What was wrong with me? she asked herself as she scanned the hundreds of abusive tweets that had sprung forth from her mind. Why was I like that?
Which is one of the reasons that she had agreed to accompany her parents to this part of the world, a place she would never have even considered visiting in the past and where there is absolutely no possibility of returning to the digital grid. Although she can’t anyway, having been banned for life by all the social media platforms and finding herself under a court order not to set up any fake accounts. But, like George, she finds that she doesn’t really miss any of it. Sitting down next to Nelson on the steps and looking out to sea, she realizes that there’s something wonderful about simply enjoying this view, in the company of her family, without having to document it for the world to see. The only likes that matter now are her own.
‘What’s going on?’ asks Achilles, emerging from the beach in microscopic Speedos and ascending the steps towards them, having just come from his morning swim. The sea water still clings to his body, but he’s deliberately waited until this moment to shake his head like a dog so all the drops fly out of his hair and drench his assembled family.
‘Idiot,’ says Elizabeth, wiping her face with her T-shirt.
‘Only kidding,’ says Achilles, sitting down next to her and, quite to her astonishment, laying his head on her shoulder. She puts an arm around him, as she used to do when they were children, and only when he makes a joke about her trying to feel him up does she push him away.
‘So what’s the plan for today?’ he asks, looking around at them all. ‘Anyone got anything special in the diary?’
‘I intend to continue reading my book,’ says George. ‘And then to take a walk.’
‘Through the woods?’ asks Beverley.
‘Yes, I thought so.’
‘Hm,’ she says, reaching out and taking his hand. ‘Perhaps I’ll join you.’
‘Very good,’ he replies, smiling.
‘And I’m going into the village and taking a bus to Inverness,’ says Nelson. ‘I think I might look for a job.’
‘A job?’ they all say in unison.
‘Has it come to this?’ asks Elizabeth in horror.
‘Yes, I think I might go back to teaching. I have the qualifications, after all. And it seems a pity to let them go to waste. I might visit the council and see what’s on offer.’
‘They won’t have any London jobs listed,’ says Achilles.
‘No, but I might stay up here,’ he says. ‘A new environment. A fresh start. It might not work out but—’
‘I think that’s a very fine idea,’ says Beverley. ‘Good for you.’
‘And what about you?’ asks Achilles, turning to his sister. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I haven’t decided yet,’ she says, lying back and closing her eyes, allowing the sun to pour over her. ‘Probably nothing at all.’
‘A solid plan.’
‘I think so.’
‘I might join you,’ he says. ‘Although I’ll get a few more swims in too. It’s really helping my abs. Have you seen them?’
‘Zero interest,’ says Elizabeth.
‘Well, it is. You should swim with me, Nelson,’ he adds. ‘Lose some of that blubber.’
‘I don’t have any blubber,’ protests his brother. ‘I’m big-boned, that’s all.’
‘Children, behave,’ says George quietly and they all fall silent.
‘It’s so peaceful up here, isn’t it?’ remarks Beverley later that night when it’s just her and George seated together on the veranda. ‘Away from everyone and everything. Just us. Together. And happy again.’
‘It is,’ replies George, nodding his head.
‘If you ask me,’ she adds, pointing towards the book in her husband’s lap, the stern visage of its subject, Alexander Graham Bell, staring back at her, ‘that fucker has a lot to answer for.’
Acknowledgements
I am, as ever, indebted to Bill Scott-Kerr, Patsy Irwin, Larry Finlay, Eloisa Clegg, Aimée Johnston, Simon Trewin, Eric Simonoff, and to all my international publishers for their ongoing support.
Thank you, too, to all my readers.
Ironically, you can still find me on Twitter @john_boyne
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TRANSWORLD
UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia
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Transworld is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.
First published in Great Britain in 2021 by Doubleday
Copyright © John Boyne 2021
The moral right of the author has been asserted
Cover tortoise imagery: Dan Saelinger/Trunk Archive
Cover phone imagery © Getty Images
Cover design: Marianne Issa El-Khoury/TW
This book is a work of satirical fiction and is not intended to be factual. In some cases true-life figures appear but their actions and conversations are entirely fictitious. All other characters, and all names of places and descriptions of events, are the products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons or places is entirely coincidental.
‘Rhythm Is A Dancer’, p.111, performed by Snap!, lyrics by Benito Benites, Michael Münzing, Luca Anzilotti and Thea Austin.
‘Hey Jude’, p.186, performed by The Beatles, lyrics by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologize for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.
ISBN: 978-1-473-56332-2
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