Cadillac Cathedral (27 page)
Once the afternoon had faded eventually to dusk and dusk had faded to dark, many of the partiers began to pack up and leave, as Myrtle Birdsong had already done, while those who remained, unwilling to give up on a good time, moved into Martin’s house or found a seat on Martin’s deck. Fortunately the electrical company hadn’t yet been told of Martin’s death so it was possible to turn on all the lights and even to play soft music on the CD player. All that remained of the food was brought out from the fridge and the ice chests and set on the kitchen table, the bottles lined up along the counter, for anyone who believed they’d digested their dinner and wouldn’t say No to another.
There was no police raid, though one policeman paid a quiet visit some time after 3 a.m. to offer a friendly warning about driving-while-under-the-influence. Those finally trudging up the hill to their cars exchanged last-minute praise for the Martin Glass they were leaving behind in all but memory. Those who stayed with Arvo and Cynthia and the Foremans to tidy up congratulated themselves for having — as Martin himself liked to say whenever someone had been properly celebrated — “done the poor bugger proud.”
By the time Arvo and Cynthia were ready to leave, the sun had risen well above the mountain peaks across the Strait and was pouring down morning heat. If any damage had been done to Martin’s house it would not be anything serious. No guest had experienced
anything worse than a little sand in the eyes, except for the sprained ankle suffered by Billy-boy Harrison, who’d insisted on walking the two-by-six railing around Martin’s deck but had stubbed his toe on a protruding nail and jumped feet-first to the ground.
Once Cynthia joined Arvo in the Cathedral hearse for the ride home, she agreed that they had honoured Martin well. “But we don’t need to think that this has been any kind of
end
. We’ve got to rest up for all that still lies ahead.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JACK HODGINS
grew up in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, and taught high school in Nanaimo before moving to teach in the Department of Writing at the University of Victoria. His numerous publications include
Spit Delaney’s Island
,
The Resurrection of Joseph Bourne
,
Broken Ground
, and
The Master of Happy Endings
. He has taught writing workshops in Spain, Australia, and Germany, as well as in several provinces in Canada. His work has won many awards, including the Governor General’s Award, the Ethel Wilson Prize, the Canada-Australia Prize, and the Victoria City Butler Prize. He has been awarded three honorary degrees, and in 2010 was inducted into the Order of Canada. He and his wife Dianne live in Victoria.
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