第14章 The Second Day

The second day of the Long Ebb came at three in the morning on the tenth of October. Nissa woke at two, as she had the day before, and this time she did not go to the marsh. She went to the schoolhouse. She walked the shingle lane in the dark, with no lamp and no rope and no slate, and she walked past the church and past the pans and past the boat, and she came to the schoolhouse at three, and she did not knock, and she did not open the door, and she stood on the step in front of it with her hand on the handle, and she did not open it, and she did not go in, and she stood there for a long time. The schoolhouse was dark. The windows were shut. The door was bolted from inside. The children were not there. Barsham was not there. The third ledger was not there. The slate was not there. The schoolhouse was empty, and the schoolhouse was not empty, and Nissa did not know which, and she did not know how to tell, and she did not know if the difference mattered. She went home at four. She did not sleep. She sat at the kitchen table with her hand on the slate, and the slate was warm, and the slate had the seventh line on it. Cuthbert came to the door at seven. He did not come in. He stood on the shingle with his coat buttoned and his collar up, and he did not say good morning. "The child is not at her father's house," he said. Nissa looked at him. "The child is not at the schoolhouse." "The child is not at the schoolhouse." "The child is not on the marsh." "The child is not on the marsh." "The child is not in Harnsey Wick." "The child is not in Harnsey Wick." "Where is she." Cuthbert did not answer. He put his hand on his chest. He put his hand off his chest. He did not come in. He did not leave. He stood on the shingle in front of the door. "I have walked the village three times," he said. "I have walked the marsh. I have walked the reed. I have walked to the first step. I have walked to the second step. I have not walked to the ninth. I have not walked to Ashenholt. I have walked the churchyard. I have walked the pans. I have walked the boat. I have walked the school. I have walked the Saltwyke house. I have walked the folklorist's room. I have walked the road to Ildwater." "Did you walk to the child." Cuthbert did not answer. "Did you walk to the child." Cuthbert did not answer. He did not move. He put his hand on the door handle. He did not open the door. He did not leave. "Cuthbert," Nissa said. "Where is the child." Cuthbert did not answer. He put his hand off the door handle. He stepped back. He looked at the marsh. He looked at the sky. He did not say anything. He went away. Isaac Threave came to the door at eight. He did not come in. He stood on the shingle with his coat unbuttoned and his boots wet, and he did not say good morning. "I have walked the marsh," he said. "I have walked the village." "I have walked the church." "I have walked the pans." "I have walked the boat." "I have walked the school." "I have walked the Saltwyke house." "I have walked the folklorist's room." "I have walked the road to Ildwater." "I have walked the marsh." "I have walked the reed." "I have walked the steps." "I have walked to the first step." "I have walked to the second step." "I have not walked to the ninth." "I have not walked to Ashenholt." "I have walked the village three times." "I have walked the marsh three times." "I have walked the reed three times." "I have walked the steps three times." "I have not walked to the ninth." "I have not walked to Ashenholt." Nissa did not ask where the child was. She did not ask where the boy was. She did not ask where the slate was. She did not ask where the Ledger was. She did not ask where the book was. She did not ask where the substitution was. She did not ask where the account was. She did not ask where Barsham was. She did not ask where Cuthbert was. She did not ask where Isaac was. She did not ask where Timea was. She did not ask where the child was. She 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. "Isaac," she said. "The boy." Isaac did not answer. He did not move. He put his hand on the shingle. He put his hand off the shingle. He did not leave. He did not come in. He did not say anything. He stood on the shingle in front of the door, 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. "The boy," Nissa said. Isaac did not answer. He did not move. He put his hand on his chest. He put his hand off his chest. He did not leave. He did not come in. He did not say anything. He stood on the shingle, and Nissa stood in the doorway, and the door stood open, and the room behind her was cold. "Isaac," Nissa said at last. "Where is the boy." Isaac did not answer. He put his hand off his chest. He stepped back. He looked at the marsh. He looked at the sky. He did not say anything. He went away. ---