Free Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell

as he led her to the kitchen where he was preparing dinner. Dried-up baked beans and sausages sputtered in a pan, soggy chips blackened under the grill above which a new plaque said 'God Lives Here.' 'Don't go thinking I do this often,' he said. 'Only when she's helping at Godwin Mann's shop and I've got half day closing.'
    The shop sold plaques, Bibles, pamphlets whose covers showed people beaming as if they never did anything else. 'Here, let me rescue your dinner,' Geraldine said laughing. Trust a man to do nothing but open cans and defrost packets.'
    'June always makes this kind of dinner.'
    'Well, I expect it's Andrew's favourite,' she said quickly, scraping chips off the grill pan. 'How's he getting on? What did he make of the god show?'
    'It isn't up to him to make anything of it.'
    'We've a few new children's books if he wants to choose something.'
    'If you want to go giving away books you could sell you aren't going to let me stop you.' He seemed uncomfortable so close to her in the small, hot, smoky kitchen, and turned away to mutter, 'We're grateful really. I know we could do with giving him more of our time and having a bit more patience. Maybe now our lives are being changed. . .'
    Andrew was playing soldiers on the stairs. He'd snapped off the barrel of a plastic anti-aircraft gun and was sticking his chin out like his father so as not to cry. He brightened when he saw Geraldine. 'Do you want to see my these?'
    'What's the matter with you?' Brian demanded. 'Do you want Geraldine to think we don't bring you up to speak properly? See my these,' he mimicked in an idiot's voice. 'Geraldine wants to give you a book to read. I wouldn't blame her now if she gave you a baby's book.'
    'We'll find something to show your parents how well you can read,' Geraldine said as she led Andrew into the bookshop, where Jeremy was opening cartons with a Stanley knife. 'I expect you're looking forward to when they see your school work.'
    'They said they won't.'
    Geraldine thought she'd misunderstood. 'They'll be going to see Miss Kramer at the open night next week, won't they?'
    'My mum has to go to God's shop then because they'll be praying, and my dad has to do something at home.'
    Geraldine busied herself with showing him books, because she didn't trust herself to speak. When he chose The Jungle Book, on impulse she followed him next door. June was waiting for him on the garden path. "Thanks for seeing him home, Geraldine. Heaven knows what he'd be up to otherwise.'
    'No need to overdo it, June. Diana Kramer was wondering if you'll be at the open night.'
    'I'd love to, but I have to go to a prayer meeting, and we can't leave the boy alone in the house.'
    'Jeremy or I will sit, you've only to ask. Unless,' she said, meaning to shame June, 'you'd rather we went to the school in your place.'
    Brian leaned out of the front window. 'Would you mind? You do know his teacher better than we do.'
    He looked both shamefaced and secretive, but Geraldine wasn't interested in his reasons. 'I think,' she said shakily, 'we ought to let Andrew decide who he wants to
    go-'
    Andrew stared at his scuffed shoes. 'Haven't you got a tongue?' June snapped, and he looked up at Geraldine. 'You and Jeremy,' he said in a small voice.
    "That's settled, then,' June said in what was either bitterness or triumph. Geraldine was about to retort that it was nothing of the kind when the alarm at the bookshop began to shrill.
    She couldn't think for the noise. She ran back into the shop just as Jeremy switched off the alarm. 'I'll call Eddings,' she said, eager to deal with him, to use up some of her anger.
    He wasn't at home. 'I'll tell him you called as soon as he comes in,' his wife Hazel said.
    'Someone else's need is greater than ours, is it?'
    'You might say that, yes. He's visiting our neighbours on behalf of Godwin Mann.'
    'I'm afraid praying isn't going to fix our alarm.'
    'Are you sure? Perhaps you should try while you're waiting.'
    Geraldine made the worst