Transformation Space - Marianne de Pierres [131]
‘A bit of solitude is just what I need right now, Mum. Beside, there’s always people coming and going up here.’
‘Mm-hmm. There were always people coming and going here at the house when your father was a councilman, but most of them I did not care for, as you might recall.’
‘Oh, I remember, all right.’
Greg also remembered which ones stayed loyal when his father fell ill with the tumour that eventually killed him.
‘As a matter of fact, I was discussing both you and your father with your Uncle Theodor, who came by this afternoon.’
Greg raised his eyebrows. Theodor Karlsson was his mother’s oldest brother and had earned himself a certain notoriety and the nickname ‘Black Theo’ for his role in the abortive Winter Coup twenty years ago. As a punishment he had been kept under house arrest on New Kelso for twelve years, during which he fished, studied military history and wrote, although on his release the Hammergard government informed him that he was forbidden to publish anything, fact or fiction, on pain of bail suspension. For the last eight years he had tried his hand at a variety of jobs, while keeping in occasional contact with his sister, and Greg vaguely recalled that he had somehow got involved with the Hyperion Data Project …
‘So what’s Uncle Theo been saying?’
‘Well, he has heard some news that will amaze you – I can still scarcely believe it myself. It is going to change everyone’s life.’
‘Don’t tell me that he wants to overthrow the government again.’
‘Please, Gregori, that is not even slightly funny …’
‘Sorry, Mum, sorry. Please, what did he say?’
From where he stood at the head of the path he had a clear view of the dig, the square central building looking bleached and grey in the glare of the nightlamps. As Greg listened his expression went from puzzled to astonished, and he let out an elated laugh as he looked up at the stars. Then he got his mother to tell him again.
‘Mum, you’ve got to be kidding me! …’