Dying Fall

discovery, the moving and exacting task of disinterring a human skeleton – but there are also many elements that surprise her. She is amazed at Dan’s quasi-mystical identification with King Arthur. All this talk of paying homage to the Raven King, of making his peace with him. She just can’t relate this to her memory of Dan – that cheerful, cynical student. The old Dan would never have gone to watch the sun come up, she is sure of it. As a matter of fact, once they watched the sun rise together, after an all-night party in Denmark Hill. She remembers standing on a balcony drinking Bloody Marys and watching the first dossers of the day arriving in Ruskin Gardens. Dan did not declare a burning desire to paint then: he had expressed a wish for a McDonald’s breakfast and had set out in search of one. Somewhere along the line Dan had become a fully-fledged New-Age thinker. She wonders if he was ever taught by Erik.
    And there are other surprises too. The references to Elaine tie in with what Sam told her but what’s all this about Pippa Henry? Elaine looked over ‘as if she suspected something’ but Clayton was ‘oblivious’. Was Dan having an affair with Clayton Henry’s wife? It certainly looksthat way, though Ruth can’t make out if the affair was over by the time of the dig. She thinks of the elegant Mrs Henry in her scary shoes. She can’t imagine Dan being involved with her but, as is becoming clear, she doesn’t really know Dan at all. Or rather, the Dan she knew existed twenty-odd years ago. She doesn’t know this Dan, the New-Age Don Juan of Pendle University, at all. Dan was always good-looking, women were attracted to him, but she would never have thought that he would be the sort of man to have an affair with another man’s wife. But, then again, who would have thought that she’d become the sort of woman to have an affair with a married policeman? Love does funny things to us all.
    Was Dan in love with Pippa Henry? Was he ever in love with Elaine? If so, it certainly doesn’t come across in the diaries. There is only one loved object here – King Arthur. Dan airily dismisses Clayton as ‘oblivious’, but what if he wasn’t? What if he suspected that the wife (whom he so clearly adores) was sleeping with a member of his department? Wouldn’t that constitute a motive of some kind? Ruth resolves to mention this to Tim (she can’t face Sandy, even over the phone).
    The description of the skull is interesting too. There is no doubt that this isn’t the skull that Ruth examined at the lab. It’s complete, for one thing. And, with hindsight, it’s interesting that he mentions the eye orbits and the nasal cavity. African skulls tend to have rectangular eye orbits and wider nasal apertures. Did Dan suspect, even then? He says that he took a long time examiningthe head. Did he guess the amazing truth? That the Raven King was, like the bird itself, black? If so, he didn’t record it in his diary.
    At her feet Thing sighs and twitches in his sleep. He has stuck close to her all evening. Is he missing his master? Pendragon has been an unspoken presence in the house all day. Ruth can’t imagine what it was like for Cathbad, finding his friend’s dead body in that way. Cathbad doesn’t seem to want to talk about it and Ruth respects that. They both took refuge in talking about the dog, about his trauma and possible distress. Ruth leans down to pat him now while she scans the screen. She is, of course, looking for references to herself.
    Under 20 May she finds one:
    I’ve been thinking I need a second opinion and suddenly I thought – Ruth! She’s made quite a name for herself in forensic archaeology (was involved in a big murder case in Norfolk a few years back) and I know I could trust her. Funny, I haven’t thought of her for years, but I can picture her quite clearly. Dark, ungainly, with lovely eyes. Clever, intense, but funny too. I kissed her once and remember thinking that she’d probably be terrific in bed. I looked for her on Friends Reunited but she wasn’t there. I didn’t think she would be somehow. I got a new invitation from an outfit called University Pals. I sent off my info but I’m pretty sure she won’t have joined them either. She’s probably married with ten kids by now. Like everyone else from those days. Anyway I can find her easily enough through heruniversity. There can’t be many forensic archaeologists in Norfolk. I’ll wait until I get the