Sam. If the old man had been angry before, there was no trace of it remaining on his face. "We play again, yah?"
Sam did a quick calculation. Considering the difficulty he was having concentrating on the game,
he was sure to lose
. Even on his best days he could rarely match Zolov. But he could afford to lose another ten, and he certainly had nowhere better to go. "Sure," he said.
Zolov held out his hands. Sam picked one at random. The Russian unfolded his fingers to reveal a white pawn. "So," he said. "You go first."
Sam started playing again, moving the pieces through a standard opening. He glanced across the board and decided to risk Zolov's anger. "What is it that makes Gaia different?" he asked.
Zolov snorted. "You not know that, you not know Ceendy, do you?" He jumped a knight over a rank of pawns.
Sam had to smile. He still couldn't tell if Zolov was talking about Gaia or just talking. But this was better than
sitting around brooding about Heather
. "I guess Gaia is special."
Zolov grunted and shoved a pawn forward.
Sam studied the board for a moment before moving in reply. Just because he knew he was going to lose didn't mean he wanted to make it easy. "It doesn't matter how special Gaia is. She isn't mine."
Zolov started to move, stopped, and looked across the board at Sam. "You don't know?"
"Know what?"
The Russian shook his head. "Think he is a smart boy, but he doesn't even know."
"Know what?" Sam repeated.
"Doesn't know Ceendy loves him." Zolov looked down, pushed up his queen, and smiled. "Dat is check!" he cried.
AS EXPECTED, THE SNOW HAD WIMPED
out again. No more than a dusting remained along the hedgerows that bordered the park. The parks department, which had absolutely no appreciation for snow, had already completely cleared the main paths.
Still, Gaia couldn't find much to complain about
. The clouds had broken, the day was bright, and she didn't have to spend it
(a)
going to school or
(b)
sitting around the brownstone with Ella.
Music from Mars
Gaia was due to meet Mary by the central arch in half an hour, which gave her plenty of time to cross the park. Normally she walked fast no matter where she was going, but now she strolled along the path at a leisurely pace, watching the people as they passed and the kids slipping down the metal slides on the playground.
She was near the center of the park when she heard a scratchy, warbling music drifting along the path. It was a strange sound. Gaia could make out a man's voice, but the words and the tune were utterly alien. Like music from Mars. She picked up her pace and angled toward the source of the weird sound.
A few twists in the path brought Gaia to a small group of people and a contraption just as strange as the sounds it was making. Mounted on what looked like a large version of a kid's red wagon,
the thing spouted odd, angled lengths of plumbing pipe
and a cone that looked like it might have come from a large desk lamp. At the heart of the mess Gaia could just make out a large--and very old--phonograph.
The record playing on the device wasn't any easier to understand from close up than it had been from far away. The singer's voice rose and fell, and alien words
poured out. Gaia couldn't tell what the man was talking about, but there was no mistaking the message. This song was sad. This song was lonely. The singer sounded like he had just discovered he was
the only person left in the world
.
Standing there in the park with her hands in her pockets and her face chilled by the cold breeze, Gaia knew how he must have felt. She'd felt that way for a long time. But instead of thinking of her mother, the image that appeared in Gaia's mind was Sam. What was he doing right now? Did
he
ever feel this lonely? Did
he
ever hear songs that made him think of
her?
Gaia wondered if she should walk over to the chess tables. She hadn't played in a while, and she really should keep in practice. She might get a chance to talk to Zolov.
She
Sam did a quick calculation. Considering the difficulty he was having concentrating on the game,
he was sure to lose
. Even on his best days he could rarely match Zolov. But he could afford to lose another ten, and he certainly had nowhere better to go. "Sure," he said.
Zolov held out his hands. Sam picked one at random. The Russian unfolded his fingers to reveal a white pawn. "So," he said. "You go first."
Sam started playing again, moving the pieces through a standard opening. He glanced across the board and decided to risk Zolov's anger. "What is it that makes Gaia different?" he asked.
Zolov snorted. "You not know that, you not know Ceendy, do you?" He jumped a knight over a rank of pawns.
Sam had to smile. He still couldn't tell if Zolov was talking about Gaia or just talking. But this was better than
sitting around brooding about Heather
. "I guess Gaia is special."
Zolov grunted and shoved a pawn forward.
Sam studied the board for a moment before moving in reply. Just because he knew he was going to lose didn't mean he wanted to make it easy. "It doesn't matter how special Gaia is. She isn't mine."
Zolov started to move, stopped, and looked across the board at Sam. "You don't know?"
"Know what?"
The Russian shook his head. "Think he is a smart boy, but he doesn't even know."
"Know what?" Sam repeated.
"Doesn't know Ceendy loves him." Zolov looked down, pushed up his queen, and smiled. "Dat is check!" he cried.
AS EXPECTED, THE SNOW HAD WIMPED
out again. No more than a dusting remained along the hedgerows that bordered the park. The parks department, which had absolutely no appreciation for snow, had already completely cleared the main paths.
Still, Gaia couldn't find much to complain about
. The clouds had broken, the day was bright, and she didn't have to spend it
(a)
going to school or
(b)
sitting around the brownstone with Ella.
Music from Mars
Gaia was due to meet Mary by the central arch in half an hour, which gave her plenty of time to cross the park. Normally she walked fast no matter where she was going, but now she strolled along the path at a leisurely pace, watching the people as they passed and the kids slipping down the metal slides on the playground.
She was near the center of the park when she heard a scratchy, warbling music drifting along the path. It was a strange sound. Gaia could make out a man's voice, but the words and the tune were utterly alien. Like music from Mars. She picked up her pace and angled toward the source of the weird sound.
A few twists in the path brought Gaia to a small group of people and a contraption just as strange as the sounds it was making. Mounted on what looked like a large version of a kid's red wagon,
the thing spouted odd, angled lengths of plumbing pipe
and a cone that looked like it might have come from a large desk lamp. At the heart of the mess Gaia could just make out a large--and very old--phonograph.
The record playing on the device wasn't any easier to understand from close up than it had been from far away. The singer's voice rose and fell, and alien words
poured out. Gaia couldn't tell what the man was talking about, but there was no mistaking the message. This song was sad. This song was lonely. The singer sounded like he had just discovered he was
the only person left in the world
.
Standing there in the park with her hands in her pockets and her face chilled by the cold breeze, Gaia knew how he must have felt. She'd felt that way for a long time. But instead of thinking of her mother, the image that appeared in Gaia's mind was Sam. What was he doing right now? Did
he
ever feel this lonely? Did
he
ever hear songs that made him think of
her?
Gaia wondered if she should walk over to the chess tables. She hadn't played in a while, and she really should keep in practice. She might get a chance to talk to Zolov.
She
Similar Books
