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Authors: Jonathan Lethem
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prevent Archbuilder viruses, or backgammon.
But they didn’t know who he was.
The next morning they had another visitor, one as unsettling, in her way, as the Archbuilder. Tall, with her hair in a long ponytail, she might have been thirty-five. She was nothing like the other adults Pella had seen here, Bruce and Martha’s parents, homely and suburban, or E. G. Wa and Ben Barth, the two gangly, stringy men, the stray dogs. This woman seemed to float above the surface of the planet slightly. She came in when Clement and Pella were cleaning up breakfast and looked at the new house as if she was appraising it for purchase.
“Diana Eastling,” she said, and shook Clement’s hand. “I’ve heard your name.”
“This is my daughter, Pella,” said Clement. Diana Eastling turned and nodded briefly. Clement said, “Will you sit for a minute? Have some tea?”
The woman nodded again, and went on looking hard at the house. Finally she said, “This is good. Yes. It’s time for this.”
“Time for what?” said Clement.
“Time for children here. You people with children will make yourselves a town. Tame the wilderness. It won’t take much.” She smiled at Clement oddly. And then she sat down.
“As opposed to some type of people who won’t make a town?” said Clement. “I don’t understand.” He brought two cups to the table.
Pella followed him and took a seat at the table. Raymond and David were already out playing, led by Bruce Kincaid.
Diana Eastling smiled with her mouth closed. “I just think it’s brave to come here with three children. And that it might actually lead somewhere, start a new chapter. I feel the same way about the Grants and Kincaids.”
“I’ll accept the compliment,” said Clement. “Though I think it might have been braver, suicidally brave, to stay behind.”
“I don’t know about that, firsthand,” said Diana Eastling. “I haven’t been there for a long time.”
“You’ve been here?”
“I’m a biologist,” she said. “And I’ve become something of an expert in Archbuilder biology. I moved out here before there was any idea of a town. I suppose that’s the distinction I was making before.”
“Someone had to be first,” said Clement, in a tone Pella hated. He sometimes sounded like he was awarding people a status they already possessed. “But you’re glad there’s going to be a town, I trust?”
“I don’t care,” said Diana Eastling flatly. “Anyway, don’t credit me with being first.”
The moment was awkward. Pella felt embarrassed to be at the table. She still hadn’t uttered a word.
Like a household deer, she thought.
But Clement rolled on. “Maybe you’ll feel differentlywhen the place begins to take on some personality—”
“Well, I won’t move away.” Diana Eastling provided him another tight smile. “But then, I don’t live that close now. Real towns have people like me living on their outskirts, if I remember correctly. That can be my contribution.”
Clement nodded. Pella was aware of his desire to say the right thing to this oddly testy visitor. “It will take more than a few growing towns to ruin the solitude around here,” he said carefully. “Big planet. Anyway, there’s the Archbuilders.”
“What about the Archbuilders?”
“If you never wanted to see a living soul—”
“Ah, yes. Archbuilders. Living souls. Indeed.” She hesitated as if to laugh, but didn’t. “Listen, when I said you were doing a brave thing, I meant one thing in particular: Your children aren’t taking the antiviral medication. Or did I hear wrong?”
Clement barely paused. “You heard right.”
“Well, I’m interested in that,” she said cleanly. “I’ll be very interested in the outcome.”
Suddenly Pella felt the two adults not looking at her. Their not looking was tangible, an act.
“It’s a part of taking the place seriously,” said Clement. “Really being here. As far as I’m concerned. We can’t just take pills
But they didn’t know who he was.
The next morning they had another visitor, one as unsettling, in her way, as the Archbuilder. Tall, with her hair in a long ponytail, she might have been thirty-five. She was nothing like the other adults Pella had seen here, Bruce and Martha’s parents, homely and suburban, or E. G. Wa and Ben Barth, the two gangly, stringy men, the stray dogs. This woman seemed to float above the surface of the planet slightly. She came in when Clement and Pella were cleaning up breakfast and looked at the new house as if she was appraising it for purchase.
“Diana Eastling,” she said, and shook Clement’s hand. “I’ve heard your name.”
“This is my daughter, Pella,” said Clement. Diana Eastling turned and nodded briefly. Clement said, “Will you sit for a minute? Have some tea?”
The woman nodded again, and went on looking hard at the house. Finally she said, “This is good. Yes. It’s time for this.”
“Time for what?” said Clement.
“Time for children here. You people with children will make yourselves a town. Tame the wilderness. It won’t take much.” She smiled at Clement oddly. And then she sat down.
“As opposed to some type of people who won’t make a town?” said Clement. “I don’t understand.” He brought two cups to the table.
Pella followed him and took a seat at the table. Raymond and David were already out playing, led by Bruce Kincaid.
Diana Eastling smiled with her mouth closed. “I just think it’s brave to come here with three children. And that it might actually lead somewhere, start a new chapter. I feel the same way about the Grants and Kincaids.”
“I’ll accept the compliment,” said Clement. “Though I think it might have been braver, suicidally brave, to stay behind.”
“I don’t know about that, firsthand,” said Diana Eastling. “I haven’t been there for a long time.”
“You’ve been here?”
“I’m a biologist,” she said. “And I’ve become something of an expert in Archbuilder biology. I moved out here before there was any idea of a town. I suppose that’s the distinction I was making before.”
“Someone had to be first,” said Clement, in a tone Pella hated. He sometimes sounded like he was awarding people a status they already possessed. “But you’re glad there’s going to be a town, I trust?”
“I don’t care,” said Diana Eastling flatly. “Anyway, don’t credit me with being first.”
The moment was awkward. Pella felt embarrassed to be at the table. She still hadn’t uttered a word.
Like a household deer, she thought.
But Clement rolled on. “Maybe you’ll feel differentlywhen the place begins to take on some personality—”
“Well, I won’t move away.” Diana Eastling provided him another tight smile. “But then, I don’t live that close now. Real towns have people like me living on their outskirts, if I remember correctly. That can be my contribution.”
Clement nodded. Pella was aware of his desire to say the right thing to this oddly testy visitor. “It will take more than a few growing towns to ruin the solitude around here,” he said carefully. “Big planet. Anyway, there’s the Archbuilders.”
“What about the Archbuilders?”
“If you never wanted to see a living soul—”
“Ah, yes. Archbuilders. Living souls. Indeed.” She hesitated as if to laugh, but didn’t. “Listen, when I said you were doing a brave thing, I meant one thing in particular: Your children aren’t taking the antiviral medication. Or did I hear wrong?”
Clement barely paused. “You heard right.”
“Well, I’m interested in that,” she said cleanly. “I’ll be very interested in the outcome.”
Suddenly Pella felt the two adults not looking at her. Their not looking was tangible, an act.
“It’s a part of taking the place seriously,” said Clement. “Really being here. As far as I’m concerned. We can’t just take pills
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