A Touch of Chill

In Aiken-land anything can, and does, happen… Why are Rose’s strange LODGERS so interested in her two sick children? And what are the huddled white shapes that they keep in a birdcage in their room? In THE RENTED SWAN, a young playwright discovers that his landlady is a swan – and becomes quite attached to her… What is it in the woods that Sarah’s jealous husband is careful to ignore? And why does he continue to perfect his skills with bow and arrow so keenly? (JUGGED HARE) TIME TO LAUGH. The house must be empty, Matt decided. But that laughing clock – think what the other guys woulds say when they heard it! Then a voice behind him spoke: "Since you are here, you may as well wind the clock." POWER CUT. "By the time you get this, I'll be gone – you'll be able to enjoy the place all on your own," said the voice from the tape recorder. But how could it be playing when there was a power failure? THE COMPANION. The exorcist had driven the unwilling spirit out of the house – but was it still outside? In the darkness, the gate creaked… Nightmare fears become chilling reality in Joan Aiken's brilliant tales of terror. CONTENTS 1. Lodgers (1979) 2. Mrs. Considine (1969) 3. The Sewanee Glide (1979) 4. Listening (1979) 5. The Companion (1978) 6. The Rented Swan (1977) 7. Jugged Hare (1959) 8. A Game of Black and White (1979) 9. Time to Laugh (1979) 10. "He" (1979) 11. The Story about Caruso (1973) 12. The Helper (1979) 13. Power-cut (1977) 14. Who Goes Down This Dark Road? (1979) 15. A Train Full of War-Lords (1969) * Cover illustration by Stuart Hughes First published in 1979 by Victor Gollancz First Published in Lions Tracks 1981 Lions Tracks is an imprint of the Children's Division, part of the Collins Publishing Group A Touch of Chill: Tales for Sleepless Nights (Delacorte Press 1980) shares with English book only 8 stories.