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He said the words in a rush and somehow I got the feeling he did not believe them either.
    ‘Why isn’t there any calls from within then Mr. Price?’ The vicar yelled at the top of his voice and didn’t get any reply. I wiped my tears and nose on my sleeve.
    ‘You must remember this is pretty thick stuff and we’re quite a way from the school yet, look you. It’s impossible for sound to get through that lot so don’t give up hope yet boy . . . not yet.’
    I saw him wipe his eyes with his fingers and then he blew his nose in a handkerchief. His words comforted me a little.
    Mam came over just then, her hair blowing across her face, slag streaks across her brow, her hands and arms black to the elbows. I noticed the white rivulets down her cheeks where she had been crying but her eyes were dry now – dry, and harder than I had ever seen them before.
    ‘Dai, are you all right?’
    ‘I’m fine, Mam,’ a shiver ran through me, belying my words.
    ‘You’d better go home and go to bed,’ she said softly. ‘You’re wet through. I don’t want you catching pneumonia not . . .’ her voice broke and then recovered harshly, ‘not now. Go on Dai.’
    ‘I can’t, Mam. Please don’t try and make me. Please Mam.’ Perhaps she understood that no matter what she said, I would stay.
    At that moment we heard the intermittent hooting of the mine alarm. Immediately it seemed to put new life into the villagers. We knew that within minutes the men would be there, the gangs would form up and dig into that Hell hill of blackness. Those who were already trying to get to the door attacked the slag with renewed vigour, passing the buckets down the lines. Helped by the women, the heavy ooze was tipped on the other side of the road.
    I saw a few of the men coming round the corner dragging the riverside fencing and I ran to help, relieved to have something to do.
    The sea of blackness stretched down the road out of sight. It was dangerously slippery with people continually falling over. It was hard to tell who was who. The piece of fencing was taken from us and the vicar ordered us to bring more. A crowd of us ran sliding and falling down the road towards the riverbank to fetch it. The few villagers in front of me suddenly stopped and seconds later I saw why. Hurrying down the hill towards us, spurred on by the sound of the alarm came a beautiful sight . . . a disorganised crocodile of children. We gaped at them, those behind jostling past me to see why we had stopped. The children, seeing us black and wet slowed, a little afraid. Then we were running towards them, Ma Grimes the schoolteacher hurrying towards us and the children following. I saw Sion and the same time he recognised me and he came running. I looked for Sian, never far from him as a rule but did not see her. My heart sank and fresh tears stung my eyes. I did not see the other reunions going on around me, I saw only my brother.
    I hugged him. ‘Where’s Sian?’ I asked, expecting her to jump on me any second. His words brought bile to my mouth I felt so sickened.
    ‘She’s in school Dai. Why? What’s happening? Why are you all here and look at you – all of you so dirty. We heard the alarm and came quickly. What’s happened? Is it the mine? Is Da . . . ?’
    ‘It’s not the mine. It’s the school.’ I turned, unable to go on, trying to fight back my grief. At first sight of the children I had hoped. I had seen Sion and known some were safe. Now . . . now Sian, my lovely sister . . . I choked on my thoughts.
    Some of us went to get the fencing though a few of the women stayed where they were, their arms protectively around their children.
    ‘Sion, Mam’s at the school. Hurry and find her and let her know about Sian. Why isn’t she with you anyway?’
    ‘We all came out for a nature ramble. Ma Grimes thought we needed fresh air and so we went to look at some trees or something. I didn’t take much notice. Sian . . . Sian was sniffling. Teacher thought she