The Programme

CHAPTER NINE-4

“That’s what those cells are for, right? Isolation; retreat.”

“Yes.”

“How come they have locks on the doors?”

“It’s just the way we bought the doors. I don’t have a clue if we even have any keys, but I’ll ask.”

“I already asked,” Romero scowled: and had got the same answer.

“What about the stock-whip? Flagellation, penitence?”

Cassandra answered bitterly:

“No, not at all. That’s where I blame myself. I don’t know how he got it in there. You see, when they go into the cells for complete isolation, they’re always naked; I insist on that.”

“Why?”

“Just for this, don’t you see? Isolation is - how shall I put it? It can be a most healing experience, but it’s invariably profound and some people - well, sometimes they can’t tell, and even I can’t tell, if they’re going to be able to handle it. So I insist, completely naked. They’re quite alone. It’s not cold at this time of the year. In the winter, I let them have a blanket. We bring them food once a day, a bucket of course; if they want, they can come out to wash. All that was what happened with Anthony. I think - I’m guessing now - I think he managed to get the stock-whip while he was outside washing, let’s see, that would be Thursday afternoon.”

“We’re going with some time Thursday night,” Romero admitted. “It fits. Where’d the whip come from in the first place?”

“Oh, Sergeant, I really don’t know; it’s a farm; a lot of people come and go; they may have found it in one of the outbuildings; I hadn’t seen it before is the only thing I can tell you; otherwise,” she shuddered, “it wouldn’t have been there, I can assure you.”

The stock-whip was a magician’s illusion; rope would have raised the direct possibility; the whip, however, was inexplicable; it had been put to a use no one could have thought of ahead of time.

The judge handed down his ruling at the close of argument on the Thursday. Like much of the hearing, it was anti-climactic. Cash had been handed over in England; if there was evidence of oppression, lack of free will, it was likewise based on Amanda’s periods with The Programme in England, not during her infrequent returns to the United States. That issue should be tried under English law.

Hammer Reach was a different question: because it related to real estate, it could only be a matter of New York jurisdiction. However, the evidence of manipulation was weak and, above all, insufficient to overcome Amanda’s own, assured appearance in court, currently uncontradicted by evidence of imbalance. The judge was not willing outright to dismiss the motion to nullify Matthew’s life tenancy of the farm, but neither was he willing to set a trial date until there was more evidence to substantiate the family claim than he had heard in relation to the money.

They celebrated with ice-cream and sodas at a sidewalk cafe, making plans for the future. Amanda wanted to go back to England with Carey and Emily and, it seemed to have been assumed, Matthew. Carey was cautious, because it could act as an incentive for the family to pursue the action over there where she was by no means as certain of a favourable result. On the other hand, Matthew was not keen to leave Amanda at large, vulnerable to Berlinger. Nahum stepped into the breach - he would look after her.

Chad said:

“I’m going up to Hammer Reach over the weekend; I want to see Tanya - sorry, Leah. Is that all right, Teacher?” His assimilation was complete.

Matthew smiled, stroked the boy’s cheek.

“Of course, Chad.”

They walked back to the Chapter House off Spring Street, still jolly, looking forward to relaying the news and sharing the joy. The Coffee Lounge was shut but not empty. Two New York detectives were waiting with the news that Anthony Rockworth had been found the day before, hanged, in a tiny cell in the basement of their farm in the Catskills. They had a lot of questions. So, they said, did Arthur Rockworth.

Before he left for Hammer Reach, after he had rejected both her offer to accompany him and her advice that he should take a lawyer with him, Carey told Matthew that she had decided to return to England without him. If he did not need her as a lawyer, especially now when something so redolent with legal implications had occurred, she was not going to stay in any other capacity - lover orProgramme member. This was her answer to the questions asked during the strained night in New Orleans after they had visited with Lamarque.

“Of course. I’ll take you to the airport,” was Matthew’s only comment.

Carey had not consulted with Emily, taking for granted that she would return to England with her. It took neither of them long, in their separate rooms, to pack. Carey did not bother ringing ahead for a flight: she would test her resolve by waiting until there was a seat available, however long it took.

Matthew took them to the drop off zone at JFK, not the car park. He pulled in to the sidewalk, got out to remove their bags from the trunk.

On the sidewalk, Carey leaned up to kiss Matthew on the cheek.

“I’ll see you soon, right?”

“I am one,” Matthew said gravely, kissing her back.

“We are many,” Carey confirmed.

Neither of them completed the exchange.

Matthew said, instead:

“Go on now, fly away; fly away little bird.”

“I’m not sure what that means. It sounds as much like a curse as a blessing.”

“I’m not sure either,” Matthew laughed, a rare admission of uncertainty. “I don’t know where it came from.”

They were feet away from the British Airways counter before Emily grabbed Carey’s arm to stop her.

“Why are we doing this - going home?”

“I’m a lawyer, remember? I’ve got work to do.”

“I don’t want to go,” Emily dropped her bag to the ground for emphasis. “I don’t want to go home, Carey,” she repeated. “Not yet. I’m not ready. I haven’t found what I want yet.”

Carey did not ask what it was she was looking for; Emily could not have answered. They were looking for elephants: they could not describe them but they would know them when they saw them. Trying to contain her disappointment, Carey said:

“Where will you go? What will you do? Will you be all right on your own?”

Carey had not understood Emily to be suggesting that she should remain behind with her while Emily had to hide her disappointment that Carey did not offer to stay.

“Are you going to stay with The Programme? In New York? Are you going to stay with Matthew?”

The last question came from nowhere and was all the more frightening for it. Carey could think of nothing she wanted to happen less: it would be a double abandonment.

Emily shrugged: she did not know why she was staying; she had no answers for herself nor therefore for Carey.

“You don’t know what you’re doing,” Carey urged her once last time to change her mind.

“Nor do you, Carey,” Emily said gently.

“Stay here, then,” Carey replied flatly.

“I’ll ring you at home; as soon as you’re back.”

“Home,” Carey repeated, reminding her it was supposed to become Emily’s home too.

“I’ll miss you,” Emily said: the reason she had come to the States.

They both had tears in their eyes. They leaned forward to hug. They kissed briefly, then Emily reached for the back of Carey’s head to stop her pulling away and kissed her again, on the lips, open-mouthed.

“I thought I was the one who wanted you to come home with me,” Carey laughed.

Emily was still tearful.

“Don’t you think there’s a part of me wants to come home with you? Don’t you think I wanted, you know, us living - um - in the house together?” The words ’in the house’ were tossed in at the last moment, to evade the ambiguity.

“Then come back with me now,” Carey said fiercely. “Just do it.”

“I’m not ready,” Emily replied. “That’s all. There’s things I need to find out about myself - the way you’ve been doing. When I am ready, as soon as I am, I’ll come home; I promise.”

“Do that,” Carey picked up her own bag and started towards the airline counter. “Just do what you need to do, Em; come home when you’re ready - or I’ll come back for you,” she warned, only half- joking.

Emily’s eyes met hers, locked, nodded in understanding; she turned away, swinging her bag, and within a few moments had been swallowed up in the airport crowd.