Part 38 (2/2)
Father thought otherwise. He had said he would support the TechnoDemocrats if he thought they could win, but since they couldn't, he was forced to work with Billy Church's LabCon cronies.
”Tell me about visible speciation.”
”You get pure black widows in Arizona,” said Richard. ”And pure copperlegs in Illinois. They're a new separate species, the copperlegs, and they can't, er, mate with black widows.”
He was beginning to blush, but carried on.
”The thing is, if you start around Phoenix and travel
up to Chicago, you see the black widows slowly becoming different. Like halfway along the journey, you get spiders that can mate with black widows or or copperlegs. They're kind of a transition, you know? Ms Cole said speciation is a.n.a.logue, not digital, if you look close enough.” copperlegs. They're kind of a transition, you know? Ms Cole said speciation is a.n.a.logue, not digital, if you look close enough.”
During his days on the streets, he had not been able to think like this, not even in the workshop with Brian.
Suzanne touched his shoulder, and he felt calmer.
”There can be things in the world,” she said, ”that are safe so long as you take care, like some spiders that you have to handle carefully, while others you can do anything with. You can feel safe without overconfidence because you can relax...”
Here came the trance, and he slid into it with a smile. He drifted, allowing the process to happen, for what seemed like days. Then it was time to leave the imaginary star-cave and ascend to the normal world, the real world. He rose to the surface and opened his eyes.
”Welcome back,” said Suzanne.
Josh was standing inside the doorway.
”Interesting,” he said. ”What was that about copperlegs?”
Richard answered: ”They're proof of either Armageddon or evolution and climate change, depending on who you talk to.”
”Are you sure you're only fourteen?”
”I'm sure.”
”Good. So, look.” Josh pulled out a phone. ”You're staying with Suzanne for as long as you want. You know that, right?”
”Er...” Richard looked at Suzanne.
”You're fine.” She touched his shoulder. ”See?”
”Yes.”
”I talked to your father today,” said Josh. ”In person. He was”
”Is he all right?”
Suzanne smiled at him. So did Josh.
”Yes,” he said. ”Now he knows you're safe, he's much better.”
Richard looked down. The floor design seemed to swirl, matching the feeling inside his stomach. Finally, he raised his chin. ”But he's worried about me?”
”Yes. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to say it. Not to you.”
”Oh.” Richard looked down at the floor again. ”Maybe...”
”What?”
The words just seemed to creep out by themselves. ”Perhaps I should talk to Father.”
Suzanne was smiling.
”Well, perhaps you should.”
Josh found PB PB in his contacts list and made the call. As soon as Philip's image appeared, Josh said: ”Someone to talk to you.” in his contacts list and made the call. As soon as Philip's image appeared, Josh said: ”Someone to talk to you.”
He handed the phone to Richard.
”Richard? Oh, my G.o.d, Richard. You're all right. You're really all”
”I'm sorry, Father,” said Richard, and began to cry.
Josh looked at Suzanne, who nodded. He a.s.sumed she meant leave them to it. leave them to it.
So this was what reconciliation looked like. But in his case it would never happen: Sophie was not coming back, and Maria had nailed down the coffin of the marriage that he had killed through neglect, and that was that. He left the room, knowing Suzanne would remain, in case she needed to intervene.
”I don't know what the f.u.c.k I'm doing,” he said to the wall.
At the far end of the corridor, a nurse glanced at him, then walked through a doorway and was gone, used to visitors in odd states of mind.
I know what I want to do, but not how to do it.
Forget the flash storm outside. His nerves were dancing, electrified, like every op before the start, but there was no Regiment to back him up; and just because he needed to fight, that did not mean he could succeed.
He prowled until the waiting room door opened, and Suzanne waved. Inside, Richard was finis.h.i.+ng up his conversation with a soft ”Goodbye, Father.”
”Well,” said Suzanne. ”You won't believe what Richard just did.”
”What was that?”
”Er, I got Father to show me his knife. In the phone.”
”b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l,” said Josh.
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