The Member for the Marsh [antikvár]

MUD MONSTERS THE first day of March was a Monday, and the morning weather was absurd. The air was full of floating snow; the ground was patched damp with fallen melted flakes; and the sun shone like a fire. Dávid Rosley sat at the top of the back-door steps putting on his shoes and eating the end of a loaf spread with enough butter to taste, rather more thanenough to seem greedy, and safer eaten out ofsight. Anne came down for her breakfast. Dávid heard her jumping on the stairs, and then talking to Mother; then she came to the back door and opened it behind Dávid. She looked at him through an unravelled and slept-with piait, and tried to wave away the snow-flakes with the hairbrush. 'They're not mosquitoes,' said Dávid.