The Rift by Walter Jon Williams Read Free Book Online Page A

education, not for themselves exactly, but because they led to success later on. Frank was big on hard work, dedication, and the rewards the two would bring. Jason's mom, by contrast, thought of this goal-oriented behavior as “worshiping false, non-integrative values.”
    “She wants me to spend more time doing stuff here. But there's nothing to do here, so—”
    “She wants you to try to make friends in Missouri.”
    Jason could not understand how his parents knew these things about each other. Were they telepathic or something?
    “Well, yeah,” Jason said. “But there's, like, no point to it. Because the second I'm eighteen, I'm checking out of this burg.”
    “You've got a few years till then,” his father pointed out.
    “But I'm going to be spending as much time in L.A. as I can between now and then.”
    “Jason.” His father's voice was weary. “Where are you going to be spending most of your time between now and your graduation?”
    Jason glared out the window and realized he was trapped. “Here,” he said. “In Missouri.”
    “So isn't it, therefore, a good idea to get to know some people where you live? Maybe date a few girls, even?”
    Jason never liked it when his father started using words like therefore. It meant he was doing his whole lawyer thing, like he was talking to a witness or something. It was as bad as when his mother talked about negative thoughtforms.
    “I don't mind making new friends,” he said. “But I want to keep the ones I've got, too, and I can't do that unless I stay in touch with them.”
    “I will speak to your mother about your Internet privileges, then. But I won't do it for another week or ten days, because I want you to soften her up between now and then, okay? Try to make an effort? Take someone home? Play a game of baseball? Something?”
    Jason glared at his reflection in the blank computer screen. “I'll see what I can do,” he said.
    “Good.”
    Jason made a grotesque face into the computer screen. Snarled, bared his canines, made his eyes wide. His distorted reflection grimaced back at him like a creature out of a horror film. “I was wondering,” Jason began, “if I could come and stay with you after you and Una get back from China.”
    Jason heard a page turn over the phone, and then heard his father's pen scratching again. “I don't think that's such a good idea,” Frank said. “I'm going to be working sixteen-hour days to catch up on the work I've missed. I wouldn't really have a chance to spend time with you. It wouldn't be fair to Una to have to spend all her time looking after you.”
    “I wouldn't bother her. I can just hang with my friends.”
    “You'll still be able to visit in August, like we planned.”
    “I could house-sit for you, while you're gone.”
    Frank's pen went scratch, scratch. “I don't think so,” he said. “I don't want to leave you alone in the city all that time. What if you got into trouble?”
    What if I didn't? Jason wanted to respond. “Or I could fly to China and join you there,” he said instead.
    His father gave a sigh. Jason could hear the pen clatter on the desktop. “This is my first vacation in almost ten years,“ Frank said. “I'm a partner now. It used to be that partners took it easy and waited for retirement, but that's not how it works anymore. Partners work harder than anyone else.”
    “I know,” Jason said. He remembered the last vacation, ten years ago in Yosemite. He didn't remember much about the park, he could only remember being sick to his stomach and throwing up a lot.
    “Una and I have never had much time alone together,” Frank said. “We're going to be meeting her family, and that's important.”
    And a step-kid, Jason thought, would just get in the way. Una, whom Frank had finally married a few months ago, was half Chinese. The Chinese part of the family was scattered all through Asia, and Frank and his new bride were going to travel to Shanghai, Guangzhong, Hong Kong, Singapore,