The Gadgeteer

Chapter 16

HALF AN HOUR later, her cab pulled up in front of Graham's house. Steeling herself, she stepped out, hoping but dreading that he was home. Marble sensed her trepidation and lingered behind. Since when was she fearful? She laughed quietly and knocked on the door.

"Come in. We've been expecting you," a woman's voice called out.

The hair on the back of her neck tingled at the strangeness of it. There must be a monitoring system of some sort. Or maybe that happened every time, no matter who was at the door. But why a woman's voice? She hadn't heard he'd gotten married, and that would have been big news to her family.

Cracking the door open, Arabeth looked inside. It was dark. She stepped inside and took a few steps, hoping she wouldn't bump into anything. A brilliant light came on overhead, forcing her to stop while her eyes adjusted.

"Okay, where are you?" she said, raising a hand over her eyes.

The room was cavernous and seemed to be used for pure science, with several different tables covered with experiments. A heavy-set blonde woman of average height walked over, smiling.

"Graham is in the other room. Come in, won't you?" She pointed to the boot rack. "Graham entertains a lot these days - he's in talking with two aeronauts right now. Frankly, it all goes over my head like the ratios for hydrogen disbursement, canvas weight, centre of gravity. I'm starting to learn, but there's still too much that's changing as we go."

Arabeth nodded. "Is he going to be long, do you know?"

"Oh, these meetings aren't usually long. Most people have trouble, because they can't make eye contact." She stuck her hand out - a modern gesture for the average non-business woman, Arabeth noted. "I'm Daisy, and before you ask, I'm his assistant."

"I'm Arabeth. I'm a gadgeteer."

"Ooh." Daisy smiled. "Perfect. Come here. Explain this to me."

Daisy led her to one of the slanted drafting tables, filled with large sheets of architect's graphing paper. "The item is simple enough, but what are these words?"

"Are you sure I'm allowed to see this?"

"It's not a problem, I assure you. The minute you told me your name, I knew I could enlist you. He's spoken of you often." She blushed a little, but looked at the paper still.

Skeptical, Arabeth hesitated. "You don't read?"

"I read some, and he's been teaching me, but he's so busy. And his vision isn't what it was. You heard about his transformation?"

Arabeth shook her head.

"You had a possessive, isolationist former husband."

Arabeth frowned, but nodded.

"This will come as something of a shock then." She sighed. "He can't see. I mean, without his lenses, he's says he's blind. It's not true, but with them, he sees better than the rest of us. Light spectrum manipulation, he calls it. He sees through walls. It's scary, and all way beyond my understanding."

"He's really done something like that? Why isn't that in the Science Journal?"

"It's too easy to exploit for nefarious purposes, he says."

Arabeth chuckled. That sounded like something Graham would say, all right. He was as honest as the dawn, believing the greater good needed defenders.

"Can you read this?" Daisy asked.

Arabeth leaned forward to read the area Daisy stared at.

"This?" she asked. "What about it?"

Daisy paused. "What language is that?"