You would seriously set that snake on me for loving your daughter?
I would now, yes. Force is all you know, Eason. It's what you'll use if you think Mullen threatens you. I won't tolerate any violence against him.
Oh, come on! You honestly think she's going to choose that boy-child over me?
She chose him before she was born.
This is your cards shit again, isn't it?
Far from it. She walked round the desk and pointed up at the big family print. Who is this? A finger tapped impatiently on Vanstone.
He gave an exasperated sigh. Crazy bitch. Then he looked, really looked at the man's features. All the confidence, all the anger inside him started to chill. It's ... But it can't be.
Yes, it is, she said wistfully. It's Mullen. About ten years older than he is now.
What have you done? What is going on here?
Tiarella grinned ruefully. Small wonder he frightened the life out of me in that dinghy this morning. She cocked her head to one side, looking up at Eason. There's just one last thing to show you.
He hadn't even known the house had a cellar. Tiarella took a torch to lead him down the slippery stone steps. There was a metal airlock door at the bottom. It was open, leading into a small decontamination chamber. The door at the far end was shut.
This is Dad's old lab, Tiarella said as she pumped the manual handle to open the inner door. The electrics fused in a storm years ago, but it's all still functional, I think.
Inside, Eason found a world completely removed from the rest of Charmaine. Benches of glassware glinted and sparkled as Tiarella swept the torch beam round. Dead electronic modules sprouted wires and optical fibres to mingle with the tubes, bulbs, and dishes. Autoclaves, freezers, synthesis extruders, and vats stood around the walls, along with cabinets he couldn't begin to understand. Two large computer terminals occupied the central desk, a high-resolution holographic projector on the ceiling above them.
Most of Charmaine's foliage was spliced together in here, Tiarella said. And those pesky firedrakes.
Right.
She came to a halt in front of a large stack of machinery. What I'm trying to show you, Eason, is that Dad knew what he was doing. He took his master's degree at Kariwak University. Several bitek research labs offered him a position, but he came back here.
OK, I believe you. Nyewood was good.
Yes. So have you worked it out yet?
Tell me.
He cloned Vanstone for me. A parthenogenetic clone, identical to the original. There was enough of him left after the accident.
Oh Jesus wept. Rousseau said you gave one of your babies away. Twins! He said you had twins. Then he realized.
That's right. Dad cloned me as well. He engendered them in here. She tapped the stack of machinery. And I nurtured the pair of them in my womb. A second little me, a second little Vanstone, growing together even then. After they were born I kept Althaea here, and gave Mullen to the Church orphanage. He grew up in exactly the same environment as Vanstone did.
You really think she's going to fall in love with him, don't you?
She already has; she couldn't do anything else. The love between us is too strong, too beautiful. I couldn't let something that wonderful die, not when I had a chance to see it renewed.
You used me. You crazy bitch, you used me. You had a lover before Vanstone. That's why you let me come here; to make the conditions for Althaea as close as possible to your time.
Of course I did. As you used us to escape whatever it was you were fleeing. Althaea had to learn the difference between a meaningless sexual infatuation and the true love which only Mullen can provide.
Crazy bitch! You can't dictate her life like this.
But it's my life. And you know she doesn't belong to you. You saw the effect Mullen had on her, and her on him. She smiled, distant with recollection. Just like me and my Vanstone. He sneaked back to Charmaine from his parish, you know. Only he did it on a regular trader.
It's different this time, he snarled. This time, I'm here. She loves me, I know she does.
Tiarella started to put her hand out towards him, then drew back. Oh, Eason, I never meant for you to get hurt. What the hell is someone like you doing falling in love anyway?
Someone like me?
Yes. I thought you were perfect when you turned up at the harbour. A thug on the run; selfish and iron-hearted. Why couldn't you treat her the way you treated everyone else in your life?
He glared at her, helpless against her sympathy, then ran from the laboratory.
Don't touch her! Tiarella shouted after him. I mean it. You leave her alone.
•••
Eason didn't need the warning. It was obvious within hours that he'd lost. Althaea and Mullen were so besotted with each other it was scary. The one person he'd ever loved was gloriously happy, and anything he did to stop that happiness would make her hate him for ever.
He didn't know whether to call it destiny or history.
They went to bed together on the second night, the two of them bounding up the stairs after supper. Althaea was in front, carefree and eager.
He watched them go, remembering that night after the funeral, the wretched difference. Tiarella was watching him, her face showing compassion.
If it means anything, I am sorry, she said.
Right. He rose and went out into the gloaming. Rousseau's stock of despicable home-brew was where he'd left it.
Althaea found him the next morning, sitting on the jetty, looking down at the water. A few scraps of the dinghy's timbers were still wedged between the coral spikes.
She settled down beside him, her face anxious. Are you all right?
Sure. I'm just amazed Ross survived as long as he did. That stuff really is dangerous.
Eason. Mullen and I are going to get married.
Tough decision, was it?
Don't. Please.
OK. I'm happy for you.
No, you're not.
What the hell else can I say?
She stared out across the ocean. I'm almost frightened of myself, the way I'm behaving. I know how stupid this is, I've only known him for two days. But I feel it's right. Is it?
Know what I think?
Tell me.
I think that your body is the focus for your mind on this journey. It's guided you home through an awful lot of fog, and now it's time to make a safe landing.
Thank you, Eason.
He put a finger under her chin, and turned her head to face him. I want to know one thing. And I want you to be completely honest. Did you ever love me?
Of course I did.
•••
Tiarella gave him a quizzical glance as he came into the kitchen and flopped down at the table.
You'll be happy to hear I'm leaving, he announced.
Her blatant relief made him laugh bitterly.
I'm not that heartless, she protested.
Oh, yes you are.
Orphe and I will take you wherever you want to go.
How very conscientious of you; but it's not that simple.
What do you mean? The old suspicion resonated through the question.
I've thought this through. Wherever I am, I will always think of Althaea. You know that. Which means you and I will always worry that I might come back. Because I know I'll never be able to trust myself, not completely. So what I propose is that I go somewhere that I can't come back from. I'll pay you to take me there, give Charmaine a proper contract to maintain the ride. God knows you can do with the money despite all those ridiculous ideals of yours; it'll be a nice dependable income for Althaea and Mullen to start with, too.