In which Steve taunts the onlookers
Steve is high up in the walkway, dandling the baby between his hands as if aiding her to stand and walk. But her feet are not on the wrought iron floor: they are slipping and sliding on the retaining rail. He is deliberately playing a dangerous game with her.
Even from this distance, Addison can see that Dinah is drained of colour. She is not even attempting to cry. Some tiny flicker responds within him. ‘Don’t shout,’ he whispers urgently to Helen. ‘He’ll drop her if we surprise him.’
But as the seconds pass and the voice continues, he recognises with anger that Steve has already seen them, has in all likelihood counted on them appearing at his tuneless summons. He is performing to an audience.
‘Come on little one, walk for your daddy.’
His words taunt, intent on invoking retaliation – and certain disaster. They produce in Addison a turmoil of decision-making, which in his present state is too much. If they allow this infidel to keep up his chanting they are allowing him to win; if they intervene too quickly, they may provoke the diaster they fear. For this man is ill – he needs help.
‘Addison. we have to do something.’ Helen is pushing her hair back in her usual sign of frustration, yet still whispering.
At that moment, Carla comes in to the auditorium, and her shriek of horror breaks the humming and chanting like a knife through flesh.
‘No, no, no nooo-’
Steve takes his eyes off the flailing baby and gazes down to the watchers below.
‘But yes, Carla, my love. See how she dances for her real daddy. Look!’ He twirls the baby over in front of him as if she were a skipping rope. The cruelty of it wrenches a gasp from Helen. Addison grabs Carla as she falls to her knees.
‘Stop, stop’ she screams. Her whole body is rigid with terror and stretched up in supplication. ‘You’ll break her wrists, you’ll kill her. You can have her.’
‘No!’ Addison will not offer his daughter to this man – the very epitome of evil, everything he has always denounced. Solomon’s judgement rings like a church bell in his head. This man is no father to Dinah: he would kill her rather than relinquish her. She is Carla’s by right. And if it costs him his life, he will execute the judgement on behalf of Carla.
Suddenly, as if by revelation, the whole of the Lord’s mysterious doing sums itself inside him with one short epithet: love redeems. This is his moment to act on it.
He lays a hand on Carla’s head. His strength returns to operation levels. ‘This is the enemy’s doing,’ he whispers. ‘I’m going up there to sort it out.’
Steve is crooning away again, whether in calculated badness or madness Addison no longer cares. He is on God’s business and his demons will finally be laid to rest by selfless action.
‘No, Addison!’ The objection is from Helen. ‘He’s insane enough to do anything. We need trained help to get him down.’
He pushes her aside. ‘You look after Carla.’ His voice is sharp, he fears her reaction, but knows exactly what he must do now. He has one chance and he must not lose it. No weakness will stop him now. He will save the baby – and if God spares him, he will set about saving the man too.
In a few long strides he is gone up the narrow stairway. Speed will be on his side. If the man is unbalanced or drunk – probably both – then he will have slow reactions. But Addison is in no doubt that the reaction may be disasterous when it comes and his aim is to prevent such a move.
