A Sight To Be Sold by N. T. Lazer

Author:N. T. Lazer [Lazer, N. T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

A while later, Richard held Jamal’s head toward the ground as they approached the train station, shielding his eyes from the degraded expressions of freedom by the Canvases who surrounded their departure point. Jamal did not fight, having had a passing glance of someone whose eyes had been plucked out when they approached the station. Once they had reached the inside of the station, however, Jamal sprinted toward the ticket dispenser and purchased one for himself before Richard realized what he was doing.

“How are you going to make sure to know where to get off this time? I can just wait for you to fall asleep and get off all by myself,” Jamal sneered, clearly in better spirits.

“I already know I’m too exhausted to pull off a scam with any confidence behind my actions,” Richard said, smiling. “I know when I’m beat.”

“What does that mean?” Jamal said.

“It means I’m cheap, not stupid,” Richard said, purchasing a ticket for himself as well as the sight-rights to see the stops. “They’re going to make sure I’m legit this time and I’m not going to give them any reason to believe otherwise. Though if I had to, I could always just report you as a runaway child to make sure you give me the details I need.”

“And I could just report you as a fugitive of the law,” Jamal shot back.

Richard raised an eyebrow at Jamal’s bravado, clearly more comfortable around his neighbor. Upon entering the train, Jamal walked up to a pair of seats occupied by a young woman, then looked up to Richard. It took a moment to realize that Jamal was waiting for Richard to lie for them in order to sit together. He smiled to himself and obliged the boy, again convincing the passenger they were father and son. He successfully kicked the current occupant out of the seat, despite their skepticism of blood relation.

“Are you sure The Watch will be gone by now?” Jamal asked once they were settled and the train had started moving.

“Not absolutely certain, no, but I safely assume they don’t want to be in our neighborhood overnight. Messing with the poor is their day job, they have families to go home to overnight,” Richard said.

“That’s good,” Jamal said, closing his eyes and stifling a yawn as he held the stuffed animal close. “I want to see my parents.”

Richard didn’t reply, uncertain whether Jamal’s parents would be back home so soon. Or at all.

Instead of dwelling on the worst case scenario, Richard allowed his thoughts to drift back to the conversation he had with Scrags earlier. There may have been a possibility to get the implants removed? See the world as it was intended to be seen? No longer beholden by a constant flow of laws that would consistently hinder his ability to see the world? Really see the world! The idea made Richard smile despite himself. More than anything, he would have loved to really see for once in his life. No licensed, sight-righted agreement to a sale of temporary rights to see something, but a true seeing.

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