A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install

Author:Deborah Install [Install, Deborah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-345-81535-4
Publisher: Random House of Canada
Published: 2015-06-30T04:00:00+00:00

I left Tang in the hotel room, sitting on the floor in front of the television, while I went out to dinner with Kato.

‘You’re not going to go off on your own, are you?’

‘No,’ he said, transfixed by a manic game-show host, with his lurid suit and enormous laugh.

I only had Tang’s word for it that he’d stay there, since the room locked with a key card and could always be opened from the inside. As a precaution, I informed the concierge that I was going out, and asked that if he saw – and heard – a boxy robot heading for the doors then to please send him back to our room.

I arrived at Kato’s office at eight o’clock on the dot, and he was already waiting for me.

‘I did not want to put you to the trouble of riding the elevator to my floor,’ he explained, adding ‘please’ as he gestured for us to walk.

‘Thank you again for the information you gave me about Tang. It’s really helpful.’

‘You’re welcome. I am sorry I am unable to tell you anything further.’

I waved the apology away. ‘I understand you already said more than you should have. I’m sorry I put you in that position.’

‘It’s quite all right. I do have a question, however. Please – can you tell me how Lizzie is?’

I glanced at him, ducking to the side to avoid a telegraph pole spaghettied with black wires and which was, like the Metro trains, singing. Never thought to ask why they did that.

‘You said in your email it was she who suggested you contact me.’

‘Yes, it was.’ I paused, trying to find the most nonchalant reply. ‘She said to say “Hi”. She’s working in a space museum. I think she’d like to be working with AI, but space is the next best thing.’

Kato nodded at this, apparently unsurprised. We walked in silence for a minute or two, Kato with a distant look in his eye and me not wanting to disturb his thoughts, while pondering whether I might bring up the matter of the ‘accident’ at any point. I was also beginning to wonder whether there was more to Kato and Lizzie than either of them had let on.

‘She spoke very highly of you, said you were brilliant.’

‘I’m flattered,’ he said. ‘It’s good to know after all these years she remembers me. I haven’t spoken to her in a long time.’

‘She said that, too. May I ask why not?’

‘We dated in college for a while.’

Aha. I knew it.

‘We wanted different things at the time,’ Kato began to explain, then said simply, ‘It ended.’

‘She didn’t say you were together. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.’ I was tempted to ask what he meant by them wanting different things, but then I thought of Amy and realized I didn’t want to know.

To me, Amy’s career as a barrister had always seemed an irritant – a job that made her work long hours and appeared only to bring her stress. But talking to Kato I realized I’d only ever seen it from my point of view.

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