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Aleksey was feeling slightly nauseous now, so when Ben suggested they buy pasties for lunch, he declined one.
Tim wanted to see the world heritage burial chambers. Aleksey agreed he could walk that far, so they set off. Ben now wanted to take lots of photos, so they had to keep stopping, usually where there was a handy bench or wall for them all to perch on. Then the others professed the same desire, and a walk that would have taken a few minutes, became something Enid could have achieved without her frame.
When they’d been walking for half an hour they came to a large wooden building by a jetty with a striking boat mounted on a plinth outside. It appeared to be a museum of sorts, dedicated to the local tradition of gig racing, an activity which was in part a sport, but also a memorial to the men of the islands who’d lost generations to the waters around Scilly. Tim immediately wanted to go in, as he recalled he’d had a friend at university who raced in a gig team. When they entered the cool lobby, he wandered off to look at all the photos of teams hanging on the walls, to see if he could find her.
Squeezy, obviously extremely impressed with this endeavour, took himself off in the opposite direction to examine the stories of the gig pilots and shipwrecks.
Ben predictably went that way too, and soon Aleksey was being regaled with fascinating snippets about the various heroic rescues done by the men of Scilly with these shallow-draft boats as they headed out into the Atlantic storms to rescue the passengers and crews of ships which had come undone on the reefs of the archipelago. Squeezy pointed out a team of veterans, amputees and PTSD sufferers, who had built and rowed their own gig to the championships from the mainland. Ben nudged him. ‘Look. List of men of Scilly who drowned rescuing others.’ There was a plaque with the wordsFrom rock and tempest, fire and foe, protect them wheresoe’er they go.Under this there was indeed a long list of names, many of them with the same surname— fathers and sons, uncles and brothers all lost to the vicious tumult of the Atlantic.
Squeezy was looking at the plaque too, and commented with genuine bitterness, ‘Much fucking good that sentiment did them.’
Tim came back eventually. ‘This is where they hold the award ceremonies and have a final night party. I found her boat,Star of the Sea, but I can’t actually see which one is her. They all look a bit the same to be honest: sweaty. It’s fascinating the countries they come from: America, Australia, even as far as New Zealand—a Maori team. I wonder how they get the boats here. They weigh a tonne.’
Aleksey explained knowledgably, as it was too good an opportunity to resist, ‘They row them. It’s part of their preparation training.’ Ben would fall for this, given his recent discovery about the veterans’ team, but Tim gave him a look of eyes-narrowed scepticism, appearing to envisage the distance from New Zealand to Scilly in his mind’s eye. Possibly the size of some of the waves in between the two islands as well.
Squeezy was smirking as he took his boyfriend’s arm and dragged him back out into the sunshine.
Ben still wanted to look at every single photo and read all the history and browse in the museum’s small shop, so suggested he just sit down for a bit and wait. Aleksey wanted to point out thathewasn’t the gullible one in this relationship, but it was nice to be Ben’s charge.
Attention—he was quite enjoying it. Now that he was feeling better and didn’t really need it.
He wasn’t so sanguine about his recovery, however, when they finally reached the stone circle indicated on Tim’s map. Onlytwo miles. How the mighty were fallen. You had to pay to enter and take a guided tour, so Aleksey insisted he’d sit it out in the sun, and walked carefully to the top of a grassy slope overlooking the sea. He wasn’t surprised or unhappy when Ben elected to join him. Ben immediately began rummaging in his day sack, and Aleksey murmured with a smile, ‘Go on then, show me what you bought for her.’
Ben grinned and produced a box with a remote-control skiff inside. Aleksey took it from him and inspected it through the plastic window. ‘It’s a bit big for a bath.’
‘Just as well we’ve got a swimming pool then. See, it’s one of the gig boats. I asked if they had any Devon ones and nearly got skinned. But she reluctantly produced this one:Speedwell—River Yealm.’
Aleksey chuckled. ‘Good name.’
Aleksey handed it back just as Ben delved into the bag once more. ‘Race you.’ He’d bought two.Phantom—Salcombe.
Aleksey snorted. ‘You’d find a way to cheat.’
They sat in companionable silence for a while, Ben making a start on the pasties while they were still warm, and Aleksey just watching the water. Finally, he lay back and shaded his eyes with his arm and commented, ‘This place is otherworldly. I feel it calling to me.’
He sensed Ben’s gaze on him. ‘I think it’s the water. You told me once that the sea always calls to you.’ Aleksey felt Ben lying down beside him. ‘Do you remember our rides on the beach at Barton Combe? When you were teaching me?’
‘Of course.’
‘I was a very…slow learner?’
Aleksey turned his head to regard Ben’s profile. ‘You were, now I come to think about it. I do not recall you taking so long to learn anything else physical.’
Ben laughed quietly. ‘I was dragging them out.’ He turned his head, too, his eyes hidden behind the dark lenses of his sunglasses. ‘You were always different there, always…’ He pursed his lips, ruefully. ‘I was going to say always the real you, but that’s got a bit lame recently.’
Aleksey put one finger on Ben’s sleeve. He could feel the solidity of the muscle beneath, even through that tiny touch. ‘It is a good thing what you have done, Ben. I know you find it hard.Aleksey. And other changes, perhaps. I am trying.’
Ben smiled then began to laugh.
‘What? I am glad I am still able to give you amusement.’
‘No, I was just agreeing. You are. Trying.’
Aleksey sat up went back to watching the water.
Ben levered up again too. ‘Can’t see them. They must be inside.’
‘Hmm.’
