Mutant Star by Haber Karen

Author:Haber, Karen [Haber, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: series, mutants, genetics, : adventure, mutant
Publisher: Phoenix Pick
Published: 2014-06-03T15:00:00+00:00

9

Julian bent over his deskpad, one eye on the screen, the other on his calculator. When the phone chimed, he looked up from his notes with relief and exasperation. He split the screen, saving the statistics on the left. His mother’s face appeared on the right beside rows of glowing orange digits.

“Julian, have you seen Rick?”

“Mom, I’m right in the middle of some heavy number crunching.”

“This is important.”

“So is my dissertation. Which I’ll never get done if I have to check up on my brother every five minutes.”

“I’m not talking about every five minutes. I’m talking about now.” Her voice rose slightly on the last word.

“Sorry. No, I haven’t heard from Rick.”

“Your aunt Kelly saw him a couple of days ago.”

“In Denver?”

“Yes. Remember her Shuttle Corps reunion?”

“Rick went?” Julian stared at her in surprise. “But he hates parties like that.”

His mother nodded. “I know. Even more peculiar, he asked if he could come early. Kelly said he seemed nervous, almost as though he were trying to get away from something.”

“I’ll bet. Probably the Yakuza.” His eyes drifted to the left toward the rows of orange numbers.

“Pay attention, Julian! This is as important as your studies. Rick vanished in the middle of the party. Kelly saw him talking to Ethan Hawkins. Then he was gone.”

“Hmm. Any note?”

“Just a farewell and apology.”

“Strange.”

“It gets stranger. Kelly told me her daughter, Mari, saw Rick levitating in their backyard.”

“What? She must have been joking.”

“I don’t think so.”

Julian shook his head. “How could Rick levitate? He’s a null. Everybody knows that. Did Kelly actually see him do anything unusual?”

“No,” his mother said. “And I’ve tried to call Rick, even just to leave a message, but the circuit is always busy. Those people he lives with must never get off the phone.”

“I had the same problem when I tried to call him,” Julian said. “Did you try Alanna?”

“Yes. Narlydda was frantic. She said Alanna had bolted in the middle of the night. Left a vague note for them. They found it this morning. Narlydda’s certain that Alanna went away with Rick. But where?”

“Sounds likely. And they’ll turn up sooner or later.”

“Julian, I’m terribly worried.”

“Mom, you’re always worried about Rick.”

She said nothing but her eyes glittered with anger.

“Sorry.” He regretted his words. But whenever he talked to his mother, sooner or later she told him how worried she was about Rick. He had interrupted the family ritual. An act of appeasement was called for. “Mom, tell you what. I’ll take a trip down to Santa Cruz this afternoon. I’m not due in the lab before three. I’ll try to find Rick’s housemates and see if they know where he is.”

“If they don’t, I’m calling the police,” Melanie said. “I never worry about you, Julian. I know you’ve got good sense. And mutant powers on top of it. But that brother of yours …”

“He’s probably just on a party trip, Mom. Most likely, he got a bunch of his friends together and they’re riding around having a big time while we sit here worrying.

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