‘No, Huw.’
‘No? You’d slay me without more ado? You, who had half a lifetime to savour this act of fratricide; only now do you make haste to fulfil the vow you made? Do you think Ifan would object to a little prayer? Gentle Ifan –’
‘No, Huw, I come not to kill you.’
‘Not?’
‘Not.’
Confusion creased his features. ‘And the vow you made to our dying mother?’
‘They lied to you, Huw, I never made such a vow. She went to her grave not knowing; I thought it best to spare her.’
‘You have a big heart, Rhys Pugh.’
‘What good would it have done to tell her?’
‘It would have broken her in two. You did the right thing.’
‘Only me and you know.’
‘And Sioned.’
‘Oh . . . er . . . yes and Sioned.’
‘If it hadn’t been for her, none of this would have happened, would it? When she told me what he’d been doing to her – his own flesh and blood! His own sister! Well . . . you know what happened. Who could have stayed his hand on hearing such things?’
‘Who indeed!’
‘Still, it was wrong. To kill a brother . . . I deserved your curse.’
‘No longer. I come to embrace you and beg forgiveness for the years I cast you out from my heart.’
Tears filled his eyes and overflowed, big drops fell down the sides of his face and thudded the counterpane. ‘Oh Lord! Quick, pass me my specs – they’re on the table somewhere.’
I looked at them lying on the bedside table. Calamity picked them up and hid them behind a flower vase.
‘I can’t see them, Huw.’
‘Is there someone else there? I sense a presence.’
‘My daughter Eluned. I never told you.’
‘A daughter!’
‘Yes.’
‘Wonder of wonders! How old? No, not you. Let me hear her speak.’
‘I’m eighteen, Uncle Huw,’ said Calamity.
‘She sounds just like you. Quick, dear niece, hold your uncle’s hand.’
Calamity pulled a face and placed her hand in his. ‘I’ve prayed for this reconciliation every day,’ she said.
‘She’s studying Law now,’ I said. ‘At Bangor.’
‘My oh my! A Pugh at university, who’d have thought it! Makes a change from the debtors’ prison.’
Mrs Pugh brought in the tea and left without a word. We drank politely, trying to change the subject.
‘We read about you in the papers,’ I said.
Huw Pugh nodded and answered dreamily. ‘Yes, it was a great strain; having to tell all those lies, having to pretend all the time about Ifan. I had to keep making phone calls to relatives and folk, asking if they’d seen him, even though I knew he was dead in the cellar. “We think he might have lost his memory,” I’d say. “He might be wandering around all lost. You will look out for him, won’t you?” And I’d say to mam, “See? He’ll be back next week, you mark my words. He won’t be able to keep away from your home cooking much longer, not if I know old Ifan.” ’ Huw Pugh wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his nightshirt. ‘You remember Old Gelert the dog? He used to bark at the cellar door, and scratch at it. And if I went near him, his hackles would rise and he would snarl. If I put food out, he wouldn’t eat it. I told mam it was just a reaction to losing Ifan and she would say, “But what’s that got to do with the cellar? Ifan used to be scared of the cellar; he never went near it.” Eventually I decided the only thing to do was get rid of the dog. Smash his head in with a brick, I thought. But he was a clever bugger, that dog – he knew, you see. He knew what I was thinking. It’s funny how they can tell, isn’t it? I spent a whole month trying to catch him and all the time when my back was turned he’d be there whining and scratching at the cellar door. It was doing my head in. Then I had an idea. I dressed up in Ifan’s clothes and came back down the lane like he always used to. Well, I tell you, that fooled him, he came bounding up the lane, barking and yapping with joy until he was about 5 foot away, then he screeched to a halt like they do in the cartoons; amazing it was, he left skid marks in the dirt; you wouldn’t think a dog could do that, would you? But I tell you, he did. It was too late, though, I had him by the collar so there was nothing he could do. Bashed him in good and proper, although he fought like a tiger. Then I left him in the road so it would look like he’d been hit by a car. I was almost high and dry until mam came back from the shops early whooping with joy, saying she’d seen Ifan in the lane with Gelert. “He’s back!” she cried, “he’s back!” She wouldn’t be persuaded neither; she went round telling everyone in the village she’d seen him. That’s why they had to commit her. After that, I waited a while, then moved the body to Tregaron Bog.’
‘Let’s not dwell on the past,’ I said.
‘No, you’re right,’ he said.
‘Now we need to get you well again. Tell us about the flying saucer.’
‘Oh that,’ he said without interest. ‘First, come and give your brother a hug and let him feel your love.’ He reached his arms out.
I looked at Calamity. Her expression said plainly that here was a challenge that could not be ducked. I leant forward into his embrace and dug my arms under him, clasping him in a bear hug. He squeezed. ‘Oh Rhys,’ he croaked. ‘Rhys, Rhys, Rhys.’ The bristles of his unshaven chin, hot with tears, rasped against my cheek. ‘Oh Rhys bach . . .’
I let my hug go limp but waited patiently to be released.
‘Sometimes I used to stand on the railway line and think, Welshpool is only an hour away. I am no more than an hour from the love of the brother I have wronged. But really I knew the distance between us was unbridgeable, or so I thought until the Lord blessed this day.’
I extricated myself and stood up. ‘Tell us about the alien, we’re all agog. Is it true she wanted to make love to you?’
‘She did, but I’m afraid she was in for a bit of a disappointment.’ He stared up with a sheepish look. ‘You know how it is first time with a girl. We all brag about it down the pub, don’t we? But when it comes down to brass tacks . . . well, it’s not the same. Especially if the girl is experienced. To tell you the truth, Rhys, I can’t do it unless I’m pissed. It’s different then, isn’t it? And then doing it on a table inside the saucer . . . it felt all wrong, sort of clinical. She was ever so nice about it, she said I shouldn’t worry because she’d done this loads of times, but that’s what worries you, isn’t it? I mean, I wasn’t expecting her to tell me I was the first, but we like our little illusions, don’t we? And there was another thing: the table was in the centre of the room and there were two other blokes, aliens like, operating a console set against the wall and looking over their shoulders at us and then flicking buttons and levers on the console, and it was almost like she was responding to their inputs. She said, “Please don’t worry, earth-man, your semen will be safe with me.” And then she looked confused and asked what was wrong, and I asked, like, if she had any music and she said she would sing to me and bugger me if she didn’t! “Myfanwy” she sang. Quite good, too, but it wasn’t what I had in mind. The mood was all wrong, you see. Then the blokes on the console pressed a red button and she told me she loved me and couldn’t bear to be apart from me. It still didn’t do any good and so then she cried and said this had never happened to her before. Then I woke up sitting in the car, and twelve hours had passed.’
‘In the papers it says you couldn’t remember much about it,’ said Calamity.
‘I told the press I couldn’t, but I was lying wasn’t I? I’m hardly going to tell them the truth now, am I? It’s bad enough all me mates laughing down the pub as it is. Imagine it if I told them I couldn’t perform!’