stranger said, and made a small
gesture. As he did so, the gun was ripped from Jon’s hand and
flew down the hallway.
“What
the...”
“I
don’t like guns,” then man said. “I find them
disconcerting.”
Jon
rubbed his palm. “You find that disconcerting?”
“Come
in, please, Jon,” the man said. “I am Asher.”
Jon
took a step across the threshold and was startled by the door closing
itself behind him. He missed his gun,
“You
can stand up now, Jacob,” Asher Smith said.
Jon’s
father rose ponderously to his feet, pushing away Jon as he leaned
across to help. Jacob was angry, very angry. Jon was all too familiar
with that look.
“Leave
my son out of this,” Jacob bellowed.
“But
he called me here,” Asher replied. “He is part of this.”
“Whatever
he did,” Jacob said. “It was by accident.”
“That
he exists at all is very strange,” Asher said. “But not
unpleasantly so.”
“Dad?”
Jon interrupted. “What’s going on? How did he do that?”
“Shush, son,” Jacob said. “He has a device. It was
just a silly trick.”
“Dad?”
“Your
father is perhaps reluctant to introduce me,” Asher said with a
failed attempt at a smile. “I am his brother.”
“Dad,
you never said...”
“We’re
going,” Jacob said, steering Jon towards the door.
“Oh
come now, Jacob,” Asher said. “Have you not told him of
his family?”
“I
swear, if you say anything!”
“Jacob,
Jacob,” Asher said, waving his finger. “No idle threats
please.”
Jon
watched his father’s face redden. “It doesn’t have
to be,” Jacob said. He closed his eyes.
Asher
blinked for a moment, and then attempted to smile again, his lips
curling a little further. “You have a connection, after all
this time, how unexpected.”
“Just
leave us alone Asher,” Jacob said. “Play whatever games
you wish with the Threshians, but leave us alone.”
“The
Threshians are just as we were once, Jacob. Have you forgotten?”
“No,”
Jacob replied. “Of course not, but I’m not part of your
world anymore.”
“Obviously,”
Asher said, and with a gesture, Jacob’s gun was returned to
him.
“Thank-you,”
Jacob replied, snatching the gun out of the air and returning it to
its holster.
“You
are very ill, Jacob,” Asher said, this time attempting to
frown. “I am concerned.”
Jacob
shook his head and then grabbed Jon by the arm using his good hand.
“Come on, Jon.”
“Hold
on, Dad.”
The
door opened by itself to let them leave, but it was Jacob who slammed
it shut behind them. “Leave it Jon,” his father said.
“Just leave it.”
“What
was that?” Jon asked. “I have an uncle? What’s
wrong with his face, how did he do that?”
“Yes,
he’s very clever,” Jacob replied. “Come on.”
“What
other family do I have?”
“Not
the sort of family you want to know,” Jacob said. “Trust
me.”
Jon
collected his gun and followed his father down the stairs, pausing
only to glance back at room 218.
“What
are you hiding?” Jon asked. “Don’t you think I have
a right to know?”
Jacob
marched on without answering, down the stairs, through the lobby and
out into the street.
“You
can’t protect me,” Jon said, struggling to keep up as
they entered a narrow alleyway. “You won’t be around.”
Jacob
stopped walking, turning to face him, tears in his eyes.
“Dad?”
Jacob
reached out his good arm and pulled Jon too him. “Why didn’t
you leave when you said you would?” The old man sobbed. “You
would have been safe.”
Jon
was in shock, it had been so long. Was this it? Was this his father’s
last chance to show any affection, any love. The dose of Jopo H he
had taken the night before had not been a large one. How long until
his mind clouded over? How long until his hands trembled and his legs
gave out? Jon felt the tears welling in his own eyes, and he didn’t
know why, he shouldn’t care, he didn’t want to care.
It
was then that a chunk of
gesture. As he did so, the gun was ripped from Jon’s hand and
flew down the hallway.
“What
the...”
“I
don’t like guns,” then man said. “I find them
disconcerting.”
Jon
rubbed his palm. “You find that disconcerting?”
“Come
in, please, Jon,” the man said. “I am Asher.”
Jon
took a step across the threshold and was startled by the door closing
itself behind him. He missed his gun,
“You
can stand up now, Jacob,” Asher Smith said.
Jon’s
father rose ponderously to his feet, pushing away Jon as he leaned
across to help. Jacob was angry, very angry. Jon was all too familiar
with that look.
“Leave
my son out of this,” Jacob bellowed.
“But
he called me here,” Asher replied. “He is part of this.”
“Whatever
he did,” Jacob said. “It was by accident.”
“That
he exists at all is very strange,” Asher said. “But not
unpleasantly so.”
“Dad?”
Jon interrupted. “What’s going on? How did he do that?”
“Shush, son,” Jacob said. “He has a device. It was
just a silly trick.”
“Dad?”
“Your
father is perhaps reluctant to introduce me,” Asher said with a
failed attempt at a smile. “I am his brother.”
“Dad,
you never said...”
“We’re
going,” Jacob said, steering Jon towards the door.
“Oh
come now, Jacob,” Asher said. “Have you not told him of
his family?”
“I
swear, if you say anything!”
“Jacob,
Jacob,” Asher said, waving his finger. “No idle threats
please.”
Jon
watched his father’s face redden. “It doesn’t have
to be,” Jacob said. He closed his eyes.
Asher
blinked for a moment, and then attempted to smile again, his lips
curling a little further. “You have a connection, after all
this time, how unexpected.”
“Just
leave us alone Asher,” Jacob said. “Play whatever games
you wish with the Threshians, but leave us alone.”
“The
Threshians are just as we were once, Jacob. Have you forgotten?”
“No,”
Jacob replied. “Of course not, but I’m not part of your
world anymore.”
“Obviously,”
Asher said, and with a gesture, Jacob’s gun was returned to
him.
“Thank-you,”
Jacob replied, snatching the gun out of the air and returning it to
its holster.
“You
are very ill, Jacob,” Asher said, this time attempting to
frown. “I am concerned.”
Jacob
shook his head and then grabbed Jon by the arm using his good hand.
“Come on, Jon.”
“Hold
on, Dad.”
The
door opened by itself to let them leave, but it was Jacob who slammed
it shut behind them. “Leave it Jon,” his father said.
“Just leave it.”
“What
was that?” Jon asked. “I have an uncle? What’s
wrong with his face, how did he do that?”
“Yes,
he’s very clever,” Jacob replied. “Come on.”
“What
other family do I have?”
“Not
the sort of family you want to know,” Jacob said. “Trust
me.”
Jon
collected his gun and followed his father down the stairs, pausing
only to glance back at room 218.
“What
are you hiding?” Jon asked. “Don’t you think I have
a right to know?”
Jacob
marched on without answering, down the stairs, through the lobby and
out into the street.
“You
can’t protect me,” Jon said, struggling to keep up as
they entered a narrow alleyway. “You won’t be around.”
Jacob
stopped walking, turning to face him, tears in his eyes.
“Dad?”
Jacob
reached out his good arm and pulled Jon too him. “Why didn’t
you leave when you said you would?” The old man sobbed. “You
would have been safe.”
Jon
was in shock, it had been so long. Was this it? Was this his father’s
last chance to show any affection, any love. The dose of Jopo H he
had taken the night before had not been a large one. How long until
his mind clouded over? How long until his hands trembled and his legs
gave out? Jon felt the tears welling in his own eyes, and he didn’t
know why, he shouldn’t care, he didn’t want to care.
It
was then that a chunk of
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