He steps aside, and this Jerry fellow enters with a rather sheepish expression on his face. At the same time, I can’t help noticing that he’s glancing around the kitchen, almost as if he’s casing the joint. My first thoughts are confirmed, and I’ve already taken a dislike to the man.
“Hey,” he says nervously. “Nice to meet you.”
“You haven’t met me yet,” I point out, partly as a joke but partly to let him know that he’s not just being welcomed inside with open arms. “But please, sit down.”
“Yeah,” he says with a grin, and he’s still looking around as he takes a seat. “So is it just the two of you guys here?”
“Maybe,” I reply.
He’s still grinning as he looks around, but after a moment – perhaps sensing the fact that I’m watching him – he turns to me.
“Nice place you’ve got here,” he says.
“Would you like some water?” Craig asks. “And something to eat?”
“We don’t have much,” I add, “but I suppose we can spare some for a passerby.”
“That’d be really nice of you,” Jerry replies. “Thanks.”
We sit in silence as Craig goes to the counter and sets some scraps of rabbit meat onto a plate. I watch Jerry and he watches me in return, and the entire situation is starting to feel incredibly uncomfortable. I don’t know what this Jerry fellow is after, but I’ve definitely got him pegged as a threat.
“So I have to ask you something,” Craig says as he brings the plate over and sets it down. “Where have you been? What’s it like out there in the rest of the world?”
“Oh, it’s…”
Jerry hesitates, and he doesn’t seem particularly interested in the meat, or in the water that Craig now brings over and places on the table.
“It’s not exactly safe out there,” he says finally. “I’ve traveled through whole towns where there’s no sign of anyone. People have mostly evacuated the big cities ’cause of disease, but that didn’t stop it spreading. There are bodies by the sides of some of the roads, and no-one cleans them up or buries them or anything like that. You have to be really careful traveling, because there are armed gangs that’ll cut your throat and take everything from you, even your clothes. There are at least five different groups who are claiming to be the new government, but none of them’s got a hope. You really have to look after yourself.”
“How many people do you think are still alive?” Craig asks.
“Not many,” he replies, shaking his head. “You can go weeks without seeing anyone, and then maybe you bump into a little group. A lot of people have clustered together to try to survive. But like I said, it’s the disease that gets you. Dysentery’s a real killer.”
“Don’t you want the rabbit meat?” I ask.
“Oh, sure.”
He picks up a piece and slips it into his mouth, but I can’t help noticing that he doesn’t chew. He simply swallows, while grinning at me. It’s almost as if he only ate that piece of meat because he wanted to prove some kind of point, and now he conspicuously ignores all the other chunks on the plate.
“So is there any sign of improvement?” Craig asks, sounding a little desperate now. “It’s been five years. Someone must have done something.”
“Tough to say,” Jerry replies. “So which of you two guys is the guitarist, huh?”
“Why would you think either of us plays the guitar?” I ask.
“I saw them,” he says, “when I came in.”
“You came in through the front door,” I point out, “and you wouldn’t have seen anything that’s in one of the back rooms.”
“Huh.” He pauses, clearly aware that he’s been caught out, but instead of explaining himself he merely sits there with that same moronic grin slapped across his face. “So which of you is it?”
He looks at Craig, and then at me.
“Is it you?” he continues, nodding in my direction. “You look like you could be a musician.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I tell him.
“So it is you?”
“I didn’t say that.”
He laughs nervously.
“Come on, man,” he says, as he adjusts his position in the chair a little. “We don’t need to keep secrets from each other, do we? If you’re a musician, you should be proud. That’s totally cool.”
“In current circumstances,” I reply, “it could be seen as something of a liability.”
“Or an opportunity,” he suggests, before leaning forward slightly. “I think it’s time to put my cards on the table. I didn’t just turn up here by accident.” He pauses, and finally his grin fades. “I was sent here, with an offer for you. One that you really, really can’t refuse.”
Twenty-Six
“I’ve never heard an offer I couldn’t refuse,” I say after a few seconds of silence. “In fact, I rather pride myself on being able and willing to turn down anything that I don’t like.”
“How did you find us?” Craig asks, and it’s clear now that he’s worried. “None of this makes sense.”
“Does it matter?” Jerry replies, leaning back in his chair and resting an arm on the back, as if he’s trying to make himself seem relaxed. “Let’s just say that the sound of music was detected coming from here a day or so ago, and an interested party would like to hear more.”
“There’s been no music here,” Craig replies, before turning to me. “Has there?”
Instead of answering, I keep my eyes fixed firmly on Jerry.
“Has there, Derek?” Craig asks. “Did you try to play that guitar you’ve been fixing?”
“What I do in my own time,” I reply, trying to stay calm, “is my own business. Who heard me? I don’t understand, I only played for a few seconds.”
“Eyes in the sky, my friend,” Jerry says. “Or should I say, ears in the sky.”
“What are you talking about, man?” I snap.
“Satellites,” he replies. “Listen, I’m not a tech guy, but a very powerful set of satellites picked up on the sound of music being played in this area, and you two are the only people living for miles around. So it wasn’t too difficult to figure out where to come.”
“Satellites can’t detect music like that,” I tell him. “It’s simply not possible.”
“That’s what I thought, but…” He shrugs. “Here I am. And I’m only the messenger. Please, don’t ask me to explain the rest of it, ’cause I can’t. I can only tell you that your presence is requested. I was sent to issue that request and make sure that you’re happy to come along.”
“Where to?” I ask.
“We have transportation waiting,” he replies. “I only need to call it in. Trust me, you’ll be looked after really well. You’ll be better off than you are right now in this ramshackle old dump.”
“I’m not sure that I want to travel,” I tell him.
“Well, I’m not sure that you…” He pauses. “You’re not making this easy,” he adds finally. “My employer is unwilling to travel, so I’m afraid that you’re going to have to go to him. The transportation will be—”
“I don’t want to go anywhere,” I say firmly, interrupting him.
“Mr. Glass has instructed me to change your mind,” he explains.
“Glass?” I pause for a moment, trying to remember where I’ve heard that name before. “Do you mean Joshua Glass, the odious little twerp who thinks it’s his business to record everything that everyone does anywhere in the world?”
“I guess now it makes sense how the satellites worked,” Craig suggests.
“Mr. Glass wants to hear your music,” Jerry explains. “He’s still one of the world’s richest men, and he’s not willing to take no for an answer. So I think it’d be much better for everyone if you simply agree and come with me.”