The Hound of Heaven
Good Morning, Midnight (Reginald Hill Edition)“The Hound of Heaven” is a comic expression of pursuit: in the station scene, it makes Andrew Dalziel seem certain to catch up with Peter Pascoe, however much Pascoe might hope to avoid him. The phrase gives a moment of workplace evasion the force of an inevitable chase.
Meaning in Context
The expression follows Shirley Novello’s amused observation that the DCI slips past the Superintendent’s door with a stealth that confirms her suspicion that the morning’s activities lack official approval. The narration then recasts the idea of escape through the image of the Hound: evasion may last through the night and day, but not when the pursuer is Andrew Dalziel. Its grand, relentless phrasing is undercut by the brisk joke that Dalziel may arrive even sooner.
Narrative Use
The pursuit metaphor is immediately echoed in Peter Pascoe’s return to his office. His relief at reaching it without being intercepted fades when he finds a sheet of paper pinned to his desk with a paper knife and marked “SEE ME!” The scene does not identify who left the note, but its placement after the reference to Dalziel makes the summons feel like the practical continuation of the chase. The expression thus converts Pascoe’s attempt to avoid an encounter into a brief comic reprieve before an unavoidable call to account.
