Page 209 of The Running Grave

She knew this wasn’t true; Jiang had no real position of authority, though he displayed a definite liking for exerting power within the limited scope he was given. He now lowered the hand concealing his flickering eye and said,

‘Yeah.’

‘Well,’ said Robin, ‘how come you seem to work harder than anyone else in…’ She deliberately let the words ‘your family’ hang in the air before finishing, ‘you know – in your position?’

‘I ain’t got no false self,’ said Jiang. ‘Don’t need any of that other crap.’

As she’d hoped, he seemed subtly flattered by her question, and she sensed a slight diminution of aggression.

‘I just noticed you kind of… live what we’re all supposed to do. You don’t just preach it.’

She was momentarily afraid she’d overdone it, but Jiang squared his shoulders, with the beginnings of a smirk on his grubby face.

‘That why you won’t fuck Taio? ’Cause he don’t live it?’

‘I didn’t mean Taio doesn’t—’

‘’Cause you’re right,’ said Jiang, aggressive again. ‘He’s full of fucking EM, him and that Becca. Both of ’em. I work harder than anyone.’

‘I know,’ said Robin. ‘I’ve seen it. You never stop. You’re out in all weathers, helping run the farm, and it’s not like you don’t know doctrine. What you told me about the kids, and materialist possession – you know, that day Will was fussing over that little blonde girl? – that really stuck with me. It actually opened my eyes to how weird and abusive the materialist parent-child thing is.’

‘That’s good,’ said Jiang. He gave the bottoms of his tracksuit an unnecessary tug upwards. His tic had subsided and he was almost smiling. ‘That’s good you remembered that.’

‘You’ve got a way of putting things really clearly. Don’t get me wrong,’ Robin added, careful to sound nervous, ‘Taio and Becca are good at it, too, but they…’

‘Taio wanted to fuck her,’ said Jiang, smirking, reverting to what seemed to be his favourite subject. ‘Did you know that?’

‘No,’ said Robin.

‘But then Papa J went with her, so Taio wasn’t allowed any more.’

‘Oh,’ said Robin, eyebrows raised, and she lied, ‘I thought I kind of sensed something between Becca and Taio…’

‘Got your eyes open too, then, haven’t you?’

Perhaps because he was so rarely praised or appreciated, Jiang now seemed almost friendly.

‘Know what I was always good at, better’n Taio when we were kids?’ he asked Robin.

‘No,’ said Robin, ‘what?’

‘There’s a game, with cards, and you’ve got to make pairs, and remember where the pictures are,’ said Jiang, with a pathetic pride. ‘I remember stuff,’ he said, tapping his temple with a filthy fingernail. ‘And I see stuff. More’n they do.’

‘I can tell,’ said Robin, her sole objective now to get out of the woods while Jiang was in this friendlier state of mind. ‘So… d’you think I should keep looking for the fish in here, or d’you think it’s pointless?’

Jiang looked pleased to be asked for his opinion.

‘Nobody’s gonna find it here,’ he said, surveying the many fallen leaves and branches, twisted roots and patches of nettles.

‘No, you’re right,’ said Robin. ‘This is my first time in the woods. I didn’t realise they were so overgrown.’

She took a step towards Jiang and to her immense relief, he simply turned to walk with her, back the way he’d come.

‘There’s a tree over there,’ said Jiang, pointing to an aged ash, visible through the younger growth, ‘with a hollow in it and there’s an axe hidden in it.’

‘Wow,’ said Robin, taking careful note of the tree’s position.

‘I found it in here, when I was a kid. Nobody else knows,’ said Jiang complacently.