The Hay relay story so far: Chapter one by Beryl Bainbridge Chapter two by Rose Tremain Chapter three by Thomas Keneally Chapter four by Dave Eggers Chapter five by Louisa Waugh Chapter six by Blake Morrison Chapter seven by AL Kennedy Chapter eight by Deborah Moggach Chapter nine by Toby Litt
Chapter 10
Maria didn't say anything. Her eyes were fixed on the dogs. She was gazing intently, making little murmuring noises from her throat. One by one, the great beasts sank onto their haunches on the sodden carpet. They stretched out their paws, panting and rolling their eyes as if surprised by their own obedience. Then, to George's amazement, the fat man seemed to buckle at the knees, flopping down beside them. This was odd, thought George. He's going to get rather wet. The linen suit, he noticed, was not linen at all, but a coarse, shaggy fabric that looked as though it had been woven from spun dogs' hair. He was licking the sleeves and whimpering as he stared up at Maria with imploring doggy eyes.
George found himself whimpering too. In the uncertain light of the corridor, she looked pale, almost ethereal. Her brows were knotted in a frown, beads of sweat glistened on her upper lip. She was trembling, George realised, from the effort of concentration as she held the vial out in front of her. He had not seen her look so vulnerable, so appealingly fragile, and yet so in command - well, not since last time.
A warm throb started up below his paunch. The sheepish softness swelled in his trousers. At last.
Without taking her eyes off the dogs, Maria murmured, "George, darling. Turn the bath taps off. Do it now."
*
In an intimate corner of the quiet coach on the 17.23, snaking back towards Paddington, Maria's head slips a little further down on George's shoulder, and his hand slides a little further inside her dress. An empty vial of Rescue Remedy rolls off the seat beside them onto the floor. "That was wonderful, darling. We should do it more often." "Mmm. Yes. Pity about the blonde, though." "Couldn't be helped."
How would you have ended the story? Post your endings below and we'll put the best one up on the arts blog.
