74: “Guppa could build me a radio,” . . .
Little Follies, “The Static of the Spheres,” Chapter 5
5
“GUPPA COULD build me a radio,” I said.
“I’m sure he could,” said Mr. Beaker. He turned toward Eliza, and from the way his ear twitched, and from the flash of anger in Eliza’s eyes, I knew that he had winked.
“And I could help him,” I said, through clenched teeth.
“I’m sure you could,” said Mr. Beaker. He began loading his pipe. He wore a small, twisted grin. It was not until several years later that I learned the word supercilious, but when I did, I found that I already knew exactly what it meant.
I was furious. Mr. Beaker took his pipe tool from his pocket and began tamping his tobacco. If I had been holding the poker, I might have hit him with it. Instead, it occurred to me to use another weapon: Eliza.
“You know, Mr. Beaker,” I began, in a tone that startled me, “Eliza and I—”
Eliza had been looking into the fire. Now she snapped her head around to look at me, and there was on her face an expression of terror so striking that my throat caught when I saw it. She looked as frightened and helpless as I imagine the marooned boy in the radio program must have looked when he realized that he was alone. A chill ran through me, and I actually shuddered. Instantly I lost all desire to hurt Mr. Beaker, because I wanted instead to comfort Eliza.
“Eliza and I could look through Guppa’s magazines,” I said, looking into her eyes as I said it. “I bet one of them tells how to make a shortwave radio.”
Mr. Beaker looked at his watch. “I think it’s a little late for that sort of thing,” he said. “You really should be in bed.”
“My mother said that I could stay up until midnight,” I said.
“And you have,” said Mr. Beaker. “It’s twelve-eighteen.”
[to be continued on Wednesday, August 25, 2021]
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