Page 34 of Wetweb


  * * * * *

  Claudia was quiet now. She had been talking for a very long time and Franklin had used the light from the porch to write what she told him into his notebook. Now, she seemed to be done. Franklin had the ending to the story of Holden Eckwood, the first Synapse Soldier.

  Moths fluttered about them, attracted by the light. They stood together, but not touching. They listened to the quiet of the neighborhood.

  Standing on the porch was cold and uncomfortable, but Claudia did not invite Franklin inside and he did not suggest it. Franklin understood that she had originally planned to have this conversation with him inside her house, but the revelation that Franklin was a married man, the embarrassment at hearing this fact during the reading, had changed her plans.

  But Franklin was glad to hear her story, and Claudia was eager for him to write it down, even if they had to do so standing outside on the cold porch. They both understood that Holden Eckwood played an important role in the book. This would be an important chapter in the history of the WetWeb.

  The night around them was quiet. When Claudia finished talking they stood together and listened to the quiet. There were no crickets chirping or owls calling. The wind was not stirring in the dark trees. All around them, the world seemed calm and empty. Although it was cold and late, and the tale had been told completely, neither Franklin nor Claudia was in a hurry to say goodbye.

  Franklin, using a low voice, broke the silence and asked, “Do you know what became of Jonathan Grey?”

  Claudia inhaled audibly, as if she had just thought of something, as if she had just figured something out. She stammered and then started again.

  She said, “Yes, yes he did tell me what he was doing now and something else too. Something that did not make any sense to me at the time, but now, after hearing you read from your book. I am now remembering what he told me, and I think I understand what it means.”

  Franklin waited. He let her collect her memories.

  When she was ready, she said, “He told me that after the failure of the Synapse Soldier experiment, that the military had sent him back home. He was now in charge of the honor guard and burial ceremonies conducted at the veteran’s cemetery. I remember, I told him that this was an important position, and he should be proud that he is bringing comfort to the families of the fallen soldiers. He quickly agreed, because this was not what he wanted to say. There was more, he was anxious to tell me something else. I’m not sure why. He seemed to need to unburden himself completely. He did not want to carry any secrets and he had no one else to tell.”

  “What was it?” Franklin asked.

  Claudia continued, “He said that more and more lately, the honor guard at the veteran’s cemetery was only burying empty coffins. He said the bodies of the dead soldiers were missing.”

  We are ready to try.

  - Christopher McKnight

 
Robert Haney's Novels