Part 7 (2/2)
”Can you do it?”
”Clovis! Oh, Clovis, black water's coming out of my eyes!”
”Your mascara is running.”
”Oh-yes. I forgot I had any on.” I laughed.
”Pull yourself together and get a taxi,” he said.
I was quite calm and rather amused. I walked into the ladies room and washed my face, and then went down to the taxi-park. I looked at the wonderful star-fields of the city below, above and alongside. The city lights are spattered on my winds.h.i.+eld-I'm in flight-we'll tread the sky- ”Block 21, New River Road,” I said to the driver, who was an astoundingly humanlike robot. ”Good Lord,” I said, waving my black nails at him, ”you're almost as realistic as the special E.M. formats.”
”Which?” he asked.
”Electronic Metals. Copper, Golder and Silver.”
”Never heard of 'em.”
”Have you ever been dismantled?”
”Not so you'd notice.”
”I wonder what it's like. He looked so-he looked-”
”Could you please,” he said, ”not cry like that when you getout of the cab? It might be bad for business.”
He was human of course, I'd forgotten about Jagged's gimmick line of real drivers.
He'd been more forbearing than Egyptia.
Lights. .h.i.t the winds.h.i.+eld. We flew.
I managed to stop crying. The worst thing was not knowing why I was.
When I got up to the fifteenth gallery of Clovis's block, his door rushed open before I even spoke to it, set for sight. Clovis stood in the middle of the rug, barefoot, in a shower robe, frowning.
”He's dying,” I said. ”They're going to kill him.”
The sedative Clovis gave me wasn't flavored. It had a bitter taste. I slept in the spare bedroom, which has black satin sheets, alternating with green or oyster satin sheets. The satin is a deliberate gesture, for you slide all night from one end of the bed to the other. Clovis usually makes his guests uncomfortable, in the hopes they'll soon go away. Drugged, I slept. When I woke up, he gave me China tea and an apple.
”If you can find anything to eat in the servicery, you can eat it.”
Sleepwalking, drug-dazed, I found some instant toasts. Clovis stood in the doorway.
”I think I gave you too much Serenol. Do you remember what you told me last night? You were in very dramatic shock.”
I watched the instant toast rising from the hot plate, and I saw two silver eye-sockets with wheels turning.
”No, I didn't give you enough Serenol,” said Clovis, as I wept.
I had told him everything, sitting on his couch, giving a performance Egyptia might have envied.
”I'm surprised you went as far as you did,” Clovis now said, handing me a large box of tissues, and removing the jumping toast from the floor. ”Timid little Jane, confronting the might of Electronic Metals Ltd. What was the name of that prat?”
”Sw-Sw-Sw-”
”Swohnson, that's right. I'm quite looking forward to meeting him.”
”What?”
”What?” Clovis copied my astonishment.
”Clovis, I can't go back. I can't do anything. I told him I was under eighteen. I haven't enough money.
And my mother wouldn't-”
”It's too boring to explain twice. Follow me.”
Clovis walked back across the main living area and dialed a number on the videoless phone, turning up the sound reception as he did so.
I stood where he had in the servicery doorway, and presently I heard Egyptia's sultry, seductive, sleepy voice.
”Good morning, Egyptia.”
”Oh G.o.d. Do you know what time it is. Oh, I can't bear it. Only an idiot would call at this hour.”
”An idiot would be unable to use the telephone. I take it you were asleep.”
”I never sleep.” She yawned voluptuously. ”I can't sleep. Oh Clovis, I'm terrified. Too terrified ever to sleep. I have a part. Theatra Concordacis are doingAsk the Peac.o.c.k For My Brother's Dust . They said only one person could play Antektra. Only I could play her. Only I had the resonance, the scope-But, Clovis, I'm not ready for it. I can't. Clovis, what shall I-”
”I'm going to buy you a lovely, lovely present,” said Clovis.
”What?” she demanded.
”Jane tells me you're hooked on a robot.”
”Oh! Oh, Clovis, would you? But, no. I can't. I have to concentrate on this part. I have to be celibate.
Antektra was a virgin.”
”I'm happy to reveal I don't know the play.”
”And Silver-he's called Silver-he is the most wonderful lover. He can-”
”Please don't tell me,” said Clovis. ”I shall feel inadequate.”
”You'dlove him.”
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