On a knife-edge
Jane had been there before – or rather, Cynthia. In John Christopher’s The Caves of Night, after a caving accident, she finds herself clinging on to the edge of an abyss, with the weight of...
Category: Caves of Night
Extracts from The Caves of Night
I handled him very well today
‘Old married couples generally joke about the length of time they’ve been married, in a specially cynical tone of voice.’ ‘Do they? Do you think I will?’ ‘Probably. Providing you have a sense of humour.’...
The Graf
The room was of classical dimensions, with a rococo plaster frieze and a ceiling painted with what looked like a florid variation on ‘The Origin of the Milky Way’. The furniture, however, was all contemporary....
My business is pleasure
Cynthia asked: ‘Isn’t that a Van Eyck on the wall over there?’ The smile touched his lips. ‘If one looks at it from such a distance, yes. If one stands close and examines it by...
Magic paintings
Henry held the lamp over the hole. In a moment Albrecht’s silver-grey head emerged from the chimney’s constriction, and shortly afterwards he hauled himself out to stand beside them. ‘Not the most comfortable route,’ he...
Anyone for tennis?
Albrecht asked her: ‘You had made plans as to what you would do this morning?’ ‘I thought I might go for a walk. It’s such a lovely day.’ The inquiry was innocent enough, but it...
Until the Day of Wrath
He touched her elbow to guide her away from the pool; his hand was rough against her flesh. They walked through the shrubbery and came out into the parkland which made up the greater part...
I expected nothing
He closed the door to the vault. She stood, waiting for him to lead the way back up the steps. Instead he put his hands on her shoulders. She felt his strength, as he pulled...
A different woman
‘What was all this about skeletons? She talks so fast I can’t understand her half the time.’ This was the natural moment to tell Henry about it – lightly, for their joint amusement. The excuse...
Like a mermaid
Cynthia and Peter tired of swimming before Heather did. They changed into clothes and then sat in deck-chairs on the edge of the pool, watching her enthusiastic cavortings. She went prowling, mermaid-like, along the bottom...
