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As though in response to this, the young child, Crystal, ripped some flesh off
the back of her neck. It was almost like she was playing, it meant that much
to her.
"This is Roboville, Crew," Barnie said. "I think the pure call it Toytown,
isn't that right?"
"Don't let Barnie scare you," Lucinda was saying, but it was too late for all
that. I was almost retching.
The roboman took a step towards me. "Isn't it funny?" he said. "The way that
the pure react to robo? You'd think we were dirty or something, given their
reaction." I didn't know about that, only that I had to get some distance
between us, back to where Shadow and Thing were waiting.
"Tell me the way out of here," I asked. "Got something to do."
"Don't think that's possible," said Barnie. "Beetle's in a bad way."
"He isn't that pure," Lucinda said. Was she referring to me, or to the Beetle?
And I saw myself in a boat on the water, watching the shore, useless gun in
hand, watching Tristan getting dragged down by the cops, heading for the
station. Where they turn the screws on your feelings, until you can't feel any
more. It wasn't a Vurt. It wasn't a dream. The world was real, and my eyes
were wet from it.
Oh for a little less Vaz in my life, and a touch of glue. Maybe then I could
stick hold tight of somebody.
The kids were laughing out loud at the television family's misfortune and I
didn't know what was real any more.
There were chains and handcuffs arranged along the walls of the bedroom. A
collection of whips lay spread out on a bedside cabinet.
Beetle was strapped to the bed, with six strong tethers. He was flat on his
back, and the colours were pouring out of his skin in blades of light. Seemed
like half his body was taken over by now, alive with fractals.
"Scribble! My babe!" he said. "Good to see you up and about. You gonna loosen
these ties a little? I feel like walking some."
"I guess not." The virus was getting to his mind now, making him feel like a
super hero.
"It's for your own good, Bee. Don't want you jumping off tall buildings."
"Yeah! That's me. The Shining Man. That Barnie did a real good job. Hey, maybe
he's a bondage freak! You seen his wife, Scribb?"
"I saw her."
"That is one sexy player! Remember that one?"
"Remember what?"
"Shit, babe, you don't recall that one? How could you forget that dream? Maybe
you're all shrivelled up. I read that happened, sometimes, you didn't use it
enough."
"Do you know what's happening, Beetle?" I asked.
"Happening? The world's happening. And I am a major player. And if you don't
undo these ropes, Scribble. . . I'm just going to flow right under them
anyway. I'm floating, babe! You cotton me?"
Yeah. I got it.
"I know the final score, kid," he continued, his voice changing, becoming
quiet, serious.
"That shecop bitch really laid one on me. I guess this is cheerio time. Shit,
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babe, but I feel good!
That's the twister."
"It does that to you," I said, just as quiet. And his colours were burning on
my face. My tears were warm as they trickled down my skin, evaporating in the
glare.
"I know it, Scribb. But you know what else? I feel like going out and stealing
back shadowgirl and the alien. I feel like going out strong. In a blaze. You
got that?"
"Coming soon, the Beetle," I whispered. "Coming real soon."
He kind of nodded then, like he wasn't really there. "Don't lose Mandy," he
said, at last.
"I won't." His fingers were hot as I clenched my hand around them, feeling the
colours shifting freely, back and forth between us.
But I kept my hand there anyway, taking the heat.
Which was like taking hold of spectrums.
I wash away the dirt of days, dry my skin, and take a long stare at what I
look like these days. My face coming back at me, reflected in a bathroom
mirror.
I peel back the lids and skin of my left eye. I move closer to the mirror,
directly under the sink light. I stare into my own eyes, looking for clues.
"Found anything?" The soft honey voice from behind my shoulder. I spin around,
almost
banging into her. Her body was close to mine, and again I felt that memory
conning back. I was trying to pin it down, explain it, but the best I could
manage made it into a memory of something that had never happened. "Don't you
like us?" the voice said.
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