Skyfall by Anthony Eaton Page B

me to DGAP as a member of the project and told me how thrilled she is to see me taking “my rightful place” here. What’s that supposed to mean?’
    â€˜It means you’ve finally received your placement, Lari. I should have thought that was obvious. You knew the city wouldn’t allow you to sit around burning up resources forever.’
    â€˜What if I don’t want to accept?’
    â€˜You already have. I told Lan to make sure you were officially approved and signed in before he permitted you into the meeting with the Prelate.’
    â€˜You mean those documents he made me sign?’
    His father nodded.
    â€˜Your official acceptance-of-placement documents, assigning you to research division here.’
    â€˜But I’ve never shown any interest in working here.’
    â€˜You’ve never shown any interest in anything much, Larinan. In any case, you know this is our family field, so I don’t understand why you’re so surprised.’
    â€˜I’m not surprised.’ Lari shook his head, angry. ‘I just feel … cheated.’
    â€˜Trust me, copygen, you’re not the only one.’ Janil rose from a chair beside their father’s desk, where he’d been sitting.
    â€˜That’ll do, you two,’ Dernan Mann snapped. ‘Janil, you made your feelings on the matter quite clear in the meeting.’
    â€˜Not clear enough, obviously.’ Janil snorted in disgust and stood to leave.
    â€˜Sit down, Janil.’
    â€˜Why? Obviously my opinions carry very little weight around here.’
    â€˜They carry as much as they ever did.’
    â€˜There was no need to bring the copygen into this, and you know it.’
    â€˜That’s what you believe. I happen to see it differently and I’m still the head of research around here!’ It was as sharp as Lari had ever heard his father speak to Janil.
    â€˜I don’t need to hear this.’
    â€˜Janil, I won’t ask again. This involves you just as much as it does Larinan. Now sit!’
    Janil flopped sullenly back into his seat.
    â€˜You still haven’t told me what’s made you suddenly call me in,’ Lari observed. For a long moment his father stared at him, then at Janil, and then he looked away, fingers massaging his temples as he did so.
    â€˜A ghost, Larinan.’
    â€˜Excuse me?’ Lari thought he must have misheard, but his father repeated it.
    â€˜A ghost. Someone we believed was dead a long time ago.’
    â€˜Do you mean Mum?’
    His father shook his head. ‘No. Though she’s an important part of this.’
    â€˜Then what?’
    â€˜I know you’ve both often wondered why your mother and I chose to break protocol and have a second son, instead of following it and having a daughter.’
    â€˜I always presumed you were just looking for more ways to make us popular with the rest of the city,’ Janil muttered, but their father didn’t rise to the bait.
    â€˜As I’m sure you can imagine, it wasn’t easy, choosing to set ourselves apart from such long-established social rules, but we had to make our decision quickly, and the more we thought about it, the more we came to the conclusion that there wasn’t any alternative.’
    â€˜That’s not surprising. There’s never any alternatives with you, is there, Father? You always know what’s best for everyone.’
    â€˜Janil, if you’d be quiet and listen, you might realise that even you don’t have all the pieces to put together.’
    â€˜Then tell me, Father! Tell me what’s so important about him that we should put everything we’re doing here at risk just to include him in it? I’m the one who’s done all the work, I’m the one who’s spent my whole life filling Mum’s place, but now that we’ve finally – unbelievably – found what we need to bring this thing to a close, you suddenly call