Free The Wood Beyond by Reginald Hill Page A

could still recall the exact disposition of the dark spots on a pair of Dalmatians called Aggers and Staggers she'd been given on her twentieth birthday. An upwardly mobile farm cat trying to ingratiate itself into smoked-salmon circles with gifts of moles and shrews was clearer to her than the infant Piers; and while she couldn't have sworn to the Hon's private parts in a line-up, the splendid equipment of Balzac, the estate's prize Charolais, was as detailed in her mind as if etched there by Stubbs.
    She explained this to her current lover, an American evangelist, on their last night together before he bore his burden of souls and shekels home.
    'This is your heart bleeping you, Cap. Pick up that phone and get in touch with base.'
    His phraseology made her wince, but against that she set the pleasure she derived from his habit of crying 'HALLELUJAH!' at the moment of climax. And when he had gone she spoke to her heart.
    Animals, her heart answered, were the unacknowledged legislators of mankind. They showed fortitude in adversity and temperance in prosperity. They had no need of prisons, nor did they prey on their own kind. Therefore the way humans treated them was the touchstone of their humanity.
    To conclude was to act. Six months later her vigorous sampling of local loose coalitions of hunt saboteurs, cetaphiles, donkey sanctuarians, et cetera, had drawn to her several similarly minded women who agreed to form a more tightly knitted group which came to be known as ANIMA. That it was all female was not a conscious choice but a dynamic inevitability. Men fear more than they admire a powerful woman, and for her to rule over them she must normally usurp the masculine leadership of an already existing group. If instead she forms a new one, she will rarely attract male recruits till she is so successful, she doesn't want them.
    The day after the abortive raid on Wanwood House, Cap Marvell laid the table in the kitchen of her flat for two.
    It was simple fare: a large pie, a bowl of crisps, a green salad, a wedge of cheese, a jar of onions, and a couple of baguettes. By one place setting she put a tankard and three cans of draught bitter, by the other a tumbler and a bottle of Mexican beer.
    At one o'clock precisely the doorbell rang.
    Smiling she drew open the door.
    The smile faded as she saw Wendy Walker standing in the corridor.
    'Wendy,' she said. 'What do you want?'
    'I'm not selling bloody brushes that's for sure,’ snapped the other.
    'I'm sorry,' said Cap. 'I didn't mean to be rude, only I'm expecting someone for lunch .. .'
    'And I'll be in the way? Well that shouldn't bother you, Cap. You lot get trained to roll over folk who get in your way, don't you?'
    Cap gritted her teeth. Why was it that every time Wendy treated her like she was still the Hon. Mrs Rupert she found herself wanting to act like she was still the Hon. Mrs Rupert?
    She said, 'Wendy, please, unless it's a matter of life or death, I wonder if—'
    'Life or death!' Wendy interrupted her. 'Why'd that bother you? 'Less it was some sodding animal's life or death, and even then I daresay you've slaughtered more birds and beasts than you've ever bloody well saved!'
    'What is it you want to talk about, Wendy?' said Cap, dangerously calm.
    'Last night, what the fuck do you think? The price of tea? You're our group leader, aren't you? Right, I want to talk to my leader about what happened on the raid last night.'
    'Look, I can see how it must have upset you, finding that body . ..'
    'That's not what's upsetting me, no, it's not a few old bones that's upsetting me . . . look, you gonna let me in or not?'
    Cap leaned forward and sniffed.
    'You've been drinking,' she said.
    'Well pardon me for breathing,' said Wendy. 'Pardon me for eating and drinking and sleeping and waking and pissing and crapping and doing all the other things that real human beings do. Yes, I've been drinking, not much, just enough for me to get the crazy idea it might be worthwhile coming