Klara and the Sun(69)

‘Will I lose my abilities?’

‘As I said, your overall performance shouldn’t be greatly impaired. But this isn’t my area. There may be some effects on your cognitive abilities. But since your essential energy source is solar, you shouldn’t be affected to any significant degree.’

He lowered the window on his side and holding out the plastic bottle, emptied the water out onto the ground outside.

‘This is your call, Klara. If you want, we can just drive away from here. We have another, let me see, twenty minutes before our rendezvous with the rest of our party.’

I stared at the yard again through the wire-mesh fencing, trying to control my fear. My view of it from the car had remained unpartitioned, and the Sun was still watching from between the two silhouette buildings.

‘You know, Klara. I don’t even know what this is about. But I want what’s best for Josie. Exactly the same as you. So I’m willing to grasp at any chance that comes our way.’

I turned to him with a smile and nodded. ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Then let’s try.’



* * *



—



Sitting beside the sushi cafe’s window, looking out at the shadows growing longer outside the theater, I’d become excited by the possibility that the Sun might conceivably pour in his special nourishment straight away, through this very window, to Josie, now sitting across the table from me. But I realized how tired the Sun must be – that he’d all but finished for the day – and that it was both disrespectful and unreasonable to expect such an immediate response. A small hope continued to linger in my mind, and I watched Josie closely, but I soon accepted I’d have to wait until the following morning at the very earliest.

I’d also realized the reason I couldn’t see so clearly through the sushi cafe’s window was because it was dusty and smeared, and not so much to do with what had occurred in the yard. Indeed, despite its constant billowing in the breeze, I could still read the large cloth banner above the theater entrance saying ‘Blissfully Brilliant!’ And I had no difficulty deciphering the people arriving to join those already milling around outside the theater. Each time more people came, there would be greetings and humorous shouts. I couldn’t hear their words clearly, but there was thick glass separating us, so this too was consistent with the prevailing conditions.

Our task in the yard hadn’t delayed us unduly, but by the time the Father and I had finally located the correct sushi cafe, Josie, Rick, the Mother and Miss Helen had already been sitting for several minutes around the table beside the window. The Father had greeted everyone cheerfully, as though there hadn’t been any tension at Mr Capaldi’s, but soon afterwards, the Mother had risen and gone out to join the crowd outside, her oblong held to her ear.

Now, across the table, the Father was turning the pages of Rick’s notebook and making appreciative sounds. But I was concerned at how uncharacteristically quiet Josie had become, and soon the Father noticed this too.



‘You okay there, animal?’

‘I’m fine, Dad.’

‘We’ve been on the go for a long time now. Do you want to go back to the apartment?’

‘I’m not tired. I’m not sick. I’m okay, Dad. Let me just sit here.’

Rick, sitting beside Josie, was also looking at her with concern. ‘Hey, Josie, do you fancy finishing this for me?’ He said this quietly, almost into her ear, as he slid the remainder of his carrot cake towards her. ‘It might give you energy.’

‘I don’t need energy, Ricky. I’m fine. I just want to sit here, that’s all.’

The Father looked carefully at Josie, then turned back to Rick’s notebook.

‘These are really interesting, Rick.’

‘Ricky, darling,’ Miss Helen said, ‘it just occurs to me. It was an excellent idea to bring your diagrams along. But perhaps it’s best you don’t offer them to Vance unless he specifically asks you.’

‘Mum, we’ve been over this.’

‘It’s just that it might look inappropriate. Too eager. This is supposed to be just a social meeting after all. A spontaneous encounter.’

‘Mum, how can this be spontaneous when it’s been so carefully set up and we’ve come in specially for it?’

‘I just mean, darling, you must try and behave as though it’s spontaneous. That’s what will work best with Vance. Only if he asks specifically to see some of your work…’

‘I understand, Mum. It’s all under control.’

Rick looked tense, and I wished to do something to give him reassurance, but I was across the table from him and couldn’t reach over to touch his arm or shoulder. The Father was again looking at Josie, but she didn’t seem to me unwell so much as simply lost in her own thoughts.



‘Drones were never my area,’ the Father said after a while. ‘But this, Rick, is truly impressive and exciting.’ Then to Miss Helen: ‘Lifted or not, genuine ability has to get noticed. Unless this world’s completely crazy now.’

‘You were always encouraging me, Mr Arthur,’ Rick said. ‘Right from when I first started getting into all this. So much of what you showed me back then forms the foundations of what you see there.’

‘That’s kind, Rick, but I’m sure it’s entirely unwarranted. Drone technology was never my area, and I doubt if I was ever of much help to you. But I appreciate you saying that.’