doing all right.”
“That’s nice,” Jeremiah said.
“He changed companies,” Graham said. “He has a kid. A little boy.”
“That’s nice,” Jeremiah said.
He repeated the words with the same studied tone of voice.
“You didn’t know that before I told you, did you?” Graham said. “That your son has a son.”
Jeremiah said nothing.
“Why don’t you talk anymore?” Graham said.
“That’s none of your business,” Jeremiah said.
“There’s no reason to be so uptight, Jerry,” Graham said.
“Don’t call me Jerry,” Jeremiah said.
“Jerry, Jerry, Jerry,” Graham said.
Jeremiah turned with deliberate slowness toward Graham, his eyebrow cocked.
“Now I know what pushes your buttons I’ll just keep pushing them, unless you talk to me,” Graham said.
“You’re really annoying,” Jeremiah said.
“You only just noticed that?” Graham said.
“No wonder you don’t have any friends,” Jeremiah said.
“Look who’s talking,” Graham said.
“As we’re becoming new best buddies, be honest with me,” Jeremiah said.
“I’ve been nothing but honest with you since we came down here,” Graham said.
“Then maybe you’d be kind enough to tell me what you were doing in my house the night we sank,” Jeremiah said. “You weren’t housekeeping, I know that much.”
Graham turned his head to one side.
“I was… investigating a few things,” he said.
“What things?” Jeremiah said.
“I know what my company was trying to do to you and your land,” Graham said. “I couldn’t just sit by and watch them take everything from you.”
“Oh, so you were on my side, ay?” Jeremiah said. “That’s a turn up for the books.”
“Sometimes in my line of work it helps to have one face for some people, another for others,” Graham said.
“How am I supposed to know this face you’re showing me now is the real one?” Jeremiah said.
“What reason do I have to lie to you?” Graham said.
“Oh, I’d say you have plenty of reasons,” Jeremiah said. “About half a million, in fact.”
“Your property’s not worth anywhere near that,” Graham said.
“Financially, maybe not,” Jeremiah said. “But it means a lot more to me than just money.”
“Don’t you want to retire in a nice old folks’ home?” Graham said. “I know if I were you, that’s where I’d want to be. You can socialize, meet new people, make new friends. Maybe even get yourself a girlfriend.”
“Do I look like I want a girlfriend?” Jeremiah said.
Graham sighed. He looked out the window, down on the town below.
“Looks like they’re preparing something out there,” he said.
“Probably the cooking pot for when we fail to come up with something,” Jeremiah said.
“Listen to Mister Upbeat over here,” Graham said. “You don’t always have to think everything is against you, you know.”
“Why not?” Jeremiah said. “It’s how it usually goes.”
Jeremiah pressed his nose to the glass. Big drums with oil in them had been lit, all over the town. People were emerging out onto the street and heading toward the castle.
“It’s no good us being cooped up in here,” Graham said. “We should go for a walk, take some time out. Maybe the solution will come to us.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Jeremiah said. “At least it’ll make us tender for the cook pot. I’d hate to be gamey.”
Chapter Nineteen
The local little men and women glanced at these two Surfacers but were quick to look away. The guards eyed the locals with stern glares, and followed Graham and Jeremiah every step they took.
“Tell me,” Jeremiah said to Graham. “Do you feel like a VIP or a VDP?”
“What’s the D for?” Graham said.
“Dangerous,” Jeremiah said.
“They’re just doing their job,” Graham said.
But he had to admit, it was strange. It was like they were celebrities. Unfortunately it was for committing a mass murder rather than something progressive. As they headed into
“That’s nice,” Jeremiah said.
“He changed companies,” Graham said. “He has a kid. A little boy.”
“That’s nice,” Jeremiah said.
He repeated the words with the same studied tone of voice.
“You didn’t know that before I told you, did you?” Graham said. “That your son has a son.”
Jeremiah said nothing.
“Why don’t you talk anymore?” Graham said.
“That’s none of your business,” Jeremiah said.
“There’s no reason to be so uptight, Jerry,” Graham said.
“Don’t call me Jerry,” Jeremiah said.
“Jerry, Jerry, Jerry,” Graham said.
Jeremiah turned with deliberate slowness toward Graham, his eyebrow cocked.
“Now I know what pushes your buttons I’ll just keep pushing them, unless you talk to me,” Graham said.
“You’re really annoying,” Jeremiah said.
“You only just noticed that?” Graham said.
“No wonder you don’t have any friends,” Jeremiah said.
“Look who’s talking,” Graham said.
“As we’re becoming new best buddies, be honest with me,” Jeremiah said.
“I’ve been nothing but honest with you since we came down here,” Graham said.
“Then maybe you’d be kind enough to tell me what you were doing in my house the night we sank,” Jeremiah said. “You weren’t housekeeping, I know that much.”
Graham turned his head to one side.
“I was… investigating a few things,” he said.
“What things?” Jeremiah said.
“I know what my company was trying to do to you and your land,” Graham said. “I couldn’t just sit by and watch them take everything from you.”
“Oh, so you were on my side, ay?” Jeremiah said. “That’s a turn up for the books.”
“Sometimes in my line of work it helps to have one face for some people, another for others,” Graham said.
“How am I supposed to know this face you’re showing me now is the real one?” Jeremiah said.
“What reason do I have to lie to you?” Graham said.
“Oh, I’d say you have plenty of reasons,” Jeremiah said. “About half a million, in fact.”
“Your property’s not worth anywhere near that,” Graham said.
“Financially, maybe not,” Jeremiah said. “But it means a lot more to me than just money.”
“Don’t you want to retire in a nice old folks’ home?” Graham said. “I know if I were you, that’s where I’d want to be. You can socialize, meet new people, make new friends. Maybe even get yourself a girlfriend.”
“Do I look like I want a girlfriend?” Jeremiah said.
Graham sighed. He looked out the window, down on the town below.
“Looks like they’re preparing something out there,” he said.
“Probably the cooking pot for when we fail to come up with something,” Jeremiah said.
“Listen to Mister Upbeat over here,” Graham said. “You don’t always have to think everything is against you, you know.”
“Why not?” Jeremiah said. “It’s how it usually goes.”
Jeremiah pressed his nose to the glass. Big drums with oil in them had been lit, all over the town. People were emerging out onto the street and heading toward the castle.
“It’s no good us being cooped up in here,” Graham said. “We should go for a walk, take some time out. Maybe the solution will come to us.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Jeremiah said. “At least it’ll make us tender for the cook pot. I’d hate to be gamey.”
Chapter Nineteen
The local little men and women glanced at these two Surfacers but were quick to look away. The guards eyed the locals with stern glares, and followed Graham and Jeremiah every step they took.
“Tell me,” Jeremiah said to Graham. “Do you feel like a VIP or a VDP?”
“What’s the D for?” Graham said.
“Dangerous,” Jeremiah said.
“They’re just doing their job,” Graham said.
But he had to admit, it was strange. It was like they were celebrities. Unfortunately it was for committing a mass murder rather than something progressive. As they headed into
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