Part 11 (2/2)
”Did you fake o.r.g.a.s.m,” I said boldly, ”with Egyptia?”
”Many many times,” he said, with a note of such ironic dismay that I laughed again.
The next time he made love to me, the ecstasy was like a spear going through me. I screamed out, and was astonished.
”Just pretending,” I said.
The phone gave a sound a few minutes before noon, the low purring it makes on the console by my bed.
Correction: made. I turned off the video, and answered it. I needn't have bothered with the video.
”Bad news,” said Clovis.
”That isn't me,” I said, ”or is that who's calling?”
”Jane, don't be witty. When's Demeta coming back?”
”Tomorrow.”
”I hate to break up your amour impropre early, but Egyptia has decided to a.s.sert her rights. She says she signed your metal playmate over to you for six hours. Only. You want him, I paid for him, but we can't do a thing. She's eighteen and he's in her name.”
”You could stall her...”
”No. Anyway, I've got other things to do with my day. Or did you think my only mission in life was to be your nursemaid?”
Rancor. I could hear it. Something grated inside him. Because he'd helped me and he'd lost out. And because he'd seen Silver.
”What do I do, Clovis?”
”Send him over to The Island on a fast ferry. Or she may make a hysterical call to a lawyer. Or her awful mother in that trench.”
”But-”
”You didn't think she was a friend of yours, did you?”
Everything in the room had stopped moving. It was funny, of course nothing had been moving, yet everything had looked alive, and now it didn't anymore.
”All right,” I said.
”Or,” he said, ”you can send it here, if you want. It, him. Egyptia can collect him, and maybe I can calm her down.”
”To your apartment,” I said.
”To my apartment. I'm so glad you didn't think I meant the middle of the river.”
”I'll pay you back the money,” I said. I had twisted the edge of the sheets into a hard corded knot.
”Oh, no rush.”
I switched the phone off.
”What is it?” my lover said to me. His arm came round my shoulders.
”Didn't you hear?”
”Yes.”
”Clovis wants you. And then Egyptia wants you.”
”Well apparently I legally belong to them.”
”Don't you care?”
”You want me to say I care about leaving you.”
I let him hold me. I knew everything was useless, was over, dead, like brown leaves crushed off the trees.
”I do care about leaving you, Jane.”
”But you'll be just the same with them.”
”I'll be what they need me to be.”
I left the bed and went into the bathroom. I ran the taps and held my hands under the water for a long while, for no reason at all. When I came back, he was dressing, pulling on the mulberry boots.
”I wish you wanted to stay with me,” I said.
”I do.”
”Only me.”
”You can't change me,” he said. ”You have to accept what I am.”
”I may never see you again.”
He moved to me and took me back into his arms. I knew the texture of these clothes now, as I knew the texture of his skin and hair, which are neither. Even in my misery, his touch soothed me.
”If you never see me again,” he said, ”I'm still part of you, now. Or do you regret that we've spent time together?”
”No.”
”Then be glad. Even if it's finished.”
”I won't let it be finished,” I said. I held him fiercely, but he kissed me and put me away, tactfully and finally.
”There's a flyer in ten minutes,” he said.
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