Part 54 (1/2)
”Like I said, give me five minutes. Are you at the same number?”
”Yeah. But you may not get through. The place is practically deserted.”
”I'll get through,” Abernethy said, and put down the phone.
Grillo looked across at Tesla.
”I did it,” he said.
”I still don't think it's wise, telling people.”
”Don't start again,” Grillo said. ”This is the story I was born to tell, Tesla.”
”It's been a secret for so long.”
”Yeah, for people like your friend Kissoon.”
”He's not my friend.”
”Isn't he?”
”For Christ's sake, Grillo, you heard what he did.”
”So why do you talk about him with this sneaking envy in your voice, huh?”
She looked at him like he'd just slapped her.
”Call me a liar?” he said.
She shook her head.
”What's the appeal?”
”I don't know. You're the one who just kept watching the Jaff do his stuff. No attempt to stop him. What was the appeal of that?”
”I wouldn't have had a chance against him, you know that.”
”You didn't try.”
”Don't change the subject. I'm right, aren't I?”
Tesla had crossed to the window. Coney Eye was screened by trees. There was no telling from here whether the damage was spreading.
”Do you think they're alive?” she said. ”Howie, and the others?”
”I don't know.”
”You got to look into Quiddity, right?”
”I got a glimpse,” Grillo said.
”And?”
”It was like one of our telephone calls. Cut off short. All I got to see was a cloud. There was no sign of Quiddity itself.”
”And no Iad.”
”No Iad. Maybe they don't exist.”
”You wish.”
”You're sure of your sources?”
”Couldn't be more sure.”
”I love it,” Grillo remarked somewhat bitterly. ”I dig around for days and all I get is a f.u.c.king peek. But you-you plug straight in.”
”Is this what this is about?” Tesla said. ”You getting a story?”
”Yeah. Maybe it is. And telling it. Making people understand what's going on in Happy Valley. But seems to me you don't really want that. You'd be happier if we kept this among the chosen few. You, Kissoon, the f.u.c.king Jaff-”
”OK, you want to report the end of the world? You do it, Orson. Listeners across America are just waiting to panic. Meanwhile, I've got problems-”
”You smug b.i.t.c.h.”
”I'm smug! I'm smug! Listen to Mister Hotshot Tell Them The Truth Or Die Trying Grillo! Has it occurred to you that if Abernethy publishes what's going on up here we're going to have a major tourist industry in twelve hours? Freeways blocked in both directions? And won't that be nice for whatever's coming out of the throat, huh? Feeding time!”
”s.h.i.+t.”
”Didn't think of that, did you? And while we're talking turkey, you-”
The telephone silenced her in mid-accusation. Grillo picked it up.
”Nathan?”
”Abernethy.”
Grillo looked across at Tesla, who was standing with her back to the window glaring at him.
”I'm going to need a lot more than two paragraphs.”
”What convinced you?”
”You were right. A lot of people didn't come home from the party.”
”Has it made the news this morning?”
”Nope. So you've got an edge. Of course your explanation about where they've gone's c.r.a.p. Biggest fiction I ever heard. But it's a great front page.”
”I'll get back to you with the rest.”