Page 42

‘Okay,’ said Kim brightly, ‘who’d like some hot chocolate?’

She led the little girls into the kitchen and closed the door firmly.

* * *

Joe recognised a cue when he heard one.

‘Okay Xavier, you and I need to have a little talk. First of all, you clearly have a channel of communication with that thingumajig behind your ear. Is that just linked to Jean-Claude or can you connect with others?’

Xavier touched behind his ear.’This? This is a thingumajig?’

‘Well, what do you call it?’ Joe realised, just in time, that antagonising the clone might not be such a good idea and reigned in his impatience.

‘This is a built-in receiver/transmitter. If you referred to page 42 in the manual which was in the box, you could find out all about it.’

‘I’m sure I could but I’d like you to tell me, if you know.’

‘The unit is programmed to connect to the manufacturing facility by default, but purchasers can adjust this to communicate with up to five channels of their choice. There’s a small remote control used to make any changes.’

Joe wondered why on earth anyone would want to do that with a clone they had ordered for replacement spare parts but it didn’t seem tactful to mention it.

‘Do you have other questions? You said “first of all” as though there was going to be a second, and maybe other topics?’

‘We would like to talk to Jean-Claude and find out how he thought things would turn out for you - here - with us. It seems to us that he has given you a range of skills to enable you to function in society, far more than one might expect for someone, um…’ Joe was struggling not to say “disposable”.

‘I could send him a signal and ask him to call you again,’ said Xavier helpfully. ‘I have already reported that you have nourished me and given me suitable apparel, as well as testing my abilities in a general way. I confirmed there have been no setbacks. I also made a request for a device of my own, to learn more things as speedily as possible, and he is considering how best to help me with that.’