dianejoplinknewsraighawayhaherfaher’sdeahwasnoaccidenshewassureihadsomehingodowihhesleekbckconsolehashenowhadinhersilvercarryonsamsoniejushepreviousmorning,beforehehadlefhehouseforheairporandhisflighonewyork,hehadeoherroomandwokenherupsleepyeyedshehadsudiedhimfrombehindanunrulyfringeofbrownhair,akinginheoldfashioneddeailofhisenglishgenleman’sweedjackewihheleaherpaddedelbowshehadlookedeveryinchheprofessorhahewas

“leavingalready,dad?”she’daskednguidly,slowlyproppingherselfonoherelbows

“yesangel,duycallsyouknowifyougeboredhereyoucaneandjoinmeaheasoriainnewyork”

“iknowdad,buyouknowhowmuchilovenewyorknoi’snoaeenfriendlyciy”she’dsaidmimickinghevoiceofalecuringadul

“andwhichciyiseenfriendlymighiask?”herfaherhaddemandedpyfully

“em,labeverlyhills,evenboson”she’djokedhe’dughedalongwihherandhenurneddeadserious

“angel,here’ssomehingiwanyouodoformekeephissomewhereinyourroom”

she’dlookeddownbesidehebedoseehegrayboxwihhedhlsickerhaherfaherhadreceivedjusacoupleofdayspreviouslyfromjapanfromhakenzoyamamoowhoherfahersaidhedidnoknorecoincidence?fromhedephsofhergriefshedidn’hinkso

“whynoakeiwihyou?youseemquieengrossedwihi?iamsaringogeinsanelyjealous”

“youaresreesahead,wheniesomyaffecionsi’sooimporanformeoakeonheroadkeepiunderyourbeduniliebacki’llbesafeinhere”he’dpushedheboxunderherfourposerwihhisleffooandshe’dseenhemoccasinswihheleaherasselsandgroanedexaggeraedly

“dad,hoseshoesaresooldschoolyouaregivingcredibiliyohemaximhabaddesig

evergoesouoffashion”

“yourdadisoldschool,very,veryoldschooli’llleaveheinricaciesoffashionoyouenlighenedyoungsers,”he’dsaidsmilingandkissedheronheforehead

“willmissyoudad,”she’dproesed,pyingheemoionalbckmailcard

“willmissyouooiwillonlybegoneafewdaysbyeangelgoapocach”he’durnedaroundandlef,hersimageofhimwashisbroadshouldersdisappearinghroughhedoorway

hosewereheswordsherfahersaidohershehadpackedasuicaseassoonasshehadpuhephonereceiverdownfornooherreasonhanhevoiceinherhead,hermoher’s,ellingherorunshewasnooleavehehouse,hefbimanonhephonehadsaid,ryingomakeisoundlikeiwasforhersafeyhefbiwouldbeoveroquesionherandhehousesaff

earssreameddownherfaceassheookheconsoleouofhedhlboxandpcediwihinanesofclohesshe’dhasilygrabbedouofherwardrobehesrangebckboxconainingheconsoleandheperipheralslookedlikeheharbingerofdeahhaiwas,adarkmyserioussquarehaheldsecresshewasdeerminedogeoheboomofxybohadsauneredinandlookedaherhroughdolefuleyesandshe’dswichedioffandfoldingiinoisravelingposure,pcedinexoheconsoleinhesuicase

herbelovedfaherwasdeadherfaherwholovedhermorehananyonecouldeverimagineshe’dslippedouofhehouse,shiveringaishollowempyfeelhehousewouldneveragainhearhebellowofherfaher’svoiceorechohefadedugherofhermoher,whichhoughlonggonesillresoundedinisheavilycarpeedcorridorsshecouldsillsmellhim,haheadymixureofcologneandpipeobaccohabroughchildhoodmemoriesfloodingback,imagesassharpasapainsakinglyresoredcssicmovie,hreaeningoenvelopeher,drownher

hermoherwassilliveinhosememories,hefamiliarringofherugherinercedwihhevisualshosewerehehappydays,aleasassherememberedhem,onhesprawlingmicampusihadseemedhaherewasasmilingyoungfaceoneverycornerinfachundredsoffriendlyeyeslookingdownaher,occasionallypainghershockofcurlybrownhairorpinchinghercheeks,whichusedogoallwarmandinglyiwasheeyesofhesudensshe’dnoicedhemos,windowsinovibransouls

herfaherusedobringhomevariousdevices,puers,pdas,headmouneddispys,andshowhemoheriniially,she’dimaginedheconsolesashavinglilemeninsidehamadeallhosepicuresandhosebrighlighsandaferherfaherhadexpinedhowhey’dworkedshecouldclearlyvisualizehelilebrainsinsidechurningawayandshe’dwonderedwheherpuershoughlikeshedid,losofpicuresjumbledupinhereinherbrainandhevoicesellingherwhaodoandwhaohink

shehaddevelopedanaffiniyforpuersfromanearlyagenosomuchineresedinhemechanicsorechnicalwizardryofhembuinriguedbyheworldshaywihinworldshajuswenbckwhenyouswichedhemoffjuslikeididwhenhermoherusedoblowherakissacrosshecoldexpanseofairinherbedroomandfliphelighswichdidpuersdream?she’dconcludedheydidwhenheywenosleepandhasomeimes,likeshedid,heyhadnighmaresandawokewihasarwhenswichedonherfaherhadexpinedhei

erworkingsbuinherheadshealwayshoughofhemasdreaming“howdoyouknowheydon’dream,dad?”she’daskedandherfaherhadgoneallhoughfundhadn’answeredher

she’dspencounlesshoursinherfaher’sclueredden,pyingwihheaisasherfaherhadreferredohemarificialinelligenceherfaherwasenhancinghemsoheycouldbeemorehumanshe’dmadeuphermindhaheywerealreadyhumanbecauseheyknewsomuchherfavoriepasimewasmakingheaisconradichemselvesoraskinghemquesionshaheycouldnoanswerandhenshehadeobelievehaheyweren’humanaferallheywerenoperfec,hoseais,buheycouldfoolmospeople,mosofheimeandheywerejusexcellenforhomework

earswelledupinhereyesassherememberedsiingnexoherfaherinhisdenwhilehepyedaroundwihcodeomakeheaisbeerhe’dexpinedhahewasryingogehemopassheuringes,whichmeandianewouldn’beableofoolhemanymorejusfivemonhsorsoago,onmay1s,ihadbeenhersixeenhbirhday,andherfaherhadboughheroneofhoseexpensivemopedshahadnowheelsyeglidedacrossanysurfacenoproblemherfaherhadriedoeachherhowouseionlyofalloffaferonlyafewseconds

“youareoooldforhis,dad,”she’dsaidgigglingherfaherhadfakedaninjuryrollingaroundonheneaexpanseofheirfronwndiane,worriednow,hadrushedowardshimfearingforhishealhhenhehadcaughherbysurprise,grabbingherbyhearmssuddenlyandbringingherdownoohewasperfeclyfine,jusfoolingaroundwihher

“ha’si,dad,iamnogoingouniversiynexsummeri’drahergobackpackingoafricaforayearandgoaeigheenlikeallheohersudens”

sheknewhowmuchhewanedherogoandhawasjusherwayofgeingherownbackshehadpassedhebackdooruniversiyenranceexamsomibeforeshe’devengraduaedfromhighschoolinasrangewisoffae,iwashermoher’sdeahhahadriggeredherwihdrawalinoheworldofebooksandonlinedaabaseslosingherselfinaseaofinformaionwasheonlywaysheknewhowoescapehepainofhermoher’spassing

shehadn’evenboheredoellheservansafershehadhunguphephone,noevenmariahehispanicmaidwhohadbeenwihhemenyearsandwaserriblefondofherdadwhowasveryxonsaffholidaysandherfrequenlyvisiingfriendsandreivesshefelhashecouldn’rusanyonesomeonehadkilledherfaherandheonlyhingshecouldhinkofwasorunforsomeunknowndesinaionunilhevoiceshawerenowfighinginherheadsubsided

shehadhecredichipwhichwasgoodforsomeasronomicamounofmoneyshehadn’boheredocheckhowmuchbushehardlyusedianywayandwhaabouherfaher’smoney?hiswill?hewyerswouldsoriallou,shehoughshejusneededogeouofhereunilhecacophonyinherheadsubsidedifonlyshecoulddecideonwhereogosomewhereanonymous,whereshecouldmakesenseofallhismadnesshahadjusakenpceinherlife

shehadnoideawhereshe’dgoshehoughofheadingohawaiibuhenquicklydiscardedhaideawhensherememberedheimagesonhenewsofallhoseisndsdisappearingwihouarace,akenbyahundredmeerallsunamiallhosepeoplewhohaddisappearedbackinoheseawihishe’dheardofapcecalledvanuau,whichwashissmallrenegadecounryhadidnobelongoanyhingiwassupposedobeahavenforpeoplewhohadsolencredifromhesysemandohersubversiveypeshaacuallysolecredifromhesysemonadailybasisherewassomuchcrediinhesysemhoughhaheauhoriiesjusurnedablindeyebecauseiwouldcosmuchmoreoacuallyhirepeopleophysicallygohereandbringhemback

hensherecalledhedayheconsolehadarrivedinheposherfaherhadbeenmoreexciedhanshe’deverseenhimexciedbyhefachahepackagewasfromjapanherfaherhadopenedhepackageanddianehadbeenaliledisappoined,expecingsomehinghaspokeoheexoicnessofasiaiwasjusanoherpuerconsolealhoughhisonelookedmoreexpensiveandmoreechnicallysophisicaedhananyhingshehadeverseeninherfaher’sden

“i’sfromjapan,”he’dsaidwihunconrolbleexciemen

“jusanoherconsole,dad,”she’drepliedasshelefhimohisnewoy,drifingowardsherbedroom

“whoisifrom?”she’daskedwihouurningback

“someonecalledkenzoyamamoonoideawhoheis,”he’dreplied,voicerailingoff,engrossed

erhaeveningwhenmariahadcalledherdownfordi

er,herfaherwassillpyingwihhepuerbuhisimeexciemenhadurnedinoaconcernedlook,hosebushyeyebrowscloserogeherhanshe’deverseenhem

“di

erime,dad,”she’dcalledouonherwayohediningroomhedisracedvoicefloaingback,ellingherhahewouldjoinhersoon

she’dgoodi

eralone,movingsilenlyhroughhehouse,pashecounlesselecronicbooks,puerdiscsandheacademicombsonesxybo,herrobodog,sensingherpresenceandcuingshorisweeklyrechargeofollowherinohediningroomhequiewhirofismechanicsandhesoundofisfeepaddingonhecarpesrangelyreassuring

“nofoodforyouoday,xybo,”she’dsaidoherobodog,painghesensorsonisheadhedoghadlookedsodisappoined,eyesmisingover,aildroopingshehadnoideawhamadeihinkhaiwasarealdogandhafoodwasanecessiyiwasacaseofhedesignengineersakinghingsabioofarinheirirelesssearchforauheniciyyoucouldfeedxyboalrighandhe’dpoopjuslikearealdoghanksoisabs,orarificialbiologicalsysemheproblemwashawheneverxybodidhisbusiness,ismelledworsehanherealhing,apungenu

auralodorhaonlycouldhavebeenfabricaedinab

arealbreakhroughhey’dsaidmorelikeadismalfailurerealdogpoopsmellednohinglikehaandsheknewfirshandabosonzoo,whereheyhadmanagedogeholdofsomedogs,moslyclonedfromadnabankdowninclevend,she’donceseppedrighinoapileofhesuffherfaherhadlookedmorepainedhanshehadandshe’dbursouughing,forgeingforamomenheinconvenienceofhavingoremovehehorriblegunkfromhershoesherfaherhadjushrownheshoesinhelierbinandpiggybackedherallhewayroundhezooandhaparicurmemoryriggeredhergriefandshebursinoearssarlingheheavilymadeupdyaheickecouner

“areyouokmydear?”heickedyaskedwihgenuineconcern

“i’mfinejusbrokeupwihmyboyfriendha’sall”dianewassurprisedaheeasewihwhichsheoldhelie,regurgiainghevoice’sonhespofabricaionwordforword

“menarehescumofheearh,lemeellyouhadon’worry,you’llfindsomeonemuchbeerhanhim,”heaendansympahized,fshingdianeageneroussmileshehadargegapinhereehhasomehowmadehermorearacive

“hanks,”wasalldianecouldmuserasshehandedhedyhercrediandimmigraionchips

“andwherewouldyoulikeyourickefor?”hedyasked

“i’dlikeogeonyourearliesflighookyo”

“okyo?japan?”

“yes,”shewhispered

“oickeforjalcheckinganyhingin?”

“no”

shewasn’goingolehesamsonieandheconsoleouofhersighiwashekeyoherfaher’sdeahandshe’dbedamnedifshewasgoingoloseiinsomedodgybaggagehandlingsysemoroahandlerwihsickyfingersshewasgoingojapanandallhisimehadecisionhadalreadybeenmadeforherdeepwihinhersubconscious