The Candy House(88)

When the ring has moved up over the woman’s entire body, the purple light goes out and the military guy reappears and leads her to a chair. Then he sits down behind a screen and spends a long time studying it. The only light in the room is a blue-green glow on the guy’s face, and all I can see above his mask are his eyes.

Finally the lights gently rise, and the guy stands up. He looks around and sees that I’m awake. When our eyes meet, he says, “You don’t get motion sickness,” and I realize it’s the first voice I’ve heard since I met Jules that morning.

“Never,” I say.

He goes to the woman in the chair and gently pulls off her hood. She’s asleep too. The guy crouches beside her chair, close to her face, and says, “You’re clean, Lulu. There’s nothing.”

She starts upright, and that’s when I recognize her: it’s Lulu. As in OUR Lulu, Dolly’s daughter. IT’S LULU!!

Then it’s like a spell breaks: the twins start to wail and Lulu leans over the stroller kissing them both and she’s crying, too. She looks haggard, and one arm kind of hangs at her side like she can’t use it properly. Jules introduces the military guy as “A,” a “cleaner,” meaning one of those people who scan for weevils. He’s promised Jules a scan (not his first, apparently), which of course turns up nothing.

Lulu and I waited with the twins in another room while Jules had his turn in the purple ring. I asked about her injured arm but she was vague and evasive. It was hard for her to stop crying, which was strange to see. I think of Lulu as so capable and stoic. Poor thing, she’s clearly been through something terrible, but I didn’t want to pry. I wonder if Chris knows.

Ok, that was my day. How was yours?

S


Bennie→Stephanie

Steph, you’re sure this wasn’t a dream?


Stephanie→Bennie

What was the one rule I made when you first lured me into bed? AND it was in our marriage vows.


Bennie→Stephanie

I know: no making each other listen to our dreams. But… Lulu and Jules? When did they reconnect?


Stephanie→Bennie

Apparently they’re collaborating on some kind of celebrity interview involving Bosco, in Los Angeles…!?


Bennie→Stephanie

Interesting. I’m already aware of that project from Bosco himself. Didn’t know Lulu was involved. Coincidence, or do all roads start to converge after age 70?


Jules Jones→Stephanie Salazar Sis what can I say? Life not possible w/o you.

Your loving Bro, Jules


Stephanie→Jules

Anytime. You know that.


Jules→Stephanie

Wish you’d taken up Ames on his offer of a scan. They are VERY hard to come by.


Stephanie→Jules

Unless someone wants to infiltrate the Westchester Senior Ladies’ Tennis Circuit, I think I’m safe.


Jules→Stephanie

Doesn’t it ever occur to you that another entity might be looking out through your eyes and listening through your ears or uttering words through your mouth?


Stephanie→Jules

Nope. But it has occurred to me that buying a fluorescent ring and offering “scans” would be a lucrative racket. Has “Ames” ever actually found a weevil?


Jules→Stephanie

He had one in his own brain!


Stephanie→Jules

Whaaaaat?


Jules→Stephanie

I saw it. Looks like a narrow, pointed pill bug with flexible synthetic scales.


Stephanie→Jules

I wish I could unknow that.


Jules→Stephanie

He was in Special Operations, then worked as a contractor doing stuff the military didn’t want to touch. Bottom line: If you ever find yourself thinking that a mass human extinction event would be good for population control, you might want to get checked out.


Stephanie→Jules

Uh-oh. I think that all the time.





8


Ashleigh Avila→Dolly Peale

Dear Dolly,

INCREDIBLE NEWS. My friend from X has put me in touch with a media relations person in the inner circle of the current regime. They’re willing to let us shoot the documentary there. It’s officially a go!!!!!!! Funding is fully in place—oversubscribed, in fact. Let’s talk schedule.

Wow, right?! Ash


FWD: Dolly Peale→Joseph Kisarian

Jojo, see below. I am beside myself. Ashleigh will be livid when I pull the plug, and obviously the last thing I want to do is to undermine Lu’s opportunity, whatever it may be. But what choice do I have? Waiting will only make it worse. Help!!

Love, Dodo


Joe→Dolly

Last night, Lulu planted tomato seeds in small pots on our windowsill for the first time in three years. I was moved to tears when she showed them to me. We must not disrupt her fledgling happiness.


Dolly→Joe

Ok, so how do we end this without angering or disrupting anyone? Can we say National Security won’t allow it…??


Joe→Dolly

That is untrue. We would welcome closer relations with the new regime in X.


Dolly→Joe

Wait—what???? Are you suggesting that Lulu and I should actually GO TO X and make this documentary?