The Bell - Iris Murdoch [74]
'We must be off soon,' he said, and began to swallow his drink quickly while Toby ate his chocolate. How rapidly the time had passed! In a moment or two they rose to go.
As they came out into the yard Michael felt an extreme heaviness in his limbs. It was foolish of him to have had that second pint; he was so unused to the stuff now, it had made him feel quite tipsy. But he knew he would be all right once he got into the van; the driving would sober him up. They packed in and Michael turned up the lights and set off on the homeward road, the cultivator bumping comfortably behind him, one soft rubber handle just touching his head.
The road looked different at night, the grass verges a brilliant green, the grey-golden walls of tall-windowed houses looming up quickly and vanishing, the trees bunched and mysterious above the range of the headlights. Every now and then a cat was to be seen running in front of the car or deep in the undergrowth, its eyes glowing brightly as it faced the beam of light.
'You're a scientist,' said Michael. 'Why don't human beings' eyes glow like that?'
'Are you sure they don't?' said Toby.
'Well, do they?' said Michael. 'I've never seen anyone's eyes glow.'
'It may be that human beings always turn their eyes away,' said Toby. 'I remember learning at school that Monmouth was caught after the rebellion, when he was hiding in a ditch near Cranborne, because his eyes were gleaming in the moonlight.'
'Yes, but surely not like that,' said Michael. An unidentified animal faced them at some distance down the road, a pair of greenish flashes, and then was gone.
'I believe there's something about special cells behind the eyes,' said Toby. 'But I'm still not completely sure that our eyes mightn't glow too if we really faced the headlights. Let's try it! I'll get out and come walking towards you facing the light, and you see what my eyes look like!'
'You are a scientist!' said Michael, laughing. 'Well, not now. We'll wait till we arrive home, shall we? Then you can make your experiment.'
Toby fell silent and they drove along for a while without speaking. Michael could hear him yawning. At last he said, 'That cider has made me quite sleepy.'
'Well, go to sleep then,' said Michael.
'Oh, no,' said Toby. 'I'm not as sleepy as all that.' In a few minutes he was asleep. Michael could see from the corner of his eye the boy's head hanging forward. Days of hard physical work followed by the dose of potent cider had knocked him out completely. Michael smiled to himself.
The Land-Rover proceeded more slowly than on the journey out. Michael still felt a bit drunk though perfectly capable. The exaltation and delight which he had felt in the pub had faded into a purring contentment combined with a most luxurious heaviness of the whole body. He leaned upon the steering wheel, turning it with the length of his forearm, and singing inaudibly to himself. Toby hung forward, obviously dead asleep. Then on a corner he slumped quietly sideways and Michael could feel his weight against him. The boy's head descended gently on to his shoulder.
Michael drove on in a dream. He could feel Toby's knee touching his thigh, the warmth of his lean body against his side, his hair brushing his cheek. The unexpected delight of the contact was so great that he closed his eyes for a moment and then realized that he was still driving. He tried to breathe more quietly so as not to disturb the boy, and found that he was taking