Page 95 of Chaos Theory
‘It’s okay, Gracie. It looks like Josh here has something mighty urgent on his mind.’
I reach the doorway and look in to see Ron seated behind his desk. He looks surprised, but not enough to get up from his chair.
‘I see Maeve is here too. Oh – and Kobi. This is quite the delegation. I’m honoured. You better come in and close the door. Gracie, push back my 10 o’clock, will you? And hold my calls. Thank you, darling.’
He gets up and walks to the window, where he stands with hisback to the sun, just like he did on Monday when I visited him here. If he’s any less relaxed now, the difference is marginal.
‘Have a seat.’ He gestures to the three chairs around the low table.
No one moves.
‘I’m sensing some hostility here,’ he says with a smile.
‘We want answers!’ Josh is so animated he begins pacing, in spite of the limited floor space. He keeps abruptly stopping, then about-turning. It’s already making me dizzy.
‘Why sure,’ says Ron. ‘Ask me anything you like. I thought you’d be on a plane by now though, Josh.’ He checks his wristwatch theatrically.
‘I’m not going anywhere until you explain what’s going on with Kobi.’
‘What do you mean?’ Ron says lightly.
‘I think you know exactly what I mean. Project EMBED, Ron. I know all about it.’
I’m not sure how accurate this is, given that Josh didn’t seem to know much about it in the robot bay five minutes ago. I’ve never seen him quite like this. He stops pacing, shakes his blonde mane in Ron’s direction. I think of a lion facing down a lion tamer in a circus cage.
‘Well, if you know all about it, then what exactly needs explaining?’ Ron is still smiling, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.
‘It’s true then? Kobi is military?’
Ron laughs, folds his arms. ‘Of course Kobi is military! I’m surprised it took you so long to figure it out.’
Josh’s voice cracks. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘Well, you never asked.’
Josh looks at me. Now is probably not the best time for me to say,I told you asking questions was a good idea.
He sighs exaggeratedly, draws out his words to Ron. ‘Well, forgive me if I assumed that a robot placed inside a manufacturing plant was intended for use in manufacturing!’
Ron holds up his hands.‘Listen, Kobi is highly adaptable. He could do many things. But the military is where the real money is.’
‘I should have known it all comes down to the money.’ Josh shakes his head. ‘You told me we were changing the world.’
‘Wearechanging the world.’
‘For the better.’
Ron barks a short laugh. ‘We still are. You want to make the world a better place? How about making sure that the Middle East doesn’t implode? Or that China doesn’t nuke us all to kingdom come? How about making sure the US Army doesn’t get left behind in this great technological revolution of ours?That’smy contribution to humanity right there. You gotta pick a side, Josh.’
‘No, I don’t.’
Ron turns to me. ‘What about you, Maeve? You want to make the world a better place too?’
I clear my throat. I don’t fully understand what’s going on, so I opt to be diplomatic. ‘I’d like to make the workplace better, for a start. I thought Kobi was meant to do that – make our working lives better.’
‘He was. He is. It’s all coalesced quite neatly. To be honest, I was on the brink of giving up on Kobi – until you came along, Maeve.’
My blood runs cold. ‘What do you mean?’
