The First Betrayal Read Online Free PDF Page B

their something aren’t they?’
    ‘Yes - yes, they really are. You know you can have your life back; your illness can disappear as if it never invaded your body. A sacrifice or two will give you back what God has taken from you.’
    She took Lucy’s hand and held her confused stare. ‘Heed me my dear, free yourself from a painful, humiliating and inevitable death. God will welcome your kids and I will show you a new life that will make this one seem like a boring short story. Ill leave you now to think about things and Ill see you later.’ Evelyn walked away with a wave to the girls and shouted over to them, ‘See you later girls, play safe.’

Chapter Eighteen
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    It was late when they woke. They looked across at each other from their patio recliners, sleep still etched on their faces, more tired than before they slipped into a drunken coma. Stephen muttered something about coffee and half fell, half staggered into his kitchen. He somehow managed to fill the percolator, go to the bathroom, pour two mugs with life saving liquid and make it back to Mike without any serious injury.  
    ‘What time did we finish up?’
    ‘Somewhere between sundown and sunrise. Last thing I remember, you were doing your impression of the Pope.’
    ‘Is that why I have your Halloween costume on? A confused Pope asked,
    Please tell me I didn’t make you kiss my ring.’
    ‘No Your Holiness, but you did try to canonise me. After that awful day, it was so good to be with a friend and have a laugh. Even if it was at the expense of the church.’
    ‘Oh don’t worry, the church can take it,’ a laughing defrocked Pope sputtered. They sipped their coffee as they struggled to return to the human form that they inhabited earlier. The day was well on its way, unsettled and a little frenzied. The air was heavy with heat, boiling the rain that was gathering in the clouds. They rolled dark and threatening, fighting for dominance over the friendly clusters of cotton.
     
                                                   . . . . .
     
    Chequers suddenly appeared on the deck. Having to walk himself, he hadn’t felt the need to return on any time limit. He had been gone all morning and it was great. No leash and no one pulling him back from unexplored delights.  He was able to chase the rabbits over the dunes, and when a pheasant flew up from the rushes and scared the be-Jesus out of him, Stephen wasn’t there to laugh.  Every tree got a sprinkle and every smell got a double extra long sniff. When he arrived back Stephen and Mike were looking like they had spent too much time in the toilet bowl and eaten too much of that meaty stuff Stephen called pate , that always made him icky, and Stephen always shooed him away from, saying it would sicken him.'
                                                   . . . . .
     
    ‘Well where have you been, you dirty little stop out. I’m sorry we were out of sorts my little man but I wondered why you weren’t sitting on Mike and licking him into saliva induced vomit. Are you hungry?’
    ‘Now that you mention it, I could go for a few sausages.’
    ‘Actually I was talking to Chequers, but that’s exactly what he would ask for. Only he would say snausages. Are you two in cahoots?’
    Mike, lifted by the light hearted banter, extracted himself from his papal robes and hangover misery. He gazed at the sky and watched as it sped by. This day was heaven sent and he didn’t want to waste any more of its tumultuous beauty. Together they mustered up a feast of snausages, eggs and crispy hickory bacon.
    ‘Here you go wee man; sorry you had to take care of yourself today. All my fault, 
    A hungry Chequers stayed close and helped dispose of any contrite morsels, willingly given up by guilty hands.
     
    Sometimes it paid off having your humans on a guilty leash.

Chapter Nineteen
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    Vera left the