The Last Word

Twenty-nine

In the kitchen Alice led Mamoon to the sink. She staunched his bleeding cheek, cleaned the wound and applied a plaster. Harry put the kettle on and made tea. He tried to catch Alice’s eye to indicate that this might be a good opportunity to leave, but he guessed they wouldn’t be able to get out until this dispute was settled.

Mamoon was upset, but not devastated; he had seen this before. Later, he would open a bottle of champagne for Liana. All would be well. Glancing at the notebook which Harry always carried with him, he said, ‘I hope you’re not writing this down in bad English to make us look like mad people.’

‘Maestro, I’ll make sure he won’t,’ said Alice.

Mamoon said, ‘I’m sorry that Liana somehow blames you for this.’

‘She does?’ said Alice. ‘Is it really my fault? Harry, please tell me if it is.’

Liana came down, carrying a suitcase. ‘I am wearing my necklace of skulls — a piece I hate. But I slam the door and goodbye! Alice, please hold onto the dogs.’

Mamoon hurried across and took her arm. ‘Liana, I beg you, this has gone too far.’

‘Yes, who will change the batteries in your toothbrush? Who will rub cream into your injured foot and give you your pills? You will die here alone. Do you really believe these young exploiters care for you?’ She pulled the case towards the door. ‘I will go to those who love and appreciate me.’

‘Like who?’

‘You can take Alice, you old fool, but you’re too stupid to see how she used you!’

‘What nonsense!’

‘Harry sent her to persuade you to confess to things with Marion that you never did — I heard it from Rob.’

‘You didn’t do that, Alice?’ Mamoon said, in incomprehension.

‘In a way I did,’ she said.

‘Dear girl, I cannot think of you like that,’ said Mamoon. ‘Harry must have been behind it. Don’t worry, I’ll take him down for that.’

Harry said, ‘Why don’t you sit, please, Liana, and we can talk this through.’

‘Yes,’ said Mamoon. ‘Please, Marion, I mean Liana, you are working yourself up too much!’

Mamoon tried to pull the suitcase from her, but she pushed him away. He fell against the table, turned, twisted and collapsed.

‘Oh my God, Mamoon,’ said Alice, going towards him. ‘Your back’s gone!’

‘You see, you see!’ cried Liana. ‘Now give me the car key!’

‘Never.’

‘I will walk across the fields to the station,’ she said, disappearing out of the door and into the rain. ‘Goodbye for ever!’

‘Don’t let her go,’ said Mamoon to Harry.

‘What can I do?’

‘It’s dark already. Suppose she falls in the pond and drowns! Fetch her back!’

‘I will,’ said Alice, and out she went.

Harry had to pursue her as she headed for the track up to the road. The rain was heavy and the wind was loud, but Harry could hear her yelling for Liana. It didn’t take him long to find Alice. She was his priority. He had to lead her back to the house forcibly, while urging her to be quiet. Yet he could hear nothing of Liana.

Alice was soaked through, and when Harry had brought her in, he found a towel and fetched her warm clothes. Then he went to Mamoon with a blanket. ‘Please, just lie down on the sofa and wait. Liana will be back soon.’

Mamoon said, ‘If you pick up Liana on your way to London, I will kill you straight away.’

Harry made Mamoon comfortable on the sofa and said, ‘Sir, I can tell you she won’t want to come with us.’

‘She talks about you all the time,’ said Alice. ‘If she didn’t love you so much, she wouldn’t be so worked up. She’s trying to give you a fright.’

‘I’ve got one, along with a chill and palpitations.’ Alice found Mamoon’s painkillers and brought him water. ‘This time I really will pass over,’ he said. He had started to sob. ‘I can’t take any more. You won’t leave me here like this, will you? Where’s Ruth? What will I eat? Who will look after the animals?’

Harry had already phoned Julia, who said she and her family would take care of it. Whatever happened, she did not want Alice and Harry out there; two hysterical and confused townies afraid of the dark wouldn’t help anyone. She knew the terrain ‘intimately’.

It wasn’t the easiest evening in Mamoon’s kitchen as Alice, Mamoon and Harry ate, made tea and worried about Liana. Julia, Ruth and Scott were scouting for her with torches, shouts and blankets. They didn’t believe she could have got far; she was probably going around in circles. Mamoon refused to allow Harry or Alice to leave him alone, and lay on the sofa staring into the distance, or he closed his eyes and seemed to drift off.

While they were waiting for news, Harry reiterated how competent and reliable Julia was. If anyone could find Liana, it would be her. Alice added that it had been helpful to have her staying with them in London. She wanted to make it a permanent arrangement, and Julia had agreed. Julia would look after them and the babies, for at least the next eighteen months.

Harry was surprised at this; his view was that it would be best if Julia returned to Liana and Mamoon, and the rest of ‘her community’. But Alice was firm; she’d heard catastrophic stories about au pairs and nannies. She couldn’t see any reason why Julia wasn’t suitable. She was willing, good with kids, and they knew her and her family.

He couldn’t win; he was fated to live with both of them. Mamoon may have been lying there contemplating eternity, but he wasn’t so oblivious he didn’t find the time for a micro-smirk.

It was another hour before Liana was located. Her fury had carried her quite far, but at last she had collapsed in a ditch and was found by Scott and Julia moaning and whimpering. She was taken to hospital, where she was checked over by a doctor who decided that since she was exhausted and suffering from minor injuries she should stay the night. Harry drove Alice and Mamoon to visit her. She slept well, and the next afternoon he brought her home, where Alice put her to bed. Mamoon was solicitous, kind and quiet.

The day after, when Alice and Harry were finally leaving, Mamoon was still worrying about whether he would have to share his writing room with Liana, and he kept asking Harry what he should do. He wouldn’t be able to work with Liana sitting next to him; it was absurd.

Going to the car, Harry found a film crew in the yard, unpacking their equipment. A German TV station, encouraged by Liana, apparently had an appointment to make a documentary about Mamoon. They said Mamoon had agreed, for a nice fee, to give his opinion on many contemporary subjects he knew nothing about.

‘One of them has a clipboard full of questions,’ said Mamoon to Harry. ‘I fear it will be my martyrdom video. Tell them to get out.’

‘Only you can do that,’ he said.

‘You’re just clearing off and leaving us like this?’

‘Yes.’

In London, mortified by what she believed she’d brought about, Alice went to bed for two days, wearing a woollen cap. Harry and Julia were deputed to bring her carrot juice and soup, hold her hand and hear her complaints.

‘It didn’t occur to me that they would be so vulnerable,’ Alice said. ‘I love them both so much. They’ve become like parents to me. What should I do? Write or phone to apologise? Oh God, she’ll never forgive me. . Harry, why didn’t you warn me? You didn’t seem to mind me being with him. Or were you just pleased I could fetch you material? Please, answer me. Will you be speaking to them tonight?’

Harry couldn’t answer. He was glad to be away from Prospects House. He had no wish to see Mamoon or Liana for a while; he would go into a room for at least eighteen months and write his book as he wished. Mamoon would remain Mamoon; Harry neither liked nor disliked him. In Harry’s mind he was becoming something else, an invented or made-up man, someone who had lived only so that Harry could write a book about him.