On the edge of Dartmoor Charles begins to realise
How weak he has become: how much control
Has slipped through his arthritic, bloated fingers.
As he dips them in the blood he barely smells
Its metal tang above the excrement
She voided not – they tell him – when she died,
But when she saw the vehicle.
The new one. From the North.
He thought he’d like it.
What must it have been like
When she answered the door,
And saw those eyes fresh in that face,
Free of the circle? When it took
Her whole head in its hands did it at first
Try to be tender? Did she fight? Did she recoil?
Did he have to assert control? Is that
Why he concussed her ‘til she bled?
Or was it trying to externalise
What it felt in its head? Did he attempt
To drink the haemorrhage? Could that
Have been enough?
He never understood it,
That whole Plantagenet hangover:
Leeds is so very close to Manchester,
Isn’t it? They should have got on like a…
Chip pan fire? Where’d that come from?
He can’t keep is straight. How did he think…?
House. He means house. And couldn’t they…
No. No. It’s out. A fire, now, would prompt
Too many questions. And that isn’t
His responsibility.
The story.
His responsibility…
Was calling quarters. Summoning and banishing.
To bring him up to now, to cast him down to then,
But now he’s in it and it’s out there
And it’s already decaying,
Skin already like a shell suit
On a hanger made of bones,
Worse than the Barrister after a decade.
Because unbanished. Out of the circle.
Then at large in now, unbounded.
No perspective. How’s about that then?
They’re going to notice. Going to start asking.
How now? How now? How’s about that then?
The blood would not have been enough.
He’s been told not to look.
He shakes his head. It does feel heavy,
As they say. How it couldn’t be.
He’s barely slept. He knows it wouldn’t
Be enough. He has the evidence before him.
How it couldn’t. How it was. How it was then.
Who he is now. Now, then. Now then. How it was.
Be. He wouldn’t. He would. Did. Did then. Does now.
How’s about that then? Come not in that form.
How’s about that? He senses a great evil.
How’s about that then? How he’s out there.
Who’s he out there? Who’s he in there?
How’s about that? About that then?
Who’s out there then? Who’s out there now?
Who’s out there now? Who’s still with him?
How about that? How? How is
Andy? How is Andy? How is Andy? How?
How’s Andy? How’s Andy? How’s Andy?
How’s Andy? How’s Andy? How’s Andy?
How’s Andy? How’s Andy? How’s Andy?
What year is this?
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