Departure(90)
“Cost?” he asks, the start of a smile forming on his lips.
“Minimal. No infrastructure needed.”
“Sounds too good to be true.”
“Wrong. It’s already here.” I walk to my bookshelf, pull a paperback off. “Books.”
“Books?”
“That’s right.”
“I could get behind that,” he says, leaning back in the chair. “It’s actually an interesting idea: writing a book about what happened to us in 2147 and releasing it to give people something to think about. That’s a venture I wouldn’t mind investing in.”
“That . . . would be interesting.”
“And,” he says, “it could give you working capital—without selling or letting this cozy little flat.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Are you negotiating with me?”
He laughs out loud. “I am. This could be the best investment I’ve made in some time. But you know, we’d have to work closely on this. It would be half my story, half yours. You’d have to help me with my part.”
“I might be willing to do that.”
“Since we’d be working together so much, I would need to be close by. Say, next door.”
My jaw drops. “You didn’t.”
“ ‘Bloody foreign investors,’ ” he says, mimicking me.
I shake my head, embarrassed.
“I meant what I said this morning, Harper. I’m serious about seeing where things go with us. If you’re not ready, I’ll stay in San Francisco. But if you are, I’ll be next door. That wall doesn’t have to come down any time soon. Or ever, if you don’t want it to.”
I nod. I do want that wall to come down. At some point. I know it came down in the other world, so it’s possible here.
We talk about that, the book we’ll write together, and the future for a few hours, the fire crackling in the living room that’s littered with construction paper, drawings, and worn notebooks.
Through the tall windows, the first snow of winter is beginning to fall, and bundled-up people are hurrying home under the yellow glow of streetlamps.
When the dinner is half gone, we wrap up the leftovers, place them in the fridge for tomorrow, stoke the fire for the night, and head to the bedroom.
For the first time since I can remember, I’m not the least bit worried about the future.
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you for reading. I really hope you’ve enjoyed DEPARTURE.
This novel was challenging to write at times, perhaps because the story draws on some of my personal experiences (not the part in 2147 :). While Atlantis was about the origins of the human race, DEPARTURE is sort of about the origins of my writing career, or at least, why I choose to leave internet start-ups and do something I felt passionate about.
It seems like the world around us gets faster every year. We’re knee-deep in new technologies, but I’m still scratching my head, wondering if we’re making the world better or just speeding it up. I guess time will tell. Maybe we’ll all be Titans someday. Or maybe we’re smart enough to avoid that fate altogether.
That’s what DEPARTURE is about to me: an exploration of where technology might take us-and the possible consequences. It’s the sort of cerebral, “what-if?” story I enjoy reading and (most of the time) enjoy writing.
To me, the best stories are the ones that leave the reader better than they were. And the best of those nurture both our minds and our souls. I don’t know if my craft is quite there yet, but I’m working on it, and I truly appreciate you coming along for the journey.
Take care,
- Gerry
PS: If you did enjoy DEPARTURE, writing a review on Amazon or sharing it on Facebook would go a long way toward helping others find the book.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’m beginning to think it takes a village, not an author, to write a novel.
This year, I’ve been very lucky to see my little village grow by leaps and bounds.
My wife, Anna, makes sure the trains run on time here at the Riddle household (and that we never miss our plane when we’re on the road). Without her, I would likely still be in a train station somewhere in Europe and you wouldn’t be reading this novel. And past that, my life wouldn’t be the same.
Professionally, I’m blessed to have some incredibly talented people working to get my books into readers’ hands. Gray Tan of Grayhawk Agency took a chance on me when I was a promising start-up author. A million copies later, he’s still selling my rights throughout Asia and doing an incredible job.
Danny Baror and Heather Baror-Shapiro represent me in Europe and the rest of the world with every bit as much passion and skill.
Between the two agencies, they’ve sold The Origin Mystery series in twenty territories and counting. I’ve been amazed, and I’m humbled to have Gray, Danny, and Heather representing me.
Miranda Ottewell edited this novel and did an absolutely outstanding job. She’s edited novels from some of the most well-known authors in the world, including Daniel Silva, Mitch Albom, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Barbara Kingsolver, and now, unfortunately, she has to add A.G. Riddle to the list. :) If you’re a writer looking for a fantastic editor, I wholeheartedly endorse her.