Sirens, p.23
Sirens, page 23
The soles of his boots struck the pistol from the man's grip and,
instants afterwards, the full force of his formidable bulk slammed into
the intruder. The man went down as if pole-axed. Baba, astride him,
lifted his right arm. His fist descended in a blurred arc, smashing into
the left side of the ski mask. There was a sharp crack and the man
screamed. Daina jumped as the -357 Magnum roared. She fell off the
chair, holding her ears. Baba was already moving out across the
doorsill. Daina heard grunting, horrible animal sounds and abruptly the
taller man hurtled backward into the office, Baba, his face set in a
snarl of rage, flew in right behind him. He grabbed the man by the front
of his overcoat, jabbed a short, vicious uppercut to the centre of his
chest. There seemed no sound in all the world save the awful cracking of
bone. The man collapsed under the terrible blow, the muscle of his heart
shredded by the debris of his shattered stemum. imploded by Baba's fist.
Baba looked up at her. He was not even breathing hard. ' okay, mama?"
She nodded mutely, turned her head. ' what about Martyp Baba took her up
in his massive arms, stepping over the es and the blood, pushing through
the cluster of curious "people crowding in backstage. He glared at Tony
as he passed ,,.him, said in Daina's ear, ' forget ' him, mania.' Daina
closed her eyes, willing herself to stop trembling, but she could think
of was that quiet tree-lined street in onhurst where Marty had lived.
And what, she asked t elf, will his wife tell the other members of the
Ladies' ers k "Aid? :1t: was impossible to see through the high iron
gates into Forest N"Lawn. The phalanx of reporters and paparazzi
surrounding @Ithe entrance served to mask, for a time at least, just
what lay ond the forbidding portals..",I ',' Ruben& said, turning his
head. ' was right. You'll have a great opportunity to talk to them about
the ''t play at being such a cold bastard,' Daina said softly. "41inters
of memory were still surfacing like the returning in of some enormous
wreck. ' is for Maggie." "Funerals are never for the dead,' he said in a
tone that dicated he was speaking from experience. ''re only to the the
fears of the living." And then as if it were an terthought, ' have no
interest in funerals." "Why? Because you have no fear?' '.' She had said
it as a joke but his answer had been perfectly Serious. She watched him
for a moment, pulling cigarette smoke deeply into his lungs. The hiss of
its release seemed like dragon's sigh. She sat back in the limo's seat
as they proached the milling mob, took his strong hand in hers, ueezing
the fingers very hard. It was early in the morning and the sun had not
yet begun bum its way through the thick haze, but flashbulbs popping
tiers as they parted the throng brought out a pallid incanescence that
seemed spectral and eerie as if it had been @designed by the
special-effects director of a horror film. There was heavy security but,
despite that, the paparazzi had managed to infiltrate the place. They
seemed to Daina 202 203 almost inhuman in their fanatical desire to
concoct bastard innuendos designed to promote an image of Hollywood
prevalent east of Palm Springs. They lay on their bellies behind ornate
marble monuments or crouched behind trees like children at play,
snapping roll after roll of high-speed film shot through monstrous
telephoto lenses. Stepping out of Rubens' limo, Daina felt a shock go
through her. She was facing a woman who looked so much like Maggie that
for an instant Daina felt totally dislocated. She was flanked by
Bonesteel on one side and a rather small man in a dark-coloured suit a
size too large on the other.
Bonesteel introduced them as Joan and Dick Rather. Joan was Maggie's
sister. Dick had a cast in one eye. He told them he was from Salt Lake
City, where he and Joan now lived. He sold vacuum cleaners. Daina had
not been aware that anyone could still make a living selling vacuum
cleaners. ''s very disconcerting.' Rather rushed the way some people do
when they are upset and they don't know what to do except talk, as if
they are afraid that only silence will bring the grief. ''ve often
talked about coming out here to visit, living all my life so close and,
you know, never having been but' - he was looking straight ahead,
directly at Daina, away from his silent wife; it seemed a very
deliberate gesture - '. has always found one excuse or another. Now
this, and suddenly we're here ... it doesn't seem real somehow.' His
eyes seemed to be pleading with her as if to say, Tell me this is just a
bad joke. ''m sorry,' Daina said and she thought she saw him wince.
"Sorry?' Joan said. ' do you know about being sorry?' They were the
first words she had spoken since they had come together and Daina was
struck by how dissimilar her voice was to Maggie's. It made her feel
relieved. ' was her best friend, Joan,' Daina said. '. Rather.' Those
cold blue eyes were unblinking. ' do you people' - she said this word in
a way someone else might say '' -'know about friendship ... or family,
eh? I havewt seen Maggie since she left St. Marys. That's a long time
ago.' Her eyes seemed to bum with that cold quiet fire bom to some
Protestants, who never seem able to express their inner feelings.
"Too long, for sisters. Much too long.' She took step forward and Daina
saw her husband grip her elbow if he suspected she might be ready to
lunge. ' cannot gine why she came out here or what she might have seen
this place. Perhaps, because she was not a particularly py person, she
fit in here in some way. None of you here is py. I know that. All that
makes you happy is eating each er up alive Sjoan -' But she gave Dick
Rather such a withering look that he ediately closed his mouth. '
consented to allowing Maggie to be buried here because was told that was
what she wanted. She chose to be here for tter or for ...' She could not
finish the sentence and for a ment Daina thought she saw the bright
sparkle of a tear e a brief fireworks display in the comer of Joan'seye.
In the ext instant there seemed no trace of it. ' blame you all.' er
voice was very low, as if the swirl of emotion had turned upon itself
like a tightly coiled fist. ' all knew her.' he said '' but it was quite
obvious she meant Daina. ' vulnerable she could be. Yet you let her' -
she had to ke out the next word -'live with that demon. Nothing good
ever come from that kind of thing. Only evil.' She pointed finger.
"You killed herv she whispered. ' killed Maggie! d I ... I can't even
remember her voice now.' At last her ice cracked and her body began to
shake. Rather gripped by the shoulders and her face turned away from
them. ut not before Daina saw that her eyes were still dry. Daina
reached out. ' - Mrs. Rather. I understand how ' feel. Theres no need
for antagonism. I - we both loved aggie.' ''t you dare lecture mev the
other woman snapped, drawing away from Daina's touch. ' miserable
creature. You and all the others like you. I don't need your sympathy.
I'm quite certain it's as real as your conception of friendship.' ' me
tell you something,' Daina said. ' my friends are important to me but
none is as important as Maggie was. We grew up in this town together and
over the last five years we spilled our guts to each other. There was
nothing we didn't share.' Joan Rather had gone white, recoiling backward
so that 204 205 her husband gasped, reaching out to grab her before she
stumbled. But this reaction of what she took to be loathing only spurred
Daina on. ' think I don't care that she's dead?' ' think, my dear, that
you care about as much as you can. Which is to say very little indeed.'
' where were you when she cried all night long? It wasn't you who held
her in your arms. It was me.' Two points of colour appeared on Joan
Rather's makeupless cheeks like opening parasols. ' have no right to
talk to her like that,' Rather said. ' after she -' ' upp Joan Rather
barked and her husband's jaw snapped shut with an audible click. She
addressed Daina: ' don't fool me with this talk of sentimentality.
Should I break down and weep on your shoulder, calling you a saint? No,
no.' The tendons stood out along the sides of her neck. ' you're all
that my sister could call a friend then I feel very sorry for her.' ',
please -' Daina felt it important now that she be able to get through to
this woman. Easy enough to say that her love for Maggie would endure no
matter what. But this was Maggie's only sister - her family. To be cut
off so abruptly, so absolutely from this woman filled Daina with a kind
of creeping dread she could neither tolerate nor define. ' don't want to
argue with you.
We both loved Maggie. Surely that should be enough to bind us -' ' us?'
There was an odd high, almost hysterical quality to Joan Rather's voice
now. ' have nothing in common. Nothing at all.' She jerked her head
towards her husband. ' on.' She would not address him by name.
"There are other places for us to stand.' Daina watched them go with a
sinking heart and she thought, I'm sorry, Maggie. She turned her head,
saw Chris and the other members of the band several paces away. Chris
looked drawn and haggard. Tie was standing between him and Nigel but
sh@@ had her long fingers through Chris' arm. While Daina watched, she
turned, said something in his ear. 206 Rubens looked at her. ' on,' he
said. His voice had gone allic. ''t you come with me?' she said,
touching his arm. ' go on,' he repeated with as little emotion.
"Don't do this, Rubens,' she whispered. ' here, not now. --'I came here
with you,' he said not unkindly. ' you're .`Qn your own. I don't want to
have anything to do with them.' tie had ended on an odd inflection and
she said to him, ' darling. Why don't you finish it?" "I'm not jealous,
if that's what you think.' ''s recisely what I thi*' she said, giving
him a sad P ile before she turned away, walking carefully across the
..,newly mown grass. The smell reminded her of old rambling houses on
the Cape, the chop-chop-chop of the mower at dawn --rousmg her from
sleep, hot August days deep in the heart of ",:summer, the rank
windblown smell of the quahogs piled in the and Daddy's face close
beside her, his warm smell, lit by sunlight and salt, permeating her
being. She closed her e bit her lip, felt her pulse beating strongly
against her s., lids. A voice was crying inside her, plaintive and
forlorn d, abruptly, she tasted rubber in her mouth, so powerful t she
almost gagged. ',' Tie said, in her oddly accented English, ' see the
prima donna isn't holding up so well this morning.' I Daina opened her
eyes. Tie was the only one at the funeral who was not wearing dark
clothes. On the contrary, she had :, as if with exacting care, a
peach-coloured raw-silk @'suit with a skirt slit up one hip, seamed
stockings and very I'high-heeled red shoes. She wore a ruby choker and
matching Itud earrings. She looked as if she had dressed for an
advertis- .. ing photo session. Daina ignored Tie, said, ', how are
you?' ''s just fine,' Tie cut in before Chris could open his mouth,'now
that he's staying with us.' ' thought he should be alone," Daina said,
wondering why she felt the need to defend her actions. ' certainlv
needed the rest.' ', yes,' Tie said. ' rest. In your house. How very 207
altruistic of you.' She smirked and, beside her, Nigel mirrored her
expression. She pushed out her chin. ''s the matter? The producer's not
enough for you?' ' are you talking about?' ''m talking about you and
Chris,' Tie said savagely. ' all know what was going on ... how it made
Maggie so unhappy.' ''re out of your mind!' But Daina found herself re-
calling the last phone conversation she had had with Maggie. Where had
Maggie got such an idea?
"Maggie was an outsider,' Tie hissed. ' so are you. She tried to worm
her way in where she didn't belong.' Her hand came out, palm up as if
the nothingness held there were some kind of offering. ' there she
lies.' Tie seemed almost to be laughing now. ' died for her sins!
"Sins? What sins?' Daina sought Chris' eyes. ''s she talking about?"
"Magic,' Tie said. ' magic. She sought to break our inner circle."
Behind the band, a scuffle had broken out. Over Tie's shoulder, Daina
could see Silka manhandling a paparazzi. The man struck out feebly, and
Silka, picking up the man in one arm, snatched his camera away with the
other, hurled it against the bole of a tree. It shattered, the ruined
film popping out like a child's Dinky toy. Nigel turned to look but Tie
did not. Chris seemed to be assiduously studying the tips of his boots.
When Silka returned from handing over the man to the security guards, he
looked Daina right in the eyes as if to say, I told you about Tie. ' it
over?' Tie asked and, when Nigel nodded, she said, ' likes you and so
does Nigel. Don't make the same mistake your friend did. Nothing that's
between us need concern you. Leave it alone.' ' it alone?" Daina said
incredulously. ' was my friend. How can I leave it alone?" Tie opened
her mouth but before she could say anything, Bonesteel had taken Daina's
arm and was saying, ''s time. I'll take you back! An unnatural silence
hung over them all as if they were in some kind of primordial struggle.
Sides were forming, flow of black and white, and it seemed to Daina that
these V@' people were involved in a monstrous game, that this kind of
baiting was all they had left in life to keep them alive. Joan's
_@',`,@',words flowed through her mind: All that makes you happy is
p4ating each other up alive. No, Daina thought, i s not e. t' tru
@,,We're not like that. rm not like that. Once, I could've been like my
mother, like that. But I learned..N1"2,<, She looked over Tie's shoulder
again, saw Silka watching tier. He put his forefinger up to his lips,
pressed it there until N.@she had allowed Bonesteel to turn her around,
lead her back @1@ towards Rubens. 11 want to talk to you,' she said
softly. ' here,' he said. ' now.' The echo of her own words : a chill
down her spine. ' have nothing to tell you yet.' ' you do -' But he had
already left her beside Rubens, taken his place near the Rathers. She
supposed he had called The minister began. It seemed a long ceremony,
bloodless 54md soulless. The minister had not known Maggie yet he
':,"-spoke about her as if she had joined his church as a child.
","Perhaps Joan had been led to him earlier, given him the ,,Z.
i,essential facts of Maggie's life. Midway through, Daina. realized that
Rubens was right. Funerals weren't for the dead but the living, for
there was no of the woman who had been Maggie here. just a round ,.,of
oval faces, masked in varying degr@es of sorrow. At last, two burly men
lowered the coffin into the ground on its stout ropes. For Daina, her
eyes filled with tears and her heart breaking, more than one person was
being buried here. Joan detached herself from her husband, walked
stiff-legged to the edge of the grave.
The minister intoned, ' to ashes. Dust to dust ...' while she bent down,
gathered a fistful of loose earth. She seemed utterly, terrifyingly
alone. For a long moment, she stood there rigid and unmoving. Tie turned
her head, said something to Nigel. With a convulsive gesture Joan stuck
out her arm, flung the soil downward like dark rain on to the coffin's
gleaming lid. 208 209 Five ' don't know what it is that makes them keep
at it,' Marion said one morning on the set. ' at what?' Daina asked. He
folded the copy of the Guardian airmailed to him from Manchester every
day. Marion was a man who hated being cut off from news of home. '
papers,' he was heard muttering from time to time. ''t know how to
report the news of the world.' But in fact it was news of Britain he
hungered for. He looked at her over his bone-china cup filled
three-quarters of the way to the brim with freshly brewed tea, a
combination of English Breakfast and Darjeeling Marion had flown over
from a shop he frequented in Belgravia. ' English and the Irish.,' he
said quite carefully. ' C of E and the Catholics.' He took a sip. '
sticks in my craw.' He pointed a finger at the folded paper. ' this for
example. There was an enormous raid put on in Belfast about three weeks
ago. It says here the thing was organized by Sean Toomey, that
