by Nelly Asher
***
“I wonder why I always catch you staring out the window,” a female voice spoke.
“Where should I stare, then? At the door?” Haurot turned around. Gelia shrugged:
“I don't know... There are way more interesting things behind the door than behind your window,” Gold approached, stood by his side and pressed her forehead onto the warm glass. Hospital's patients were leisurely strolling outside. “Like fish in and aquarium... You can pull any of them out, and the others won't even notice. You can stir up the still water of their lives in any way you want, you can take anything out of the aquarium and put anything into it...”
“I don't have a wish to do that,” the man replied calmly.
“Why do I almost always miss it when you have heliophobia?” she poked Sputkee with the gunhand barrel and walked away from the window. “Those are the only moments when I can scare you into helping me!”
“If you were visiting me more often, you would've seen more of it. I would also appreciate some company when I'm having autophobia,” he replied. “Besides, I'm fulfilling your wishes not only when you're trying to pressure me. For one, just recently gave you the pliers you asked for. And before that, I cured the hand of a girl – the one that you've always said you hate, by the way.”
“That numbnut broke her arm, was there any other choice?!” Gelia exploded. “If the left one also stops functioning, how am I supposed to do anything, with my mouth or what? You won't fix this one for even half an hour,” she waved the gunhand. “I can't go anywhere looking like that! And I don't have anything to cover my hand with because of your stupid matter conservation rule!”
“But you were the one craving for the built-in gun, and there's no way you're giving up on it now,” Sputkee objected. “And I've already explained that distorting the matter balance in that world may lead to unpredictable results. Probably that substance cocktail that I've stirred up also didn't go without consequences... But now I won't be interfering with anythng. What happens in the Pocket is only limited by the imagination of those being here. But in the external world that works by the laws of three dimensions, nothing can just appear out of nowhere. You're well aware that the only reason you can be here is because you have a physical basis. And I've made an exception for you – allowed you to take the cherry stones outside. I even gave you a chance to accumulate the mass that I'll later transform into whatever you want.”
“Yeah, but you came up with that points award system just to screw with me,” Gold wrinkled her nose painfully. “Each cherry pulp eaten adds a measly gram of matter, each digested cherry stone – also a single gram, but a worm gives a whole three! I almost threw up my intestines many times until I stuffed myself with enough to make this damn white wig. And also clothes – though there wasn't a lot of matter there, but still... I could've sneaked into some shop and just take the clothes I need – but no-o, you can only exit through the key points,” Gelia scowled at Sputkee.
“Those are the rules... Did you come here to complain? What do you want this time?”
“Not much,” Gold smiled cunningly. “I know her better than anyone else... That pale reflection of mine already begins to realize who she is and how little she's worth. I know where Selena will go soon, and then... I want to make everything even more spectacular than usual. Let “freedom” be the key word...” the girl came up to Haurot, threw her arms around his neck and whispered something into his ear. The book's creator asked:
“Do you want to send Selena into the Endless Cycle? It's not to my advantage.”
“Well, it's not yet clear how all of this will play out,” Gelia said in a purring voice. “She still has to face it at one point or another. My double will either be ready or not, she'll either get lucky or not. It's like flipping a coin. For humans this game is complicated, but to you, everything that happens here is nothing more than a coin flip, isn't it?” the girl moved away and looked into his impenetrable eyes. “So, will you lend a hand?” seeing that Haurot doesn't object, she grinned.
