commotion the day before. One of Ellis Kendell’s team posing as a police officer had earlier phoned his father, Rob, to explain, but still after ten minutes of Ryan filling in his side of Kendell’s pre-scripted events, his father asked again:
‘And you’re sure you’re okay?’
‘Yeah. Not even a bruise. Just a bit shaken, that’s all.’
Silence for a second, then: ‘But I understand from your mom that you’ve been in the wars in other ways.’
Ryan gave the details of his fake condition exactly as Ellis had laid it out for them: not making too light of it, but not over-worrying either.
‘ Hemeralopia, you say?’ his father confirmed.
‘Yeah.’
His mother Kate approached in the background at that moment, looking on silently. Thoughtful.
‘And it's just an affliction to bright light? It doesn't affect your sight in other ways? ’
‘No, apparently not. With the right treatment, my sight should stay pretty much twenty-twenty.’
‘I see.’
Ryan looked round at his mother. ‘Look, dad – I'd better go. Mom's here now and I should...’
‘Yeah, okay. Okay . Catch you later.’
They hung up. Kate Lorimer's nerves looked ragged with this new dilemma, her face heavy with concern.
‘Are you sure that's what they said? You won't be affected in any other
way?’ Her eyes darted for a moment, as if not willing to settle on the word. ‘You're... you're not going to go blind?’
‘No, mom. I'm not. That's what the treatment's for.’ He touched his sunglasses. ‘... and the glasses.’
Kate Lorimer nodded thoughtfully. But Ryan could see she still looked unsettled.
‘But you can check out the program at this clinic, if you like. Put your mind at ease.’
Kate shook her head after a moment, forced a tight smile. ‘No, no. It's okay. It sounds like you're in good hands.’
Mrs Werner was leafing frantically through a medical dictionary, muttering to herself as Jessica looked on.
‘Hemeralopia... hemeralopia. Right. Right .’ She stabbed a finger at the page, falling silent for a moment as she read. She looked up at Jessica.
‘I think I should call Doctor Morgensen. Get a second opinion.’
Jessica sighed. ‘That's not necessary, mom. This clinic has got everything under control. And, after all, they are the specialists.’
Jessica was distracted by a noise from the kitchen. Looking through from the lounge, she got a glimpse of Ben pouring a glass of Coke for himself. She hadn't heard him before. How long had he been there, possibly listening in? Jessica looked back at her mom, smiled tautly.
‘And you can go along if you like, get their account first hand. Like they say, with their treatment, I'm not going to go blind or anything.’
Her mom appeared to sway, but then as she put the medical dictionary back on the side table, her doubts resurged.
‘But that's how it starts, doesn't it? They tell you it's one thing one day, then the next...’ Mrs Werner suddenly stopped herself, as if realizing she was about to say too much and let the secret out the bag.
Jessica looked away uncomfortably, not wanting her mother to guess that she already knew that secret. Her mother gave a pained smile.
‘Call me a worrying-for-nothing fool – but I'd still feel a lot more settled if Dr Morgensen took a look at you too. He's been a good family doctor to us.’ Mrs Werner reached to Jessica, gently clutched her hand. ‘Would you do that for me, Jessie?’
Jessica closed her eyes for a moment, nodded.
‘Yes, I’ll do that, mom. Just for you.’
The front doorbell rang the next morning and Jessica went to answer it.
Their usual UPS delivery man was standing there with a small parcel.
‘Package for Mrs Werner.’ He held out an electronic signing pad. ‘If you could sign there please.’
‘Yeah... sure. Thanks.’
Jessica signed, but as she went to hand the electronic pad back, he was suddenly different – his body transformed to the writhing sea of gargoyle faces on Mentinck's
‘And you’re sure you’re okay?’
‘Yeah. Not even a bruise. Just a bit shaken, that’s all.’
Silence for a second, then: ‘But I understand from your mom that you’ve been in the wars in other ways.’
Ryan gave the details of his fake condition exactly as Ellis had laid it out for them: not making too light of it, but not over-worrying either.
‘ Hemeralopia, you say?’ his father confirmed.
‘Yeah.’
His mother Kate approached in the background at that moment, looking on silently. Thoughtful.
‘And it's just an affliction to bright light? It doesn't affect your sight in other ways? ’
‘No, apparently not. With the right treatment, my sight should stay pretty much twenty-twenty.’
‘I see.’
Ryan looked round at his mother. ‘Look, dad – I'd better go. Mom's here now and I should...’
‘Yeah, okay. Okay . Catch you later.’
They hung up. Kate Lorimer's nerves looked ragged with this new dilemma, her face heavy with concern.
‘Are you sure that's what they said? You won't be affected in any other
way?’ Her eyes darted for a moment, as if not willing to settle on the word. ‘You're... you're not going to go blind?’
‘No, mom. I'm not. That's what the treatment's for.’ He touched his sunglasses. ‘... and the glasses.’
Kate Lorimer nodded thoughtfully. But Ryan could see she still looked unsettled.
‘But you can check out the program at this clinic, if you like. Put your mind at ease.’
Kate shook her head after a moment, forced a tight smile. ‘No, no. It's okay. It sounds like you're in good hands.’
Mrs Werner was leafing frantically through a medical dictionary, muttering to herself as Jessica looked on.
‘Hemeralopia... hemeralopia. Right. Right .’ She stabbed a finger at the page, falling silent for a moment as she read. She looked up at Jessica.
‘I think I should call Doctor Morgensen. Get a second opinion.’
Jessica sighed. ‘That's not necessary, mom. This clinic has got everything under control. And, after all, they are the specialists.’
Jessica was distracted by a noise from the kitchen. Looking through from the lounge, she got a glimpse of Ben pouring a glass of Coke for himself. She hadn't heard him before. How long had he been there, possibly listening in? Jessica looked back at her mom, smiled tautly.
‘And you can go along if you like, get their account first hand. Like they say, with their treatment, I'm not going to go blind or anything.’
Her mom appeared to sway, but then as she put the medical dictionary back on the side table, her doubts resurged.
‘But that's how it starts, doesn't it? They tell you it's one thing one day, then the next...’ Mrs Werner suddenly stopped herself, as if realizing she was about to say too much and let the secret out the bag.
Jessica looked away uncomfortably, not wanting her mother to guess that she already knew that secret. Her mother gave a pained smile.
‘Call me a worrying-for-nothing fool – but I'd still feel a lot more settled if Dr Morgensen took a look at you too. He's been a good family doctor to us.’ Mrs Werner reached to Jessica, gently clutched her hand. ‘Would you do that for me, Jessie?’
Jessica closed her eyes for a moment, nodded.
‘Yes, I’ll do that, mom. Just for you.’
The front doorbell rang the next morning and Jessica went to answer it.
Their usual UPS delivery man was standing there with a small parcel.
‘Package for Mrs Werner.’ He held out an electronic signing pad. ‘If you could sign there please.’
‘Yeah... sure. Thanks.’
Jessica signed, but as she went to hand the electronic pad back, he was suddenly different – his body transformed to the writhing sea of gargoyle faces on Mentinck's
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