Jason sighed. “I’m going to have to tell Mum that I’m back.”
“Erika said she was meant to be here,” Ken said. “Of course she’s too busy for her son who came back from the dead.”
“In fairness, she doesn’t know that’s what this was about.”
“Erika said she told her how important it was,” Ken said. “But, of course, nothing’s more important than whatever your mother is doing at any given moment.”
“I’m sorry you and Mum got divorced, Dad. I know that I was the catalyst.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Jason. Your death just brought things that had been building up for a long time into the open.”
Ken got up from the chair.
“I don’t want to just be complaining about your mother the whole time, so I’ll let someone else have their turn.”
“There’ll be time enough,” Jason said. “I’m looking to stick around for a while.”
“Plenty of time to pile on that normal you’re looking for,” Ken said. “And I will, believe me. I love you, son.”
“Love you, Dad.”
Erika came out and claimed Ken’s vacated seat next to Jason as Ken went back inside.
“How was it with Dad?”
“It was good,” Jason said.
“Did he complain about Mum?”
Jason just chuckled.
“You can expect a lot of that,” Erika said.
“Is he okay?”
“None of us were great after you died. He blamed himself for you not coming home after Amy and Kaito. Not as much as he blamed Mum, but still.”
“I wish things hadn’t gone the way they did.”
“And you found a wish-granting genie out in the desert, did you? Or are you just whining about things you can’t change?”
“It wasn’t a genie,” Jason said. “Too far south. Also, real genies don’t grant wishes. They’re pretty much just elemental spirits with an overdeveloped sense of self-importance, from what I hear.”
“Oh, look; it’s a stream of utter nonsense spoken with total conviction. You really are back. I still don’t understand why you weren’t able to at least get us word that you were alive.”
“You will,” Jason said. “I’ll tell you everything, and soon.”
“Why not now?”
“Because what I have to tell you isn’t something you can just accept. Especially from the guy spouting utter nonsense with total conviction. Extraordinary claims and extraordinary evidence, you know?”
“You have some extraordinary claims to make?”
“You have no idea. The other thing is that I just want things to be normal. Or as close as I can get. At least for a little while. Before things start becoming strange.”
“You know, Jason,” Erika said, “I’m not sure you’re being vague and ominous enough. Any chance you could crank that up?”
“Ask and ye shall receive, big sister.”
“I didn’t actually mean—”
“Change is coming, be we prepared or not,” Jason intoned, leaking a little of his aura to add gravitas. “You’ve heard the stories of the starlight man.”
“You mean that Starlight Rider guy? That’s all that’s been on the news for days.”
“People are going to look back and realise this was the beginning.”
“The beginning of what? And stop using that voice. You’re just daggy, not creepy.”
“You’ll have to wait until I show you what’s coming,” Jason said in his normal voice. “You won’t believe me if I just tell you. But change is coming, Eri.”
“What change? What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about everything. Everything is going to change. I need to get the family ready for that.”
“Jason, you sound like a crazy person.”
“I’ll sound worse before I’m done, believe me. For today, just let it go. We’re just going to go around in circles if you keep hammering away.”
Erika groaned.
“You’re a pain in my arse, you know that? Not even twenty-four hours since you sprang back to life and I’m ready to kill you all over again.”
“It’s been done before.”
“I’ve known you your whole life, Jason. Don’t try to distract me with your nonsense.”
“Just give me some time, Eri. Please.”
“Fine,” she said unhappily. “We need to talk about Emi right now, though. She took Uncle Jason’s death very hard and me running around playing conspiracy theorist didn’t help. She’s finally back in a good place and I don’t want her to get off track. You know the academy has her in their advanced program.”
“Of course they do,” Jason said, smiling. During his most self-pitying moments, his razor-sharp little niece had been a big part of keeping his head, if not above water, then at least not too far below the surface.
“How do you want to tell her?” he asked.
“Come back tonight, for dinner. We’ll herd the mob out and it can be you, me and Ian when she gets home from her friend’s house.”
Jason got up from his chair.
“I’ll go, then,” he said. “Text me a time and I’ll be here.”
“You aren’t done yet,” Erika said. “There’s one more person who hasn’t gotten you alone.”
Jason turned his gaze towards the house where he sensed Amy approaching the back door.
“I wasn’t sure she’d want to speak with me,” he said. “I’m not sure I want to speak with her.”
“No one is going to pretend this situation is easy, Jason. Or normal. But she’s not going anywhere, so unless you’re going to disappear again, you have to face her sooner or later.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I have things to do here.”
“Then you and Amy will have to figure out how to be in a room together.”
“Alright,” Jason said. “Send her out.”
28
MOPPET
Jason stood on the patio, looking out at the yard. He sensed her approach but didn’t turn around.
“I wasn’t sure it was really you,” Amy said, talking to his back. “The others don’t realise how different you are yet. There’s the physical stuff. The chin, obviously, but the beard hides that a little. The scars. You’re a little taller. But that’s not all. You move differently. Sit differently. You don’t watch your surroundings the same way. It used to be with curiosity but now it’s something else. Wariness? At first, I thought you might be some kind of impostor, trying to scam the family for money.”
“But now you know it’s me.”
“Yes.”
Jason turned to face her.
“What clinched it?” he asked.
“You’re hurt and angry. You can talk about letting it go and moving on, but it’s not so easy, is it?”
“No.”
“I am sorry I hurt you, Jason.”
“I’m sorry you hurt me too. It’s one of those things, isn’t it? You don’t want to, but you’re so damn good at it.”
“I know you had Erika in Melbourne, but did you have anyone for support while you were away? You don’t do so well all on your own, Jason.”
“I have friends. Good friends. I had to leave them behind, though. I came back as unexpectedly as I left.”
“You never did explain that properly,” Amy said. “Or at all. You’re lying about Africa.”
“Everything I said is accurate.”
“That’s not the same as telling the truth.”
“No, it’s not,” he agreed.
She sighed.
“You know, you weren’t the only one to lose the most important relationship in your life.”