28. Louder Than Bombed

An important point about Aaron Bailey

A quick flashback to a moment on the night in question

They were bombed, Aaron had not let them down on that front. And Moses could see in Alden’s eye that he was about to warn them. Alden only tolerated drugs in his pub so long as you didn’t act like you were on drugs, and Moses was wide-eyed and bushy tailed. And sweaty. He was getting very sweaty. So, a pre-emptive move, and Moses told Vardaman and Aaron to down their drinks as he had an idea. They trekked up the hill and Moses said he had to play Aaron this song which was on the jukebox at the Railway. Floyd’s Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun. “I have this idea,” Moses kept saying. “Get every band in town to play a version of it, and then edit them all together so they move in and out of one another. A fifty-minute one stream album of these different versions winding in and out of each other. Like a fucking orgy of limbs and fluids, this space song writhing around in your ears.” But Aaron wasn’t keeping up, not with the concept and not with the feet on the pavement. He looked pale and his big flappy lips smacked together (as they often did when he was about to talk). He was not going to the Railway. Why not? Just fucking aint. Vardaman recognised the wisdom of pulling back on this. He saw Aaron’s eyes. Don’t delve. Don’t ask. Just let it go. We’ll go somewhere else.

This is fear. They all know it, but nobody says it. Not anyone. Not ever. But Aaron is scared of something. Somebody had mentioned this before. Rod Blackman had spread it around. That’s why Aaron doesn’t like him. Rod told people Aaron is scared of heights. And what’s so wrong with that? Well, nothing. Rod didn’t tell people because people would laugh at Aaron. Rod told people because Aaron was sure people would laugh at him. There’s a difference. A difference in aim.

He rarely goes to the Railway because he can’t go over the bridge.