down the corridor to her room. She was dead] pale, y with dark
bruised-looking eyes and lips, her head swathed in a turban of white
bandages. There was a dull brown smear of blood on the sheets that
covered her and a whiff of anaesthetic hung in the corridor after she
was gone.
Ruby Friedman came then, changed from the theatre garb into an expensive
light-weight grey mohair suit and a twenty-guinea Dior silk tie. He
looked tanned and healthy, and mightily delighted with his achievement.
You watched? 'he demanded, and when David nodded he went on
exuberantly, It was extraordinary. He chuckled, and rubbed his hands
together with glee.
My God, something like this makes you feel good.
Makes you feel that if you never do another thing in your life, it was
still worthwhile. He was unable to restrain himself any longer and he
threw a playful punch at David's shoulder. Extraordinary, he repeated,
drawing it out into two words with relish, rolling the word around his
tongue.
When will you know? David asked quietly. I know already, I'll stake my
reputation on it! 'She will be able to see as soon as she comes around
from the anaesthetic? David asked.
Good Lord, no! Ruby chuckled. That nerve has been pinched off for
years, it's going to take time to recover. 'How long?
It's like a leg that has gone to sleep when you sit wrongly. When the
blood flows back in, it's still numb and tingling until the circulation
is restored How long? 'David repeated.
Immediately she wakes, that nerve is going to start going crazy, sending
all sorts of wild messages to the brain. She's going to see colours and
shapes as though she is on a drug hinge, and it's going to take time to
settle down, two weeks to a month, I would guess then it will clear, the
nerve will have recovered its full and normal function and she will
begin having real effective vision.
Two weeks, David said, and he felt the relief of a condemned man hearing
of his reprieve.
You will tell her the good news, of course. Ruby gave another buoyant
chuckle, shaped up to punch David again and then controlled himself.
What a wonderful gift you have been able to give her. No, David
answered him. I won't tell her yet, I will find the right time later.
You will have to explain the initial vision she will experience, the
colour and shape hallucinations, they will alarm her. We will just tell
her that it's the normal after-effect of the operation. Let her adjust
to that before telling her.
David, I - Ruby began seriously, but he was cut off by the savage blaze
of blue in the eyes that watched him from the mask of scarred flesh.
I will tell her! The voice shook with such fury, that Ruby took a step
backwards. That was the condition, I will tell her when I judge the
time is ripe.
Out of the darkness a tiny amber light glowed, pale and far off but she
watched it split like a breeding amoeba and become two, and each of
those split and split again until they filled the universe in a great
shimmering field of stars. The light throbbed and pulsed, vibrant and
