Room 2D

From Februs 16, the first episode of a serial by Anthony Vallance beautifully illustrated by Paula Meadows Cherri sat on the edge of her chair as her new employer, Mr Victor J. Smedley, pored over her references and papers. His gruff, self-made features showed no signs of being impressed, the stony expression on his face was pure Yorkshire granite. Finally he looked up, thick grey eyebrows gathered up on his furrowed brow. ‘Book learning,’ he stated, his voice nothing but contempt. ‘But I graduated first on my course,’ Cherri started to explain, suddenly hurt that her achievements were being dismissed so lightly. ‘Aye, that’s right, you came top in your class, so you’re good at book learning,’ he conceded, ‘but it’s books all the same.’ ‘Yes, Mr Smedley,’ she agreed, sighing resignedly. ‘When I were a lad,’ Mr Smedley told her, standing up and walking over to the window, ‘things were different.’ ‘Yes, Mr Smedley,’ Cherri murmured softly. ‘There were no book learning for us

Story by R.T. Mason from Janus 48 The infernal jangling of the alarm abruptly shocked her from sleep. That diabolical, inhuman, nerve-jarring jangling that she had always hated. But today it was ten times worse. Before, in all those years of marriage, it had been for Mark. Alison could at least put her head under the bedclothes and ignore it for half an hour longer. But not any more. Mark wasn’t here any longer and Alison was alone in the big double bed. The nerve-wracking racket meant that today, she, Alison Clements, had to get up and face the cold, unfriendly world. She and Mark had finally decided that the only answer was a separation, at least a temporary one, because their relationship had simply been going from bad to worse. Constant arguments, frequently about nothing, or alternatively those long stony silences. Mark had suggested they split up and Alison had agreed it was a good idea. And somehow they had agreed to do