The Core of the Sun by Johanna Sinisalo Read Free Book Online Page A

bandage tape, deftly wrapped my hand, and secured the bandage with a few strips of the tape. “I’m sure it won’t bleed for very long. Do you think you can change the bandage every day if I give you these, or would you rather come to the house and have one of us help you?”
    I didn’t answer.
    Her eyelashes started to flutter again, her lower lip thrust out.
    I touched her hand. “Stop that.”
    She pulled her hand away. “Now, now, young man,” she cooed, looking up at me with her head cocked to one side. “Just because I was a good girl and fixed up your boo-boo doesn’t mean you can start getting fresh.”
    I touched her hand again briefly to make her look at me. “It’s quite obvious you’re not an eloi, or at least not an ordinary eloi, even if you do look like one. But if you want to keep it secret that you’re a . . .”
    â€œMorlock.” Her voice had lost all its flirty chirpiness. The word fell between us cold as a stone.
    â€œRight. I won’t tell anyone. It’s none of my business. Or anybody else’s business. What would I gain from it? You and your family haven’t done anything to me.”
    Vanna bit her lower lip.
    â€œI wonder what Aulikki has to say about it.”
    The next moment we were standing in front of the old woman, who had just awakened from her nap. Vanna explained in a few quick sentences what had happened.
    I watched their conversation with a fearful amazement. It was like hearing two parrots that I’d thought could only repeat the phrases their master taught them suddenly start exchanging observations on the theory of relativity.
    â€œShould we kill him?” Vanna asked, in the same tone she might have used to discuss changing the drapes.
    When the old woman pursed her lips, apparently giving this idea serious consideration, I turned cold. “Hmm. I don’t know. What do you think?” she said, and looked me straight in the eye, and it was crystal clear to me that even though I was talking to an old woman and a half-grown . . . something . . . I had reason to fear. They had a lot to lose, and the two of them allied was chilling.
    I spread my arms. “I have no way to prove I won’t turn you in, but if I did I would lose a good summer job reference. The reward for reporting gender fraud wouldn’t be enough to make up for that.”
    They looked at each other, the understanding flying like sparks between them.
    â€œIt’s true that he wouldn’t gain anything by it,” Aulikki said. I was admiring her more every moment, the way she didn’t seem to take any notice of the fact that the topic of discussion was standing half a meter away, shifting from foot to foot. “And if he tried, you’re so good at acting like an eloi that he’d be a laughingstock and get a fine for wasting the authorities’ time. We could claim that he had a crush on you and made the story up when he couldn’t get anywhere with you.”
    Vanna nodded. “On the other hand, what if he keeps it a secret and I get caught later on? Will he get in trouble? Will they think he was in on it?”
    â€œNo, not if he claims he didn’t notice anything unusual about you.”
    As I watched and listened to their conversation, I realized for the first time what it’s like to have people talking about you, talking over you, past you. Deciding your fate, chattering about this and that—could he be useful somehow or should we dispose of him?
    I thought through my options. Should I run away? But how? On the old girl’s-style bike in the yard? And where was I supposed to go?
    Maybe the best tactic was to attack. The best defense is a good offense.
    No. There were no neighbors close by, they had me outnumbered, and after what I’d seen that day I wouldn’t have been surprised if the old woman had a pistol under her mattress. If I suddenly vanished, nobody would