"I read the ending as ironic," said Patricia. "Either Greta"s in shock or it"s the killer"s fantasy of what he"d like her to think."
"I mustn"t be clever enough. I just read what"s there, me."
"Can I table my opinion?" Walt said.
"It"s your magazine," said Sh.e.l.l.
"Hey, I"m just the money man. I"m looking at my fellow judges."
"Tell us your judgement," Valerie said.
"I"d publish the story. It got everyone talking. We can use the word of mouth. Bring readers in with a bit of controversy and they"ll stay to read whatever else we"re offering. But that"s only one man"s vote."
"It gets mine," said Patricia.
"I"ll support that," Valerie said.
"No point us drawing breath, Vincent," said Sh.e.l.l.
Patricia thought he was distancing himself from Sh.e.l.l by saying "I didn"t like him putting his name in. What was it, the prize-winning bestseller by Dudley Smith."
"There are a few amateur details I"d edit," Valerie admitted. "I expect he won"t be too unhappy when it"s his first publication."
"Maybe it isn"t," Sh.e.l.l said. "Then he"ll be disqualified."
"How"d you like to check that, Patricia," Walt said, "and what else there is to know about him?"
"You"re never giving her another job," Sh.e.l.l said with what a newcomer might have a.s.sumed was sympathy for Patricia. "She"s already got night life and what"s on."
"I thought you might like to interview him, Patricia."
"Did you do many interviews at university?" Sh.e.l.l was apparently interested in learning.
"She had to conduct quite a few on her journalism 406 course," Valerie said. "They earned her some of her best marks, not to embarra.s.s you, Patricia."
"I"ll do anything I can for the magazine." While she"d nominated the story, her mother would take any editorial blame. Patricia ought to find out what she could about the author. She drew a fat exclamation mark on her pad and inked a smiling face within the dot, only to realise that it looked as though a blade was hanging unsupported over it. "I"d like to meet Dudley Smith," she said. 407
RAMSEY CAMPBELL is one of the world "so most renowned and honored horror writers. He has won more British Fantasy and World Fantasy Awards than he has fingers, plus three Bram Stoker Awards. Campbell is the author of such cla.s.sic works of horror and dark fantasy as "so most renowned and honored horror writers. He has won more British Fantasy and World Fantasy Awards than he has fingers, plus three Bram Stoker Awards. Campbell is the author of such cla.s.sic works of horror and dark fantasy as Obsession, The Face That Must Die, The Nameless, Incarnate, Obsession, The Face That Must Die, The Nameless, Incarnate, and and The The Influence, Influence, and more recently, and more recently, The Darkest Part of the Woods The Darkest Part of the Woods and his latest, and his latest, Secret Secret Story. Story. His short fiction has been collected in several volumes including His short fiction has been collected in several volumes including Alone With the Horrors Alone With the Horrors and and Scared Scared Stiff. Stiff. Campbell lives with his wife, Jenny, in Merseyside in England. Campbell lives with his wife, Jenny, in Merseyside in England.