Page 105 of The Armor of Light
‘Did anyone see?’
‘They were all too busy getting out of the way of them bargees.’
‘Good. What’s happening now?’
‘Things are quieting down, by the sound of it.’
Sal listened. She could hear women and men shouting, sometimes angrily, but it did not sound very riotous: no screams, no breaking glass, no sounds of destruction.
She swung her legs around and put her feet on the floor. Again she felt dizzy, again it passed quickly. ‘I hope Joanie’s all right.’
‘Last I saw, she was the one calming everybody.’
Sal put her weight on her feet and felt fine. ‘Take me out the back way, Jarge, so I can get steady on my legs.’
He put an arm around her shoulders, supporting her weight, and she wrapped her arm around his waist. They walked slowly through the back door and into the yard. They passed the open door of the barn.
Sal was seized by a strong impulse. She turned her body into Jarge’s and put both arms around him. ‘Kiss me, Jarge,’ she said.
He bent his head to hers and kissed her with surprising gentleness.
It was more than three years since she had kissed a man like this, and she realized she had forgotten how good it was.
She broke the kiss and said: ‘I’ve been drinking brandy – you could get drunk on my breath.’
‘I could get drunk just looking at you,’ he said.
She studied his face. There was tenderness in his gaze. ‘I’ve underestimated you, Jarge,’ she said, then she kissed him again.
This time it was urgent, sexual. He touched her neck, and her breasts, then pushed his hand between her legs. She felt a surge of desire, and she realized that in the next few seconds he would want to be inside her, and she would want it too.
She pushed him away, looked around the yard, and said: ‘In the barn.’
They stepped inside and Jarge closed the door. In the gloom Sal made out beer barrels and sacks of potatoes, and a bored horse in a stall. Then she had her back to the wall, and Jarge was pulling up her dress. Beside her stood a wooden crate of empty bottles, and she lifted one leg and rested her foot on it. She was wet inside, soaking wet, and he slid into her effortlessly. Now she remembered how very satisfying it was to feel filled up that way. He said: ‘Aah,’ and his voice throbbed. They moved together, slowly then faster.
The end came quickly, and she bit his shoulder to stop herself crying out. Then they stayed locked together, arms around each other, holding each other close. After a few moments she started to move again, and in seconds she felt the spasms of pleasure renewed, sharper this time.
It happened a third time, and then she was too exhausted to stand, and she broke the embrace and sank to the floor, where she sat with her back against the barn wall. Jarge slumped beside her. As she caught her breath she noticed him rubbing his shoulder and remembered biting him. ‘Oh, no, did I hurt you?’ she said. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘You haven’t got anything to be sorry about, I’ll swear,’ he said, and she giggled.
She noticed the horse looking at her with idle curiosity.
Somewhere nearby a collective shout rose from a crowd, and Sal was brought back to the present. ‘I hope Joanie’s all right,’ she said.
‘We better go and see.’
They got to their feet.
Sal felt dizzy again, but this time it was from the sex, and she recovered fast. All the same, she held Jarge’s arm as they walked around the side of the tavern and emerged on the waterfront.
They found themselves at the back of a crowd looking towards the river. To one side stood a small troop of the Shiring Militia, inuniform and holding their muskets, but looking rebellious and sulky. Will Riddick was sitting on a doorstep and someone was examining the back of his head. Clearly his men had continued to refuse to attack. In some towns, she had heard, the militia actually sided with rioting housewives and helped them steal food.
The bargees were nowhere in sight.
At the front was Joanie, standing on something and shouting. ‘We are not thieves!’ she yelled. ‘We are not going to steal the grain!’
The crowd muttered discontentedly, but they continued to listen, waiting to see what she would say next.
