Part Four Chapter V

VShirley Mollison was convinced that her husband and son were over-stating the danger to the council of deviation the Ghosts postures online. She could not see how the subject matters were worse than gossip, and that, she knew, was not yet punishable by law nor did she believe that the law would be foolish and unreasonable luxuriant to punish her for what somebody else had written that would be monstrously unfair. Proud as she was of Miles law degree, she was certain(predicate) that he essential have this bit wrong.She was checking the message boards in fourth dimension more frequently than Miles and Howard had advised, as yet not because she was afraid of sanctioned consequences. Certain as she was that Barry Fairbrothers Ghost had not yet finished his unauthorized task of crushing the pro-Fielders, she was eager to be the first to set eye on his next post. Several meters a day she scurried into Patricias grey room, and clicked on the web page. Some quantify a little f risson would course by dint of her while she was hoovering or peeling potatoes and she would race to the study, only to be disappointed again.Shirley mat up a special, secret kinship with the Ghost. He had chosen her website as the forum where he would expose the hypocrisy of Howards opponents, and this, she felt, entitled her to the hook of the naturalist who has constructed a habitat in which a rare species deigns to nest. only when there was more to it than that. Shirley relished the Ghosts anger, his savagery and his audacity. She wondered who he might be, visualizing a strong, murky cosmos standing behind herself and Howard, on their side, cutting a lead for them through the opponents who crumpled as he slayed them with their own ugly truths.Somehow, none of the men in Pagford seemed worthy to be the Ghost she would have felt disappointed to learn that it was any of the anti-Fielders she knew.Thats if its a man, give tongue to Maureen.Good point, verbalise Howard.I sound off its a man, said Shirley coolly.When Howard left for the cafe on Sunday morning, Shirley, still in her dressing gown, and h senioring her cup of tea, overdraw automatically to the study and brought up the website.Fantasies of a alternate Headmaster post by The_Ghost_of_Barry_Fairbrother.She set blue her tea with trembling sights, clicked on the post and read it, open-mouthed. Then she ran to the lounge, seized the telephone and called the cafe, solely the number was engaged.A untarnished five minutes later, Parminder Jawanda, who had also developed a habit of spirit at the council message boards much more frequently than usual, opened up the site and saw the post. Like Shirley, her immediate reaction was to seize a telephone.The Walls were breakfasting without their son, who was still asleep upstairs. When Tessa picked up, Parminder cut across her friends greeting.Theres a post some Colin on the council website. Dont let him see it, whatever you do.Tessas frightene d eyes swivelled to her husband, but he was a mere three feet from the receiver and had already hear every word that Parminder had spoken so loudly and clearly.Ill call you back, said Tessa urgently. Colin, she said, fumbling to replace the receiver, Colin, wait But he had already stalk out of the room, bobbing up and down, his arms stiff by his side, and Tessa had to jog to gimp him up.Perhaps its better not to look, she urged him, as his big, knobble-knuckled hand moved the black eye across the desk, or I can read it and Fantasies of a Deputy HeadmasterOne of the men hoping to represent the community at Parish Council take is Colin Wall, Deputy Headmaster at Winterdown Comprehensive School. Voters might be raise to go to bed that Wall, a strict disciplinarian, has a very unusual conjuration life. Mr Wall is so frightened that a pupil might burden him of inappropriate sexual behaviour that he has often compulsory time off work to calm himself down again. Whether Mr Wall has actually fondled a first year, the Ghost can only guess. The fervour of his feverish fantasies suggests that, even if he hasnt, he would similar to.Stuart wrote that, thought Tessa, at once.Colins panorama was drab in the light pouring out of the monitor. It was how she imagined he would look if he had had a stroke.Colin I suppose Fiona Shawcross has told people, he whispered.The catastrophe he had continuously feared was upon him. It was the end of everything. He had always imagined taking sleeping tablets. He wondered whether they had comme il faut in the house.Tessa, who had been momentarily thrown by the mention of the headmistress, said, Fiona wouldnt anyway, she doesnt recognize She k this instants Ive got OCD.Yes, but she doesnt know what you what youre afraid of She does, said Colin. I told her, before the last time I needed sick leave. Why? Tessa burst out. What on human race did you tell her for?I wanted to explain why it was so essential I had time off, s aid Colin, almost humbly. I thought she needed to know how serious it was.Tessa fought down a powerful desire to maltreat at him. The tinge of distaste with which Fiona treated him and talked about him was explained Tessa had never want her, always thought her hard and unsympathetic.Be that as it may, she said, I dont think Fionas got anything to do Not directly, said Colin, pressing a trembling hand to his sweating upper lip. But Mollisons heard gossip from somewhere.It wasnt Mollison. Stuart wrote that, I know he did. Tessa recognized her son in every line. She was even stupid(p) that Colin could not see it, that he had not connected the message with yesterdays row, with striking his son. He couldnt even resist a bit of alliteration. He must have done all of them Simon Price. Parminder. Tessa was horror-struck.But Colin was not mentation about Stuart. He was recalling thoughts that were as vivid as memories, as sensory impressions, violent, stinking ideas a hand seizing an d squeezing as he passed through densely packed young bodies a cry of pain, a childs incline contorted. And then asking himself, again and again had he done it? Had he enjoyed it? He could not remember. He only knew that he kept thinking about it, seeing it happen, feeling it happen. Soft flesh through a thin cotton blouse seize, squeeze, pain and shock a violation. How many times? He did not know. He had spent hours wondering how many of the children knew he did it, whether they had spoken to each other, how long it would be until he was exposed.Not knowledgeable how many times he had offended, and unable to trust himself, he over bowed down(p) himself with so many papers and files that he had no hands necessitous to attack as he moved through the corridors. He shouted at the swarming children to exact out of the way, to stand clear, as he passed. no(prenominal) of it helped. There were always stragglers, running past him, up against him, and with his hands burdened he imagi ned other ways to have improper contact with them a swiftly repositioned elbow brushing against a breast a side-step to gibe bodily contact a leg accidentally entangled, so that the childs gram molecule make contact with his flesh.Colin, said Tessa.But he had started to cry again, abundant sobs shaking his big, ungainly body, and when she put her arms around him and pressed her face to his her own tears wet his skin.A few miles away, in hilltop House, Simon Price was sitting at a brand-new family computer in the sitting room. Watching Andrew cycle away to his weekend job with Howard Mollison, and the locution that he had been forced to pay full market price for this computer, made him feel irritable and additionally hard done by. Simon had not looked at the Parish Council website once since the night that he had thrown out the stolen PC, but it occurred to him, by an association of ideas, to check whether the message that had cost him his job was still on the site and thus viewa ble by potential employers.It was not. Simon did not know that he owed this to his wife, because Ruth was scared of admitting that she had telephoned Shirley, even to request the removal of the post. meagerly cheered by its absence, Simon looked for the post about Parminder, but that was gone too.He was about to close the site, when he saw the newest post, which was entitled Fantasies of a Deputy Headmaster.He read it through twice and then, alone in the sitting room, he began to laugh. It was a savage triumphant laugh. He had never taken to that big, bobbing man with his massive forehead. It was good to know that he, Simon, had got off very lightly hence by comparison.Ruth came into the room, smiling timidly she was glad to hear Simon laughing, because he had been in a dreadful mood since losing his job.Whats funny?You know Fats old man? Wall, the deputy headmaster? Hes only a bloody paedo.Ruths smiling slipped. She hurried forward to read the post.Im going to shower, said Simon , in mellow good humour.Ruth waited until he had left the room before arduous to call her friend Shirley, and alert her to this new scandal, but the Mollisons telephone was engaged.Shirley had, at last, reached Howard at the delicatessen. She was still in her dressing gown he was pacing up and down the little back room, behind the counter. been trying to get you for ages Mo was using the phone. What did it say? Slowly.Shirley read the message about Colin, enunciating want a newsreader. She had not reached the end, when he cut across her.Did you copy this down or something?Sorry? she said.Are you reading it off the screen? Is it still on there? Have you taken it off?Im dealing with it now, be Shirley, unnerved. I thought youd like to Get it off there now God above, Shirley, this is getting out of hand we cant have stuff like that on thereI just thought you ought to Make sure youve got rid of it, and well talk about it when I get home Howard shouted.Shirley was feral they nev er raised their voices to each other.