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Rodney closed the portal door behind them, satisfied that they had all come through safely. They had arrived inside a room that was almost a carbon copy of the one on Lennon Island, even down to the exact same chairs and mismatched mugs in the kitchenette.
Hector let out a big sigh and said, ‘Is this island exactly the same as the other one?’
Rodney picked a glass out of a cupboard, filled it with water from a tap and took a long drink before answering Hector. ‘Aye, but this island has only just been created. You two are the first people on it; you aren’t taking over from someone else.’
Hector and Maxine looked at each other in surprise, and Maxine said with a shrug, ‘When will the first new arrivals come to us?’
Rodney looked confused for a moment, but then he pointed to a computer screen. The image of a man appeared on the monitor, standing in the centre of a meadow. He looked around himself in apparent confusion. They watched as he sauntered to the cliff top and looked out to sea.
Rodney prodded the screen, which promptly split into two displays. The first half the screen continued to show the live feed, and the other half listed what appeared to be an enormous amount of information. The data scrolled by rapidly, too quickly for a regular human to digest, but Hector, Maxine and Rodney easily absorbed it and committed it to their memories.
Hector gasped. ‘I can’t believe how vivid the information stream was. I could even smell his wife’s perfume when it gave all the details about his family.’
Rodney smiled. ‘Ah, yes, you will remember all that forever. I have the data of over a hundred thousand people in my brain, all with the same amount of detail as you just experienced. You two had better go and find your village then decide how you are going to handle your first arrival.’
Maxine asked, ‘We are allowed to do what we want, right? I don’t want to leave the guy, what’s his name, Stuart Jones, languishing alone overnight.’
Rodney nodded his agreement. ‘It’s your island, so they are your rules to make. Anyway, I’ll be back in a few days to have a catch up and make sure that everything is alright.’ He smiled and added, ‘Goodbye for now. Good luck.’ He then left through the door from which they had arrived.
Hector beamed and fastened his jacket. He had a cursory look over the screens, smiling with satisfaction at what he saw. On one screen, he noticed his great friend Damien speaking to the curator in Damien and Nancy’s hut. Hector said to Maxine, ‘Look, the curator must be making sure that the Lennons are coping alright.’
Maxine peered at the screen and watched for a minute or so. She frowned. Something isn’t right. Maxine tried to increase the volume on the screen, but for some reason, the sound control wasn’t working. She grunted in frustration. ‘Damn it! I want to know what’s wrong over there, Hector. What do you think is happening?’
‘It doesn’t look good, whatever it is,’ Hector said while stroking his chin. ‘I hope they are alright. I know the curator is always wanting her own way, and it looks like they are arguing for sure.’
Nancy entered her hut and Maxine murmured, ‘She is furious. That body language says it all.’
The Lennons’ lounge visibly shook on the screen. Both Maxine and Hector gasped as they watched a picture tumble from the wall and glass spray across the floor. The pair of them stood with their mouths agape. ‘Hector, we need to go and sort out Stuart then work out how to contact the Lennons to see what the hell happened.’
She didn’t wait for the big man to answer; she simply started walking, but it only took Hector a couple of strides to catch up. Their island, as promised by Rodney, was exactly the same as the one on which they had arrived as newly dead people. Maxine, however, noticed one key difference—the silence was deafening. ‘Hector, there is no animal life here. This is so strange.’
They reached the field that should have contained pigs, but the ground was green and lush with no sign of animals digging or burrowing through the earth. A pair of bright galvanised pig houses stood in the centre of the field. Hector ducked down to look inside one of them. ‘Nein, Maxine, there is no pig here. Shit, this is weird.’ The pair picked up their pace and soon reached the wire marking the forbidden boundary. It stood proud, tightly erected between sturdy posts, not like the sagging, rusty wire that meandered between trees and posts as it was on Lennon Island. ‘This must be a brand-new island, Maxine, made just for us.’
Maxine nodded her agreement. ‘Why have we been separated away from Nancy and Damien? I bet it’s a divide-and-conquer tactic. I wouldn’t put anything past the curator.’
‘Ja, but Rodney is her boss, and he seems agreeable to us. I don’t understand it.’
‘That is exactly the point. I wonder how we get animals on here. I bet there aren’t any chickens to lay eggs either.’
Maxine picked up her pace again, almost breaking into a run. Hector kept up with her simply by taking bigger steps, but he didn’t even show signs of being short of breath, even though Maxine had started to break out into a full sweat. When they arrived at their village, Maxine’s prediction was right. There was no small holding, no chickens or cockerel, and no allotment.
She jogged over to the largest hut, the equivalent to Eloise’s place on Lennon Island, and punched the air. ‘Bagsie this hut! I am the queen of the isle, so I deserve the palace!’
Hector laughed. ‘Of course, the ladies always come first. That is how it should be, ma’am.’
The breeze picked up, giving Hector a comedy quiff as his hair waved backwards in the wind.
For a moment, Hector and Maxine paused as if they didn’t quite know what to do next. Hector shrugged and said, ‘Shall we go and get Stuart together?’
Maxine shook her head. ‘I think I should check out all the huts and make sure everything is okay and ready for new people arriving.’
‘Okay, see you in a bit.’ Hector strode out almost into a trot and was soon out of sight. Maxine sighed, a knot of uncertainty tightening inside her stomach.
She trudged over to the hut closest to her, again noticing the eerie silence of the island. Looking inside the hut, she could see it was sparsely furnished. A bed and a wardrobe in the bedroom, a tiny shower and toilet, and a small lounge-cum-kitchen with a second-hand sofa and a single chair completed the hut. No pictures on the walls, just plain beige paint. The single window in the lounge was bare. She nodded to herself. Basic but ready for habitation. This reminds me of the huts over on Lennon Island before we were allowed to personalise them.
It only took ten minutes to inspect the other five huts, leaving just her own and Hector’s to see. Every hut was identical. With a slight tremor running through her fingers, Maxine put her hand on the door handle to her new home. She pushed down and eased the door open, clenching her eyes shut just in case she didn’t approve. Unable to delay the inevitable any longer, she peeked through her eyelashes and stepped inside. With a squeal of delight, she took in the sight in front of her. The hut was decorated in the same way as the hut she lived in on Lennon Island, but this one was twice as big. It feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Me and Hector really have got our own island...how amazing!
A growl caught Maxine by surprise, and her eyes shot towards the door of the hut. Despite a tingle running down her spine and a twinge pulling on the inside of her stomach, she saw nothing untoward and blamed it on the wind. What an idiot I am...
Laughing to herself, she said, ‘Starving...’ Looking around, she saw a clock and gasped when she saw the ‘8:00 p.m.’ display. No wonder I’m hungry. There must have been a time slip when we went through the door in the control centre.
Without even stopping to think which cupboard to open, Maxine grabbed a Wagon Wheel chocolate treat and demolished it in a matter of seconds.
Then she spotted Hector and a small man through the window. That must be Stuart.
Seconds later, Hector rapped on the door and opened it without waiting for an answer. Maxine dashed over to Hector and hugged him. ‘Look, Hector,’ she said, motioning around the room. ‘This is lovely, isn’t it?’
Hector took in the surroundings of Maxine’s hut and beamed. ‘Ja, Maxine. This is fit for a queen.’
Stuart stood meekly in the background and looked at Maxine and Hector. Maxine extended a hand. ‘Where are my manners? Hello, Stuart, I am Maxine.’
Stuart mumbled a greeting, though it was too quiet for Maxine to catch what he had said. ‘How are you, Stuart?’ she said in the calmest voice she could muster, to try and reassure him.
He managed to speak, even though he seemed to be in some kind of a daydream. ‘I’m confused. Where am I? This man says I am dead, but in limbo. That’s not right, is it?’
Maxine smiled at him. ‘He is right. I understand how you must be feeling. It happened to me too. Did you go through a ‘No Entry’ door in a museum or something similar?’
Stuart nodded and made eye contact with Maxine for the first time. ‘Yes, in Newdon, in England. I was bored, never have liked museums much, but my wife wanted to visit. They had a new Roman exhibition, and I fancied a cigarette. It was too far to walk to the outside doors, so I was going to have a sneaky smoke in the store room. I was worrying about setting off the sprinklers when I saw the door to the outside. And now I’m here.’ He sighed deeply and drummed his fingers on his trouser legs. ‘How do I get back?’
Hector and Maxine exchanged a look, and Hector said, ‘I am very sorry, my friend, but it is not possible. Once you went through the door, that was the end of that life. But it wasn’t the right time for you to die, so you are here until the time comes that you should have died. Then you will either go to hell, heaven, reincarnation or spend an eternity locked in a coffin in the earth.’
‘That is weird. So the vicars are right then, there is a God?’ Stuart looked earnestly at Hector, as if grasping at invisible straws.
Hector sighed and looked over Stuart’s shoulder, buying himself some time to think for a moment. Eventually, he said, ‘Ja, and in the meantime, you are being minded by me and Maxine. God has just assigned us to this island. To you, we are God, so you must do as we tell you, when we tell you. Got it?’
Stuart looked at Maxine, back at Hector, and then at the floor, ‘Yes, sir, I understand. I’m tired. Is there a bed somewhere for me? I hope so...’
Maxine surprised Hector when she put a gentle hand on the man’s shoulder. ‘Yes, you have your own hut. Come with us and we’ll show you. Try not to worry too much; we aren’t here to make your life a misery. That’s not what it’s about. Now, have a good night’s sleep then come and see us after you’ve had breakfast.’
She headed out of the door, and Hector ushered Stuart outside. Stuart had to jog to keep up with the taller woman, and Hector followed at his own leisurely pace. About twenty strides later, the three of them were outside one of the huts. Without breaking stride, Maxine opened the door and walked in. Stuart stepped in behind her and took in the interior. He smiled wryly. ‘It’s alright. I bet I sleep well tonight with no snoring wife or screaming baby to keep me awake.’
Hector embraced Stuart and said, ‘Try to not worry. I know that’s easier said than done, but everything will be alright. Tomorrow, I want you to assist me in exploring the island and hunting for some food. Okay?’
Stuart looked a little happier and kicked off his shoes before placing them side by side under his bed. Maxine cleared her throat and said, ‘Sleep well, and we will see you tomorrow. There is some food in the kitchen.’ She and Hector smiled at Stuart and decided to leave him in peace.
Hector put his arm around Maxine’s shoulders and exhaled as they walked over to his hut in silence. Once they were inside and had closed the door, Hector said, ‘So it begins, Maxine. Do you think I was too harsh with Stuart?’
Maxine shook her head. ‘No. Although the curator was harsh to us when we were on the island, I think it is important that we start off on the right foot and make sure that our people know we are in charge.’ She sighed and looked out of the window. ‘Stuart seems quite delicate at the minute. It’s hard to remember back to when I arrived, but I seem to remember being scared. We have to make an effort to nurture people.’
Hector adjusted some of his books on his bookcase, thinking about what Maxine had just said. ‘We can only do our best, Maxine. We’ll be okay. I do think that in the morning we need to go to the control hut and find out about how to get animals on the island. It seems creepy with no birds singing. Kind of like a hell to me.’
‘You are a kind soul, Hector. And I think you were right when you said that we’ll be alright.’
They embraced as only firm friends could. This is a real adventure. I just hope that Hector and I can make a success of it.
***
THE NEXT DAY DAWNED with a beautiful sunrise casting the promise of good weather. Hector looked out of his window and admired the golden hue stretching out across the horizon. He noticed Stuart sitting on his doorstep, taking in the surroundings of the village. He doesn’t look as depressed this morning. I want to take better care of the villagers than the curator did. Hector waved to Stuart, who returned the gesture then ambled over to Hector’s hut. The German opened his door. ‘Guten morgen, Stuart. Would you like to come in for coffee and toast?’ He beamed at the newcomer.
Stuart peered at Hector through tired looking, red-rimmed eyes and said, ‘I’d love to. Thank you.’ He stepped over the threshold and looked around Hector’s abode. ‘It’s nice in here, mate.’ Stuart smiled, a strange gesture that looked like gratitude and worry mixed together. ‘Am I allowed to go to somewhere like IKEA and get some stuff for my place? Though I don’t know how a dead person could do that.’ He took a plate of toast from Hector and nodded his thanks. ‘So what’s the deal with you and the woman? Are you partners or something? It seems so deserted here...’ Stuart’s voice trailed off as it dawned on him that he had probably asked too many questions.
Hector sighed. ‘Maxine is my work partner. My wife, she died, but after I arrived on the other limbo island.’
‘Other limbo island? Eh, what do you mean?’
‘Ja, Stuart. This island is a new creation. Maxine and I have been assigned to manage it, and so we are your superiors here.’ Stuart’s eyes rose to meet Hector’s with uncertainty. Hector continued, ‘I dislike saying superior, but that is what we are. Think of us as the experienced dead, whereas you are new on your journey. It is what you make of it. I do not know how long you will be here, but it could be a day or a hundred years.’ Stuart looked at Hector with undisguised shock. ‘Ja, a hundred years or even longer if you break any rules. I suggest you make the most of your time though and help with hunting and fishing; it will help the village and make your time more bearable. Now, I have to go to an important meeting with other superiors, so perhaps do some exploring or something. Just one word of warning...if you come across a barrier that says ‘no entry,’ do not under any circumstance breach it.’
‘Why?’ Stuart asked with his bottom lip starting to wobble a little.
‘Serious punishment, Stuart. Don’t forget that me and Maxine are supernatural, so we can impose a punishment worse than would be possible on Earth. It would give me no pleasure, but rules are rules.’ My God, I sound like Eloise or the curator. I hope the power isn’t going to my head! But we have to start on the right foot, how we mean to go on. Yes, I am protecting him...
Stuart drained his tea and grinned. ‘I am glad there is decent tea in the afterlife. There must be a god after all.’
I’m sure he will be okay after a few days. I hope we don’t get anyone like those on Lennon Island, just sitting around and waiting to move on. That is such a waste of soul.
Maxine entered the hut without knocking, and Hector wagged his finger at her. ‘Hey, remember to respect my privacy, Maxine!’
‘Whatever, Hector. Get me a drink, will you? Then we’ll go and sort out the wildlife for the island and whatnot.’
Stuart looked agog. ‘You can control the wildlife?’
‘Yes, of course, Stuart. Just remember that me and Hector are, to all intents and purposes, your god while you are here and you won’t go far wrong.’ Maxine fixed Stuart with a stare that challenged him to object. He didn’t.
An awkward silence settled for a few moments until Maxine spoke again. ‘However, Stuart, you are very lucky. You are the first inhabitant on this isle with me and Hector, so you will be the most senior for however long you are here. We will need to use your help.’ She looked sideways at Hector. ‘You never know, your cooperation could have eternal consequences.’
‘What does that mean?’ Stuart said, furrowing his brow.
‘That will come clear in time. Maybe. You have to realise that a lot of things here won’t make any sense, and there is little use in torturing yourself pondering the ins and outs of what happens.’
Hector sighed loudly and said, ‘She is right. Just remember that what you go through here, we have already gone through, so we know what it’s like.’ He stood and motioned to the door. ‘We need to go to our meetings, but we will see you later, Stuart.’
***
MAXINE AND HECTOR DIDN’T take long to reach the control hut. The undergrowth on the way was minimal. There were some trees and shrubs, as on Lennon Island, but they didn’t have any curious pigs to contend with and they didn’t come across any thick undergrowth that needed hacking back with a machete.
Hector’s guts grumbled as they neared their destination. ‘Didn’t you have anything to eat this morning, Hector?’
‘Yes, of course, but that isn’t hunger noise. I am feeling quite nervous, but I don’t know why.’
Maxine hit him on his arm. ‘Don’t be, or it’s a weakness that the curator could seize on. Hide it as best you can, okay?’
He rubbed his arm and smiled ruefully. ‘Ja, you are right, of course. I think we need to get in touch with Rodney about the animals, and try to speak to the Lennons to find out what happened before the curator stormed out and slammed their door.’
They steeled themselves and entered the control hut. It was exactly the same as the one on the Lennons’ island, apart from the absence of unwashed mugs left behind by the curator.
Hector sensed something odd about the hut. ‘It smells a bit like a new car. Even though it looks a bit old fashioned, it’s actually brand new. They could have given us more up-to-date monitors though. These look like they are from 2005! I didn’t notice when we were here with Rodney last night.’
Maxine deftly switched all the monitors on. She smiled as she saw Nancy and Damien sitting in their control room looking at their monitors. Nancy was leaning forward, gazing at people who were oblivious to the fact that they were having their futures decided by her. Hell? Heaven? Maxine wasn’t surprised to see that most of the people were reincarnated or sent to heaven. Out of a hundred, only one was sent to an eternity in a grave. Damien, perhaps unsurprisingly, was sitting back in his chair with his feet up on the desk, watching his wife at work.
‘Watch this, Hector.’ Maxine grinned. She picked up a red telephone receiver, an old-fashioned one where you had to put a finger in the dial and rotate it for each number. The Perspex window at the side of the dealing wheel had several numbers scribbled on it. Maxine ran her finger down the list and saw that the number she wanted was number six. She dialled it and pointed to the screen showing Damien and Nancy. A trill ring pierced the silence in Nancy and Damien’s hut, and both jumped in unison and looked at each other in surprise. Nancy picked up the handset and put it to her ear.
‘Hello?’ she said tentatively; after all, there was no display to show the name or number of the caller.
‘Lennon,’ Maxine said, holding back the laughter.
‘Maxine? Is that you?’ Nancy said, grinning widely.
‘Yeah, tell Damien to stop being a slob and get his feet off the desk!’ Maxine giggled, a sweet sound to Nancy’s ears after the stressful encounter with the curator the previous day.
‘Damien, turn that other monitor on, babe. I want to see if we can see Maxine. She says to get your feet off the table.’
Damien shot out of his chair and exclaimed, ‘What! Maxine can see us from their island?’ He vaulted over the desk and jabbed the power button. The screen showed a 1980s-style test card for about thirty seconds, then flashed once and settled on an image of Hector and Maxine sitting in their control hut looking at a screen. Maxine had an old-fashioned red telephone up to her ear. ‘Wow, this is bizarre!’ said Damien as he rubbed his chin. ‘Hi, Hector and Maxine! Huh, there’s no sound...how odd.’
Maxine said to Nancy, ‘We saw an image from your hut yesterday, but there was no sound coming from the screen. It got Hector and me a bit worried. Something happened between you and the curator; it looked like you were arguing then she went out of shot and the camera shook. A picture fell off the wall, I think.’ She fell silent, waiting for Nancy to fill in the gaps.
Nancy took a deep breath and shot a sideways glance at her husband. Looking at the screen to see her friends, she said, ‘Well, in a nutshell, we decided to run things differently. We dispatched Mel to collect the latest arrival, a woman called Ange, and bring her straight back to the village. The curator went mad, trying to tell us that we must follow her old rules. When we said no and tried to explain that it is our island now, that’s when she stormed off. I think I might ask Rodney to be our direct supervisor now. The curator has too much history on this island. Oh, Damien and I have decided to call it ‘Lennon Island’ by the way.’
Maxine briefed Hector on the news, as they still couldn’t get any sound for the screen, and the ancient artefact in her hand didn’t have a loudspeaker option. He shook his head and looked at the screen sadly. ‘Damien, I have a lot of respect for the curator for running the island beforehand; it seems she’s had hard times in the past. But I think Nancy is right in her analysis and should look to Rodney. The curator and Eloise have got too much history with that place. I hope you can talk Rodney round to the idea of being your superior.’
‘Did you hear that, Nancy?’ asked Maxine, even though she was quite sure his booming teacher-style voice would’ve been heard loud and clear.
‘Yes, Maxine, thank him for me please. I’m going to hang up now and call the vicar. Wish me luck!’
***
RODNEY SAT IN HIS OFFICE, at the church in Newdon. His in-tray was piled high, and he worked his way through all the paperwork in a blur. He smiled after writing a cheque to a local children’s charity and then looked at his watch. One minute and thirty-two seconds for all the admin. Getting faster!
A ringing noise caught his attention. He frowned and opened a desk drawer, from where the ringing seemed to be coming. A plume of dust fell to the floor from the underside of the disturbed drawer, making him chuckle. An old flip-style Motorola StarTAC mobile phone sat in the centre of the drawer, vibrating as it rang. ‘Ah, I forgot about this thing,’ Rodney mumbled before picking it up and flipping it open. ‘Hello?’
‘Rodney? It’s Nancy here.’ The voice coming out of the speaker sounded urgent.
‘Hi Nancy, how did you get this number?’ Rodney asked, his brow furrowing.
‘It was just on this old phone I found in the control hut. It’s like really old!’ Nancy said with some amusement in her voice.
Rodney put his feet up on his desk. Best make myself comfortable for this. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long call.
‘Next time, just call me up on WhatsApp, Nancy. This is an old phone as well. I’m surprised there is even any charge in it.’ Rodney giggled, a weird sound for a middle-aged guy. ‘What’s up?’
Nancy inhaled sharply. ‘Well, the curator got mega pissed off yesterday that we are running Lennon Island as we want to. We sent Mel to fetch our newest member back from the portal area as soon as she arrived, because we didn’t want to make her wait to find out what the hell was happening. The curator then said that we had to follow her rules and slammed the door in a rage when we refused. Me and Damien want you to be our direct boss, not her. She is too attached to this place.’
Rodney slid his feet off the desk, his attention piqued. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. ‘I’m sorry to hear that. Don’t forget that she has been dead for a long time, and as such is stuck in her ways. She is used to being the boss too.’ He ran his hand through his hair. ‘Okay, Nancy. I’ll take you under my wing and let the curator just focus on her new place. Don’t worry, I’ll deal with her.’ He paused, scanning a collection of photos on the wall of the vicarage. ‘Don’t burn your bridges though. She could be useful to you in the future, okay? I’ll tell her that I had a change of plan, and I won’t mention that you called me or she’ll be peeved for a very, very long time. Leave it with me.’ After saying goodbye, he pulled the battery out of the phone and slung it back into the drawer.
Rodney’s mobile rang almost straight away. He smiled when he saw that it was Maxine and Hector’s number calling. ‘Hello, Rodney here,’ he said.
‘Guten morgen, Hector here. I am ringing about the animals on the island. It seems there aren’t any, not even any birds. It is bizarre,’ Hector said while looking at the bank of screens in front of him.
‘Ah, I must have forgotten to press that particular button when I created the island.’ Rodney scratched his head. ‘Well, this has never happened to me before. Leave it with me and I’ll sort it out later.’ Hopefully!
‘Thank you, Mr Rannoch,’ said Hector, his voice thick with respect for his superior.
Rodney hung up and squinted at the photos on the wall again. Whereas regular people displayed photos of happy memories of the past, Rodney’s photos depicted events in the future. One in particular caught his attention. ‘I do wish these blooming things wouldn’t change so frequently,’ he murmured.
He peered even closer at the image and rubbed it with a handkerchief to try and remove a layer of dust from the glass. I think that is the Lennons’ boy with Rebecca on their wedding day.
Rodney’s fingers ran under the edge of his writing table and stroked a hidden finger print pad. A faint whirring noise echoed around the room as an LCD television screen emerged from behind the table. His lips curled up at the edges with a self-satisfied smile. This part of being a few rungs up the SMG is one of my favourite bits. Right, better concentrate. A small rumble from his belly reminded him that he hadn’t eaten for a while—maybe a day or so. Rodney put his hunger to the back of his mind as he concentrated on the vivid screen.
‘Hmm, uh-huh, that’s right,’ he muttered as he prodded the screen. ‘Birds. Let’s see. Pigeons. They get everywhere, horrid things. Twenty for now. Limit? A hundred. Yes, I’m sure, ha. I’d not want to see more than a hundred of the bloody things. Oh, I know! Peregrine falcons. I think they’ll keep the blasted pigeons in check. Good.’
This scene of fun and games continued for a good two hours as Rodney populated Maxine and Hector’s island with an assortment of wildlife. He opened yet another drawer in his desk and retrieved a bottle of fine Scotch whisky and his favourite tumbler.
With a generous amount of the full flavoured liquid warming his oesophagus and stomach, Rodney stroked another key on the screen. A new picture popped up showing a CCTV-type scene of the huts, the largest of which was Maxine’s. Stuart was sat on his door step, leaning on the frame. When Maxine and Hector appeared on the screen, Rodney smiled and turned up the volume.
‘Hector! Look!’ Maxine pointed to the sky. Hector and Stuart looked to the heavens, shielding their eyes from the bright sky with their hands across their brows. A pair of herons flew low, almost skimming the trees as they sailed towards the coast. The trio burst into ecstatic cheers and hugged each other.
Hector turned to Stuart and said, ‘Tomorrow, we will fish and hunt for meat for we three. I have a feeling that we need to stock up ready for more new arrivals. Can you do gardening, Stuart?’
Stuart cocked his head to one side and furrowed his brow. ‘I think my grandad got me to help him grow some broad beans in a greenhouse once. Oh, and cherry tomatoes. Why?’ He looked curiously at Hector.
‘What is meat without vegetables?’ Hector said, trying to look academic by stroking his chin.
‘A good meal?’ Stuart joked. ‘No, you are right, but don’t veg take ages to grow? Our meals aren’t going to be balanced for a while.’
‘Actually, my English friend, you have a lot to learn. An island day is not the same as an Earth day. A day here can be the same as an hour or so on Earth, or conversely the equivalent of over a month.’ Hector delivered this lesson to Stuart with earnest enthusiasm, but Stuart’s eyes only widened in confusion.
Stuart scratched his head. ‘I don’t understand, Hector.’
Maxine kept her eyes to the sky, looking to see if she could spot any more wildlife. ‘Basically, what he is saying, is that time isn’t important here. One day it’s summer and another day it’s spring. A bit like the English weather really. Things don’t happen at the same rate as they do on Earth. Think of us as being on a supernatural place and you’ve got it.’
‘Oh, I think I get it now. What other things are different?’ Stuart’s attention was fully on Maxine. For the first time since he arrived, he seemed to be getting a grip on himself and didn’t look quite so disorientated and confused.
Maxine grinned. ‘Hector here went on an exploration of the last island we were on and found a huge hole in the earth. He and his friend, Damien, went down into it and found something weird.’
‘What was it?’ Stuart looked wide eyed at Hector. ‘Did you find a weird animal or something?’
‘Not quite, my friend, nein. Me and Damien were traumatised...we found gravestones with our names on.’ Stuart’s jaw dropped. ‘But when we went to look again with Maxine and Damien’s wife, the hole and gravestones were gone, and an ancient tree was growing there instead.’
‘Get away, Hector, you are joking, aren’t you?’ Stuart’s face had become a peculiar pale green colour.
Hector sighed. ‘I wish I was, Stuart. We think it was a kind of joke from our boss there. She didn’t like it that we didn’t want to just wait around for our natural time to die. Me and Damien just wanted to explore the island for something to do before we were moved onto our next destination.’
‘She sounds scary. Am I allowed to explore here? I like the outdoors, and I love rambling.’
Maxine sniggered. ‘Isn’t that what old people do?’ I think this guy could well be a good addition to our island if we can spark some life into him. ‘Just pulling your leg, mate. As long as you get our permission then I don’t see why not. Tell you what, help Hector with hunting for the day and we’ll see what’s what after that. How do you feel about meeting the next new person who comes along?’
Stuart looked confused for a moment. ‘There are going to be more people?’
‘Yes, quite soon I think too. There are enough huts for a few more people, and I want everyone to be engaged with us. I think if we all pull together, then the time everyone spends here until they pass onto the next stage in their spiritual journey will be fun and constructive.’ Maxine smiled with kindness. ‘You on board with us, Stuart?’
Stuart nodded. ‘Yes, I think so. How about my wife? Is she okay?’
I have no idea... Maxine glanced at Hector. ‘I’ll try and find out for you, Stuart, but I can’t promise anything,’ she said. ‘At the end of the day, you will be a missing person back on Earth for the next seven years, in Earth time. Sorry. I know it’s torture for you, but I’m afraid that’s how it goes. After the seven years, you will be declared dead.’
Hector put his arm around Stuart’s shoulders. ‘Come on, mate, let’s grab our fishing kit and occupy some time to help you with the grief. I know how you feel; I’ve been there too.’
The two men wandered off to Hector’s hut, leaving Maxine to her own devices. She went to her hut to make a drink and grab a bite to eat.
Looking out of the window and pondering what was happening to her and Hector, she gasped as a thought popped into her head. Eloise played a good part in Nancy’s life. I’ll have to ask Rodney what I might be able to do for Stuart’s family.
Maxine took her time to enjoy a tuna and mayonnaise filling on a jacket potato, which had magically appeared in her fridge, and a mug of Yorkshire Tea before putting on her shoes and heading off towards the control hut.
***
STUART STOOD ON THE beach near to where he had appeared on the island. He threaded bait, some line and a hook onto his fishing rod with an expert touch. Hector glanced across with a satisfied smile. ‘Looks like you have done that before.’
‘Not half, mate! I used to get away to the sea to go fishing as often as I could when I lived in Newdon. It was a trek and a half to the coast, but getting out on a boat made it worthwhile. Having a baby put the kibosh on fishing for ages. In fact, I was meant to go the week after visiting that stupid museum.’ Stuart looked out to sea and sighed. ‘Let’s hope your gaffer has arranged some decent catches. I wonder what there is out there. A fat haddock or three would be good.’ He flicked the rod with precision and the line whirred through the air, the bait landing with a splosh in the sea. ‘Your turn, Hector, let’s see what you’ve got.’
Chuckling, Hector matched Stuart’s cast with ease. ‘How did you like that one, Stuart? I’ve been fishing the sea and lakes in the afterlife for so long, I reckon I’ve lost count. Care to make a bet? If I catch first fish, you make dinner.’
‘You’re on, Herman.’
Glancing sideways at his competitor, Stuart flashed a confident smirk, but it was quickly wiped off his face when he realised that Hector was already straining against something on the end of his line and reeling in. Stuart dashed into the surf with a landing net, and when he spotted the incoming fish, he yelled, ‘Don’t give up, Hector! This is the catch of the century!’
The thrashing creature was landed with success. Stuart took care of killing their catch, which Hector was silently grateful for. ‘What is it? Is it a shark?’ Hector asked.
‘It’s a Porbeagle Shark; a big one at that. Tell you what, Hector, this will kept us fed like kings for a week. Let’s get it back to the huts.’ Stuart was ecstatic. ‘I’ve never caught one of these before!’
‘Ahem, I think you’ll find that I caught it, and that means you are cooking it, mate.’ Hector slapped his new friend on the back. ‘I’ll carry it if you like. I’ve caught and carried bigger than that before.’
‘Yeah, course you have, Hector,’ laughed Stuart. I think I could get used to being dead.
***
TURNING THE CORNER by the big oak tree onto the final few yards of dirt path before reaching the village, Stuart and Hector both had a joyful spring in their step. The birds were singing and it was warm, typically the type of early evening that might have the smell of barbecues wafting across the suburbs. Maxine made them jump, stepping from behind the oak tree directly in their path.
‘My God, Maxine! You almost scared me to death!’ Hector said. He realised the clumsiness of his words when the other two burst out laughing.
‘I have good news, boys,’ grinned Maxine. ‘Not only did Rodney populate the island with animals, but he’s also sorted out a huge allotment with vegetables that are ready to harvest.’
Hector produced an efficient fist pump at the news and turned to Stuart. ‘Dinner is going to be great tonight. I hope you get cooking soon.’
‘What’s this?’ Maxine asked with an intrigued look on her face. ‘Are you telling me, Hector, that you are getting someone else to be the kitchen maid?’
Hector scoffed and shook his head. ‘Oh, Maxine, you know how to tease me. It is the result of a fair and square bet with Stuart. I caught the fish, so he is cooking. Come on, I want to see the allotment.’ He took the opportunity to start walking before Maxine thought of any more jokes.
It didn’t take long to reach the allotment. Hector was chuffed to see that it was much bigger than the one on Lennon Isle. I wonder why though. Is Rodney going to send more people, or his he just more generous? Perhaps the curator made that one smaller on purpose, for whatever reason. So many questions. I should just be grateful.
He knelt and ran his fingers through the rich soil, enjoying the moist feeling of fertile ground. With great pleasure, which he certainly didn’t get when he was alive and buying vegetables from a supermarket, Hector looked at the green tops of carrots peeking out of the earth.
‘Looks good, don’t it?’ Stuart smiled. ‘I used to like doing the Sunday roast at home. My missus cooked tea every night in the week, so it were good to let her put her feet up.’
Maxine peered at him out of the corner of her eye, pleased to see that tears were not starting to fall. He’s either getting used to being here, or it’s not hit him too hard. Good old British stiff upper lip.
Hector laughed. ‘You English are so obsessed with the Sunday roast.’ He pondered for a moment. ‘I hope you can do a Yorkshire pudding to the right specification. Maxine tried one time, but it was bloody awful.’
‘Prat!’ Maxine punched him, leaving Hector rubbing yet another dead arm. ‘Anyway, I have some wine to drink, so you just let me know when dinner is ready.’ She walked away towards her hut in mock rage, leaving the two men to pick the vegetables for the night’s meal.
An hour later, the trio sat in Hector’s hut around his kitchen table and tucked into their meal of fish and allotment-fresh vegetables. Maxine looked through her fringe at the men and cleared her throat. ‘This is great food, guys, thank you.’ She glanced at Hector. ‘I went to speak to Rodney today, and I asked him to update us on how Nancy and Damien are doing on their island.’
‘Oh? What did he say?’ Hector put down his fork, anxious to hear what Maxine had to report.
Maxine took a drink of her tea. ‘Really well, actually, after they asked Rodney to take the curator off their back. There’s a new inhabitant called Ange Dacombe, who has apparently tamed Mel and got him mucking in more with the day-to-day running of the island. He’s even laid off the weed. And those that seemed to be just waiting to move on are starting to come around too. Rodney is delighted; he says he might have to give them more responsibility.’
Hector smiled with pride. ‘Damien and Nancy are great. It’s a shame that their kids are orphans, though, all because the curator lets people use the forbidden doors.’ He looked at Maxine, his eyes widening. ‘Maybe we should try and do something about that? Now we are SMG, surely we can lock those doors or something?’
‘I doubt it, Hector. I think there is more to those places than we realise. We should talk to Rodney about it before doing something that could have unforeseen consequences.’ Maxine loaded up another forkful of fish and stuffed it into her mouth. ‘This is a delicious dinner, Stuart. You will have to make some more in the week. Do you mind?’
‘No problem, Maxine. It sounds like you and Hector have your hands full with sorting shit out recently.’ He took a deep breath as if steeling himself for what he wanted to say next. ‘Can I have some sort of supervisor job please? I’d like to feel important for once.’
Hector and Maxine exchanged glances, and Maxine gave a slight nod. ‘Yes, of course. We’ll talk about it another time, but I think you have potential.’