The War of Immensities by Barry Klemm Page A

sandwich, a bit of
a walk around and you’ll be feeling terrific.”
    Almost
everything Lorna said was unbelievable.
    “Walk around.
In daylight. In my jim-jams?”
    “I packed your
clothes, and everything.”
    “Did you?
Where?”
    “They’re in the
boot.”
    “Lorna. You
told me to sleep. I remember this distinctly. You gave me sleeping
pills. Now you kidnap me and drag me way out here in the
provinces.”
    “You said you
wanted to go.”
    “That was...
whenever it was.”
    “Come on, you
were bumping into the walls in your desperation to go places.”
    “Yes, okay. But
you could have waited until I woke up first.”
    “Oh yeah? Wait
til you hear what I did.”
    “You mean
before you took to kidnapping invalids?”
    “I went out to
lunch and started walking blindly. West. Remember what you said
about wrong directions?”
    “Yes,
but...”
    “So now we’re
going west. Right direction. Okay?”
    “West
where?”
    “We’re through
Waimauku. Coast coming up. You can get glimpses of the sea out
there now.”
    “Yes, I can see
it. I can’t imagine why I’m so surprised.”
    “So you were
right. We had to go places. Right away. And west is the way to
go.”
    “Oh, I get it.
So it’s all my fault.”
    “Of course not.
Here we are. Look at this. Perfect.”
    Chrissie
looked. She supposed, in the right circumstances, it might have
been perfect. The sea. The surf rolling in onto a wide beach. A
parking area with toilet facilities. Anyway, before she had time to
protest, Lorna was out of the car and fussing.
    Chrissie crept
forth. Fortunately, there was no one else around. She rummaged in
her suitcase in the boot and ducked into the toilet to get dressed
and by the time she returned, Lorna had coffee and sandwiches
spread out on the bonnet of the car.
    “Isn’t this
great?” Lorna enthused.
    “No,” Chrissie
sighed. “But it is nice, I suppose.”
    The sandwiches
were good—Lorna sure had gone to a lot of trouble over this.
    “Feeling better
now?”
    “Slightly. But
I also feel very upset.”
    “Yes, I know.
So do I. It’s just this overwhelming feeling that you’ve got to go
and this is the way to go.”
    Now that the
effects of heavy sleep were wearing off, Chrissie had to admit her
state of agitation was returning. “Yes, okay then. But
consider—it’s nearly sunset. What plans have you concerning where
we will stay?”
    “There’ll be
somewhere.”
    They sipped and
munched. The breakers roared and the sea gulls swooped and called
to them, beckoning them out to sea. The gentle breeze tantalised
their hair. Chrissie chuckled and shook her head but then got
serious and eyed her friend, so called. “So you feel it too?”
    “Oh, yes. I
guess I’m not as sensitive as you, but, yes, it got to me as well.
I just had to go. That’s all. I was telling you what happened to
me.”
    “You mean
there’s more?”
    “Is there ever.
I caught the bus down to Herne Bay and went out on the pier and
walked right off the end of it.”
    “Really?”
    “Honestly. I
was so oblivious to the surroundings that I went off the end and
into the water before I knew what was happening.”
    “Oh my God.
Tell me you didn’t really. Did anyone see?”
    “Did they ever.
A bunch of blokes, fishing. When they pulled me out, my clothes had
gone completely see-through. They got a big eyeful of everything I
have.”
    “Oh Lorna, how
awful. So what happened then?”
    “I got a taxi
home. You should have seen the look on the driver’s face when he
saw me. And then I had to empty the water out of my handbag before
I could pay him. Everything was soaked.”
    “You’ll catch
pneumonia, swimming at this time of year.”
    “I took a
handful of Vitamin C as soon as I got home. Then I knew what I had
to do. I rang them at work and told them I was sick. Packed, drove
over and grabbed you and here we are.”
    By then,
Chrissie was so full of giggles she could hardly speak. Finally,
she got herself under control enough to