WARPING EFFECTS / CH. 9:SECOND INTERVIEWS
QUY HOUSEHOLD, ANCHORAGE, SAT 13TH JAN, 6PM, 2296
“Does this say Carbon Carbon Land management?” Mr Quy asked, tapping his wrist unit.
“Yes, Dad. Do you need new glasses?”
“Part of the Diamond division of — what a stupid little screen these things have, come on, scroll, you stupid — ye gods, and little fishes! Gemsmith?”
“Have I heard of them?” Victoria asked.
“Emerald Medical's parent company.”
“Oh, big, then?” Victoria asked.
“And Saphire Industries'.”
“Very big?”
“And Emerald consulting, and your mum's favourite jewelers.”
“Shall I just settle on humongous?” Victoria asked.
“That woman could probably buy us up out of her loose change. You didn't try to bribe her, did you Maud?”
“No!”
“Good.”
“She planned to, I think, but the director's wife asked me why I thought she was there.”
“I wish you wouldn't take so much delight in embarrassing your mother, dear.”
“She was there to embarrass me, Dad!”
“I didn't make you turn beetroot, that was her little list you took so much pleasure in burning.”
“Oh, what's this?” Mr Quy asked.
“Embarrassingly personal questions designed to check on my morality and my sheltered upbringing, Dad. OK if I get on with my homework?”
“Sure, kid. Bye.”
“Hey, what about those ear-rings, Victoria, who gave you diamonds?”
Victoria's mother asked.
“What?” her father exclaimed.
“She said it was probably a mistake, mum. The light or something. They've got to be glass or zirc, if they're not just clear plastic.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Every Christmas he gives little bits of cheap jewelery to all the girls who've ever helped him with his homework, OK? Bracelets that look like silver and turn transparent in a week, that sort of thing. These have lasted a bit longer than most, but I don't wear them often.”
“You don't think we should get them valued then?”
“Mum, do you want the embarrassment of asking a jeweler to value a chunk of glass in shiny plastic? I know I don't.”
“Well, if you're sure.”
“Very,” her wrist unit bleeped, and automatically she looked. “Uh oh.”
“Uh oh, what?”
“Message from the Institute.”
“Well?”
“'Dear Victoria, we'd like to thank you for your time, and our enjoyable discussion, we would like to say that we wholeheartedly appreciate your honesty and the integrity you showed despite the fierce competition, blah blah', they wish me all the best in the future. They're winding up to tell me I'm not invited, aren't they?” She looked at her parents, not really daring to read further.
“Have you got to the bottom yet, love?” Her dad asked.
“No. Oh wow! Second interview! Maybe I've got a chance!”
“Better than a spit in the eye, that,” her father agreed.
“Hmph. I bet some people got a different letter,” her mother said.
“They did. 'Two places are undecided, but they hope I'll understand that they don't want the social dynamics of three girls and one boy', What's wrong with that?”
“They don't want to risk you all fighting over the lucky lad, I guess. So they're saying that you've got a fifty-fifty chance?”
“I guess so.”
“So, who does your mother need to poison?” her father teased.
“Don't put ideas into mum's head, please, Dad.”
----------------------------------------
QUY HOUSEHOLD, 8PM.
Victoria answered the call, a bit surprised, “Hello Yvette, what's up?”
“Actually, it's me, Mick.”
“Why are you using Yvette's wrist unit?”
“Urm, I'm getting an extra briefing about the placement.”
“You're going?”
“Yes.”
“I told her you should be chosen.”
“They said, you know, it's better if we tell people ourselves.” Mick said.
“Yes. Wow.”
“So, urm, will you be at Church tomorrow?”
“Of course.
“That's great. Talk to you then, then.”
“Wait a moment,” Victoria said.
“Yes?”
“The ear-rings you gave me. They're not plastic, are they?”
“No.”
“Director's wife said they were diamonds, genuine diamonds.”
“It's possible, I wasn't sure.”
“She thought they were me showing off or something. Mick... you can't afford to give away diamonds.”
“Don't try to give them back, they're yours.”
“Why did you give me possibly diamonds, Mick?”
“Who else should I give them to, Vicky? I can't think of anyone else I'd like to have them. I'm not going to wear them.”
“You could sell them.”
“No I can't, they're yours.”
“You could have sold them.”
“No I couldn't. Fourteen year-old boys don't know how to sell diamond earrings without getting ripped off. Nor does this seventeen year old for that matter.”
“Where did you get them?”
“You're going to laugh.”
“Go on.”
“I bought a second hand coat for my mum, for Christmas. There was a lump in the lining. I asked the shop keeper, he said it was probably a pencil stub or a boiled sweet or something, and I was welcome to it whatever it was, and I wasn't getting a discount for it. But he wrote it on the receipt even, 'second hand coat with mystery surprise in lining'”
“And you wanted to take out the boiled sweet before giving it to your mother?”
“Yes. I found the hole in the pocket and an hour or so later it was out.”
“You could have given them to her.”
“No I couldn't, she doesn't have pierced ears. And they look good on you, thank you for wearing them.”
“And there's something you're not telling me.”
She heard a noise and guessed he'd shrugged, “It doesn't matter does it?”
“Yes, it does matter. I've got a second interview; I hope I'm coming, but if I don't, I'm going to write to you at least once a week, and ask you all about everything you're learning and tell you the news from here.”
“You will? That'd be lovely, Vicky.”
“And I'll sign my letters 'love Vicky', and if my mum notices I'll act all innocent and say that what she'd told me always put at the bottom of a letter to a friend, isn't it?”
“Vicky! You can't!”
“What, confuse my mother? Of course I can. How are you planning to sign your letters to me?”
“Urm, I'd be honoured to do it in the same way. You're sure?”
“Not really, but signing letters is a good place to start, don't you think? See if it grows?”
“Or talking. I really hope you come too. We could do lots of talking on the plane.”
“And once we're there, silly. If I go.”
“I hope you can come,” Mick said.
“We can talk when you're back, too. Not to mention tomorrow.”
“I'm looking forward to that.”
“We'll have to pick something special to argue about, won't we?” She heard a voice in the background “What was that?”
“Yvette says it's a good thing I'm getting a data package with free international calls, or I'd be headed for serious debt.”
“Why are you using her wrist unit?”
“Didn't want to tip off parents, and mine is pay-per-minute at the moment, I don't use it enough normally.”
“I thought... you know, you and Yvette get on well...”
“Me and Yvette? No! I guess you don't know.”
“There's a surprise.”
“I'll hand you over. See you tomorrow, Vicky.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“Hi Vicky,” Yvette said. “Glad you two have finally stopped arguing long enough to work out how you feel. You know why it's not going to be three girls?”
“Dad said so we didn't fight over Mick.”
“No, it's so number three doesn't climb back on the first plane. Better three split pairs rather than one very lonely half of a split pair, one couple, and one negotiating her engagement.”
“Eh?”
“Girl three has a boyfriend, who's not coming. I am very firmly in love with Kevin Stammers, have been for a decade, and it's finally come out. Rather messily, but, I think God meant it for good.”
“What do you mean, messily?”
“Mum now thinks I've been secretly sampling his tonsils or worse behind her back, and says I'm not her daughter. So I'm getting a new one.”
“A new mum? Kevin's?”
“No! We're not old enough to get married, and there's no way they'd let me stay otherwise. Tongues are wagging enough as it was. So, this is not public knowledge, but I'm going to be adopted by... oh I hate not using names... the nice couple from the Institute. They were there, saw me kiss Kevin in a public meeting, heard Mum — ex-mum — say I could sleep in the gutter for all she cared, but I wasn't going back to her house, and they decided to give me a future. So you might hear some rubbish about me, but it was just one heartfelt plea to Kevin not to fall in love with someone else just after I've finally become a Christian, and a kiss. On the lips. In full public. I still can't believe I did that. I'm a shocking disgrace to my upbringing.”
“But Kevin's in love with someone else?”
“No. Well, they were starting to think that way, but my future big sister dumped him in my favour. I love her already. She and Kevin had had a little heart to heart, and apparently he told her that he's been trying not to fall in love with me for years, because I wasn't a Christian. Hence her shoving him my way.”
“So you're going to be dating him publicly now?”
“I don't think so. I don't know, that's not really cultural, you know?”
“But nor was kissing in public?”
“Certainly not! And the other thing is he needs time to forgive me, I think.”
“What, for embarrassing him?”
“Well, that too. But also for ripping his hair out. I didn't want to let him go, you see?”
“So you ripped his hair out?”
“He pulled away, I was hanging on to him — well, his hair — for grim death.”
“Sounds like you need to apologise.”
“I have, several times.”
“And give him some more kisses to let him know you mean it.”
“Vicky!” Yvette said, outraged.
“Sorry. But really, if you're leaving at the end of this week...”
“Not much time, I know. And arranging the placement wasn't on the revised schedule, let alone the original one. Busy, busy busy, my future parents. But given the accusations against me I'm not sure if I'm allowed out of their sight.”
“Oh wow. You're grounded?”
“Pardon? Oh. OK. I'm not grounded, but they've been warned I might not be safe. So I have to be with trusted friends. Can I come to church with you two tomorrow? I promise not to sit between you, so you can hold hands during the sermon. Ow!”
“What happened?”
“Mick threw a cushion at me.”
“Well if he doesn't want to hold hands with me...”
----------------------------------------
MADDIE AND ROBBIE'S CHURCH, SUNDAY MORNING.
“No Yvette?” Maddie asked.
“She thought it'd be better to go to a friend's church,” Sarah said.
“Oh! So did Kevin.”
“I wonder if they're going to the same one,” John asked.
“That'd be awkward,” Robbie said.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
“Not really,” John said. “It might be useful, actually. They do need to talk, I think. And it's not exactly going to hurt Yvette's reputation any more, or is it?”
“Yvette's? Probably not.”
“Kevin's?” Sarah asked.
“No. Yours, maybe.” Maddie admitted.
“We have no concerns about Yvette's moral compass, nor Kevin's, Maddie. I think letting her go to church with a friend demonstrates that to her. And it keeps her away from possibly toxic flare-ups here.”
“I'm sure pastor Frank will thank you for not occasioning a stand-up row in the middle of his sermon.”
“Would that happen?”
“It has done in the past. We're an emotional people.”
“I'd never noticed,” Sarah said with a straight face.
“Sarah, be good. Robbie, having talked to our daughters, and a bit to Kevin on the way here, I understand we need to come to an agreement about the young people.”
“Yes, sometime,” Robbie agreed.
“Would tonight be acceptable?” John asked. “We've got quite a lot of things to do in the coming week.”
“And it needs to include talk about when, and where and the bride-price for virgins, as Scripture calls it, and things like that, yes?” Sarah asked.
“Urm, yes.”
“I hope Kevin's not thinking that he'll get Yvette any cheaper than he would have got Maggie,” Sarah said. “I think actually Yvette's going to be getting a higher salary when she starts work. Just comparing what physicists in government posts get compared to psych-counsellors, that is.”
“Sarah,” Maddie asked, “you are teasing, aren't you? We don't do that these days.”
“Never?”
“Only... Oh! I get it.” Maddie said.
“What?” Robbie asked.
“Remember Tanya's wedding?”
“Elopement you mean?” Robbie asked.
“No her wedding. Bride price was paid for the so-called elopement, and then returned later.”
“But nothing's happened between them.”
“Exactly. That's why the bride-price was returned. Proof that it wasn't an elopement. Because of the accusation, there needs to be a price set, Robbie, for the sake of Yvette's reputation.”
“And paid soon,” Sarah agreed, “so there's no doubt in anyone's mind that they're engaged, and plan to marry. Even though we're going to try hard to persuade her to go to university.”
“Wish us luck on that front,” John said, “I think she's hoping for an early marriage.”
“I haven't spoken about this to John yet, but it occurs to me that Kevin could apply for a university place too. Or there's that piece he did on Heather that N.W.N. took up, maybe they'd take him on as staff on the basis of that.”
“That's what you were thinking of this morning?”
“Yes. You know what long engagements do to people, John.”
“Make them look forward to their wedding day, yes. So, Robbie, we've got some negotiating to do, haven't we?”
“We have. Then I'll need to talk to my bank manager, I guess.”
“Don't be silly,” Sarah said. “I've no plans to make you genuinely go into debt over something we know is just for appearances.”
“If the number's too low then it'll hurt her reputation.” Maddie pointed out.
“I have a plan, don't worry,” Sarah said.
----------------------------------------
VICTORIA AND MICK'S CHURCH, SUNDAY MORNING.
“Hi, Mick!” Yvette said, “Your assigned seat for today's service is just there.”
“Stirrer. There's someone you know over there,” Mick commented.
“Oh no!” Yvette said, glancing where he pointed.
“If you can stir, why can't I?”
“Cultural values, idiot.” Victoria said.
“I love you too.” he retorted, then blushed, realising what he'd just said.
“Wow, that's a bold statement. Said in front of witnesses too,” Victoria said lightly, grinning at his discomfort.
“Sorry.”
“What for, proclaiming your love?” Victoria asked.
“Doing it in a snippy way like that. As though it wasn't true.” He said in a low tone. “Not the way I wanted to say it at all.”
She caught her breath. “You... you're serious?”
“I think so. I know I didn't get much sleep last night, looking forward to today.”
“I thought you were after Yvette last term.”
“Not for long, her mind was on someone else. And only after two years of dashed optimism.”
“I didn't realise.”
“Every time you wore those ear-rings... Eventually I realised you just wore them once a month or so.”
“You'll notice I'm wearing them today.”
“I do, yes. Thank you.”
“I don't think I'm ready to say I love you, Mick. Not yet. But I promise you can tell me again sometime. In the right tone of voice, and not in the middle of Church.”
“Thank you. So, we're not supposed to attract Kevin's attention, Yvette?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.
“No!” she whispered in a mortified tone.
“Oops. Sorry. I think I already did.”
“What?”
“He just saw me, looked at who was in the same row as me and did an obvious double-take.”
[Hi Yvette, I can tell you're blushing even from here, and I'm not listening in unless you glance back at me. I've just had a text message from my mum asking which church it was again, I was going to and to say that John and Sarah are going to talk to them this evening about how much you're going to cost me.]
Yvette looked round in surprise. [When?]
[Did you just think something? I was too slow.]
[They're going to set a price for me tonight?]
[Problem?]
[No, but... I thought it was just cultural learning. Sarah was saying something about me getting a degree.]
[But... didn't you tell them we don't do bride-price any more?]
[Except if there's an elopement. Sarah was really interested in Tanya's non-elopement, and the way the money was returned after the wedding.]
[And everyone knows the accusations were unfounded because her parents returned the money. Of course! Your new mum's a genius.]
[No, she's not. It's going to take years for you to save up enough to afford a decent price for me, even with your parent's help. Do you know how much a human psych-counsellor earns?]
[No, but you're not one yet.]
[That doesn't matter. It's my training and what I might earn, isn't it?]
[I... I haven't ever paid much attention to how it's set. Didn't you tell Sarah, if she was asking?]
[I thought I had. This is terrible! Can you call her, for me, like you did with Maggie?]
[The service is going to start soon, Yvette. Can't it wait?]
[Not if you want me listening and not crying.]
[Of course I don't want you crying! I love you.]
[You do?]
[Absolutely. And I want to marry you, and Maggie wants to spoil our kids. Did she tell you that?]
[Yes.]
[So, calm down and I'll call Sarah.] Kevin thought. [Sarah? Yvette's got in a panic about this evening's meeting meaning we'll need to wait ages. Does she know you've got the gift? She asked me to connect you to her.]
[She might not know, and now probably isn't the time. Just tell her to calm down, no one is going to bankrupt you or your parents or make you wait longer than is reasonable, but she's going to have a decent price. Tell her to trust, and if that's really too hard remind her your parent's ultimately work for me, part of the time, but that's not public knowledge. That ought to allay her fears. Oh, and tell her that I fully expect the two of you to talk to each after the service, face to face. Church is a good place to talk, you need to talk, and she'll just upset me if she hides away from you. Call me if she does.]
[OK, Sarah, I'll tell her.] Calling Yvette he thought, [Sarah says not to worry, she's not going to bankrupt anyone, or make us wait too long, and you are going to have a decent price. I'm not sure how she's going to manage it, but that's what she said. She also says trust her.]
[How can she do all those things? It makes no sense! She can't do that, not without you taking out an enormous loan.]
[She also said something about my parents ultimately working for her part time. I don't know what she means by that, but she said it ought to reassure you.]
[They do?]
[Yes. Oh, and as well as trusting your new mother, she wants you to talk to me after the service, says we need to, and church is a good place to do it. Face to face, and I'm supposed to tell on you if you try to hide.]
[She wants me to talk to you.]
[Yes.]
[What about?]
[No idea what she wants us to talk about, but I've got some things I want to say to you.]
[Sorry about your hair.]
[Sorry about Maggie. It would have been a mistake.]
[You're sure?]
[You're the girl of my dreams, Yvette. Maggie just looks bit like you, and hears thoughts, and you were off limits. And from what you said, that's because we didn't talk enough, isn't it? Leaping to wrong conclusions.]
----------------------------------------
MONDAY MORNING, 15TH JAN, 2296, 8.15AM.
“Well, it looks like Jim isn't going to make it,” Sarah said, “and he isn't the one with jet-lag. Henrietta, shall we start?”
“Urm, OK.”
“Problem?”
“No, no, it's just not time for my interview is it?”
“No, but you are here, Jim is fifteen minutes late already. I'd like to keep five minutes available to tell him about how important it is to turn up to interviews on time.”
“Oh. OK.”
“One quick question first of all... Have you had any further thoughts?”
“Well, I'm still not really sure. I wanted to talk it through with Terry, but he's been gone all weekend on a school trip.”
“When do you think you'll know for certain?”
“He's back on Wednesday, that's too late isn't it?”
“Yes. I was thinking I could maybe delay final decisions until quarter to nine.”
“OK. Well, I'll say yes then, and hope he doesn't dump me.”
“In that case, I need to ask you a few more questions, because my beloved husband didn't think they were important if you weren't certain, and they were more personal.”
“OK.”
“So leading up to question one, you've heard that there are a lot of Christians there, and that ethics is important, not just because we're Christians, but because reputation matters, and social dynamics and all of those things.”
“Urm OK.”
“Have you had lots of boyfriends?”
“Urm, no. Not lots.”
“But more than a couple?”
“Yes.”
“Could you give me a rough number, in the last year?”
“About ten.”
“How long, on average, would you say you mourned the loss of one boyfriend before deciding to move on to the next?”
“Not long. A few days, maybe. It depends who asks and when.”
“And, would you say that it's normal at your age to have a boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“And not having one?”
“Is not normal, like, you're stuck-up or something.”
“So when you don't, it's time to pick yourself up off the ground and tell yourself 'better luck next time'?”
“Exactly.”
“Do you normally dump them, or they dump you?”
“I dump them, normally.”
“Why?”
“They get demanding.”
“In what way?”
“Different ways. One wanted to see me, like, every evening I didn't have homework. He left me no free time at all! Another just...”
“Just?”
“Wanted urm, more contact than I wanted.”
“That's nice and ambiguous. How much contact do you normally want?”
“It depends, you know, how my mood is. Sometimes just holding hands, sometimes a bit more adventurous, especially after we've been going out for a few weeks.”
“And the boy wanted, what, hands inside clothes?” Sarah asked.
“I'm probably going to upset your values, but that'd have been OK with me. He wanted less clothes.”
“You mean he wanted to go to bed with you?”
“Yes.”
“And that was a line you weren't prepared to cross.”
“No.”
“Ever crossed it?” Sarah asked.
“No.”
“Good for you. And I mean that, not just in the 'bravo' sense. Henrietta, you're under the legal age of consent. I don't know exactly what the law is here but back home it means that it is a crime for anyone to have any sexual contact with you, that's to say even hands inside underwear and he'd be liable for prison. I'd say someone, or more like a series of someones have convinced you to let yourself be exploited. It's not uncommon for young people to fantasize about touching and stroking, but doing it is rare, especially in the sort of short-term relationships you're having. And it messes up your life and your future relationships. I've seen it so many times it's depressing. Formally speaking, I think you are in need of psych-counselling, and are currently on a life-path that is dangerous to your long-term self-esteem.” She took a deep breath and continued.
“So, I'm going to lay a condition on you, for your own good. It probably seems too draconian, but in a decade's time you'll thank me, if you keep it. If you come on placement with us, then you will make a solemn oath to to the following: Number one, live entirely without any boyfriend for a year; a total break. Two; after that, you'll pick and choose very carefully who you give the dignified title of 'your boyfriend', and only accept someone to that place after careful consideration. That's to say, before you give them that title, you'll have conversations with them to see if you actually get on well. That's called friendship and it needs to come first. Three: one of the discussions you'll have will be about comparative moralities, what they're not going to do, and so on, and reached an agreement. Part of that agreement is in the first six months of being your boyfriend there's going to be nothing less innocent than holding hands, and maybe a brief hug in a public place. Four: you will, at every stage of the relationship ask yourself, might this person be someone I'm happy to spend the rest of my life with. If you're not sure, then you'll give yourself more time at the phase you're at or end the relationship, give yourself a breather to realise you don't actually need a relationship, and start once again, exactly the same routine. Five: you will never go further into the relationship in an effort to save it. If it's falling apart at hand-holding stage, let it. If he won't wait, then he's all take and no give, and he's not good for you.
“Only on that condition will I accept you onto the placement, because that's the only lever I've got over you. I've got a number of people who look to me as their matriarch, and while I've never had one in as bad a state as you've got into, I've made the five or six who were heading in your direction go through that process. Some of them had friends who declared them to have gone weird, but their girl-friends who said that ended up damaged and lonely, whereas they ended up sane with a good husband. I can't guarantee anything, of course, but I know what I've seen: five point plan to get your life back on track, mostly happy; staying on the right track to start with, mostly happy; heading the way you are: mostly miserable and wishing they could start over again making different decisions. Over to you.”
Sarah had been looking at Henrietta's face, not bothering to check her thoughts, but she wasn't surprised at the answer.
“I can't do that. I can't dump Terry for a year and roll back the clock like that.”
“Then, as I said, I think you are on a life-path that is dangerous to your long-term self-esteem, and as such I cannot accept you on the placement scheme or recommend you continue on a career-path towards psych-counselling, until you stop thinking of yourself as a boy's plaything and seek help. As for Terry, at least listen to some of the other points, Henrietta. I wish you a happy life, I really do. And if things with Terry fall apart, then remember: get to know boys first, not second. Try finding patient love, not just immediate desire. Do you want me to write what I've told you? Either the formal statement or the five point plan?”
“No,” Henrietta said, not crying, but not in any way liking what she'd been told. Sarah finally checked on her mental state; as expected, it was full of injured pride, and a total refusal to listen.
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MONDAY MORNING, 15TH JAN, 2296, 8.35AM.
“I'm really sorry I was late,” Jim said.
“Let me guess, it wasn't your fault?”
“Oh, it was. I ran for what I thought was my bus, but I didn't read the number properly. It started off in the right direction and then turned left instead of right and I didn't notice.”
“I see. Tell me about household chores.”
“Urm, this is really embarrassing.”
“Go on.”
“I tried helping mum with the washing up.”
“And?”
“After the second plate broke, she banned me from the kitchen.”
“You broke two plates?”
“Yes.”
“My husband asked for a note from your parents,” Sarah said, “Do you have one?”
“Yes. Here it is.”
Sarah saw it had been written that morning. 'Jim has been trying to help around the house and to be more self-reliant. We'd given up ourselves, but I guess there's some hope for him. As long as all the plates and glasses bounce, and you don't let him near any sharp objects, that was scary. He did wake up on time this morning, after setting three alarms. He then spent half an hour trying to find the shirt he'd put on a chair last night so it would be easier to find. Then he remembered he needed this letter. We're sort of used to him, (why us?) but I'm not sure I'd wish him on anyone without a real and deep compassion for the terminally accident prone. I don't suppose you know any nice girls about his age like that do you? Yours ever hopeful, Maria (aka Mum). ps, he's just melted a plastic spatula into the toaster, because the toast got stuck, and he didn't think of turning it off.”
“Have you read this?” Sarah asked.
“No. Should I?”
“Probably not. Your mother mentioned something scary involving sharp objects?”
“Oh, yeah. I tried to chop up some firewood. My shoes were getting too small anyway, so it's not too big a disaster.”
“You put the axe through your shoe?”
“I'm amazed I missed my toes, but I did.”
“OK, Jim, let me ask you a question. You know that the rules of the placement are that you help around your host family's house about half an hour per day. What could you do that would not involve heart-attacks, trips to hospital, and destruction of property?”
“I mended the vacuum cleaner.”
“Had it been broken before you touched it?”
“No.”
“So?”
“Not really.”
“So should I let you onto the placement?”
“Not really.”
“Do you have any manual skills?”
“I made this.”
“Your wrist unit strap?”
“No. The wrist unit. Well, out of some broken bits.”
“Bits you'd broken?”
“No, Dad works at a repair shop.”
“Tell me about it.”
He did, in detail. He knew it literally inside out, and was constantly improving it.
“OK, Jim.” Sarah dug around in her handbag and found what she wanted. “Here is a small piece of wire. Here is a small piece of, urm, really old biscuit crumb, I think. Assume the crumb needs to be held securely in place without breaking it, and you will eventually have a soldering iron, but it's iron wire — old bag closing thing to be precise — and you don't get the iron until you get it home.”
“Oh wow... I love challenges. Do I have any tools?”
“Manicure set is all I have at the moment. Oh, and a loupe.”
“You don't mind me cutting the wire with the nail scissors?”
“No. I often abuse them.”
He spent half a minute looking at his tools, and the materials he had, and then set to work. He worked with speed and precision, and an amazingly short time later he'd produced a ring with a four-pronged mounting for the crumb.
“Did you, by any chance, ever take a course on making jewelery?” Sarah asked.
“Yes. Why?”
“I presume you got good marks in it.”
“Come to think of it I did. Yes. It was ages ago.”
“Your mother, not to mention the axe incident, describes someone with rubbish bulk-muscle skills, not to mention a low score on common sense. But I've just seen someone with top-notch fine-motor skills. Everyone can't have everything. I'll make some enquiries. If I can find a jeweler who wants a part-time trainee-cum-assistant, then you can work for them and pay for your board and lodging, rather than do chores. How does that sound?”
“Really? Hand made jewelery? I thought it was all machine made these days.”
“There's a number of them in Restoration. The upper end of the market, of course. Have you seen Victoria's ear rings?”
“The ones she's wearing today? A few times. They are diamonds aren't they? The sparkle is really different to anything else I've seen.”
“Very different, yes. Can you send her in as you leave? I'll try really hard to find you a jeweler to work with, or something similar, but I can't promise you're on the list. But I will write a note for you to forward to your mother.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” he said, with his infectious grin.
“I saw Henrietta leaving,” Victoria said, “she wasn't happy.”
“Sadly, Henrietta will not be joining us in Restoration. I gave her... shall we say an uncomfortable choice, and she chose to stay.”
“To do with her boyfriend? Or to do with the long string of here-today, gone-tomorrow boyfriends?”
“Something like that, yes.”
“She's a fool.”
“She's a victim, Victoria. Don't pass judgement, provide a listening ear, a coherent analysis, and a way out.”
“Sorry.”
“But I should have asked you about bad judgement in your classmates, shouldn't I? Anyway, there is a place for you.”
“Just like that?”
“Any reasons there shouldn't be?”
“I thought this was a second interview.”
“It is. There was one place which might have been Henrietta's but she's dropped out. Your invitation will be on its way to you in about half an hour. Did you talk to Mick about the earrings?”
“I did. He got a second-hand coat for his mother. The lining had a lump in it, shop keeper said it was probably an old sweet. Put it on the receipt as mystery surprise in lining.”
“About a half carat, can I have a better look?”
“Of course.”
“Hmm. Good clarity, good colour, good cut. Has he still got the receipt? Not to mention the coat?”
“I don't know. Why?”
“Because you don't want to be accused of theft, or of receiving stolen goods. And unless someone was entirely careless, there will be an insurance company looking for them. But maybe it was a house clearance after a death or something like that.”
“An insurance company?”
“These are not low grade diamonds, Victoria. Each diamond is unique, high grade ones like these normally have a sort of finger print registered. It'd be good to get you registered as the legal owner and get them onto your parents' insurance.”
“I've seen diamonds this size on the net...”
“Oh, so have I. And in my Dad's jeweler's shop, and in my lap when I was little. Dad used to trade in diamonds you see. So, let me make some guesses. I'm not a professional valuer by any stretch of the imagination, and I'm out of practice, so I might be a factor of 2 or three out either way... so with that in mind, have a look at the price range for my guess, here.”
“This is in our money? That's not too scary.”
“Urm, I doubt it's local. Where's this site? Oh, yes, Federal Kingdom.”
“What?” Victoria exclaimed.
“Possibly a third of this, or three times. I'd be surprised if I was wrong by much more than that, but like I say, I'm out of practice. Pretty aren't they? And a love-inspired gift, so worth treasuring even more.”
“I never imagined...”
“I'd guessed not. When is your first lesson?”
“Ten, today.”
“Want to call your young man? Tell him the news, and ask about that receipt?”
“Yes. Yes I do.”
“I don't suggest you mention the number we've just seen. We don't want to scare him, do we?”
“Urm, no. One of me terrified of being arrested is enough.”
“Calm down, Victoria. There is not a problem here, even if he doesn't have the receipt.”
“But if they're reported stolen...”
“If it was then by now the insurers will have paid out and be offering a reward for their return. But I would recommend getting them registered as in your possession before travel-day.”
“I don't know how to do that.”
“I do at home. And it just so happens this hotel has a jeweler's shop next door”
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