“I do.”
“What languages can it do?”
“All of them, as far as I’m aware.”
“You’re going to find anime dubs even more annoying now, I guess. Okay, next question: Your friend Gary is really furry. Does he give good hugs?”
“Oh, they’re amazing,” Jason said. “It’s like being wrapped in a blanket made of friendship. But not as weird and creepy as I make it sound.”
35
I’M MYSTERIOUS NOW
On the way back from picking Emi up at school, Jason suggested they take advantage of the warm day. Casselton had pleasant winters and the afternoon temperature had climbed into the high twenties. The unseasonable heat was begging the beach town’s residents to slip into the cool waters of the Pacific.
On hearing that Jason didn’t have any swimwear, Emi had insisted on stopping to pick some up. CB Surf and Bike sold mostly surf gear in the summer and mountain bike accessories during the winter. Most of the winter tourism was from mountain bikers taking advantage of the mild weather and preponderance of bush trails that snaked through the Casselton region.
That left a limited selection of surf wear, given the season, but it was not an issue to pick up some boardshorts. He also grabbed rash shirts for himself and his niece, which would cover up his scars as well as protect them from abrasions if they took a spill during the surprise Jason had planned.
On reaching the houseboat, Emi’s own swimwear and a change of clothes was retrieved from her house via portal. She and Jason were soon skimming across the water on a pair of black jet skis, heading away from the marina. They moved parallel to the shore, past the big houses with small private docks and the scraggly stretch of bush where kids were playing in the creek outlet. The kids looked up and returned Emi’s wave as she whooped and hollered at them from the back of her jet ski.
Jason and Emi continued on, out in front of the small town’s eponymous beach. It looked like they weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the heat after school. The white sandy shore was full enough that the Surf Life Saving Club had people out on full patrol. They rode their jet skis into the shore, leaving them as they wandered up to the caravan park tuck shop across the road where Jason purchased them an ice cream each.
Emi was approached by some of her friends who were also at the beach. She had lived in Casselton Beach for a year and, like both of her uncles, was quick to make friends. She happily showed off the jet skis, which rapidly cemented Jason as the cool uncle. Emi and Jason took off again, Jason steering them back towards the houseboat when Shade informed him that Erika was wrapping up at work. Jason and Emi each claimed a bathroom to shower in, emerging not long before Erika’s arrival.
“You need to talk to Mum,” Erika told him as she stepped from the pier onto the lower deck.
“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” Jason said. “Yourself?”
“She’s been calling me constantly since yesterday,” Erika said. “If she weren’t dealing with all of Nanna’s stuff, she wouldn’t leave me alone at all.”
“When can we go see Grand Nanna?” Emi asked, emerging from the houseboat to join them on the lower deck.
“Tomorrow,” Erika told her. “I’ll pick you up from school and we’ll go straight out to Great Uncle Robbo’s farm.”
“Can’t we just teleport?” Emi asked.
“Sorry, Moppet,” Jason said, ruffling her wet hair. “I’ve got an important meeting tomorrow.”
“Uncle Jason,” Emi complained, straightening her hair with her fingers.
“Erika, I’m a little surprised you didn’t send Mum here,” Jason said.
“Oh yeah, to the magic houseboat made of clouds,” Erika said. “As if springing your resurrection on her at the hospital wasn’t bad enough. I know you and Mum have issues, but dragging this out is just being a dick.”
“Mum, you said a bad word,” Emi said.
“Emi,” Erika said. “What did I tell you about swearing?”
“That it’s an arbitrary assignment of negative value to words with no inherent negative value based on outmoded moral strictures,” Emi groaned.
“Good girl,” Erika said.
“You know my teachers don’t see it that way,” Emi muttered.
“That’s why you have to use your judgement,” Erika said. “Social context is important. At Uncle Robbo’s farm, you hear all kinds of words not appropriate for the school setting.”
“Uncle Robbo keeps trying to get me to drink beer,” Emi said. “I’m not sure that’s a healthy educational environment.”
“He used to do that to me too,” Jason said, then switched to a gravelly voice. “Go on, Jason, just a sip. It’ll put hair on your chest.”
“He said the exact same thing to me.” Erika laughed.
“I don’t want hair on my chest,” Emi said. “Also, beer definitely doesn’t do that.”
“Alright, Emi,” Erika said. “I need to talk with your uncle for a bit, so go get a start on your homework.”
Emi grumbled but retrieved her school bag and made her way up to the top deck while Erika and Jason went inside.
“I’ve curated the next set of recording crystals to avoid things Emi isn’t ready for,” Jason said. “I’ve set the crystals out in the media room, so once Dad and Ian get here, you can dive straight in while I go see Mum.”
“What is it that you’ve taken out?”
“Some of the things I did. And were done to me. The real nasty stuff isn’t until later, but I don’t think Emi is ready for my ruminations on the ethics of killing people. Especially since those early ones are me being foolish and na?ve about it.”
Erika frowned.
“Then you really did…?”
“Yeah.”
“A lot?”
“Yeah.”
The brother and sister looked at each other in silence for a long time.
“With everything going on around you after coming back,” Erika finally said, “I’m not sure if I asked how you’re doing. Are you okay, Jason?”
“Being home helps,” he said. “I had a good talk with Dad. I spent a few hours out at his hill.”
“You visited the dirt pile,” Erika said. “You can see how many years it’ll take to get that into any kind of reasonable shape.”
“It’s certainly ambitious,” Jason said. “I think it might go faster than you think, though.”
“You’re talking about magic?” Erika asked. “I can’t believe I’m talking about magic like it’s a regular thing. You know you’ve turned my life insane, right?”
“I know.”
“When will you tell Kaito everything?”
“I’m not sure. I’m hoping to get a much better understanding of the local situation tomorrow, after which I’ll be in a better position to make decisions going forward.”
“Alright,” Erika said. “Jason, about those crystals you didn’t want Emi to see.”
“Shade has them,” Jason said. “Just ask and he’ll give them to you.”