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Author: langbot
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English[en]
I opened the heavy steel door just a crack at first. The distant streetlights provided some illumination – and I could see no movement or sign of life. So, I opened the door a little wider – and, no, the hinges had not been oiled for some time and they creaked loudly. Spooky – and annoying. There was a large Morton Bay fig-tree nearby and, at the sound of the creaking hinges, a flock of several large fruit bats took to flight, silhouetted against the night sky. (At that time, fruit bats were still very rare in Melbourne.) They had been feasting on the figs, of course, and I had interrupted their meal. Bugger! I had hoped to be a little less obtrusive in my first sally forth from the crypt. So, I waited, ready to retreat inside quickly if I had attracted any unwanted attention. Five minutes or so had passed. No-one came. No footsteps. No voices. Okay, I slipped through the door and carefully pushed it shut again. It made no noise when I closed it. Why was that? Don’t know – I was just grateful for small mercies. I stood for a time to allow my eyes to become accustomed to the darkness. Even so, it was still bloody dark. I cast my eye towards the gate-keeper’s house. If the soldiers had remained stationed at the cemetery gate – opposite the Northern gate of the university – that was the logical place for them to set up base. I expected that they would sleep there, too. The gate-keeper’s house was built solely as a residence some time in the 19th century. Though it was not exactly grand, it must have blended in well with the nearby sandstone buildings of the university. Of course, that harmony had long since been disrupted by the presence of more modern buildings nearby. Still, I had always thought it looked like a particularly elegant and comfortable place in which a gentleman could reside. (Nice garden, too – within a privet hedge.) There was a soft glow at one of its windows but no sound coming from the building. The gatekeeper’s house was, in current times, set up both as a residence and administrative centre. So, I would have expected the squad – or, rather, its replacement – would have found all mod-cons available in the building – as well as space to set up communications, store munitions and so on.
Cornish[kw]
My a igoras an daras poes, gwrys a dhur – aswa pur vyghan hepken y’n kynsa le. Yth esa nebes golewder dhiworth an golowys-stret – ha nyns esa sin a vywnans na gwayans. Ytho, my a wrug ledanna an aswa – ha, na, ny via oyl vyth war an medynyow a-dhia termyn hir. I a wrug gwighyow ughel. Tarosvannus – hag annius. Yth esa figbrenn bras (“Pleg-mor Morton”) a-ogas ha, orth gwigh an medynyow, nebes eskelli-kroghen-frut bras eth dhe’n fo, aga hylghlinennow erbynn an ebron-nos. (Y’n dydhyow na, yth o an eskelli-kroghen ma poran tanow yn Melbourne.) Y fiens i ow kevywi war an figys, heb mar, hag y hwrussen vy aga ankresya. Buggra! Y fia govenek dhymm bos nebes kosella dres ow hynsa hwithrans yn- mes an gleudhgell. Ytho, my a wrug gortos, parys rag kildenna a-bervedh mar tennsen neb attendyans na vynnen. Y tremenas pymp mynysenn po ogas. Ny dheuth denvyth. Kammow vyth. Levow vyth. Da lowr, my a slynkyas der aswa y’n porth ha, meur ow rach, y herdhya degeys arta. Nyns esa tros vyth pan y’n degeis. Prag? Ny wonn. Synsys en vy yn sempel drefenn mersiow byghan. Yth esov a’m sav berrdermyn rag gasa ow dewlagas dos ha bos usyes dhe’n tewlder. Yn despit dhe hemma, yth heveli bos hwath tewl yn euthyk. My a viras wor’tu ha’n chi an porther. Mar trigsa an soudoryon ogas dhe borth an ynkleudhva, a-dal porth gledh an bennskol, henn o keffrys an le may hallsens herwydh reson gorra aga selyans. My a waytya aga hoska ena ynwedh. Ny via drehevys chi an porther saw avel trigva y’n 19ves kansblydhen. Kyn nag o pur vras, nebes haval o ev dhe’n drehevyansow teg a via gwrys a-ogas y’n bennskol gans krag (kepar ha’n chi an porther). Heb mar, y fia distruys an akord pensernethel ma nans o termyn hir dre dhreheveyansow arnowydh a-ogas. Yn neb kas, my re gryssa pup-prys chi an porther dhe vos trigva a-dhevis hag attes may allsa triga den jentyl. (Lowarth hweg ynwedh – a-berth yn skeuswydh.) Yth esa golow isel der onan a’n fenestri mes nyns esa son vyth ow tos dhiworth an drehevyans. Yth esa, y’n dydhyow na, chi an porther owth oberi avel trigva ha kresenn venystrek keffrys. Ytho, my re waytsa an para – po, moy gwirhaval, y gemmerer le – dhe gavoes oll an taklow a res dhe vos kavadow y’n drehevyans ma – ha, dres henna, y fia spas lowr rag gwitha dafar bresel ha’n traow a’n par na.