Keri Hulme - The Bone People

Lynn smiles back timidly.

"I'm not the marrying kind, you see," and she feels, rather than sees, Polly's glance rake her over. The big woman grunts to herself in satisfaction.

"Got you this time, Pi," she says, and almost simpers at Kerewin.

Kerewin smiles politely, cups her chin in her hands, and leans on the table, gazing with deep interest at the patterns the beer rings have made there.

Twixt devil and deep blue sea… hurry back, e hoa.

She hears Pi, "You playing these cards or aren't you?" "Give us time," says Polly. Mumble, mumble, mumble. She feels a stealthy touch on her foot.

Ah sheeit, that's all I need… overtures from the ambisextrous… she's not a bad sort, I suppose. Just trying.

Without making it look pointed, she stands and stretches.

"We are of the sea, we have tides like the sea," she begins in a chant. "Tears of saltwater, tidal bodies, and seastreamed hair."

"E, that's nice," says Polly. "Whatsit mean?" grinning.

"Something I thought of… it means, I gotta go."

"And when you gotta go, you gotta go," says Pi. Fatuous laughter all round, herself included. The old lady joins in, husky aged cough of a laugh, "Huk! Huk! Huk! Ahh, you young people-"

Polly stands too. "Need a mimi myself," hitching her shoulders back.

"It can wait," says Pi calmly, sitting back in his chair. "You haven't played these cards yet, and I don't think Kerewin needs company."

And Kerewin, looking frantically for polite but offputting phrases for Polly, feels a surge of affection for the man. Pub gossip rubbished him for living with a militant and overt bisexual.

Fatguts they call you, good only at the cardtable, good only for the beer. But man, your discernment and kindness puts them all to shame.

It was Pi who first greeted her here, she remembers. Pi who first brought up the question of Simon. She grins widely at him.

"Like you say, e hoa. I don't need the company."

Making it sound a joke to everyone but Pi and Polly. Polly scowls and flounces back down in her seat. Pi looks at her under one lifted eyebrow, and deals out more cards.

The toilet was empty.

Thank goodness for that. Much longer and I'd be pissing all over the floor. Odd how you can forget about your bladder… better than last night, anyhow.

"Greetings, stranger," says Joe as she sits down. "You're just back in time to say hooray to Polly and Pi."

"We're off home to the menagerie," says Pi. Polly grunts. "Have a shout on us."

"Well thanks, but I'm just changing to wine and you've got to buy a bottle at a time here. Tell you what, may I shout you instead?"

"No," says Pi, and Polly says "Yes," and Kerewin is unsure who she is saying that to. Joe stands.

"Look, I'll get the drinks, okay? Specials, topshelf, or whatever, okay?"

He must have had a couple of extra rounds while she's been in the loo. His eyes are unfocused and he's swaying as he stands.

"I'll get my wine though," taking out her wallet.

"No. This is my shout," holding up his hand as though to ward her money off.

"Okay…."

She offers her cigarillo case round. Piri doesn't smoke, it seems, and Lynn says Thanks, but not one of those if you don't mind, and Pi says Ka pai, and Polly takes two and doesn't say anything.

She flicks a flame up from the lighter. There is barely enough gas in it to make a light, but she woos the little blue flame, nuzzling it carefully lest it perish with the effort.

The old lady says, "Can I have a smoke too?"

"O surely," handing the case across. "I didn't see you come back."

"O, I been here," the old lady grins. "Listening. E pai ana."

A smokering flows over the table between them, expanding.

Plonk! into the middle of the curling vapour. A bottle of young port, 76 says the label. Gawd, just put to bed in its bottle-

"Izzit your wine?"

Urrk never… but look at his smile, my soul, floating through the thickened air as white and mysterious as the Cheshire cat's… you wanna dim it?

"Ae Joe, it'll do nicely."

She peels away the lead foil, and uncorks the bottle with her knife. Joe's saying, "I got you fellas a whisky apiece," handing them out, "trebles, eh?"

Pi Kopunui groans, Piri shudders, Lynn says O dear, Polly cackles, and Missus just tosses hers straight down, and begins sedately on the beer.

They toast each other, wishing health and long life, Kia ora, Kia ora-

"Look," she says suddenly. "Look, they match exactly," holding her little finger up with the glass of port by it, so all can see the hump of garnet next to the wine. She is bemused by the coincidence. They offer disinterested agreement.

"Ultimate eh, matching your grog to your jewellery. Remind me to get some neat brown bracelets with cream stripes eh?" Pi belches and giggles. "Kelk. Sorry, that beer is getting to me."

"No wonder, you been inviting it in since this morning… why do you have so many rings?" Polly's head is cocked on one side and her eyes are partly crossed.

Flicker of sober amusement… how many do you see, lady?

"O I like the colour and feel of semi-precious stones… so I load 'em on, eh-"

Each ring feeds my fingers with its particular virtue. A garnet gives courage, a turquoise soothes. Greenstone ennobles. Opal enlivens. Coral is shy, but full of ancient memory. And aquamarine quickens thought, lively as a dolphin in the open sea.

And some stones I avoid like the plague… diamonds are obnoxious and leave, somehow, a sick taste in the mouth. Emeralds are cold as death, idol eyes, and rubies are too luxuriantly, unctuously velvet-

"Uhh?"

"Sweet Lord, you're dreamy tonight. I said, Pi and co are away… and Lynn's taking Piri home." In a whisper, "He's flaked."

The little woman has Piri propped against her, one limp arm still round her neck. Piri sleepwalks and doesn't say goodbye. Lynn says awkwardly,

"Nice meeting you, Kerewin. Please come round and visit. I hope you and Joe get on in spite of, you know, Simon and all that…" she smiles entreatingly. "It was nice meeting you and having that talk," lurching away under Piri's weight, her own drink-riddled feet finding it hard to keep the floor in its proper place.

O God no, Himi's in the way.

It is like a punch in his stomach.

Kerewin is half-rising, bowing a little to the others. "Nice meeting you all again," she is saying, lips curling in a smile, "Pi, Polly, Missus-"

"Good to see you again too," says Pi. "Get a move on, woman," belligerently to Polly who is clattering round, gathering cards and cans of beer. She heads for the door, and her bag catches on the corner of a table and she trips. "Hoops!" grabbing a man conveniently close, staggering closer against him, "All right, honey?" and the man chuckles, his arms moving up her. Pi, upset, roars, "Quit arsing around there and get cracking," and a dozen heads turn their way Polly yells back, "What? Farts?" and slopes off through the door Pi shakes his head sorrowfully to Kerewin, and follows.

The old lady, chkchkking them both, turns and says, "She is a good woman," and Kerewin thinks Polly isn't bad, but she's no«

necessarily good. But Missus turns back and calls loudly after Pi, "I think she's Maori for all that white skin. She'll make Joe a good wife, nei?" nodding her head firmly, headscarf aflap, and she exits. "Jesus holy, I'm gonna have to kill that idea fast… first Lynn, now her eh?" Kerewin grins broadly to Joe.

Aiiee, I should have guessed… who would want to take him

on? But I was sure she liked him. Cared for my child. My only

son.

("Did she like you?"

NO.)

But if that's what it is, why didn't she say so the other night?

Instead of all that business about not being ordinary, and not

liking sex?

He says, ignoring her smile, his voice shaking, "We'll go and drink by the bar eh? Have a song or two before we go?"