The Fell Walker Read Online Free PDF

was love. He wasn’t sure what love was; it was outside his experience. If only he could hold her, he would protect her, and rest his cheek against her soft brown skin. He would take her to the cave and they would never leave.
    A hopeless ache ensued when he thought like this: a lump in his throat, his lips tight, deep, terrible sobs. As the tears poured, he would get out the magazines he had stolen from the newsagent, and gaze longingly at their heavenly bodies. One day...one day.
    The second discovery was unusual for a crofting youth. His uncle wouldn’t allow television, ‘the tool of Satan’, into the house, but he did keep a small radio, which he used only for the news and weather forecast.
    While his uncle was out working at night, Hector relieved his loneliness by listening to pop music on the many programmes that it offered.
    He had been changing programmes when a dramatic sound grabbed his attention. He released the tuning knob.
    Soaring, searing, music entered his head, and seized his mind. It took him on an emotional journey. It spoke of turmoil, pain, misery, resentment, anger, confusion, and finally, as it faded to a breathlessly quiet conclusion - of resignation and death. When it had finished, he found himself sitting on the bed, shaking, and crying uncontrollably. It had taken him on a journey through his own miserable life. Someone else had felt like him and, miraculously, described his feelings with music - without words.
    He listened intently as the announcer told him that he had been listening to the final movement of the sixth symphony written by a man whose name sounded to him like Chykoski. Wiping his eyes, he found pencil and paper and made a note of the name. He wanted to know more about Mr Chykoski.
    He was about to switch back to his usual pop programme, when a massive sound leapt from the radio, making his heart jump. As he recovered, he heard some simple notes, sounding like mice running about, take over. Gradually a simple tune built up to what, he thought, was its loud conclusion, but then it drove on, picking up more pace and volume.
    His heart kept pace with the excitement. The music surged and swayed, driving on and on. It spoke about power, strength, achievement and joy. It ended in a massive blast of triumph. He paced the floor, his heart racing. He had to hear it again. He wanted to capture that feeling of power forever. He had his pencil ready this time to record that he had heard Beethoven’s third symphony for the first time.

    *

    So started Hector Snodd’s lifelong, obsessional love of serious music. The next day he went to Thurso library and, upon enquiring about Mr Chikoski and Mr Beethoven, was introduced to The Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians. In it he found the brief life stories of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Ludwig Von Beethoven. Even the strange spelling excited him.
    After reading about their troubled lives, Hector began to understand. Tchaikovsky had described his feelings of loneliness and misery, while Beethoven had described his feelings of fighting back, winning, proclaiming victory. He had found two people who understood him exactly. He must learn more about them, hear more of their music; make them his friends.

    *

    From the library, Hector went straight to Begg’s electric shop in Rotterdam Street and stole a Walkman. From there he went to The Music Shop in High Street and stole eight tapes. As well as Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven, he now had Sibelius, Mozart, Rachmaninov and Mahler to listen to and learn from.
    During breaks at school he used his Walkman constantly, walking among the other pupils, lost in his own world of mighty music, feeling superior to those who had once frightened him.
    Back at the croft, he hid the Walkman and tapes from his Uncle, in the same place as his stolen magazines - under the floorboards, under a rug.

Chapter 7

    Hector left school without qualifications. After a few months of unemployment his uncle used his contacts at