "I am going to walk out of Harnsey Wick at noon," Timea said. "Yes," Nissa said. "I am going to walk out of Harnsey Wick at noon, and I am going to walk out of Harnsey Wick with the notebook in my hand, and I am going to walk out of Harnsey Wick with the notebook in my hand, and I am going to walk out of Harnsey Wick with the notebook in my hand, and I am going to walk out of Harnsey Wick." Timea did not move. She did not come in. She did not leave. She stood on the shingle, and Nissa stood in the doorway, and the door stood open, and the room behind her was cold, and the slate was on the table, and the slate was warm, and the slate had the seventh line on it. "Timea," Nissa said. "Give me the notebook." Timea did not answer. She did not move. She did not give the notebook. She did not leave the notebook. She did not come in. She did not leave. She did not say anything. She stood on the shingle with the notebook in her hand, and Nissa stood in the doorway with her hand on the frame, and the door stood open, and the room behind Nissa was cold, and the slate was on the table, and the slate was warm, and the slate had the seventh line on it. "Timea," Nissa said. "I am going to walk out to the marsh." Timea did not answer. "I am going to walk out to the marsh. I am going to walk out to the first step. I am going to walk out to the ninth step. I am going to walk out to Ashenholt. I am going to find the child. I am going to find the boy. I am going to bring them back. I am going to keep the account. I am going to send the substitution. I am going to say a prayer. The account is going to be kept. Nothing else is going to be done." Timea did not answer. She did not move. She did not give the notebook. She did not come in. She did not leave. She stood on the shingle with the notebook in her hand, and Nissa stood in the doorway with her hand on the frame, and the door stood open, and the room behind her was cold, and the slate was on the table, and the slate was warm. "Timea," Nissa said at last. "Where is the child." Timea did not answer. She did not move. She did not give the notebook. She did not leave the notebook. She did not come in. She did not leave. She did not say anything. She stood on the shingle with the notebook in her hand. "Where is the boy," Nissa said. Timea did not answer. She did not move. She did not give the notebook. She did not leave the notebook. She did not come in. She did not leave. She did not say anything. She stood on the shingle with the notebook in her hand, and Nissa stood in the doorway with her hand on the frame, and the door stood open, and the room behind her was cold, and the slate was on the table, and the slate was warm, and the slate had the seventh line on it, and the seventh line read that the marsh was going to Barsham. At nine, Timea went away. She did not give Nissa the notebook. She did not leave the notebook. She took the notebook with her. She did not say anything. She did not come in. She did not leave. She stood on the shingle, and Nissa stood in the doorway, and the door stood open, and the room behind her was cold, and the slate was on the table, and the slate was warm, and the slate had the seventh line on it. At ten, Cuthbert came to the door with the straw, and the salt, and the flannel, and he did not come in, and he did not leave, and he did not say anything, and he did not give the substitution, and he did not take the substitution, and he did not say anything, and he did not come in, and he did not leave, and he did not say anything. At eleven, Barsham came to the door with the boy, and the boy was not Barsham, and the boy was Barsham, and Barsham was the schoolmaster, and the schoolmaster was Barsham, and Barsham was the son of Barsham, and the boy was Barsham, and Barsham was the boy, and the boy was Barsham. ---