Arthur was waiting by the churchyard gate and together they got Sarah back to the churchwarden"s aging but practical Volvo Estate, which was parked at the T-junction in the Walden woods.
They placed Sarah gently on the back seat and covered her with Paul"s cloak and a blanket Arthur had brought. As he was about to get into the passenger"s seat Paul realised something had changed. He was unable to see much of the surrounding woodland in the moonlight, but he felt that the atmosphere was much less oppressive. The trees that he could make out, giant oaks and horse chestnuts, seemed not at all sinister or threatening. The influence from Walden had already begun to fade.
“Thanks for coming up, Arthur,” Paul said. “I could never have managed otherwise. I no longer even have a car.”
“I was con
