The wasp factory: a novel Read Free Page B

lucky number is.'
    'My lucky number is _e_.'
    '_That's_ not a number. That's a letter.'
    'It is a number. It's a transcendental number: 2.718 -'
    'That's cheating. I meant an integer.'
    'You should have been more specific,' I said, then sighed as the pips sounded and Eric eventually put more money in. 'Do you want me to call you back?'
    'Ho-ho. You aren't getting it out of me that easy. How are you, anyway?'
    'I'm fine. How are you?'
    'Mad, of course,' he said, quite indignantly. I had to smile.
    'Look, I'm assuming you're coming back here. If you are, please don't burn any dogs or anything, OK?'
    'What are you talking about? It's me. Eric. I don't burn dogs!' He started to shout. 'I don't burn fucking dogs! What the hell do you think I am? Don't accuse me of burning fucking dogs, you little bastard! _Bastard_!'
    'All right, Eric, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,' I said as quickly as I could. 'I just want you to be OK; be careful. Don't do anything to antagonise people, you know? People can be awful sensitive ...'
    'Well ...,' I could hear him say. I listened to him breathing, then his voice changed. 'Yeah, I'm coming back home. Just for a short while, to see how you both are. I suppose it's just you and the old man?'
    'Yes, just the two of us. I'm looking forward to seeing you.'
    'Oh, good.' There was a pause. 'Why don't you ever come to visit me?'
    'I... I thought Father was down to see you at Christmas.'
    'Was he? Well ... but why don't _you_ ever come?' He sounded plaintive. I shifted my weight on to my other foot, looked around the landing and up the stairs, half-expecting to see my father leaning over the banister rail, or to see his shadow on the wall of the landing above, where he thought he could hide and listen to my phone calls without me knowing.
    'I don't like leaving the island for that long, Eric. I'm sorry, but I get this horrible feeling in my stomach, as though there's a great big knot in it. I just can't go that far away, not overnight or... I just can't. I want to see you, but you're so far away.'
    'I'm getting closer.' He sounded confident again.
    'Good. How far away are you?'
    'Not telling you.'
    'I told you my lucky number.'
    'I lied. I'm still not going to tell you where I am.'
    'That's not-'
    'Well, I'll hang up now.'
    'You don't want to talk to Dad?'
    'Not yet. I'll talk to him later, when I'm a lot closer. I'm going now. See you. Take care.'
    '_You_ take care.'
    'What's to worry about? I'll be all right. What can happen to me?'
    'Just don't do anything to annoy people. You know; I mean, they get angry. About pets especially. I mean, I'm not-'
    'What? _What?_ What was that about pets?' he shouted.
    'Nothing! I was just saying-'
    'You little shit!' he screamed. 'You're accusing me of burning dogs again, aren't you? And I suppose I stick worms and maggots into kids' mouths and piss on them, too, eh?' he shrieked.
    'Well,' I said carefully, toying with the flex, 'now you mention it -'
    'Bastard! _Bastard_! You little shit! I'll kill you! You -' His voice disappeared, and I had to put the phone away from my ear again as he started to hammer the handset against the walls of the call-box. The succession of loud clunks sounded over the calm pips as his money ran out. I put the phone back in the cradle.
    I looked up, but there was still no sign of Father. I crept up the stairs and stuck my head between the banisters, but the landing was empty. I sighed and sat down on the stairs. I got the feeling I hadn't handled Eric very well over the phone. I'm not very good with people and, even though Eric is my brother, I haven't seen him for over two years, since he went crazy.
    I got up and went back down to the kitchen to lock up and get my gear, then I went to the bathroom. I decided to watch the television in my room, or listen to the radio, and get to sleep early so I could be up just after dawn to catch a wasp for the Factory.
    I lay on my bed listening to John Peel on the radio and the noise of the wind round the house