Three to See the King

spoke her eyes were sparkling, and in the same instant I felt a stir of anticipation pass round the table.
    ‘Oh that’s marvellous,’ said Simon. ‘Did he tell you when, exactly?’
    ‘No, it’s not definite yet,’ replied the woman. ‘It depends on how well the canyon is going.’
    ‘Of course,’ he uttered, almost inaudibly. ‘I understand.’
    ‘How is Philip?’ I asked, but Simon hardly seemed to hear.
    ‘Michael’s work never ceases!’ he said. ‘Day after day he conducts operations in that canyon! It’s already deeper and wider than any of us could have ever imagined, yet still he goes on. We implore him to rest, and to come and take refreshment in our houses. Instead he chooses to work. Those of us who help him do all we can to lessen his burden, but in the end only he can decide when to stop. This news from Philip is most encouraging!’
    The new woman came to join us at the table, which meant we each had to move round a little bit. She was introduced as Sarah, and soon she was telling everyone the latest tidings about Michael Hawkins and his possible forthcoming visit. Meanwhile, I again found myself under the gaze of the other woman, the one who’d been paying me all the attention earlier. Beside her sat the only man present apart from Simon and I. He was leaning back in his seat, peering intently at the roof as though carrying out a thorough examination. Eventually the talk subsided into a sort of reverent hush, and at last he broke his silence.
    ‘Listen to that,’ he said, his eyes still raised to the roof. ‘Can you hear it?’
    The only sound was the wind playing beneath the eaves. It was something I’d heard on a thousand or more occasions, in my own part of the plain, yet now I was being urged to listen to it as if for the first time in my life.
    ‘Ah yes,’ I replied. ‘The wind.’
    ‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ asked Sarah, in an exultant voice.
    As we all sat there with our heads tilted slightly to one side, it occurred to me that this was probably one of Michael Hawkins’s ideas too. Fortunately, it didn’t go on very long, and I was pleasantly surprised when my admirer suddenly glanced across at me and spoke.
    ‘Quite a crowd we’ve got here,’ she remarked. ‘Why don’t you come along and have a look at my house?’
    ‘Well,’ I said. ‘I’d like to, but … er … would that be alright with you, Simon?’
    ‘By all means,’ he replied, with a friendly shrug. ‘Go wherever you’re most comfortable.’
    ‘I haven’t seen Steve and Philip yet,’ I pointed out.
    ‘Don’t worry on that score,’ he said. There’s plenty of time!’
    ‘Shall we go now then?’ said the woman.
    We went out into the darkness, and a moment later she took me by the hand.
    It’s hard finding y our way when you first get here, ’ she explained. ‘But it’s quite simple once you’re used to it.’
    Certainly I would have been lost without her to guide me. There was no one else about, and everywhere we turned there were houses of tin, all with their shutters closed for the evening. They were mostly silent, the hour now being late, but from within some of them we heard soft murmurings.
    ‘Did you say your name was Jane?’ I asked.
    ‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘Jane Day.’
    ‘How long have you been here?’
    ‘Oh, I’m a fairly recent arrival. Got swept along with the others.’
    ‘And do you intend to stay here for a bit?’
    ‘Of course!’ she said. ‘I want to find out all there is about living in a house of tin! I expect you know a lot more on the subject than most people, don’t you?’
    ‘I suppose I do, yes.’
    ‘Well, if there’s anything you want to teach me, I’ll be happy to learn!’
    As we walked I managed once or twice to steal a glance at her in the moonlight. At the same time I tried to work out what it was that appealed to me so much. In truth, I had to admit that her attractions were no greater than those of Mary Petrie. They were just different, that was all.
    After a while we began heading towards a particular building, rather than just wandering along. I peered ahead and saw that it was a fairly typical tin house, with no unusual features.
    ‘Is this it?’ I enquired.
    ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘What do you think?’
    ‘Looks fine to me.’
    ‘Have you felt the walls?’
    ‘No.’
    She smiled. ‘Well, go on then.’
    I placed my hand upon the corrugations, and at once recognized the coldness of the metal. It was just the same as the