 The Soldier. Read by Stephen Mangan. It was one of those knights that made him feel he knew what it was like to be a blind man. Not the shadow of an image for his eyes to discern. Not even the forms of the trees visible against the sky. Out of the darkness he became aware of small rustling noises in the hedge. The breathing of a horse some distance away in the field. The soft thud of a hoof as it moved its foot. And once he heard the rush of a bird flying past him low overhead, Jock, he said speaking loud. We'll go home now. And he turned and began to walk back up the slope of the lane, the dog pulling ahead, showing the way in the dark. It must be nearly midnight, he thought. That meant that soon it would be tomorrow. Tomorrow was worse than today. Tomorrow was the worst of all. Because it was going to become today. And today was now. Today had not been very nice. Especially that business with the Splinter. Stop it, he told himself. There isn't any sense thinking about it. It doesn't do anyone any good thinking about things like that. Think about something else for a change. You can kick out a dangerous thought, you know, if you put another in its place. Go right back as far as you can go. Let's have some memories of... sweet days. The seaside holidays in the summer. Wet sand and red buckets and shrimping nets and the slippery seaweed rocks and the small clear pools and sea anemones and snails and mussels and sometimes one gray translucent shrimp, hovering deep down in the beautiful green water. How could that Splinter have got into the soul of his foot without him feeling it? It is not important. Do you remember hunting for cowries along the margin of the tide, each one so fine and perfect it became a precious jewel to be held in the hand all the way home? And the little orange-colored scallops, the pearly oyster shells, the tiny bits of emerald glass, a live hermit crab, a cockle, the spine of a skate, and once, but never to be forgotten, the dry sea-washed jawbone of a human being with teeth in it, white and wonderful among the shells and pebbles. Oh, Mummy, look what I found. Look, Mummy, look. Sample complete. Ready to continue?