least I can see her, and that’s enough for me right now.’
The psychologist was silent for a moment, then said, ‘She wants you to stop stalking her.’
‘Okay, I’ll stop,’ Michael said.
‘She knows when you’re sitting there invisible. She knew when you did it before.’
‘How?’
‘She can smell you.’
Michael was horrified. ‘What?’ He sniffed himself; no serious BO – what the hell?
‘ You wear too much of that aromatic deodorant you young men tend to favour. It’s all over you.’ The psychologist leaned back and put her arms on the back of the bench. ‘Despite the advertising, it’s not attractive at all. Most women find it unpleasantly cheap and strong.’
‘Then it’s appropriate for me,’ Michael said with a wry grin.
‘No, it isn’t. You may be strong, but your value is limitless. Youngest Worthy ever granted Immortality. Number One Son of the Emperor of the West. Running the West, and barely thirty years old. It won’t be long before there’s statues of you in the temples on the Earthly Plane, young man.’
‘I wonder how they’ll depict my half- European features.’
‘Probably as unflatteringly as they depict your father’s tiger ones.’
‘Yeah.’ He looked up at where Clarissa had been. ‘I’ll stop coming. But can you pass on a message for me?’
‘She already knows that you’ll wait for as long as it takes.’
‘Any idea when she’ll improve to a state where she’ll actually be able to talk to me? I miss her so much …’
‘You miss her and you want something with her. What if what you want isn’t the best for her ?’
‘Tell me and I’ll stay away for good. Say the words and I’ll be gone.’
‘What if she needs someone to support her without having any sort of relationship otherwise? Just to care for her?’
Michael lit up with a ray of hope. ‘She’d let me look after her?’
‘No sexual relationship, no kissing, no love, just to care for her. Could you do that?’
Michael couldn’t believe what he was hearing, just being with her would be a dream come true. He didn’t need the rest. ‘I could do that? She’d let me?’
The psychologist studied him for a long time, then s aid, ‘Stop coming here and throw yourself into your work for fifteen days. In two weeks and one day, come back here and do this again. I can’t guarantee anything, but it may be different.’
Michael straightened. ‘She m ight talk to me?’
‘ Give her two weeks of not seeing you here when she goes past, and her attitude when you return may be different.’ The psychologist raised her hand when she saw his face. ‘I’m really not promising you anything. When she sees you, she may ask for you to go away again. But having you here waiting for her every day at the same time has not just been an annoying distraction for her, it’s been reassuring as well. Let’s see how she feels when that reassurance is gone.’
Michael looked away and nodded. ‘All right.’ He turned back to the psychologist. ‘Thank you. You’ve given me hope.’
‘I hope I haven’t done you a disservice; there’s a good chance when you’re back she’ll tell you to go away again.’
‘Should I stay away altogether? Would that be the best for her? All you have to do is say the words —’
‘No,’ the psychologist said firmly. ‘I like to think that one day she’ll heal enough to lead something approaching a normal life, and that includes a healthy relationship with you. The fact that you’re prepared to wait means that you are the best one for her. So go away for fifteen days, and I’ll be watching when you return.’
‘ Doctor.’ He saluted her Western-style and disappeared to, as she said, throw himself into his work. There was plenty waiting for him.
‘Hello?’
‘Michael.’ Enzio’s voice was warm and generous. ‘So good to talk to you. Finally! I’ve been trying for ages.’
‘Oh,’ Michael said. ‘Sorry. I saw the messages, it’s just been
The psychologist was silent for a moment, then said, ‘She wants you to stop stalking her.’
‘Okay, I’ll stop,’ Michael said.
‘She knows when you’re sitting there invisible. She knew when you did it before.’
‘How?’
‘She can smell you.’
Michael was horrified. ‘What?’ He sniffed himself; no serious BO – what the hell?
‘ You wear too much of that aromatic deodorant you young men tend to favour. It’s all over you.’ The psychologist leaned back and put her arms on the back of the bench. ‘Despite the advertising, it’s not attractive at all. Most women find it unpleasantly cheap and strong.’
‘Then it’s appropriate for me,’ Michael said with a wry grin.
‘No, it isn’t. You may be strong, but your value is limitless. Youngest Worthy ever granted Immortality. Number One Son of the Emperor of the West. Running the West, and barely thirty years old. It won’t be long before there’s statues of you in the temples on the Earthly Plane, young man.’
‘I wonder how they’ll depict my half- European features.’
‘Probably as unflatteringly as they depict your father’s tiger ones.’
‘Yeah.’ He looked up at where Clarissa had been. ‘I’ll stop coming. But can you pass on a message for me?’
‘She already knows that you’ll wait for as long as it takes.’
‘Any idea when she’ll improve to a state where she’ll actually be able to talk to me? I miss her so much …’
‘You miss her and you want something with her. What if what you want isn’t the best for her ?’
‘Tell me and I’ll stay away for good. Say the words and I’ll be gone.’
‘What if she needs someone to support her without having any sort of relationship otherwise? Just to care for her?’
Michael lit up with a ray of hope. ‘She’d let me look after her?’
‘No sexual relationship, no kissing, no love, just to care for her. Could you do that?’
Michael couldn’t believe what he was hearing, just being with her would be a dream come true. He didn’t need the rest. ‘I could do that? She’d let me?’
The psychologist studied him for a long time, then s aid, ‘Stop coming here and throw yourself into your work for fifteen days. In two weeks and one day, come back here and do this again. I can’t guarantee anything, but it may be different.’
Michael straightened. ‘She m ight talk to me?’
‘ Give her two weeks of not seeing you here when she goes past, and her attitude when you return may be different.’ The psychologist raised her hand when she saw his face. ‘I’m really not promising you anything. When she sees you, she may ask for you to go away again. But having you here waiting for her every day at the same time has not just been an annoying distraction for her, it’s been reassuring as well. Let’s see how she feels when that reassurance is gone.’
Michael looked away and nodded. ‘All right.’ He turned back to the psychologist. ‘Thank you. You’ve given me hope.’
‘I hope I haven’t done you a disservice; there’s a good chance when you’re back she’ll tell you to go away again.’
‘Should I stay away altogether? Would that be the best for her? All you have to do is say the words —’
‘No,’ the psychologist said firmly. ‘I like to think that one day she’ll heal enough to lead something approaching a normal life, and that includes a healthy relationship with you. The fact that you’re prepared to wait means that you are the best one for her. So go away for fifteen days, and I’ll be watching when you return.’
‘ Doctor.’ He saluted her Western-style and disappeared to, as she said, throw himself into his work. There was plenty waiting for him.
‘Hello?’
‘Michael.’ Enzio’s voice was warm and generous. ‘So good to talk to you. Finally! I’ve been trying for ages.’
‘Oh,’ Michael said. ‘Sorry. I saw the messages, it’s just been
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