The Meat Tree by Gwyneth Lewis Read Free Book Online Page A

ocean’s nature and swam like a fish. Perhaps he was a seal of some kind. The ancient Celtic myths have selchies coming ashore and living as humans. Oh.
    Later, the boy Dylan was killed.

    Apprentice
    By whom?

    Inspector of Wrecks
    By his uncle, Gofannon. Another name beginning with G. Another sinister uncle, a brother to Gwydion and Gilfaethwy.

    Apprentice
    What happened?

    Inspector of Wrecks
    The files don’t say. Only that it was a great blow and most unfortunate.
    I’m beginning to think that anybody who has anything to do with this lot is unlucky. The children don’t seem to do too well. Look at Aranrhod. She wants nothing to do with her own child. And yet you uncles adopt boys but aren’t able to look after them properly. We can’t know how they are because they disappear from the story.
    What happened to the three live children and the dead Dylan? Do they move on to play other characters? Or are they like real people outside VR, having stopped playing their parts?

    Apprentice
    Where do the dead souls go, if all the characters we see are roles? Aren’t dead people just the same as those who, for whatever reason, leave the frame of the story? Are we their dead?
    What does death mean in relation to this kind of VR?

    Inspector of Wrecks
    That, my dear, is a very good question.

    *

    Synapse Log 5 Feb 2210, 14:00

    Apprentice
    We’re out for a short meal break. He wants to carry on as long as we can stand it today.
    Something occurred to me. We’re playing parts the dead people on this ship took often. Gives me the creeps, and yet it’s a thrill to feel the shadow of an entity that’s gone through the same gestures and emotions before. Like an orbit. It’s strangely stimulating that we don’t know at which point the part became fatal. Or perhaps I’m being absurd.
    Right. He wants to go in again.

    *

    Joint Thought Channel 5 Feb 2210, 14:20

    Inspector of Wrecks
    Oh, look out. The focus is clearly moving to Gwydion now. You’re leaving us. Can you keep me informed of what’s going on while you’re out of my sight?

    Apprentice
    I’ll try. So something significant is about to happen. It’s to do with the little something I picked up after Aranrhod stepped across Math’s magic wand.
    I go to Gwydion’s room. It’s gorgeous. All stained-glass windows and luxurious fabrics. Velvet bedspreads and solid oak furniture gleaming…

    Inspector of Wrecks
    Too much interior design. Get on with it.

    Apprentice
    I thought you said it was all significant; that no detail was too trivial to note. Gwydion’s wrapped the thing in gold brocade and hidden it in the chest at the bottom of his bed.

    Inspector of Wrecks
    It’s as if Aranrhod dropped a premature baby and Gwydion is putting it back in the womb. This is so interesting. I’ll tell you my theory in a minute, if I’m right.

    Apprentice
    I’m in a different chrono-passage here, and time’s flowing really quickly. Gwydion’s forgotten all about the baby.

    Inspector of Wrecks
    Typical Gwydion.

    Apprentice
    Now I’m in bed, just waking up, thinking of something else. I can hear a strange noise, like a kitten mewling, coming from the chest. There it is again. Suddenly I remember the little creature I picked up. I open the lid.

    Inspector of Wrecks
    I think I’m right! Gwydion’s acting like a surrogate mother, bringing the child to full term.

    Apprentice
    And there, instead of a squirming thing, is a boy, waving his arms at me and giggling. A lovely, sturdy, fully formed son!

    Inspector of Wrecks
    You see this a lot in late medieval mythology. The functions which previously belonged to the Goddess are taken over by men. Hence Gwydion’s male pregnancy.

    Apprentice
    I don’t see that matters in the least. What’s important to Gwydion now is that he has this starving child who needs to be nourished. No use turning to Aranrhod, she’s