A Mother's Unreason by Andy Graham

Author:Andy Graham [Graham, Andy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-02-28T22:00:00+00:00

Vena transferred her gaze to Ray and his colleagues. The light in the room gave her eyes a reddish cast that matched the skull on the map. “It was Bethina’s predecessor, Edward De Lette, who had the idea of banning twins,” she said. “He was a ghastly man, strong but ploddish, with a mind like a viper in a baby’s cot. Genetically, you see, twins are harder to tell apart and track; in particular identical ones, such as you and Rhys, or my sister and I. With the dawn of De Lette’s swipe card technology, linked to the genome of each individual, the potential for misidentification was considered a risk. His proposal was to have the eldest of each twin put down.”

“A simple solution,” said Ray.

“It does have historical precedence,” Vena said. “Especially amongst religious groups. Bizarrely, usually by those who claim to promote love and tolerance.” She held her throat with one hand. “I am parched by the way.”

“Let me,” Kayle said, sweeping his beret off his head.

“Would you? Thank you, young man. The salt air does get to me.”

“The ban on twins?” Ray prompted.

Vena’s eyes slid across to him. “Patience, my dear.”

“We don’t have time,” Stella whispered. “My family.”

“Very well,” Vena said with a sigh. “Before De Lette signed the ban into law, a medic of the day, Dr Wu-Brocker, convinced him the unique potential for genetic research and testing that twins offered was too good to lose. Wu-Brocker claimed ‘petty ethical restrictions and moral dilemmas had been holding science back like a garrotte leashed to a man’s balls’.”

“Vile woman,” Stella said. “She should never have been allowed to practise medicine.”

“Not all doctors are angels, my dear. It was a distasteful turn of phrase from one so attractive. But I find a pretty face often masks the gutter soul beneath. Wu-Brocker stated, and I quote verbatim, that ‘unfettering the restrictions on infant research was a platinum-plated opportunity for research and progress’. She convinced De Lette and he—”

“He had his stooge, Luke Hamilton, his puppet president, push the law through,” Rose finished.

Vena folded her hands in her lap, her brow creasing. “Yes, thank you, Rose. I am quite capable of talking.”

“Too capable,” Stella muttered.

Vena sniffed. “There you have it, a potted history of twins.” She looked at each in turn, eyebrows rising as she did. “Why the silence? I should think you would like to know why people didn’t protest. I would, were I in your shoes.”

“Why didn’t they protest, Vena?” Rose asked wearily.

“They didn’t know the law was being passed,” Ray said, easing his weight off his ankle. “Old-school distract-and-destroy techniques. Politics and warfare amount to the same thing.”

“Very good, young man. Maybe you’re not as dense as I thought.”

“Very funny,” Ray said.

“I wasn’t trying to make a joke.” Vena shrugged, looking vaguely affronted. “The twin policy was slipped through the books the day of the Veiled Carnival. I’m sure you know how indulgent that day can become. That year, instead of just lifting the usual restrictions on alcohol rationing, the government made it free for all.

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