All Hallows' Eve Page 2
‘I was …’ he realised how it would sound. ‘I was talking to the bear.’
Shaksper clapped him on the back. ‘Of course you were,’ he said. ‘Of course you were. It was a frightening tale, though, Kit. Perfect for All Hallows’ Eve.’
Marlowe shrugged. ‘A small conceit,’ he said and only he knew he was referring to Shaksper.
‘Umm … planning to use it, are you?’ Shaksper was always a picker-up of other men’s trifles.
‘No, no, Will. You have it if you want it.’
‘Really?’ Shaksper was delighted. He was already seeing how he could fit it very nicely into a play, very nicely indeed. ‘What were the voices calling?’
‘The king’s name, of course. Now, what did Tom want me for?’
‘He’s having trouble with Ned as usual. He wants more lines in that final scene.’
Marlowe threw up his arms in annoyance. ‘Couldn’t you just write them, Will? It’s not hard, you know. But I suppose I had better …’ he turned to the theatre and pushed open the big double doors. ‘Tom,’ Shaksper heard him call, ‘Tom, do you want me?’
The door closed on Sledd’s cry of delight. ‘Kit! Where have you been?’
In the sound of silence, Will Shaksper wandered over to the wall enclosing the bear pit and looked down. In the snuffling dark, the bear dreamed as bears will. Shaksper grinned to himself. Sometimes, he wondered whether Marlowe really knew quite what he was giving away. That scene was a winner, if ever there was one. There was a bag of apples on the wall and he helped himself to one then twirled away on happy toes towards the theatre. At the door, he turned to the witch-filled night and extended an apple-less hand to the sky.
‘And every throat,’ he said, ‘gave out the cry “Macgonagle” … no, “Macavity” … no, “Macbeth!” Oh, yes,’ he hugged himself with excitement, ‘it will be a masterpiece!’
The following titles in the Kit Marlowe series are available now.
DARK ENTRY
SILENT COURT
WITCH HAMMER
SCORPIONS’ NEST
CRIMSON ROSE
TRAITOR’S STORM
SECRET WORLD
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Buy from Amazon.com
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