Soul Music

'So,' she said, 'just for an example, you understand… what would happen to the Band?'

OH, THEY MIGHT BE ANYWHERE. Death glanced at the back of Susan's head. TAKE THE BOY, FOR EXAMPLE. PERHAPS HE LEFT THE BIG CITY. PERHAPS HE WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE. GOT A JOB JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET. BIDED HIS TIME. DID IT HIS WAY.

'But he was due in the Drum that night!'

NOT IF HE DIDN'T GO THERE.

'Can you do that? His life was due to end! You said you can't give life!'

NOT ME. YOU MIGHT.

'What do you mean?'

LIFE CAN BE SHARED.

'But he's… gone. It's not as though I'm ever likely to see him again.'

YOU KNOW YOU WILL.

'How do you know that?'

YOU'VE ALWAYS KNOWN. YOU REMEMBER EVERYTHING. SO DO I. BUT YOU ARE HUMAN AND YOUR MIND REBELS FOR YOUR OWN SAKE. SOMETHING GOES ACROSS, THOUGH. DREAMS, PERHAPS. PREMONITIONS. FEELINGS. SOME SHADOWS ARE SO LONG THEY ARRIVE BEFORE THE LIGHT.

'I don't think I understood any of that.'

WELL, IT HAS BEEN A LONG DAY.

More clouds passed underneath.

'Grandfather?'

YES.

'You're back?'

IT SEEMS SO. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY.

'So I can stop? I don't think I was very good at it.'

YES.

'But… you've just broken a lot of laws…'

PERHAPS THEY'RE SOMETIMES ONLY GUIDELINES.

'But my parents still died.'

I COULDN'T HAVE GIVEN THEM MORE LIFE. I COULD ONLY HAVE GIVEN THEM IMMORTALITY. THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS WORTH THE PRICE.

'I… think I know what they mean.'

YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME AND VISIT, OF COURSE.

'Thank you.'

YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A HOME THERE. IF YOU WANT IT.

'Really?'

I SHALL KEEP YOUR ROOM EXACTLY AS YOU LEFT IT.

'Thank you.'

A MESS.

'Sorry.'

I CAN HARDLY SEE THE FLOOR. YOU COULD HAVE TIDIED IT UP A BIT.

'Sorry.'

The lights of Quirm glittered below. Binky touched down smoothly.

Susan looked around at the dark school buildings.

'So I've… also… been here all the time?' she said.

YES. THE HISTORY OF THE LAST FEW DAYS HAS BEEN… DIFFERENT. YOU DID QUITE WELL IN YOUR EXAMS.

'Did I? Who sat them?'

YOU DID.

'Oh.' Susan shrugged. 'What grade did I get in Logic?'

YOU GOT AN A.

'Oh, come on. I always get A-plus!'

YOU SHOULD HAVE REVISED MORE.

Death swung up into the saddle.

'Just a minute,' said Susan, quickly. She knew she had to say it.

YES?

'What happened to… you know… changing the fate of one individual means changing the world?'

SOMETIMES THE WORLD NEEDS CHANGING.

'Oh. Er. Grandfather?'

YES?

'Er… the swing… ' said Susan. The one down in the orchard. I mean… It was pretty good. A good swing.'

REALLY?

'I was just too young to appreciate it.'

YOU REALLY LIKED IT?

'It had… style. I shouldn't think anyone else ever had one like it.'

THANK YOU.

'But… all this doesn't alter anything, you know. The world is still full of stupid people. They don't use their brains. They don't seem to want to think straight.'

UNLIKE YOU?

'At least I make an effort. For example… if I've been here for the last few days, who's in my bed now?'

I THINK YOU JUST WENT OUT FOR A MOONLIGHT STROLL.

'Oh. That's all right, then.'

Death coughed.

I SUPPOSE…?

'Sorry?'

I KNOW IT'S RIDICULOUS, REALLY…

'What is?'

I SUPPOSE… YOU HAVEN'T GOT A KISS FOR YOUR OLD GRANDAD?

Susan stared at him.

The blue glow in Death's eyes gradually faded, and as the light died it sucked at her gaze so that it was dragged into the eye sockets and the darkness beyond …

… which went on and on, for ever. There was no word for it. Even eternity was a human idea. Giving it a name gave it a length; admittedly, a very long one. But this darkness was what was left when eternity had given up. It was where Death lived. Alone.

She reached up and pulled his head down and kissed the top of his skull. It was smooth and ivory white, like a billiard ball.

She turned and stared at the shadowy buildings in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

'I just hope I remembered to leave a window open.' Oh, well, nothing for it. She had to know, even if she felt angry with herself for asking. 'Look, the… er, the people I met… do you know if I ever see—'

When she turned back, there was nothing there. There were only a couple of hoofprints, fading on the cobbles.

There was no open window. She went around to the door and climbed the stairs in the darkness.

'Susan!'

Susan felt herself fading protectively, out of habit. She stopped it. There was no need for that. There had never been a need for that.

A figure stood at the end of the passage, in a circle of lamplight.

'Yes, Miss Butts?'

The headmistress peered at her, as if waiting for her to do something.

'Are you all right, Miss Butts?'