Brian Stableford by Sheena

Author:Sheena
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-11-21T21:51:07+00:00

“Don’t fret about it,” she advised. “What was, was-the past is unchangeable. It’s not the worst of fates, to be a passenger in my memories. It’s a far easier way to my heart. I just wish you could hear, if only for a moment, the song of Atlantis, the song of the world as it was. I can describe the people to you, the buildings, the flowers, and the animals. I can even describe the chimeras and the spirits, at least as they seem by moonlight, but I can’t describe the music, because that can’t be put into any words we know.”

“I have more than enough,” I assured her, repenting of the suggestion that I could be in any way dissatisfied with our relationship. “I have everything I need.”

I had, too. I had everything. It took me a little longer to show Sheena off to my mother and my half-brothers than it might have done, because I was paranoid that one or other of them was going to say something horribly wrong, but when the time came to bite the bullet, the occasion passed harmlessly.

“She’s that thin,” was Mum’s verdict afterwards. “But it seems to be the fashion nowadays. Look at that Ally McBeal.”

The last remark was not a veiled reference to Sheena’s talent for invention, but merely evidence of the censorious frame of mind in which Mum invariably watched TV.

The last remaining piece of our personal jigsaw fell into place a couple of days later, when we were in overlapping shifts. I got home about five, while Sheena was on two-to-ten, and I’d been in for an hour or so when the doorbell rang.

It was a woman, who looked to be about four years older than me. She had bleached blonde hair, but she was too well dressed and neatly polished to be placed in the same category as the slags at work.

“I’m Elizabeth Howell,” she said.

It took a full ten seconds for the penny to drop; I had never taken the trouble to work out what “Libby” must be short for. When it did, reflex made me say: “Sheena’s not here. She’s at work.”

“I know,” she said. “Can I come in for a minute?”

I opened the door wide and stood aside to let her go past. By the time I’d closed it and turned around again, she was already well into her tour of inspection. She made not the slightest attempt to cover up the fact that that was what she was doing. She carefully examined my furniture, my bookshelves, my CD collection, and my PC before turning her critical eyes on me. I tried to meet them squarely, taking note of the fact that although they were blue, they were much darker than Sheena’s. Physically, Libby favoured her mother. She was handsome, even voluptuous, but anyone who had seen Mrs. Howell would have been able to imagine her slowly morphing into something wide and soft.

“Crockett says you’re all right,” she observed.

“Crockett?” I queried. Again the penny was ridiculously slow to drop.

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