Die Like a Dog Read Online Free PDF Page A

and monstrous overhangs, and knew the shameless arrogance of looking straight down three thousand feet to a mortal world below. They lived with giants: brown, near-naked men with headbands like Indians, bearded and pale-eyed. They inhabited a dream world, everybody’s dream world.
    â€˜What did you think of it?’
    Seale had come out on the inn’s terrace to discover Miss Pink alone on a garden seat.
    â€˜I don’t know. I’m still enjoying the sensation of having done climbs which I could never have done in a million years.’
    â€˜You must have seen hundreds of pretty slides.’
    â€˜I have, but yours aren’t pretty. How do you produce a collection like that?’
    Seale shrugged. ‘I mix with good climbers, good photographers. We exchange slides. I take pictures of people on parallel routes and vice versa. As you see, it works.’
    There was a step on the terrace. Judson had followed her. He stood in front of them like a schoolboy.
    â€˜What can I bring you, ladies? It should be champagne.’
    But it was brandy. ‘Not much difference in cost,’ Seale commented when he’d gone back to the bar. ‘Not overloaded with money either, to judge from his fences. It’s I who should be buying the drinks; I made a packet tonight.’
    â€˜You deserve every penny of it,’ Miss Pink said fervently. ‘They were bowled over.’
    â€˜Well, nothing happens here, does it? I mean, the highlight of the past decade was the cook here peppering the barman with popgun pellets and Judson buying a couple of guard dogs. The incidents,’ she added mischievously, ‘were not related.’
    â€˜The cook!’
    â€˜Took the barman home with her one night and he misunderstood the situation, went back a second night, was thrown out, so he got drunk and made another attempt. She took a shotgun to him.’
    â€˜Did she do any damage?’
    â€˜He was running too fast. I think the hospital dug a few pellets out of his backside. He didn’t bring a charge. She’d already spread the word round that it was attempted rape. Everyone knew the truth but George Waring didn’t want any bother at the pub, and the cook doesn’t give a hoot for her reputation. The barman left.’
    â€˜I’m not surprised. Who told you this?’
    â€˜A fellow who works in the woods and wardens the Nature Reserve. He was in the hall tonight; he saw to the lights for me.’
    â€˜What did he think of the show?’
    â€˜He didn’t say.’
    Judson returned with the drinks.
    â€˜You rang my wife,’ he said to Miss Pink. ‘Thank you.’
    â€˜Did she get the dog back?’
    â€˜Oh yes, no trouble. He’s quite tractable.’
    Seale turned on him. ‘That black Alsatian that got out this afternoon? He’s wild as hell.’
    He paused. ‘He attacked you?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Then how can you judge his nature?’ The tone was easy, amused.
    â€˜Evans said your dogs were trained to kill.’
    â€˜I’ll have a word with Evans. He suffers from delusions of grandeur. Surely a girl who lives your kind of life isn’t bothered by stray dogs round her tent?’
    â€˜Not bothered, just wary. I’d sooner face a wild animal, even a grizzly, than a feral Alsatian.’
    â€˜Feral?’
    â€˜Domestic beast gone wild.’
    â€˜But my dogs –’
    â€˜Forget it,’ Seale said, bored. ‘Did you like the show?’
    â€˜Yes.’ He was fierce, put out. ‘I enjoyed it. But I can’t understand how you come to be frittering away your time on these self-destructive activities when you could be doing something positive with your life.’
    â€˜Such as?’ She was smiling. She’d heard it all before.
    â€˜With your energy and courage? Why, you could be anything –’ He pondered, at a loss.
    â€˜Difficult,’ sympathised Seale. ‘What is on a