After they’d eaten that evening, they settled on the couch.
“Is there something you’d like to do?” Newt asked. “Play a game? Watch TV?”
River pointed to the TV.
“What do you want to watch?”
But after River had switched on the TV, Newt realised the problem. River couldn’t read the menu or use voice command. Linda had said River flipped through the channels, and that was exactly what he started to do. Maybe Newt could make a game of finding out what he wanted to watch. He whipped the remote out of River’s hand, which earned him a glare.
“I could keep asking until you nod your head. But how about you mime what you’d like to see? As if we’re playing charades.”
River gaped at him.
“You’re an actor, should be easy.”
River thought for a moment, then used his fingers to draw a square that indicated a TV show.
“Book,” Newt said.
River chucked a cushion at him and Newt batted it away with a laugh. River smiled. It was a rare sight and each time Newt saw it, it made his heart sing.
“TV show. How many words?”
River held up two fingers. Then closed his hand and held up two again.
“Two words. Second word.”
River awkwardly dropped to all fours and tossed his head.
“Floozy.”
River growled.
“Dog. Cat. Wolf. Elephant. Merman. Porn star.”
River rolled his eyes, then clutched his throat.
Ah.Newt was pretty sure it washorsebut he kept guessing until River’s glare worsened, then said, “Horse.SomethingHorse.”
River counted on his fingers.
“More than one. Horses. Something Horses. First word.”
River slowly crawled across the floor.
“Creeping Horses? Sneaky Horses? Dying Horses? Sick Horses? They’re not good names for a TV show.”
River moved even more slowly.
“Slow Horses?”
River nodded frantically and pushed to his feet.
“A TV show called Slow Horses.”
River pointed at him and raised his eyebrows.
“I haven’t heard of it.” But he found it on Apple TV. River gave a sigh of happiness and settled next to him on the couch.
