‘Of course she can hear us,’ Alan says. ‘She’s choosing not to answer.’
‘You fucking idiot,’ Mabel says.
‘Hey, you need to stop that,’ Kevin defends his crush.
‘And you need to get a sense of humour,’ Ringmaster Brendan snaps at the country and western singer who fancies his contortionist partner who he’s secretly had a crush on for years. They met when she was fourteen and he was twenty-four, and it always seemed wrong for him to tell her how he felt, as he knew her from when she was so young. But now she’s twenty-two and he’s thirty-two and it would be okay, if not for this country and western dimwit who is getting in his way.
‘Have you noticed that she hasn’t said anything?’ Selena asks.
‘I’m not fucking deaf,’ Mabel says.
‘I don’t mean talking,’ the singer says, addressing Mabel. They all see her as the extra member of the team, such is the presence she has in the house, and Alan seems entirely unable to control her. ‘She’s not making any of her sounds. She always makes her noises.’
They watch Laura, huddled in her bed, staring at the wall like she doesn’t have the contestants of a TV show gathered around her. No sounds come from her at all. It is unusual, for her.
Alice is clearly delighted by this. Less competition for her.
‘It’s like a murder mystery,’ Alice giggles. ‘Which one of us stole the Lyrebird’s lore? Well, it wasn’t me.’
‘It was them,’ Alan says, looking at the newspapers surrounding her bed. He picks up the open tabloid with the article about Laura’s mother and grandmother allegedly being responsible for Laura’s grandfather’s death. It had been published yesterday, on the final day of the StarrQuest semi-final, front page of a tabloid, LIARBIRD’S LAIR, and while Laura had been relatively silent since Alan’s arrival four days ago, she had disappeared into this state after reading it. He’s worried. He folds the paper up and tucks it under his arm, the anger building inside of him, intending to destroy it so she can’t set eyes on it again. Another tabloid article reveals the inside story of how the infamous Laura-meets-a-lyrebird photoshoot took place in Melbourne, the superb lyrebird having been shockingly captured for the purpose of promotion. This is accompanied by a large photograph of Laura beside the caged bird which has animal and bird protectors shouting out in outrage.
‘We should tell the producers,’ says Sparks nervously.
‘No,’ Alan says quickly. ‘We don’t tell the producers. They’re the ones who got her in this position. They’ll put her on the show like this if they have to.’
‘What about Bianca? She called by a few days ago to tell Laura to call some guy. She left a number but Laura barely even looked at it.’
‘We only need her to speak to people who will help her,’ Alan says, dismissing that. ‘What about the therapist we’ve been told about?’
‘Larry,’ says Sparks. He got through on his amazing card tricks, but along the way he’s developed a tremble in his fingers that he can’t control. He had a three-hour therapy session with Larry this morning.
‘Is he any good?’ Selena asks.
‘Show us your hands,’ Mabel pipes up and Alan looks scornfully at her for the inappropriate remark.
‘Sorry,’ Alan says to Sparks on Mabel’s behalf.
‘It’s okay,’ Sparks says, forgetting momentarily that Mabel is Alan.
‘You’ll call the therapist for her?’ Alan asks.
‘Yeah.’
‘Good man.’
‘You can count on Sparks,’ Mabel says as soon as Sparks has left the room. ‘Steady as anything, is our Sparks.’
The others smile and shake their heads, not wanting to laugh.
Alan admonishes Mabel again.
Laura hears them. Of course she hears them. She’s grateful that they care, but even more grateful when they finally leave her bedroom. She sits up when they’re gone, feeling panicked. She hadn’t noticed it, but they’re right: she hasn’t felt herself mimicking, or heard herself do it – not that she would always be aware of it, but she’s certain they’re correct. She hasn’t made a sound. She hasn’t been thinking about her past; no happy, sad or any kind of memories. She feels too numb to revisit a single moment of her life aside from the here and now, and now is nothing. Anything else is too painful. Her mind is completely devoid of memories, thoughts and feelings. Just here, now, this, nothing. Then the panic fades and a calm sweeps over her.
If she’s silent, then perhaps the world will be silent with her. And she finds a great freedom in that.
33
Solomon’s frustration is immense. They can’t film the documentary on Lyrebird because of StarrQuest/StarrGaze Entertainment restrictions, which Bo’s high-powered barrister father is working on. All contact is with StarrGaze Entertainment’s team of lawyers, they can’t reach Laura at all. Bo’s father had asked them, do Mouth to Mouth productions wish to issue proceedings against Lyrebird?