lurking at the bottom of the pond, making a stonking profit. No matter which country lost or won, the de Winters made a killing. They’d buy and sell anything. Guns, bombs, planes, medicines, artificial limbs, human beings…”
Brice watched, totally without expression, as several sets of tail-lights went glimmering slowly up the avenue towards the house. I counted five - no, six vehicles. They must be having a party, I thought vaguely.
“Isn’t it funny how each kid always thinks he’ll be different?” Brice said. “They see their parents screw up and they say, ‘Uh-uh, not me! I’m better than that. I’m going to change the world.’”
“Some of them do,” Lola pointed out.
“Oh spare me,” he said. “Aren’t you guys ever off duty?”
Lola’s eyes were steely. “I don’t know. Are you?”
“Just let the guy talk,” Reuben told her.
Brice was still watching the cars. “But Dom really was different,” he said and his tone was suddenly softer, less mocking. “I saw that right from the start. The kind of kid Phoenix schools were invented for. Bright, sensitive, totally magic.”
The cello stopped abruptly. A door banged overhead and a small boy came flying down the stair lugging an instrument case that was practically twice his size. Brice waited until the baby cellist was out of earshot.
“I don’t expect you to believe this, but when Dom was born, I actually thought I was getting a chance to make up for all the bad stuff I’d done. I made this promise to myself that I was going to save my little baby bro from our evil reptile rellies.” Brice laughed. “But like I said, I died.
“Now here’s the really hilarious part, you guys. It turned out I’d been talent-spotted by someone at the Agency who decided I’d make an absolutely super angel!” He blew out his breath. “Talk about culture shock! No blackmail, no lies, no undercover thuggery. Just never-ending bliss.” Brice’s voice grew softly intimate. “It feels so safe in the Heavenly City, doesn’t it, Mel? Like nothing could ever hurt you?”
I felt my skin begin to creep. I hated the thought of Brice going anywhere near my favourite heavenly hang-outs.
He went on talking in that same intimate voice, as if it was just the two of us alone together. “At nights I’d lie in my narrow little bed in the Academy dorm, listening to that cosmic lullaby you like so much, Melanie. The humming-top music?”
I went bright red. Brice loves to make out that he has this private window into my mind.
“It’s OK, sweetheart,” he jeered. “Your lullaby never did it for me. I was far too worried imagining what my family was doing to Dom.”
He started pacing. “Oh, Michael gave me all the usual guff about how no-one’s ever really alone on Earth. And I’m thinking, well I was on Earth for fifteen freaking years and you never helped me. And I’m supposed to trust you with my baby brother!”
He was back at the window now, staring out at the house. “Anyway, why would the Agency help a de Winter kid, a bad seed? It didn’t make sense.”
Something about Brice’s life story must have got under my skin, because to my annoyance my eyes went all blurry with tears.
Will you get a grip, Melanie, I snuffled to myself. You’re supposed to be thinking up a plan to get the time device away from this creep, not sympathising with his lousy childhood.
It was lucky my soul-mate was made of sterner stuff. “Ok we’ve heard your tragic story,” she said in a bored voice. “What’s your point?”
Brice whirled round. “What’s my point ? To educate you, Sanchez. I’m giving you brats a free reality lesson.”
Lola gave a rude snort. “Like you’re the only person who’s ever suffered.”
“Stop it both of you,” said Reuben fiercely. “Stop it right now. Can you see this is just what they want?”
Our angel buddy didn’t even raise his voice, yet it went right through me like a bell. Everyone shut up even
Brice watched, totally without expression, as several sets of tail-lights went glimmering slowly up the avenue towards the house. I counted five - no, six vehicles. They must be having a party, I thought vaguely.
“Isn’t it funny how each kid always thinks he’ll be different?” Brice said. “They see their parents screw up and they say, ‘Uh-uh, not me! I’m better than that. I’m going to change the world.’”
“Some of them do,” Lola pointed out.
“Oh spare me,” he said. “Aren’t you guys ever off duty?”
Lola’s eyes were steely. “I don’t know. Are you?”
“Just let the guy talk,” Reuben told her.
Brice was still watching the cars. “But Dom really was different,” he said and his tone was suddenly softer, less mocking. “I saw that right from the start. The kind of kid Phoenix schools were invented for. Bright, sensitive, totally magic.”
The cello stopped abruptly. A door banged overhead and a small boy came flying down the stair lugging an instrument case that was practically twice his size. Brice waited until the baby cellist was out of earshot.
“I don’t expect you to believe this, but when Dom was born, I actually thought I was getting a chance to make up for all the bad stuff I’d done. I made this promise to myself that I was going to save my little baby bro from our evil reptile rellies.” Brice laughed. “But like I said, I died.
“Now here’s the really hilarious part, you guys. It turned out I’d been talent-spotted by someone at the Agency who decided I’d make an absolutely super angel!” He blew out his breath. “Talk about culture shock! No blackmail, no lies, no undercover thuggery. Just never-ending bliss.” Brice’s voice grew softly intimate. “It feels so safe in the Heavenly City, doesn’t it, Mel? Like nothing could ever hurt you?”
I felt my skin begin to creep. I hated the thought of Brice going anywhere near my favourite heavenly hang-outs.
He went on talking in that same intimate voice, as if it was just the two of us alone together. “At nights I’d lie in my narrow little bed in the Academy dorm, listening to that cosmic lullaby you like so much, Melanie. The humming-top music?”
I went bright red. Brice loves to make out that he has this private window into my mind.
“It’s OK, sweetheart,” he jeered. “Your lullaby never did it for me. I was far too worried imagining what my family was doing to Dom.”
He started pacing. “Oh, Michael gave me all the usual guff about how no-one’s ever really alone on Earth. And I’m thinking, well I was on Earth for fifteen freaking years and you never helped me. And I’m supposed to trust you with my baby brother!”
He was back at the window now, staring out at the house. “Anyway, why would the Agency help a de Winter kid, a bad seed? It didn’t make sense.”
Something about Brice’s life story must have got under my skin, because to my annoyance my eyes went all blurry with tears.
Will you get a grip, Melanie, I snuffled to myself. You’re supposed to be thinking up a plan to get the time device away from this creep, not sympathising with his lousy childhood.
It was lucky my soul-mate was made of sterner stuff. “Ok we’ve heard your tragic story,” she said in a bored voice. “What’s your point?”
Brice whirled round. “What’s my point ? To educate you, Sanchez. I’m giving you brats a free reality lesson.”
Lola gave a rude snort. “Like you’re the only person who’s ever suffered.”
“Stop it both of you,” said Reuben fiercely. “Stop it right now. Can you see this is just what they want?”
Our angel buddy didn’t even raise his voice, yet it went right through me like a bell. Everyone shut up even
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