Tomorrow's Children by Daniel Polansky

Author:Daniel Polansky [Polansky, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781915202840
Published: 2024-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

39

A Concerned Guardian

“Tell me again what he looked like,” said Newton’s uncle.

“I told you already,” said Newton.

“Just one more time,” said Newton’s uncle.

They were still at the dinner table. They had been at the dinner table since Newton had come home from school and drew Fran46 the sign that the man had drawn for Newton, and then Fran had showed one of the men what guarded Newton, and then that man had sent for Newton’s uncle, who had arrived smelling of toilet water and of things toilet water could not mask.

“He had red hair and he smoked,” said Newton. “His coat was too big.”

“How old did he look?”

“Younger than you. Older than me. Can I go read a panel book now, please?”

“Just another toc,” said Newton’s uncle, who got up and left the room, leaving Newton in the care of Fran and Fran alone.

“What’s so bad about the sign, nanny?” asked Newton.

Fran’s eyes had that mist they often got after dinner. “Don’t you worry yourself none about that. If you need to know, your uncle will tell you.”

Who returned then, having re-applied his smile. “Well, Newton,” said Newton’s uncle, “it seems clear this whole thing is a big to-do over very little, some neighborhood transient muttering nonsense.”

“He knew who I was,” said Newton.

“Such an imagination! Do you get that from those panel books?”

“I don’t… think so,” said Newton, pondering the matter.

“No, surely just some unfortunate funk-huffer. A sad place, the Island, object lessons and so on. Nothing to worry about. But all the same, I’m thinking it might be safer if you moved in with me a while.”

“But you just said there was nothing to worry about.”

“I said there was probably nothing to worry about.”

“No, you didn’t,” said Newton.

Newton’s uncle laughed, though Newton had not thought he was making a joke. “Yes, just some drunk, surely, but if you were to see him at school again, make sure to tell an adult you can trust.”

But all during bath time, and even as he went to bed, Newton found he could not think of one.

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