The Wall of the Sky, the Wall of the Eye by Jonathan Lethem

Author:Jonathan Lethem
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

FOREVER, SAID THE DUCK

Pearl O’Hennies was in the corner talking to Notable Johnson. “Can you believe her gall, calling everyone up like this.”

“But my dear, that’s exactly what he did,” said Notable. “They’re the only two really here. We’re all samples.”

They were talking about their hosts, who were in another of the blank, featureless rooms.

“What is it, a contest?”

“A contest, you mean to see who had more lovers? I think they’re above that. They’ve known each other all these years—”

“Why don’t they just call each other up, then? Why all this?”

“Well they could be with each other, of course. In the real world, instead of a dull, poorly furnished virtual space like this one. But then we wouldn’t all be here. It is about us, you see. Even if they won’t talk to anyone but each other.”

“I heard they’ve got games planned, for later.”

“What, Spin the Bottle?”

Cambert Moid stepped over to where they stood. “Have you ever seen anything like it?” he asked.

“Hello, Cambert,” said Pearl crisply.

“Hello, Pearl. I suppose I should say, long time no see. But”—he mimicked a Southern accent—“I don’t rightly know if that’s true. I suppose our real selves could have warmed up to each other by now. Besides, this is hardly ‘see,’ now is it?”

“You talk too much, Cambert,” said Pearl.

“I’ll let you two catch up,” mumbled Notable Johnson, and he slipped away. He was en route to the monitors where guests were punching up drink simulations when he ran into Caitlice Frisman.

“Caitlice!”

“Oh, Johnny.” She put her arms around him. “Nice, nice, nice. But what, excuse me, what the hell are you doing here?” She leaned in close. “You sleep with that remorseless pussycat?”

“I take it you refer to our host.”

“Yours, not mine,” she corrected.

He nodded his shameful assent to her question.

“Well, a party like this is what you get, what you deserve, for a glitch like that—but enough. You’re in charge of your own regrets. Just tell me when it happened.”

“You’re humiliating me, Cait,” he said affectionately. “Two years—how should I count it?—two years after us, after you and I—”

“Then you know how we’ve been, and you must tell me. Because I—this copy here is from right after we broke—you weren’t even talking to me, Johnny. But you’re from later, and so you know how we’ve been, out there, in our real selves.”

“Oh, fine, Cait. Nothing could keep us from—coffee every Monday.”

“Ah.”

They both fell to a moment of sadness. Then Caitlice said flippantly, “So am I magnificently fat now?”

“Oh, no, you look terrific. But that reminds me, Cait, listen: Gavin Urnst is here, a very early sample, and last I knew he was in the hospital, quite sick—”

“We mustn’t tell him here,” she said quickly. “Ruin his time, when he can’t do anything. Any more than you would tell me if I was fat. Do you think he—”

“Died? I can’t know. Anyone, I mean, you or I—”

“Shh.”

They were quiet again for a minute.

“Cait, if this thing goes long, let’s find each other. I mean, it could get unbearable.

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