Zero History

67. A CRUSHED MOUSE
Ajay, looking pained but stoic, was seated on what Milgrim said was a Biedermeier
vanity stool, in the bright tile cave of Number Four’s vast bathroom, towels spread
beneath him, while Chandra went carefully at his waterfall with a pair of scissors.
Milgrim was in there with them, “moving around” as instructed, while Ajay, when he
remembered to, studied him. Chandra too would periodically pause, observe Milgrim,
then start clipping again. Hollis found herself waiting for dialog.
“What is this?” Milgrim asked, apparently noticing the shower for the first time.
“The shower,” Hollis said.
“Keep moving,” ordered Ajay.
Milgrim put his hands in the pockets of his peculiar new pants.
“But would you do that?” asked Ajay.
“Quit moving,” ordered Chandra, who’d stopped clipping.
“Me?” asked Milgrim.
“Ajay,” said Chandra, brushing a wet black bit of stray waterfall from her black tunic.
Her black lips looked particularly dramatic, in this light.
Hollis glanced back at Fiona, who was sitting at the foot of the bed, listening intently to
Garreth, asking occasional questions, taking notes in a sticker-covered Moleskine.
Garreth had just had to break off, taking a call from the man who was building Pep’s
electric bicycle. This had resulted in Pep losing his curly-stays frame, as it would have to
be “cold-bent,” to accommodate the engine hubs, something both the builder and Garreth
clearly regarded as sacrilege. Garreth had opted for carbon fiber instead, but had then had
to phone Pep and tell him, which had resulted in an agreement to go with dual engines.
Hollis was reminded of watching a director prep for a music video, something the
Curfew had been largely able to avoid. She’d seen it later, though, via Inchmale and the
various bands he’d produced, and she’d invariably found it far more interesting, more
entertaining, than any final product.
In this case, she still had very little idea of what Garreth intended to shoot.
“You go out now,” she heard Chandra say, “and close the door. This is smelly.” She
turned and saw Milgrim headed in her direction, Chandra starting to shake an aerosol can
of product. “Keep your eyes closed,” Chandra said to Ajay.
Milgrim closed the door behind him.
“Are you okay?” Hollis asked. “Where have you been?”
“Southwark. With Fiona.” He sounded, she thought, like someone describing a spa
weekend. An unaccustomed little smile.
“I’m sorry about Heidi,” she said.
He winced. “Is something wrong?”