‘You shouldn’t have left us!’ wailed Fiorinda. ‘It wasn’t his fault!’
‘I know, I know—’
Ax held Sage’s battered face between his hands, God what a joy to touch him, and kissed him, tenderly and delicately, not to hurt him, but then, irresistibly, they were kissing each other deep, soul-deep—
Fiorinda got up on the windowseat, took possession of Sage’s free hand and watched, her heart filled with golden light. ‘Maybe this is the moment,’ she said, ‘when I have to remind you he’s off sex for a while.’
‘Oh really?’ said Ax, with a shaky grin. ‘How long?’
‘No time limit. Until his new liver gets big enough to kick in.’
‘Shut up, Fee.’
‘And the nanobots have picked out all the tiny bone fragments from his chest cavity and his right lung, so then he can have the artificial lung rem—’
‘I said shut up. You’re scaring me—’
‘I was barely getting started.’
‘I think we want you scared,’ said Ax, fervently, ‘I think we want you terrified. Listen, Sage. As soon as they’ll let you out of here, we’re going to Tyller Pystri. We’ll stay there, the three of us, long as it takes to get you totally well, and then I don’t know what the fuck we’ll do, we’ll do whatever we like. I’m quitting the Dictatorship anyway. But if we go Cornwall, you have to promise me—’ He broke off. They were both staring at him with strange expressions.
‘Oh shit,’ said Ax. ‘I’m doing it again aren’t I? I’m taking over—’
‘You’re quitting the Dictatorship?’ repeated Sage, slowly.
‘Yes. I haven’t done my five years, but I want out. It’s my decision, you’re not responsible. I’ve had enough. I’ve realised what a wanker I was being—’
‘Oh, hush,’ said Fiorinda. ‘Forget all that.’ She held Sage’s beautiful hand against her cheek. ‘Er…these plans. Do they imply we’re going to give our fucked-up, ridiculous relationship another try?’
‘Aren’t we?’ asked Sage, anxiously.
‘If you’ll have us, Fiorinda,’ said Ax.
A short time later Olwen Devi, Dilip Krishnachandran and some Rivermead medical centre staff came into the room. Sage was in his bed, propped up high (his torso must be upright). Fiorinda was curled up on the coverlet, beside him. Ax fast asleep in the chair by the bed, holding Sage’s hand. Carefully, Olwen checked the telltales taped to the back of Sage’s left hand, the tube in his nose, the diamorphine shunt in his arm. She studied the monitor screens, consulted silently for a moment with Serendip, and seemed satisfied.
‘Should we wake Mr Preston and Fiorinda?’ asked one of the nurses softly.
‘No,’ said Olwen. ‘Make up the other two beds, and then we’ll leave them. Sage will come to no harm. I believe there are two people in this room who have more power over life and death than anything I can offer.’
Dilip knelt, lifted Ax’s free hand and pressed it to his brow.
‘And the third is just the king of England.’
He replaced the hand gently. Ax never stirred.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Epigraph
Acknowledgements
Contents
PROLOGUE
ONE Sweetness And Light
TWO Unmasked
THREE Car Park Barbie (Was: Sweetness and Light)
FOUR The Grove
FIVE Lithium
SIX One Of The Three
SEVEN Big In Brazil #2
EIGHT The Night Belongs To Fiorinda
NINE Love Minus Zero (No Limit)
TEN The Elephant’s Child
Notes