“You can be annoying Adam, we have books and I am the teacher, so I read. How many times do I have to say stop treating me like I am stupid.” Tomorrow pushes his thumb back towards his wrist.
“For one, that actually hurts. Please stop. Second, I told you I don’t know what you know. We experienced different things, so I am not treating you as stupid. I merely lack knowing what things you know and don’t and yes, I make assumptions sometimes.” Adam, looked hat her hand as it eased on his thumb.
“Is that why you began clicking? Because you realized you were being treated like Stephen treated the synths?” Tomorrow asked.
“I never thought about it that way. Maybe. That was a long time ago.” Adam brushed her hand.
“Not for you. Every second of your life you can go back to. That is amazing! But I can see why it would be hard to choose. However, they are the people who raised you, so have you never been back?”
Adam shook his head as he looked down at her feet for a change of scenery. “Nice shoes.”
“Adam, answer me.” Tomorrow began pushing on his thumb again.
Adam grinned at her and said, “I’ve been tortured before. I don’t like it, but if you want me walking around with a bad hand, I’ll endure the pain.”
“Stop it. You’ll heal in a day even if I were to do it. You already know I won’t.” Tomorrow kisses his lips lightly. “Answer me, though.”
Adam looks down and notes to himself that she still hadn’t relieved the pressure she is putting on his thumb. “Who are they to me? Really? They had no choice. They had to send me to college or look bad amongst their own community. Flatly, they were done with me once they had their own. I was a responsibility to them. It’s that simple.”
“So in a way though, wouldn’t that mean he’s your brother, even by blood considering he has some of your genes.” Tomorrow asks. “Have you ever visited him since college?”
“Wait rewind, say that again!” Adam stands and pulls his hand free of her grasp and puts it to his chin while he listens closely for her to repeat herself.
“I said, he’s got some of your genes and the same people raised you, so…”
Adam cut her off. “I’ll be back.” He clicked and Tomorrow sighed in frustration.
She stood up and began heading to the party without him. She thinks to herself, “I should have known. Plus, he didn’t want to go anyway.”
CHAPTER 27
“I can do more in one day than most people in a lifetime, but what have I done with a lifetime of days like that?” -- from the Book of Brian
“Asshole! What are you doing back. And how do you know when I’m even here?”
“I actually didn’t, but whatever.” Renfield hands him another ‘lunch bag’. “Same routine as last time and I’ll have my answer and not ask again. Hmm, well maybe one or two more times. Run the new one against both of the old ones. There shouldn’t be a record of either, unless someone flagged the files for some reason.”
“Yeah, great handiwork. Whatever, man. Go. Same time frame. I suppose bureaucracy is in your favor.” Brady picks up the bag. He looks at Renfield and says, “If you enter my office and I’m not here don’t go digging through it. That’s rude!”
“I didn’t the last time. You had the folder sitting out. I saw what you wrote on it and knew it had to be what I needed. I don’t rifle through your office, Brady. I could care less where you hide your candy bars.”
Brady nods, “Okay, I’ll write the same thing on the other because the look on your face means you want it ASAP. But it’s going through the same channels, so there will be a wait. I’m sticking to SOP on these. If something goes awry, it’s not going to be my problem. I suspect you appreciate that, considering you are the one who was so insistent I keep my position.”
Renfield looked at Brady. The number of thoughts racing through Renfield’s head were getting close to the exploding point, but he stopped all of them and responded, “Yeah, thanks.” Then he clicked.
Brady swiveled his chair around while staring at the acoustic tile ceiling above him and said to it, “By the way, nice suit. What’s the occasion?” Then he let out a deep breath of air he didn’t realize he was holding.
When Renfield appeared on the other end of his venture he was standing in the same place. Brady was not in his office. He looked down at the desk and there was the folder. He grabbed it and clicked again.
He enjoyed the sound of the river and it did help him relax. He pulled out all of his the papers with all of the markers on it. He laid them all out side by side and then continued to switch which ones were above and which were below each other. He noted a sequence he remembered from when he was young. It was his part of his own deoxyribonucleic code. He checked again. He knew it would be in the other one, since it was specifically chosen for that person. But he noted it, more or less was the same in the other two. There was a wider variance than he had hoped for between the other two. He cursed the trees at the thought of seeing Brady again. He decided to do his own Detective work for a while and clicked.
He watched Johnson get in his own personal vehicle and he marked that in his mind. Then he clicked ahead as it moved. He bumped a man on the sidewalk who was merely walking his dog. He saw the man launch into the air due to the inertia of the impact and he clicked to the man while he was still airborne, pulled him down, clicked to the leash, put it back in the man’s hand and said, “Excuse me, I’m in a rush.” Not waiting around for the strange look, he started moving in the direction the car was last headed. He began listening intently for Johnson’s thoughts through the haze of being open to so many minds. Then he heard it, “What do you want?”
It was clear. It had never been clear before. “You have two sons, they die, just to be clear, so I hope you have another heir to your throne.” Then Renfield projected the image of a toilet to him.
“I don’t believe you. I can’t move forward anymore, but I’m guessing that means you can’t either.” Johnson responds. “So you couldn’t know that. Why don’t you find a hobby.”
“Wow, no one taught you and they had me in their hands to observe. Foolishly they concentrated on you before knowing what they were making.” Renfield aims back.
“You’re a piece of crap. You don’t even remember what I dragged you in for because it hasn’t happened for you yet. Just the part where you’re behind bars and then it goes forward from there. Right Adam? That’s a detail you never mention to anyone which is why I have so much fun with you.” Johnson takes a right turn.
Renfield sees the reflection of the red light swirling on the buildings in front of him. He begins to click but nothing is and that’s all.
He looks up at a figure holding something. His mind starts to realize it’s a projectile stun gun. Then he hears, “Now I go tell your buddy you’re here.” Renfield hears and looks up. It’s Johnson who said it to him. Renfield notes the familiar bars.
“This will be fun! He doesn’t even know you and you can’t just change things anymore. So now we find out how this really plays out.” Johnson stuns Renfield again through the metal bars. He holds the button down harder than it has to be and for a lot longer than it allows. Then he spits on Renfield’s motionless body as he walks away. “I’ll be back.”
Renfield looks up. His muscles are in agony, but he concentrates on fact. He wasn’t as old the first time. He looked younger. They can’t change things anymore so there is more to this. He clicks. Then feeling woozy he says to himself, “Now your office, that’s up for grabs, jerk!” He looks at the desk and sees the photo of Johnson, on a fishing trip, with three boys, smiling widely for the photo. He doesn’t know if that is relevant, but he starts opening the drawers as fast as he can and going through things that look personal, not official. He sees one file that has a label on it stating, ‘Stanley – School’. He grabs it opens it and notes that it’s an application to a private school. He clicks. By the river, he thinks to himself. “Stanley Johnson, huh? Ok, what’s my next move? I’ve got to find that kid but avoid Johnson.” Then it hits him, if Stanley was accepted to the private school he knows where he will be and when. He clicks.
Having done his homework assignment, Renfield clicks to Brady’s office.
“Let me guess, one more right? You do know Johnson is at it again. How did you get out? You didn’t tell him I can slightly remember did you?” Brady looks at Renfield and stands between him and his office window. “You need to be careful. I have people in and out of my office all day. You’re pushing your luck that you pop in here when no one else is here.”
“For one, why would I show my cards to the asshole on the other side of the table. He even commented that we haven’t met yet, so he’s a clueless jerk. I’m not asking you to fire him. It doesn’t help you or I. I’m just getting that off my chest.” Then as he passes over the ‘lunch bag’ he comments, “I don’t need a full tree this time. It didn’t help much with the last ones. With this one I know the tree. I just need to confirm a suspicion.” Renfield looks at Brady pressuring him with his eyes.
Brady grabs the ‘lunch bag’. “Well that certainly raises less flags with me. But, that’ll do. I’ll have the report back in hours. Get out of here.”
Renfield clicks and appears back in the same place that night. He sees the folder on Brady’s desk and grabs it. By the river, he reads it, in the morning sun. Then he clicks.
“You’re going to the party without me? I thought I was your escort?”
Tomorrow hears Adam’s voice from behind her and turns. “I thought you had stood me up.”
“Wow, so forgotten in five seconds or less?” Renfield replies.
Tomorrow walks towards him. “No, you know I can’t forget you, but when you do that, I never know how long you will be gone. Well to me anyway. How long have you been gone?” She takes his hand and with pride glowing in her face she advances to the party while listening for his explanation.
“You are a very smart woman!” Renfield replies and then he checks his suit considering that he had just picked it up at the dry cleaners.
“You smell fresh, but your hair has grown.” Tomorrow comments.
Adam reaches a hand to his head, “Ah, I didn’t think about that!” He stops while still holding her hand.
Tomorrow turns to him and says, “If after parties are the way you describe them, I doubt anyone will notice.”
Adam grins at her and says, “Good point!” Then he proceeds to follow her.
As they walk through the doors Tina lets out an ear piercing squeal of delight. Venetia moves to the makeshift center where they decided to make announcements from and says, “The teacher has arrived! Now, we can have the good stuff!” The crowd explodes into cheers, laughter, applause and in some cases all three.
Adam squeezes her hand and then whispers in her ear. “They love you, they really, really love you.” He grins at his own joke knowing she wouldn’t understand the reference, but knew she could hear how proud he was of her.
Tomorrow smiles at everyone. It makes her feel very good, but she turns to Adam anyway and says, “I think this was a mistake. At least I showed up, right? Can we leave now?”
Tina appears juggling three glasses. She holds them out to Tomorrow. “Take one, girl!”
Tomorrow grans one and looks around seeing everyone else is holding one out waiting for her.
Tina moves to Renfield and says, “Well now, go on.”
Renfield looks at the glass and takes it. He whispers in Tina’s ear, but before he is done explaining, Venetia taps him on the back and says, “I’ll take that glass, want to trade?” Tina hands him her glass of seltzer and he notes she hadn’t drank from it. He thought to himself that she was extremely observant and planned ahead for the eventuality.
Adam leaned to Tomorrow. “Now is when you say something about good futures for everyone, etc., etc., blah, blah and all that. Hold up your glass, you’re the one the toast is to, but make it about everyone here.”
Tomorrow looked up at him. “I don’t know what to say. I’ve never done this. I read about it, but…” She trails her voice off as she looks out at all of the people looking at her, knowing their arms must be tiring from holding their glasses so high. She held her own glass high and yelled out, “Fresca, pura, perche no, lfie non aspetta intorno si rendono bene!”
At that everyone cheered and drank. Tomorrow looked up at Adam, “How’d I do?”
Adam spit out his seltzer with a bit of laughter as he leaned to her, “You did great! Although I highly doubt any of them speak Italian.” He laughed a bit more while looking out at the crowd that has resumed the chatter he has heard before. Different times, same thing. That was something she was changing right now and he knew it.
She looked at him, “Oh, well they must have liked it. They started cheering.”
Adam looked at her. He stopped laughing and he said, “Forever wouldn’t be enough time to teach you everything. Now do you want to dance, my dear?” He stared at her for a moment and said, in English, “Tomorrow, your toast was, ‘Fresh, pure, why not, life does not wait around. You make good.’ You were describing your own life. You are fascinating, woman!”
Tomorrow looked at Adam, “I’ve never danced.” She looks at the people dance and back to him.
“I was counting on that since I am pretty bad at it.” Renfield grabs her waist and ushers her to the floor. After a few minutes of mimicking those around them while also making up their own moves Tomorrow begins to laugh.
“I don’t think we should be doing this.” Tomorrow looks around trying to gauge the reactions in the room.
As the excitement sweeps from her face, replaced by a blush Renfield replies, “Probably not, but now we can’t say we never danced together! Let’s go find Tina and get into some fun.” Renfield held out his elbow and Tomorrow grabbed his arm above it. Then he thinks to her, “You do realize if we practiced we would so have an edge on the competition!”
Tomorrow thinks back, “Would that be cheating?”
Adam thinks in response, “Not if we have fun doing it, my dear!”
Tomorrow pulls on his arm so Adam stops as she says, “The practicing or the cheating? I know what you have in mind for the best way to practice.”
“As I knew that was the first thing you would think of too!” Renfield grins back at Tomorrow.
CHAPTER 28
“The day I know it all is the last for all.” -- from the Book of Brian
Tomorrow was practicing backflips when Renfield walked out to watch.
“Go on, I know you have some criticism.” Tomorrow looked at him and remarked.”
“No. Well, yeah. Conservation of energy if it’s for a fight, don’t do it. If it’s for exercise, by all means.”
At the edge of their vision another was suddenly there. Both Renfield and Tomorrow turned to look as the figure approached. The man approached and Renfield did not move. He signaled with his hand for Tomorrow not to stir because he knew she could not hear either of their thoughts. The man leaned in and spoke to Renfield. Renfield nodded. The man vanished.
Renfield’s mood had obviously changed.
Tomorrow asked, “Who was he and what was that about, Adam?”
“I’ve told you before we are not the only ones. He was providing me a SITREP.”
“What situation was he reporting to you on?” Tomorrow moved towards him. Her eyes lowered as she tried to delicately get an answer from Adam.
“Things important to him. So about the backflip maneuver.” Adam tried to grin off the conversation.
Tomorrow pressed, “What he called you. That is the titled of the person that Venetia and Tina said the books told them to look for.”