The Clutter Box

  Chapter 14

  When I regained consciousness, I was lying on my back in the room of my hotel, wearing my checkered yellow and red pyjamas. Dr Thorn was sat by my side, smiling down on me. It looked like she’d been crying.

  “What happened?”

  “Shh,” she said, “You hit your head when you fainted. I gave you something for concussion. You’ll need rest.”

  “What about Bruce?” I asked trying to move.

  She gently held my arms down. “I’m sorry, Ernum, I’m afraid he didn’t make it.”

  There was a tear in her eye and she bit down on her lip.

  “His daughter’s hoping to have the funeral at the weekend. It’ll be small.”

  She paused for a moment, then ran her hand through her hair and gave a little smile, “Listen, on a brighter note, both me and Duncan think you’ll be ideal for the position. We’re prepared to double your pay. If you’re still willing to work with us.”

  I nodded. She nodded in sync with me and said, “That’s great. Bruce is a big loss to us. Not just as a friend, but as a key part of our research. He might be gone, but the work carries on.

  “Bruce’s mind wasn’t like other people’s. It was fundamentally different. We used it to gain an unparalleled understanding of telepathy and the telepathic principles that affect us all.”

  She told me I should look for a place to live whilst I’m up here, and said I could start work here after Christmas. Christmas was less than a week away.