Last Orders

Ray

It smells of stone and space and oldness. The pillars go up and up, then they fan out like they're not pillars any more, they've let go of their own weight and it's not stone any more, it's not material. It's like wings up there, arching and reaching, and I know you're supposed to gaze up and think it's amazing and feel yourself being raised up too, and I'm gazing, I'm staring, I'm peering hard, but I can't see it, I can't make it out. The next world.

But I reckon I could fly to Australia. Cross this world. Money I've got. Save Sue the trouble of doing it, other way. When. If.

Though I reckon she would, Fd lay odds she would. Though you'd think it'd serve no purpose, you'd think it'd be immaterial, and there's a hundred things you could better put the fare towards. New car, swimming pool.

It's a far sight further, Sydney to London, than London to Margate, a far cry further. And when she got here she'd only wonder why she ever came, it wouldn't be like the place she left years ago, roots, there wouldn't be no country churchyard with birds tweeting, God knows where I'll get shoved. But someone's got to do it, you've got to have someone, and I bet she would.

But I could save her the trouble.