cross it off the maps.” Humphrey lifted Ivan off the floor and nearly drowned him in his vast, plaid shirt as he carried him into the bedroom and deposited him at the end of the mattress. Ivan watched in trepidation as Humphrey sank his thick body into the extra chair and prayed that the flimsy legs didn’t snap beneath the three hundred pounds of blubber.
Humphrey’s eyes sparkled as he stroked his bristly mustache with webbed fingers, two of which were missing on one hand due to an accident with a table saw years before. He claimed that a shark had bitten them off while he was defending a baby whale stranded near the Baja Peninsula, but Ivan knew better than to believe any of his brother’s tales.
“Thanks for coming. I’m in a crap load of trouble,” said Ivan, pouring them each a tumbler of whisky.
Humphrey drank his in one gulp and held out the tiny glass for more. “Do you have any of those peanut butter cookies? Last time you came to visit me, you brought a whole batch and they were so delicious.” He licked his pudgy lips.
“I’m afraid I haven’t had much time to bake lately.” Ivan offered Humphrey a cigar and lit the end for him. “I need some advice. Do you remember when I went insane several years ago?”
“How could I forget?” Humphrey shuddered and waves rippled through his flesh. “That was the last time I set foot in the finished part of the house. I was very worried about you, flopping around on the floor like a dying fish.”
“It’s a bad memory for me, too. A memory I don’t want repeated.”
Humphrey raised his bristly eyebrows. “Has Ruby threatened you?”
“I have to spy for her or she’ll flip that hellish switch on me again.”
“What will you do?”
“I’m not sure there’s anything I can do but go along with it, at least for now.” Ivan looked over his shoulder as if afraid the walls might hear. “Do you know anything about this damned thing in my head?”
Humphrey leaned back in his chair and puffed on his cigar. “I don’t know the entire story, but I do know that Caleb made several of those devices for Ruby a long time ago.”
“Caleb? You must be joking.”
“I’ve avoided telling you because I didn’t want you to blame him, but he was an electronics genius in the same way Kora is with synthetics, I with architecture and you with…fashion.” Humphrey’s eyes scanned a pile of high-heeled boots and shimmering, sequined outfits Ivan had saved from his imploding closet.
Ivan rolled his eyes but managed, for once, to hold his tongue. He was no more a fan of Humphrey’s spiraling, nonsensical construction than he was of Ivan’s outrageous style. “Caleb would never do anything to harm me.”
“I’m sure at the time he had no idea what Ruby intended to do with the devices.”
“But how can I get rid of the blasted thing?” Ivan poured himself another shot of whisky and his eyes bulged as he drank it in one gulp.
“It’s lodged in your brain, Ivan. I don’t think removal is a safe option unless you could get Kora to do it, but I’m sure Ruby has her busy on some tragic project.”
“I don’t trust that girl. She tried to convince Ruby to put Caleb and I out of our misery. I need to take care of this myself.”
Humphrey stopped chewing and stared. “Are you sure? That doesn't sound like the Kora I knew. Something must have happened to her. I'd love to see her again before she goes back to Mirafield. My little sister. I feel as if I failed her years ago. Could you bring her up for a visit?”
“She doesn’t remember anything about her old life.”
“Not surprising. I’m sure Ruby shoved one of those devices into her brain as well.”
Ivan ground his cigar stub in the ashtray. “Ruby said she didn’t, but can we please get back to my messed-up brain?”
Humphrey blew a huge puff of smoke into the air, his eyes coming back into focus on Ivan’s irritated face. “You must find the transceiver.”
“The
Humphrey’s eyes sparkled as he stroked his bristly mustache with webbed fingers, two of which were missing on one hand due to an accident with a table saw years before. He claimed that a shark had bitten them off while he was defending a baby whale stranded near the Baja Peninsula, but Ivan knew better than to believe any of his brother’s tales.
“Thanks for coming. I’m in a crap load of trouble,” said Ivan, pouring them each a tumbler of whisky.
Humphrey drank his in one gulp and held out the tiny glass for more. “Do you have any of those peanut butter cookies? Last time you came to visit me, you brought a whole batch and they were so delicious.” He licked his pudgy lips.
“I’m afraid I haven’t had much time to bake lately.” Ivan offered Humphrey a cigar and lit the end for him. “I need some advice. Do you remember when I went insane several years ago?”
“How could I forget?” Humphrey shuddered and waves rippled through his flesh. “That was the last time I set foot in the finished part of the house. I was very worried about you, flopping around on the floor like a dying fish.”
“It’s a bad memory for me, too. A memory I don’t want repeated.”
Humphrey raised his bristly eyebrows. “Has Ruby threatened you?”
“I have to spy for her or she’ll flip that hellish switch on me again.”
“What will you do?”
“I’m not sure there’s anything I can do but go along with it, at least for now.” Ivan looked over his shoulder as if afraid the walls might hear. “Do you know anything about this damned thing in my head?”
Humphrey leaned back in his chair and puffed on his cigar. “I don’t know the entire story, but I do know that Caleb made several of those devices for Ruby a long time ago.”
“Caleb? You must be joking.”
“I’ve avoided telling you because I didn’t want you to blame him, but he was an electronics genius in the same way Kora is with synthetics, I with architecture and you with…fashion.” Humphrey’s eyes scanned a pile of high-heeled boots and shimmering, sequined outfits Ivan had saved from his imploding closet.
Ivan rolled his eyes but managed, for once, to hold his tongue. He was no more a fan of Humphrey’s spiraling, nonsensical construction than he was of Ivan’s outrageous style. “Caleb would never do anything to harm me.”
“I’m sure at the time he had no idea what Ruby intended to do with the devices.”
“But how can I get rid of the blasted thing?” Ivan poured himself another shot of whisky and his eyes bulged as he drank it in one gulp.
“It’s lodged in your brain, Ivan. I don’t think removal is a safe option unless you could get Kora to do it, but I’m sure Ruby has her busy on some tragic project.”
“I don’t trust that girl. She tried to convince Ruby to put Caleb and I out of our misery. I need to take care of this myself.”
Humphrey stopped chewing and stared. “Are you sure? That doesn't sound like the Kora I knew. Something must have happened to her. I'd love to see her again before she goes back to Mirafield. My little sister. I feel as if I failed her years ago. Could you bring her up for a visit?”
“She doesn’t remember anything about her old life.”
“Not surprising. I’m sure Ruby shoved one of those devices into her brain as well.”
Ivan ground his cigar stub in the ashtray. “Ruby said she didn’t, but can we please get back to my messed-up brain?”
Humphrey blew a huge puff of smoke into the air, his eyes coming back into focus on Ivan’s irritated face. “You must find the transceiver.”
“The
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