piece called Read, or was it Read?'
'It was both. Pronounce it how you like, and I didn't destroy anything.'
'Hold on for a minute, Brenda,' Sabyasachi said as a technician wearing a grey wool cap over her ears removed Rory's headphones and donned them. 'Hearing me?' the presenter said.
'Like you're in my head. Nothing up with these.'
As she boxed Rory in with the headphones Sabyasachi said 'Just fixing a glitch, Brenda. He's all yours.'
'Sounds pretty destructive to me, drowning War and Peace in an aquarium.'
If anything her voice seemed to have receded, inflaming Rory's frustration. 'Did you see it for yourself? Some people said it changed how they thought about books.'
'I wouldn't waste my time, but my sister saw your other silly business with the wheelchair.'
'That would be Age,' Sabyasachi supplied.
'Age isn't that senseless, and if it ever is he oughtn't to be making fun. Another fish tank with a wheelchair going rusty in the water.'
'It was the most talked-about piece in the exhibition,' Rory felt defensive for saying.
'I'll bet you couldn't broadcast what they said. You don't like criticism much, do you? Shouldn't it make you look again like you keep telling the rest of us to?'
'I do it all the time.' After a pause clogged with silence Rory said 'Is she still there?'
'I think you scared her off.' Sabyasachi patted the air, though Rory hadn't been conscious of shouting. 'Next up is Hugh from Huddersfield,' the presenter said. 'Have you a question for Rory Lucas, Hugh?'
'Where do you get your ideas?'
The voice was so faint that Rory wasn't sure he'd identified it. The invisibility of the caller made him feel as if the failure of one sense had robbed him of another. The sight of the pale boxy room didn't improve matters, nor did Sabyasachi's professionally expectant face. Rory tried closing his eyes, but not for long. 'Wherever other people don't,' he retorted while his lids sprang open as if he were fleeing a nightmare.
'Can't you say where, Rory?' It was indeed his brother, who appeared to think he could help by adding 'Your thing with the tins, didn't you get that from someone working in a supermarket?'
Rory was distracted by the notion that straining his ears had brought him more than Hugh. 'I'm taking all the blame,' he said.
'But didn't you say putting tins on the shelves was a kind of art too?'
Rory couldn't judge whether Hugh aimed to make his brother's work more accessible and populist or was hoping for some kind of acknowledgment. 'That's the truth,' he said.
'Then do you think –' Hugh seemed distracted, perhaps by an ill-defined sound. 'Do you think your things you've been talking about could be about the family?'
'You'll have to tell me how.' This was meant to dismiss the idea rather than invite an explanation, and Rory didn't wait for one. 'Are you at work?'
'No, at the house. Why?'
'I thought someone was calling you.'
'Weren't they saying our name at your end?'
Rory felt bound to say to Sabyasachi 'In case you're wondering, we're brothers.'
'Nothing wrong with family. Hugh, how are you saying Rory's work is about them? Is that including you?'
'I –' Hugh faltered, perhaps from embarrassment. 'I'm at Frugo,' he admitted, 'and our cousin looks after old people and the other one does publishing.'
'Tins and age and books,' the presenter said. 'Well, Rory, it sounds as if you secretly care about something.'
Rory didn't want to claim this as a reason to appreciate his work. 'Are you still hearing that, Hugh?'
'I can't,' Sabyasachi said. 'Have you any more insights for us, Hugh?'
'He's always been artistic.' Hugh's voice had begun to fall short of its intentions before he said 'Rory, I think I still can.'
'We'll need to say goodbye if you've got a crossed line.'
'Hold on,' Rory said and cupped his hands over the headphones. 'Do you want me to come and see you, Hugh?'
'No, you stay there. It's publicity.'
'When I'm done, I mean. You don't sound quite right to me.'
'Nothing's up
'It was both. Pronounce it how you like, and I didn't destroy anything.'
'Hold on for a minute, Brenda,' Sabyasachi said as a technician wearing a grey wool cap over her ears removed Rory's headphones and donned them. 'Hearing me?' the presenter said.
'Like you're in my head. Nothing up with these.'
As she boxed Rory in with the headphones Sabyasachi said 'Just fixing a glitch, Brenda. He's all yours.'
'Sounds pretty destructive to me, drowning War and Peace in an aquarium.'
If anything her voice seemed to have receded, inflaming Rory's frustration. 'Did you see it for yourself? Some people said it changed how they thought about books.'
'I wouldn't waste my time, but my sister saw your other silly business with the wheelchair.'
'That would be Age,' Sabyasachi supplied.
'Age isn't that senseless, and if it ever is he oughtn't to be making fun. Another fish tank with a wheelchair going rusty in the water.'
'It was the most talked-about piece in the exhibition,' Rory felt defensive for saying.
'I'll bet you couldn't broadcast what they said. You don't like criticism much, do you? Shouldn't it make you look again like you keep telling the rest of us to?'
'I do it all the time.' After a pause clogged with silence Rory said 'Is she still there?'
'I think you scared her off.' Sabyasachi patted the air, though Rory hadn't been conscious of shouting. 'Next up is Hugh from Huddersfield,' the presenter said. 'Have you a question for Rory Lucas, Hugh?'
'Where do you get your ideas?'
The voice was so faint that Rory wasn't sure he'd identified it. The invisibility of the caller made him feel as if the failure of one sense had robbed him of another. The sight of the pale boxy room didn't improve matters, nor did Sabyasachi's professionally expectant face. Rory tried closing his eyes, but not for long. 'Wherever other people don't,' he retorted while his lids sprang open as if he were fleeing a nightmare.
'Can't you say where, Rory?' It was indeed his brother, who appeared to think he could help by adding 'Your thing with the tins, didn't you get that from someone working in a supermarket?'
Rory was distracted by the notion that straining his ears had brought him more than Hugh. 'I'm taking all the blame,' he said.
'But didn't you say putting tins on the shelves was a kind of art too?'
Rory couldn't judge whether Hugh aimed to make his brother's work more accessible and populist or was hoping for some kind of acknowledgment. 'That's the truth,' he said.
'Then do you think –' Hugh seemed distracted, perhaps by an ill-defined sound. 'Do you think your things you've been talking about could be about the family?'
'You'll have to tell me how.' This was meant to dismiss the idea rather than invite an explanation, and Rory didn't wait for one. 'Are you at work?'
'No, at the house. Why?'
'I thought someone was calling you.'
'Weren't they saying our name at your end?'
Rory felt bound to say to Sabyasachi 'In case you're wondering, we're brothers.'
'Nothing wrong with family. Hugh, how are you saying Rory's work is about them? Is that including you?'
'I –' Hugh faltered, perhaps from embarrassment. 'I'm at Frugo,' he admitted, 'and our cousin looks after old people and the other one does publishing.'
'Tins and age and books,' the presenter said. 'Well, Rory, it sounds as if you secretly care about something.'
Rory didn't want to claim this as a reason to appreciate his work. 'Are you still hearing that, Hugh?'
'I can't,' Sabyasachi said. 'Have you any more insights for us, Hugh?'
'He's always been artistic.' Hugh's voice had begun to fall short of its intentions before he said 'Rory, I think I still can.'
'We'll need to say goodbye if you've got a crossed line.'
'Hold on,' Rory said and cupped his hands over the headphones. 'Do you want me to come and see you, Hugh?'
'No, you stay there. It's publicity.'
'When I'm done, I mean. You don't sound quite right to me.'
'Nothing's up
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