Another Excerpt from “Powderfinger” : Chapter 21
He didn’t feel like much of a breakfast this morning, he was still thinking about the Bound Volumes he had given to Nicks. A cup or three of strong, well sweetened black Coffee, would suit very nicely this morning. As he sat down, on his favourite chair overlooking the Canal and the bridges, Alan picked up his cup and took a sip from it, reached over and pressed the button on the answer-phone. When he heard Nicks voice, asking him to return the call he felt invigorated and for some unknown reason, strangely relieved. Maybe, he had something for him, or perhaps his old friend, had a hunch, or maybe, he had discovered something? It all stank a little of desperation, ‘that’s just plain wrong thinking. You’re clutching at straws, again Alan. He’s only had the first damn volumes, for a day, or so.’ Before he had time to think anything more, the phone proclaimed, “Message two.” In a much better mood than he had been ten minutes ago, Alan deemed, that all was once more, well with the world and he haughtily decreed “Play on foul spot,” with a full panoply of arm movements and all the available pomposity he could muster. The second message was also from Nicks. “Typical. Some things never change,” he commented, as he listened to Nicks’ question about what to do with the insights, he had gleaned from the first trenche of papers? “This should be interesting,” he thought as he pressed the ‘Delete’ button on the phone and made his way to the car. “I’ll give him a call, when I get to the Library but for now, you’ll have to excuse me Nicks but I’ve got to negotiate this pot hole.” Too late. It managed to catch him out every time he tried to escape the Toll House grounds. “Ummph,” he exclaimed, as the front wheels rode over the newly excavated ramp, at the end of the driveway.
Keller Yeats 