The Long War

28

SALLY RETURNED TO Monica Jansson’s home, arriving without any warning, without any explanation of where she’d been.

Jansson had been alone in the house. She had been waiting for Joshua to return from his visit to the Home, Helen was off talking to cops and lawyers about bail conditions, and Dan was happily playing softball with Bill Chambers, who was monumentally hung over, as ever.

They sat over coffees. Two oddballs thrown accidentally together, Jansson thought. Sally seemed restless, as usual. Her pack was waiting at the door, and she wore the multi-pocketed sleeveless jacket that was the basis of her field gear. They tentatively talked, about life, and what they had in common: the Long Earth, and Joshua.

In an odd way, Joshua had always been at the centre of MPD Lieutenant Monica Jansson’s experience of the Long Earth, as it had opened up on her watch, and ultimately defined her career path, indeed her whole life. Now she told Sally anecdotes about the old days.

Like about the repeated attempts she had made to recruit Joshua.

There was one time, seven months after Step Day, when Jansson had arranged to talk to Joshua at the Home, then still located in Datum Madison. The talk had been chaperoned, and that was fair enough, Jansson had thought, sitting on a sofa with a Sister or two, as the old song went. After all, Joshua was still just fourteen years old.

And his suspicion of her had been so solid it was like an extra person, crowding on the sofa with Jansson and the Sisters.

He’d said, ‘Do you want to study me?’

‘What?’

‘Hand me over to the professors at the university. Put me in a cage and study me.’

She felt shocked. ‘No, Joshua. Never that. Listen. You’ve become notorious. A legend, whether you like it or not. But right from the start, from Step Day, I’ve done my best to keep you off the official record.’

He thought that over. ‘Why?’

‘Because it would be bad for you. You can do as you please. But I want you to think . . . well, about working with me. Not for me. Put your abilities, and all that positive energy you have, to good use. I can get you assignments. Ways to help people. I’m talking about paid work. Like a Saturday job – it won’t get in the way of your school work. Joshua, I promise that if you work with me I’ll continue to protect you.’

He flinched. ‘But if I won’t work with you, you won’t protect me.’

‘No. No! Joshua, that came out wrong. Look, I’ll protect you come what may—’

But he had just vanished, a pop of displaced air, gone, leaving the two Sisters exasperated.

Jansson had looked on the bright side. He hadn’t actually said no.

She had kept on trying, until, grudgingly, he became an ally.

And he had been an ally ever since.

‘Nice story,’ Sally said. ‘And that was really your way of protecting him, right?’

‘A friend for life, that’s Joshua. He does seem to surround himself with strong women. You, Helen, Sister Agnes—’

‘And you too, retired Lieutenant Jansson.’

‘I’ll take that as a compliment. Must be difficult for Helen sometimes, however. She is his wife.’

Sally looked away. ‘I’m profoundly uninterested in Helen. A gloomy little stay-at-home. Although she did throw a good right hook at that nutjob in immigration.’

‘That she did.’

Sally kept glancing at her watch.

Jansson asked cautiously, ‘So where are you going next?’

‘The Gap.’

‘Really? Because of Mary the troll, I guess.’

‘Yeah.’

Jansson smiled. ‘What will you do, wave a placard?’

‘Why not? It’s better than letting the poor creature be put to death, out of sight and out of mind.’

‘True enough. It was a shocking incident. When I saw it I wrote a few mails myself, you know . . . That was how I got the leverage to have Joshua meet Senator Starling. I wish I could go with you.’

Sally faced her. ‘Are you serious?’

That took Jansson aback; she’d spoken on impulse. ‘What? Well – yes, I guess. If I could. Why do you ask?’

‘Because you’re useful, that’s why. You’re Joshua’s “Spooky” Jansson. You can get things done in the human world where I can’t.’ Sally looked diffident, as if she hated to admit the slightest weakness. ‘Maybe together we could do some good. Or at least scare the spacesuit pants off those dweebs up at the Gap. Joshua said you put things right. That’s your strength. Well, because of this whole business with the trolls, there’s soon going to be something “not right” with the whole of the Long Earth. Come with me. What do you say?’

Jansson smiled weakly. ‘What, just like that? It’s kind of Thelma and Louise, isn’t it? And at my age, and my condition? I’m not supposed to be more than a couple of hours from my hospital. I suppose I could self-medicate. But I’ve never been nearly that far stepwise. It’s two million steps to the Gap, right? I don’t think I’d make it.’

‘Don’t be so hasty.’ Sally winked. ‘Remember who you’re speaking to. I know a couple of short cuts . . .’

‘It’s crazy. It’s impossible. Isn’t it?’