by Barney Broom
“Podric, I’ve some serious news. Your mother’s been involved in an incident and has been taken to hospital.”
“What happened?”
Podric’s voice sounded hollow. There was another slight pause.
“She and her friend Alannah met with an assault.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that your mother is hurt, but she’s stable.”
“How did it happen?”
There was a squawk and radio communication from the police.
“Sorry, Podric. A car will be arriving outside your house in about five minutes. Can you locate your sister?”
“I’ll try. How did it happen?”
The boy was coldly emphatic.
“We’re still getting details but indications suggest your mother and Ms. Brodie were attacked.”
It was Podric’s turn to be silent.
“Podric?”
“Yes.”
“Please contact your sister if you can. The car will be with you shortly.”
The call terminated. Podric tried Amy but she didn’t answer.
Minutes later he was speaking to a police officer who arrived in a patrol car. Amy and Lilian turned into the drive but seeing the police, Lilian quickly took off. Breaking the news to Amy, whose cheeks were covered in blue face paint, his sister got into the car. Officer Ravilious looked at Podric.
“Let’s go then. Locked the house?”
“Yuh.”
“Mortice?”
Podric went back and double locked the front door as Officer Ravilious reversed onto the road.
“How fast can you drive?”
Amy was her usual direct self.
“You’ll see.”
Podric got into the police car beside his sister.
“How badly is Mum hurt?”
“Don’t know. Bad enough to be in hospital.”
“Step on it then, smokey!”
Although concerned for the children’s plight, Ravilious couldn’t prevent a brief smile. Either the girl had a lively imagination or she’d been watching too many American cop shows. Whatever, the blue light went on and the car shot forward.
***
Sitting in his den, Archie’s self-pity was pathetic. Helping himself to another dollop of scotch, he mooched moodily about his eyrie. Dog appeared. The wolfhound had a strange relationship with its master. The more Light disregarded the animal, the more Dog seemed to worship him.
Looking at Fred Schepesi’s note to Podric again, Archie scrunched it up and threw it in a corner. Then he picked up the virtual reality glasses, and twiddled with them. Inspecting the adapted PlayStation unit and firing it up, Archie put on the weird specs. The slide switch Podric had fitted still showed Active. Tokyo Joe was already loaded and as the games creator began to operate the controls, his interest increased; realising he was both watching the game and reality, it was a strange experience. Gorillas on the rampage in Tokyo Zoo seemed about to attack Dog, who stood in front of him wagging his giant tail.
Operating the PlayStation’s controls, Archie fired Joe’s stun gun at an enormous male primate; the silverback rolled away as Dog tried to lick his master. The game increased in pace, Dog in and out of view chased by both zoo creatures and Sino hoods. And what was this? His daughter appearing and a Japanese bad boy about to decapitate her using a samurai sword. This had to be dealt with!
“You’re such a jerk.”
Taking off the VR visor, Archie shook his head as if to clear it.
“I’m sorry?”
“Too late for that.”
Walking away, Cosima was dismissive.
“I meant, I didn’t hear what you said.”
“I said you’re such a jerk. So wrapped up with your silly little games, you didn’t even hear the phone.”
“That’s what you think isn’t it, silly little games, but I’ve seen the future.”
“Whoopee. Reckon where you’re concerned, that doesn’t look so good.”
Moving towards the door, Cosima turned back.
“Anyway, interrupting your childish play, you’ve got to call our housekeeper. She’s been involved in some attack. Computer geek’s mum’s in hospital.”
Although furious at his daughter’s attitude, Archie quickly banished his emotions.
“What about Brodie?”
“Alright, she says.”
“What happened?”
“’Didn’t say much. She’d been trying to call you, but you were playing with your petit jouet.”
Standing, Archie came over to his daughter.
“What is it with you? What did I do that you despise me so much?”
Her face petulant, Cosima didn’t look at her father. He took hold of her face. That got a reaction.
“Get your hands off me!”
Cosima’s fire was up.
“Because you’re a nobody; because you’ve got no class and Mum was right to dump you.”
An hour ago, Archie would have gone berserk but something had happened to the games creator during that time, something long overdue igniting within him. When he spoke, his voice was controlled.
“Is that so? Your honourable mother, I’m afraid, my dear, is a slut of the first order. I’m further afraid that as your father, I’m hardly perfect in that department but I’m whiter than the driven snow by comparison. I subsequently discovered that even at the time of our engagement she was involved with a variety of partners, including sidesmen chosen by her as ‘friends’ at our wedding. Let’s leave out a bridesmaid or two for the moment, shall we?”
Cosima seemed unaffected.
“You’ll be suggesting she had the page next!”
Archie looked at his daughter archly. In her mood, Cosima didn’t catch it and went on.
“Ha! But Mum’s got the one thing you’ll never have – class. She knows the right people, not the rubbish geeky freaks you run around with.”
Walking a little away, Archie actually appeared relaxed.
“Is that what you think breeding is – an honourable title? I know steel workers with more class than your mother – when we had some.”
Archie picked up his mobile.
“That education I’ve paid for has been a profound waste of my hard-earned money – achieved from those silly little toys, as you call them. And the geeky freaks you mention are the future. It’s you who’s the dinosaur and you’re less than half my age!”
Believing she’d heard enough, Cosima began to leave the room but Archie intercepted her.
“Get out of my way!”
“You’ve got no idea, have you? No idea about anything really and it’s partly my fault. I apologise for that. You really are the poor little rich girl.”
“You think we’re rich? The sort of money I’m interested in wouldn’t buy you a seat at the bottom end of the table. When I go out with my friends, I’m the poor one. You’re right about not understanding my reality, the world I intend to inhabit.”
Her words triggered something in Archie’s mind and momentarily distracted him. What had Podric said about reality? Some other form of reality…? That’s what he must have done with this game. That’s what he was on about – but didn’t he want something more?
“Let’s face it Pa, you’re a failure, both socially and professionally. You’re even failing at those stupid games you were once so proud of! You’re washed up; you’re done!”
Archie slapped his daughter hard across the face and then immediately turned on his heel and walked off. Cosima was so shocked, she didn’t yell or scream, but when she spoke her words were cold.
“You’ll be sorry you ever did that, you pathetic plebeian bastard!”
Reaching the lift, Archie turned back.
“You’re wrong Cosima. I should have done it years
ago. I’m not turning you out of my house, but until you grow up and get some better balance in your life, you’ll do nothing, you’ll achieve nothing – either in my eyes or anyone else’s.”
Archie studied his daughter.
“I may not have been much of a father, but I’ve always loved you. I’ve made mistakes and I expect I’ll make some more, but if nothing else I hope you learn one thing – that life’s a two-way street. You win, you lose – but if you want to achieve anything, you graft and don’t behave like the spoilt brat you are. I’m going to the hospital now to see the one person who performs a reality check on this little household. Coming?”
“I wouldn’t go anywhere with you and when you get back, I’ll be gone.”
“Well that would be a sad shame – certainly for me. You’re a month off eighteen, but the law’s strange about young people’s rights these days and I expect if I looked into trying to restrict you, they’d probably tell me I was out of order.”
Opening the lift gate, Archie hesitated.
“Beware though, child. You think you know everything but in fact, you know so very little.”
“That’s it, isn’t it? Losing your little girl. I’m not a child you can control anymore and your ego can’t bear it.”
His expression sad, Archie looked at his daughter once more and pressed ‘Descend’.
***
When later they tried to come to terms with the numbing events experienced that Saturday afternoon in Wendbury, Barbara Moon and Alannah Brodie always found the terrifying details got mired in disbelief.
Parking Barbara’s car in the multi-storey car park, the two women made their way to a multiplex cinema. Their route involved a couple of lanes, one that ran past the back of a pub. Returning from the film, it was here they were set upon by three men.
In sight of a department store on the high street, two of the rapists attacked Barbara with such suddenness that she had no time to save herself. Dragged into a tiny alley yelling and screaming, she clawed one of the men’s faces. The man spat out an oath. Brodie had a split second to react as the other villain came at her. That moment saved them both. Kicking the attacker, Alannah grabbed an anti-rape device from her bag and pulled its tag.
When the ‘Rape Stopper’ went off, the villain in the act of raping Barbara – who in spite of her biting and struggling, already had her jeans yanked halfway down her legs – was the angriest. His fellow ravager tried to pull him off the prostrated woman, but the rapist had a knife out.
“Bitch!”
Seeing the blade coming towards her, Barbara somehow managed to twist her body away from the worst of the thrust, smashing her head into her assailant’s face. Before passing out, the last thing Barbara heard was the wail of a police siren.
Sitting in a corridor at the local hospital, Alannah worked her mobile phone. She sported a large plaster on her forehead and a bruised black eye. At the sight of her employer coming out of the lift, the housekeeper attempted a smile.
“Yes, to doing everything in my power to see that those bastards are caught… and yes, I’m alright.”
Archie sat down beside her.
“Thank God for that. Mrs. Moon?”
“Barbara. She’s much more seriously injured than I am, I’m afraid. Broken ribs, they’ve been checking her for internal bleeding.”
Archie looked around.
“She’s in a side room. They’ve let Amy and Podric in to see her. A police woman’s with them.”
Brodie put her phone in her bag.
“Would it be okay if I went to Briony Close for a few days? Barbara won’t be home for a little while.”
“Sure… or would they like to stay at the Lighthouse?”
Brodie looked at her boss, sharply. Was this really Dr. Light?
“What about…? How would that go down with—?”
“Cosima? By now, Brodie, Cosima has left Drinkwell and is on her way to who knows where?”
Alannah looked at Archie. After a second or two, he went on.
“We had a fallout. I slapped her. It was ten years too late, but the spoilt brat has an attitude that’s, at the least, awry.”
Archie flicked a speck of imaginary dust off his trousers.
“Some of it’s my fault, some’s her mother’s and the crowd she runs around with. Indulged with too much money, she’ll never amount to anything till she’s experienced some of life’s knocks – if that ever happens.”
Had Alannah not just experienced so much horror, she would have been in shock of a different kind listening to her employer. As it was, for several seconds she just gawped at him.
A door opened and Podric and Amy appeared with Officer Jenner and a Staff Nurse.
“Mrs. Moon has been given a sedative. She’s stable now, but needs to rest.”
“Would you like me to ring your grandparents?” Officer Jenner was attentive to Podric and Amy.
“No!” replied the little girl. “They drive us nuts. I can look after Podric.”
Amy Moon was a chip off her mother’s block and although traumatised by the afternoon’s events, her nine-year-old vehemence was respected. It was Alannah’s turn to address the children.
“Dr. Light has invited you to the Lighthouse. Would that work for you?”
Amy looked at Podric and this time it was her brother who spoke.
“No.”
Podric was less forceful than his sister, but no less firm.
“Podric, could I have a word with you?”
Not responding to Archie’s question, Podric stared at the door of his mother’s room.
“In private.”
Podric still didn’t respond, forcing Archie to continue.
“I want to apologise.”
“Then you can.”
“But it’s more than that. Now is not the time or the place, but it would be good to have you to stay – both of you – and we won’t do computers.”
With her instinctive intuition, Amy said nothing, and waited for her brother’s response.
“That’s a kind offer.” Officer Jenner eyed both children. “If you wish to decline, we’ll have to contact your relatives.”
“I’m nearly seventeen.”
“But Amy isn’t and you’re too young to drive.”
“So?”
“You’ll want to visit your mum.”
It was decided that the housekeeper would go to Briony Close for a few days and take care of Amy and Podric. Leaving the hospital, the police drove Alannah and the young Moons to fetch their mother’s car. Still in Wendbury’s multi-storey car park, the journey was sombre and reflective.
8
Agrolution
“Hi, Podric.”
Crossing the school playground, the computer champion awoke from his reverie. “Hi, er…”
“I was sorry to hear about your mum.”
Catherine Halliday’s concern was sincere but not burdening.
“Thanks.”
“How’s she getting on?”
“Hmm – so so. Early days.”
“I’m sorry. It must have been terrible.”
“Didn’t you want me to look at that maths app?”
Catherine was surprised by Podric’s abrupt change of topic.
“You won’t want to be doing that just now.”
“Why not?
“Well, er, well…”
“Shouldn’t take long.”
Catherine fished out her mobile.
“No one else has ever touched my phone.”
Podric just looked at her. With extreme reluctance, Catherine handed it to him. Podric glanced at the android.
“Okay if I get into it?”
“It’s locked.”
Catherine raised an eyebrow.
“Go on then.”
&
nbsp; Podric started working on Catherine’s cell phone. Reflecting it in the light, within no time at all, she heard her phone activate. Catherine looked askance.
“How?”
“Six digits – you can tell from the nonporous surface smudge.”
Catherine was seriously impressed. Podric flicked through her icons. Finding the Maths Я Us Squared app, he activated it, made the required adjustments and handed the unit back.
“Doors to manual. Think you’ll still come top?”
The school bell rang. Not thinking he’d done anything very clever, Podric headed for the entrance. Catherine’s friend Sally Frost arrived. The girls followed Podric into school, and Sally noticed the look on Catherine’s face was more than simply admiring.
A couple of days after Saturday’s unimaginable events, Alannah was coming back from Wendbury with Podric and Amy after visiting Barbara, and turning into the Lighthouse driveway, explained she had a couple of things to do there. Suddenly, the garage door slid up and Archie emerged. Clad in overalls, the bonnet of one of his Facel Vegas was up; his hands were greasy from working underneath the engine.
He and Podric looked at each other.
“Saying I should apologise – what you’ve done is incredible. I tried your kit… astounding dimension. Makes everything else obsolete.”
“But it doesn’t take me where I want to go.”
The words were out of Podric’s mouth before he realised he’d spoken them.
“Hell of a thing, though. Amazing. I wouldn’t have believed it is possible. Anyway, you’ll want your gear back.”
Podric did want it back.
“Oh, er…”
Leaving the garage door open, Archie wiped his hands and began walking towards his house. Podric was torn. He could call after the games creator saying his equipment could be dropped back another time, but he was here now. It wouldn’t do any harm to collect it.
Going upstairs, Archie caught Podric glancing at the large black and white photograph of Cosima.
“She’s gone.”
Forcing his eyes away from the lovely image, Podric looked at her father.
“We had a row. She’s a spoilt bitch and needs to grow up. Likely she’ll reappear when she needs some money, but harsh words were spoken. Long overdue, I’m afraid.”