The Kaleidoscope (28 page)

“Here’s a pretty one.” Pepper admired a cobalt blue glass bit.

He held the diagram closer to the light. “I hope I can get this back together so it works.”

“All right. Posit theories. Go,” she challenged.

He set down the tiny screwdriver, and pushed back, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “We already know that the chip has coding to facilitate input-processing via human interaction. When you stop to think about it, the concept is genius. I wonder if Walter even understands how it works.”

“You mean how it can see the future?”

“If that’s what it’s really doing.”

“Still the skeptic.”

He scooted back to resume his work. What she was suggesting had more skeptics than supporters among the scientific community.

Pepper floated her hands above his scalp as if it was a crystal ball. “Then explain how all this works, smarty pants. If I dissected your head and studied your brain, would I find your soul?”

“That’s actually one of the problems. What
is
intelligence? Is it the ability to reproduce facts? Because the computer in Glenda’s tracking chip would qualify for that, but it doesn’t make her smart.”

The dog, curled on the rug at his feet, lifted her head and pricked her ears at the sound of her name.

“Hey!” Pepper swatted the back of his head playfully, forgetting the head wound as his hand flew up. “Sorry. But don’t disrespect Glenda, she’s the best doggie ever.”

“Still a dog.”

“Would it be possible for your dad, who’s been off the grid for years, to compete with MIT and Berkley with all their financial backing and support and hallways full of eggheads?”

Harold held his breath as he twisted a tiny screw back into place, then answered her. “Sometimes loners make faster progress because they can steer their own canoe without negotiating obstacles thrown up by committees and grant writers.” Harold’s freedom in his cubicle without deadlines and departmental meetings suddenly became clear. Pepper was correct; he preferred hands-on development and research to management. “There’s a guy in England who’s made more progress in his garage than all the academics put together.” He went over to his laptop, and pulled up a photo of a homemade robot. “See?”

She peered over his shoulder at the odd-looking creation whose rubber mask resembled a crazed jack o’lantern.

“Creepy.”

“The field of artificial intelligence has long been on a roller coaster ride. Waiting for all the elements to come together.” He tapped the keyboard again to bring up sites expounding on AI research to see if anyone mentioned human-chip interaction producing future prophecies. “Letting a thousand flowers bloom, so to speak.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a concept in science, or any field of research really, that if enough people are given free rein to work on a problem, then sooner or later, the ideas and technologies will align.” He clapped his palms together, making Glenda woof. “Then boom! You’ve arrived at a solution that takes off, and technologies we haven’t imagined yet are made possible.” He considered how to explain the incremental steps toward breakthroughs that progressed fairly quickly.

Pepper knelt down to scrub Glenda’s head.

“Like flight,” Harold went on. “Did you realize that only sixty-six years passed between Orville and Wilbur’s test flight at Kitty Hawk and the manned moon landing? In one person’s lifetime, we started out not understanding enough about aerodynamics to fly, nor were there suitable technologies like lightweight alloys, or how to process algorithms quickly enough, much less communication between vehicles in outer space—”

“Whoa, pardner, I think we found your passion.” Pepper rested her chin on the top of his head, arms wrapped across his chest. Her breath warmed his forehead in rhythmic puffs. “When you break it down like that, I can understand your enthusiasm. But it still doesn’t answer the question of how our ’scope can do what it does. Does it?”

“No, but if we have learned anything from the past, it’s that sometimes breakthroughs happen just because someone has brought together the right variables in enough different ways. Often they don’t even know themselves how it works until it does.”

Pepper let go. Harold wanted to reach for her, but she dropped onto the couch and propped bare feet on the table’s edge. “Harry?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you suppose those glass bits are special in any way? They sure are pretty.”

****

Harold returned to work the next morning unsure what to expect after running out on his interview. He stopped in the mailroom to see Rhashan, but the mail cart was already gone. Instead of tracking him down, Harold decided to go to his desk and try to figure out a way to straighten out the messes he’d made. The revelation he’d had while talking with Pepper made him feel better about not getting the promotion. But he did need to keep his job. And he had no idea how he could make it up to Rhashan if he had caused him to be let go. He’d lose the scholarship that had given him hope to get out of the mailroom. It would all be Harold’s fault.

There were twelve messages waiting for him. Several from HR, including one from Clyde who explained in a rather terse staccato that he was away for the day but wanted to see Harold first thing Tuesday.

His computer woke up, and he opened the program he’d written to follow the anomaly. An internal trail was either corrupted, or carrying a virus through the system. His discussion with Pepper the night before had given him some ideas, and he clicked through to the command lines, and began a new string.

When he finished and ran the program again, he had to check and recheck the results. Harold considered what it would mean if his assumption was correct. Instead of being a team player, Harold was about to blow the lid off an internal problem that would make him either a hero or a heel, depending on whose heads would roll. He called legal and asked for an appointment. Almost lunch time; there was still no sign of Rhashan.

****

By five o’clock, Harold was physically exhausted from hunching over his monitor. Still in some residual pain, he stretched and decided to call Rhashan at home. Someone new brought the mail around, and when Harold quizzed him, he had no idea why Rhashan wasn’t at work, guessing he was ill. Harold rolled his neck, which popped and loosened, and decided to call Rhashan at home. Maybe Leesa would have some answers about the crystal by now, and he could speak to Rhashan about possibilities for his future that didn’t involve the company. But he only got their voicemail.

As he neared the edge of the park, his cell rang but he didn’t recognize the number. “This is Harold.”

“You’ll never believe it!” It was Morrie, more animated than Harold had heard him before. “I found my cousin.”

“That’s terrific news. How, when?”

“We would be very pleased if you could stop by and meet him,” Morrie urged. “I told him you were my best friend and had been helping me track him down. He is most anxious to meet you.”

His time with Pepper was running out, and even though he wanted to go straight home and see her, Harold followed Morrie’s directions to a small bistro a couple of blocks from his apartment. Morrie was sitting toward the back with the man Harold assumed was the cousin, Joseph. Morrie popped up and pumped Harold’s hand when he approached. Joseph stood as well. Of normal height, he wore khaki shorts and webbed sandals. Harold never understood why men would wear sandals, except to the beach. He didn’t see much family resemblance, but having no cousins of his own, Harold wasn’t sure if that was even a thing.

“I’m so very pleased to thank you for helping us find each other,” the man said rather woodenly. “I have been without family a long time.”

A waiter set down a pot of hot water, cups, and an assortment of teas. “Would you prefer coffee?” He addressed Harold.

“Tea’s fine, thanks.”

The waiter fetched another cup, then left them.

“Morrie tells me you’ve been hiking the trail and acting as a guide.” Harold chose a teabag. “Not sure how much help I was, but I’m glad you found each other.”

“That is right.” Joseph spoke deliberately. “It takes me into the wilderness, which is what I crave.”

Harold dunked the bag of mint chamomile. The water swirled from clear to tan to chestnut brown. Reminded him of Pepper’s skin.

“Isn’t that right, Harold?” Morrie was speaking.

“What’s that?”

“You are in possession of a most unlikely Kaleidoscope. As I was telling Joseph, it is quite remarkable.”

“Yes, it’s become quite special to me.” He didn’t mean to be rude, but he just wanted to finish making polite conversation. He came up with something to show interest in Morrie’s cousin so he could get going. “How many pairs of socks would you say you go through in one hike?”

Joseph’s dark eyes narrowed at him over the teacup rim. “Sorry?”

“I was just wondering.” Deep in Harold’s gut, a sick feeling stirred, but he couldn’t put a finger on what it was.

“Do you have it with you?”

“What?”

“This magic Kaleidoscope.”

“No. As a matter of fact, it’s…it’s broken.” That deep part of his soul, the part that sensed more than knew things for sure, rose in suspicion that this meeting was about more than the cousin discovery. “I need to go.”

Morrie’s grin fell; his jaw clenched beneath those lambchop sideburns. “Speaking of work, I wanted to tell you, don’t be surprised if you see Joseph in your building.”

“Oh?” Tossing some bills on the table, Harold asked, “Why is that?”

“I helped him get a job. He’ll be starting out in the mail room.” Morrie’s grin spread his grizzled cheeks.

Harold wondered what all this meant. Was Rhashan even still employed? “It was nice to meet you.”

Harold hurried home, sorting through everything. What was it that caused him to already distrust Joseph, a guy he’d just met?

****

At Pepper’s apartment, Harold paused outside her door. He hadn’t seen her since late last night, and he missed her already.

She didn’t answer his knock, so he went home and called Rhashan’s home phone again, left a voice mail message, then showered. A painkiller and warm water soothed his tight muscles. The ribs were healing slowly, giving him less trouble, but the head wound still throbbed when he was tired or forgot and bent over too quickly. Pulling on a robe, he went into the kitchen but didn’t feel like cooking, so he called to order a pepperoni and sausage, extra cheese.

He lay down on his bed to wait for the pizza when the bell rang too soon for even the fastest delivery service.

“Hey, how was your day, Superman?” It was Pepper. Glenda bounced in to greet him, tongue hanging out.

“Exhausting, I don’t know how the heroes do this day after day.”

“Now you know why they keep their identity a secret. They’d never get any rest what with all the interviews and celebrity appearances.”

Harold laughed and saw she was carrying a package. “You’re probably right.”

She set it gingerly on the kitchen table, careful not to disturb his workspace. “We got you a little something to remember us by when we’re gone. And for saving Glenda’s life.”

Harold swallowed, unable to respond, unwilling to allow her going away to sink in. “I couldn’t let him hurt her.” He sat on a kitchen chair and pulled the dog’s head into his lap, running fingers through her silky fur. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Please?” She held out the box wrapped in rainbow-hued paper. “She helped me pick it out.”

Harold slid a finger underneath cellophane tape, and opened the flaps. Nestled on shredded newspaper, two four-inch red-eared sliders blinked up at him.

“They’re the right kind, aren’t they, like the ones you had to leave behind when you were little? The pet shop owner said these are the best…what’s wrong? I’ve never seen you cry before, Harry.”

Maybe it was the medication, or worrying about Rhashan, the alarms of possible danger his dad had raised, but all his barriers came crashing down. Pepper’s uncanny way of finding her way into his innermost thoughts and feelings without even knowing she was near the entrance. Or maybe it was the fact that she was leaving him. The first person he’d ever been totally comfortable around. Unafraid to show his real self. To talk about anything. And she was leaving him.

“I love them.” He scrubbed away a tear before it followed another onto a reptilian head. “You were very kind to remember.” Embarrassed, he turned his head aside as she rubbed his back as if he were a child.

“What are you going to call them?”

Harold studied the little critters, and then his gaze locked on Pepper’s face. “Suzy. Short for Suzanne. And Glenda. To remember you both.” He’d considered naming the one with the penetrating brown eyes Pepper, but that would only remind him of the one that got away.

Something dashed behind her eyes, but she seemed to shake it off. “I’m very flattered.”

“I’ll need an aquarium and food. Mind if I bum a ride to the pet store before you leave?”

“We can make it our last outing before I pack up.” Pepper’s sober face worried Harold as she arose.

Before he could think of a way to ask her what was wrong, the doorbell rang. Glenda barked once, and Pepper grabbed her collar. “Sounds like you have company. I’ll get going; I have more boxes to pack.”

It was only the pizza delivery guy, but Pepper had disappeared into her apartment by the time Harold paid him, and he crammed a slice down without tasting it. He argued with himself about what to do to keep her near him. He tossed back another pain pill, the first one seeming to have no effect.

Mentally kicking himself for not having the nerve to confess his true feelings to Pepper before she left, Harold was thinking about pulling out paper and pen so he could jot down some possible arguments to persuade her to stay. Then the phone rang. It was Rhashan.

Through a fog, he blurted out how sorry he was about having blundered into possibly costing Rhashan his job and the accompanying educational benefits. “I promise to make it up to you if it happens, though.”

“I understand.” Rhashan’s tone was chilly when he hung up.

And rightfully so.