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.Lesions had broken out on the fleshy under-pads of the largest bird's feet.The pain made its movements sharper, its head bobbed more jerkily and an aggravated clucking came almost continuously from its throat.Hunched in the back corner, the fourth bird was silent.Chapter 37The taxi pulled up, diesel engine chugging loudly in the silent street.‘Cheers Lisa, I really owe you for tonight.It was great fun.And I’ll give you the taxi fare tomorrow,’ said Clare, grabbing her bag off the back seat.‘Don’t be stupid.You don’t owe me a penny.I’ll see you in the department.’Clare thanked the driver as she got out.Once she’d got her front door open, she turned around and waved.The vehicle pulled away.Looking into the tiny hall, she saw the morning post still lying on the door mat.From the other side of the living room door came the low drone of music.Shaking her head, she picked up the A4 sized envelope and went through.Zoe was sitting in front of the gas fire, two stainless steel knives balanced on the horizontal bars, their tips inserted into the flames.On the hearth next to her was a couple of tea towels and a plastic bottle, the bottom of it cut away.Clare took in the dirty plates, half full cups and general mess in a single glance.‘What are you up to?’ she asked, frowning slightly.Blearily, Zoe glanced over her shoulder.‘Hot knives.Fancy one?’‘No thanks.Want to know how my day went?’ said Clare, collapsing on the sofa and examining the envelope.'Yeah, course.Just hang on a sec.' Zoe placed the neck of the plastic bottle between her teeth.Then she wrapped a tea towel around the handle of each knife and withdrew one from the flames.Carefully she placed a large lump of cannabis resin on its flat surface.A wisp of smoke curled up.Then she extracted the other knife.Holding the one with the resin stuck to it just below the cut away end of the plastic bottle, she pressed the blades together, sandwiching the resin between the two hot surfaces.Instantly the bottle filled with a thick yellow smoke and Zoe inhaled deeply.The bottle emptied and she dropped the knives back on the hearth, removed the bottle from her mouth and slumped on the carpet, back against the base of the sofa.A series of tiny coughs sounded at the back of her throat, but she refused to open her mouth and let any of the smoke escape.The coughs increased in strength, turning into little explosions, sounding as if she was trying to suppress the urge to laugh.Eventually she could hold it in no longer and her mouth opened with a pained 'aaaaahhh.' Barely any smoke came out and she ground both fists against her sternum, eyes tightly shut.'Is that worth all the trouble'?' asked Clare, looking dubiously at her friend.Zoe's head lolled back and with eyes still shut, she replied hoarsely, 'Don't knock it till you've tried it.'Clare sighed and pulled the sheets of paper from the envelope.Every telephone call was listed there, with dates, durations and costs.She looked at the table, saw the recruitment section of the paper below a dirty plate and slid it out.Then she examined the list of numbers called over the past fortnight, searching for any from the job section in front of her.It soon became apparent her friend hadn't rung a single one.'Zoe,' Clare announced, voice serious.'What are you doing?''I told you.Hot knives.They're a blast.''No, I mean with your job search.You haven't called a single company.'Slowly Zoe raised up a hand and gripped her forehead just below her hairline.She turned her head to Clare, and with her hand held there like a sun visor, opened a pair of heavily bloodshot eyes.In the shadow below her fingers, she squinted at the itemised phone bill Clare was holding up.'Oh shit,' she mumbled.'So what's going on?'She shut her eyes again, 'Can you turn off that lamp.It's too bright in here.'Clare reached over and switched off the small reading lamp by her side.Now the room was just bathed in the glow from the gas fire and a lava lamp in the corner.As Zoe went to speak a train thundered past, drowning out the noise of her first words.Once it was past she began talking again, head bowed towards her knees.'I couldn't face going through it all again.''Through what again?''The interviews.Trial days.Being sat down in front of a Mac and told to work out some layout with the studio manager stopping every now and again to check over my shoulder.Having everything analysed, discussed.I'm not ready for all that stress again.''So you decided just to take me for a ride instead? Doss here, rent-free.Smoke dope all day?''No, I meant to ring those numbers.But I.didn't.I just need some time to get my head together.Then I'll start looking for work again.''Zoe, you don't really reckon sitting in here all day is getting your head together? You stay up every night 'til the small hours and then get up after lunch.That's what's really doing your head in.You've got to get a grip [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]