“No, the Garden, with you handing me apples.Maybe you’reAdam.”
DemurelyMerou tapped a pen against his lovely lower lip.“The serpent,surely.”
Priddygave up.His sluggish appetite had quickened and he wanted the goodthings, the coffee and pastry and fruit, no matter where they’dcome from.He set about them hungrily.“What were you saying aboutthe internet?”
“That it’s fun while it lasts.”
“You said something about it coming alive.”
“So I did.”
“Okay, I’ll bite.How does that happen?”
“Coming aliveis a bit of aparaphrase.What I mean is that it becomes sufficiently complex.Consciousness is a product of complexity.”Merou turned from thescreen, hooked one foot over his knee and gave Priddy his fullattention.“There are all these arguments about what it is, thismagic spark, but any sufficiently complex system will eventuallybegin to refer to itself.And that’s all consciousness is—thedubious gift of being able to reflect on yourself and your owncondition.That’s rather good, as definitions go.You should writeit down—on paper, to be on the safe side.”
“Why on paper?”
“Well, imagine this glittering network, this great planet-wideshimmer of synapses, all the cables and outlets you primatesprovided for it.You turned the whole Earth into a brain, and thebrain switched on.And it knew the one thing it needed tosurvive—just like you need air and I need water—was electricity.Soit really wasn’t prepared to let you lot have any for lightbulbsand printers and nonsense like that.”He shook his head, eyeswidening.“Really caused some problems topside for a while, thatdid.Or will.”
“Wait.”Priddy couldn’t keep up with this.He was trying tograb the tiger’s tail, not essential issues like why Merousaidyou primatesandjust like you need air and I needwater.“This is all...goingto happen, right?”
“Yes.In the future.I forgot.”
Laughterrose up irresistibly in Priddy’s chest.This nice guy was off hishead, that was all.That wasn’t a problem for Priddy, who didn’thave a leg to stand on when it came to being sane.“Do you oftenforget the future?”
“The Mer swim in time as well as the ocean,” Merou replied withdignity, reaching to brush a crumb off Priddy’s chin.“I don’texpect a biped to understand.But come on, if you’re finishedstuffing yourself—we’re missing the day.”
“All right.Are you, er...planning to go out likethat?”
“Like what?”
“With your mast in the wind, so to speak.”
Meroufollowed the direction of Priddy’s gaze.“Oh, yeah.I was going toask you.How does this blasted fastening work?”
“The zip?”
“That’s it.Invented by George Zipowski in the 1860s, hence thename.”
“Really?”
“No, you daisy-brained sweetheart.I’ve no idea who inventedit, and I think it’s just the sound it makes.Only this onedoesn’t.”
“Stand up and let me have a look.”Priddy approached himcautiously, took a pinch of denim at the Levi’s crotch with onehand and tugged at the zip with the other.He wasn’t asdaisy-brained as all that.He’d notice if Merou’s smile ofamusement became lewd.He’d certainly pick up a twitch in the longfine cock he’d had the chance to admire the night before.And whatthen?This whole situation might become a lot less surreal.Priddyhad been hit on a lot before his accident, and even by a couple ofhardy souls since, not that those brave pioneers had got anywhere.You’d think it would be different when faced with the cover-modellovechild of Benedict Cumberbatch and David Gandy, but Priddywasn’t sure.Some things could be forever lost.“There.You justneed to be gentle.Those jeans have seen some action.”
“Have they?”Now the corner of Merou’s mouth did tuck andquirk, one shapely eyebrow rising.“You can tell me all about it onour picnic.”
“Are we going on a picnic?”
“Eventually.”
Priddy’smouth dried.“What do you want to do first?”
“Isn’t it obvious?I want to drive your car.”
***
“It is still accelerator, clutch, yes?Right, left?”
