3+dig

Ed has just helped to win their sledge game, and Marv rings and orders him to go, because he won best player for taking out Mimi. On his way he stops at Audrey’s house but assumes she’s at the boyfriends because she’s not there. He almost turns around, but eventually finds he’s way to the party. When he first gets there he cannot find Marv, and no-one recognises Ed. But Marv finds him later on the front porch. Sitting there they start chatting about the day’s events, eventually Ed smiles down the street – into the future. Marv notices, “what are you grinning at, bore?” he said. Ed just replays with “time for digging.” Then Ed walks home. On the way he stops under a blinking street light to examine the ace, again. Confused by the choice of suit, the most dangerous-looking suit, he reads the three names: Graham Greene Morris West Silvia Plath He has heard of these names – they’re familiar, but he doesn’t know why. When Ed gets home he looks up the phone book, but they aren’t in there. Tomorrow he is going to travel around town. As Ed sits on the coach and eventually falls asleep he dreams, the ace no in a crack in the coach. His drams he’s sitting in a class room, books spread out in front of him, but he cannot decipher the words – they’re in running-writing. A women walks in – she’s a teacher. When the bell goes she tells him to read the writing on the board. Ed focuses hard, but can’t read it. A few minutes later he looks up. She’s swings, hanging on a rope from a raft min the roof, the ceiling suddenly gone. Ed goes to the door, ready to turn it and find help. But turns around to look at the women, he walks over to face her. He eyes open and her voice strangled and coarse, says “recognises the words now, Ed?” Now Ed see’s them – ‘barren women.’ The women’s body falls to the floor then he wakes up. Its morning, Ed looks at the doorman, reading “barren women”. He knows now he’s on he’s way he knows the answer of at least one of them, the poem ‘barren women’ written by Silvia Plath, committed suicide. He realises that they are all writers. He realises around seven thirty that it’s only part of the mystery he has solved, knowing then that it’s time to visit the library. Audrey comes over and they watch a movie together that she highly recommended. It’s after the movie that he then tells her about the ace of spades. When she finishes her coffee he looks at the redness of her lips, wishing he could feel their softness. Ed soon understands why he fells this way – he deserves something. Going around fixing other people’s lives, he wants something back. He walks over and kisses her, she’s shocked. He closes he’s eyes, and apologises. When Audrey goes, Ed heads for the library. He gets all they books, from all three authors, and after persuasive the librarian to take them all he walks home unsteadily, reading all the books until he falls asleep. After waking up he walks past the front door, there’s a serviette lying on the floor, he picks it up and reads: Dear Ed, Good work – but don’t worry, it’s simpler than you think. He reads the books again, thinking if there’s a hidden message somewhere – somewhere in the titles. Ed and the doorman go for a walk, when he looks at the ace and the serviette; he knows what to look for. They run home, thinking that when they get there Ed needs the books, the street directory, and, hopefully, a few minutes. Looking through the street directory he looks for street names that start with one of the titles from each author. Finally Ed finds, Glory Road, Clown Street, and, Bell Street. But what number does he go to? After reading all night he finds it. Page 114. There’s a symbol for spades and the words: ‘Nicely done, Ed’ He crashes on the coach – pleased with himself. He finds the other two addresses; they only have the symbols, on pages 23 and 39. The diggings over. Character: · Ed   · Marv · Audrey · The Doorman · Silvia Plath · The Librarian Quotes: · ‘But soon I understand why I feel like this – I deserve something. I’m going around fixing other people’s lives, even just for a moment or two. I’m hurting people that need hurting, when inflicting pain goes against everything that comes naturally to me.’ · ‘What’s in it for Ed Kennedy?’ · ‘Nothing’ · ‘But I’m lying.’ · Audrey is as gracious as ever’ · ‘Audrey and I are always okay.’ · ‘I feel stupid’ · ‘I can tell he’s trying to make me look uneducated and useless, though I don’t really need his help.’ · ‘I didn’t know words could be so heavy.’ · ‘Now I have to dig.’ · This is spades, so I have to dig.’
 * Chapter Summary - Jessica auld**