Ten minutes. ‘As long as he walks with confidence,’ Soli says. ‘He’s got to walk straight down the middle of the corridors. He can’t hug the walls. He has to walk like he belongs.’
Actually,’ Mouse says, ‘I can’t see the dude ever hugging a wall.’
Neither can you. Because Tidge is the St Bernard of the family, crashing through life with his big lollopy tongue and licking people adoringly, wherever he can, whoever he can get. He’s not prepared for this, has no idea about fields that tremble for three days then stop.
WHY CAN’T YOU SEE HIM?
Nineteen minutes. He mustn’t open his mouth in amazement; he has a habit of doing that. Close your mouth, my darling, you will him now, close your mouth, close your mouth.
You cannot bear this.
Anger now. Because he doesn’t worry about pleasing others, he breezes through life, bugger the consequences, doesn’t think. Mouse, on the other hand, is your thinker, your pleaser, and he has such a build-up of resentments because of it. Where is your sunny boy, where is he?
Twenty-eight minutes. Bewitch them, yes. Beauty is power and it’s helped Tidge his entire life and it may help him now, please, please yes. The unfairness of his brother’s beauty has built up through the years like silt over Mouse’s heart but you’re all hoping now that Tidge’s face is protecting him, because everyone’s always gazing at him, ruffling his hair, transfixed; even though your heart is telling you this new world doesn’t work like that any more, among those men out there who’ve lost their light hearts.
‘I should have gone,’ Mouse announces.
‘If anyone was going to do this,’ Soli says, ‘it’s him.’
She’s right. Because he’s the doer of the family. Your type always survive, you teased Mouse once; you lie low, you commentate, you watch. That makes me feel like a rat, he protested in response.
‘I should have gone,’ he now repeats, standing taller at that door than he’s ever stood in his life.
‘No,’ Soli says fiercely, ‘I’m not having you lost next.’
Only men of ability and virtue can give complete exhibition to the idea of sacrifice.