“Oh, say what you mean. Chain saws and spin-tipped lances?”
“Right. That came later, for protection—when we found that all kinds of other things were likely to come muscling in on the act too.”
“But it was more fun, right?” Michelle winked, daring him to deny it. That was the moment when Kevin found that he felt at ease with her completely for the first time. This adult was okay, he decided. He grinned and nodded back at her in a way that said of course it was more fun.
“Why the fancy colors?” she asked.
“Birds. They think you’re something yucky and leave you alone.”
Michelle sighed and nodded. “Obvious, really. Why is the obvious always the last thing we think of?”
“Probably because once you realize it’s obvious, you quit looking. Who’s going to keep on looking for an answer after they’ve found one that works?”
“Hm. I guess that’s obvious too, really.”
“Anyhow, we lost a few that way—before we started painting them.”
“You don’t mean the birds ate them?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t think so. Probably they just got dropped in the water or around the neighborhood.”
“I suppose if we went public, the place could be enclosed with nets or something,” Michelle said distantly. In her mind she seemed to be involved in the scheme already. It was refreshing.
“It could actually happen, then?” Kevin said. “Dad says that Ohira is really serious.”
Michelle put the mec back down on the table. “You bet he is. He could end up scraping quite a lot of investment money together to back it, too. He’s got people back home interested. You know, it could turn out to be an even bigger hit in Japan. They seem to go in for things like that—you know, novelty.”
“You think so? Taki and I have been having other thoughts as well.”
“Such as . . . ?” Michelle looked interested.
“We’ve got a mec over at his place that we’re trying to get to fly. The wings are flexible and vibrate like an insect’s. The trick is getting the twist right. When people tell you that old story about bees not being able to fly, what they don’t understand is that those equations were for fixed-wing. Insects fly more like helicopters.” Kevin waved a hand to indicate boundless possibilities as the tide of enthusiasm swept him on. “Suppose you could actually be a submarine in an aquatic environment, able to see parameciums and amoebas?”
“Great educational potential,” Michelle said, getting into the swing. “A lot more than just entertainment, maybe—the way Ohira thinks.”
Kevin cast an arm around. “How many people really know what else goes on in the houses they live in? It’s a whole new world at mec scale, just like outside. It’s unbelievable. You really don’t want to know what’s down there in your carpet. And when you get a chance, take a close-up look at the solid walls that you think keep everything out. Every school should have something like this. They tell you all about how corporations are structured inside, but how many kids get a chance to climb around inside a clock?”
Michelle stared at him, intrigued. “You know, Ohira has never talked about anything like that. I don’t think possibilities like that have occurred to him. I’ll bring it up next time I see him.” She glanced at her watch. “Speaking of which, Kevin, I hate to break this up because it’s absolutely fascinating, but I have to get moving. I would like to see more of Bug Park, though. When can we set up a date?”
“Well . . . any time that suits you, I guess. I don’t have too many commitments.”
Michelle stood up from the stool. “I’ll look forward to that.”
Kevin still had no idea where to find the relay that he had promised to retrieve for Taki. He thought frantically. “What kind of computer is that?” he blurted suddenly, nodding at the burgundy attaché case on the bench.
“That?” Michelle looked surprised. “It isn’t a computer.”
Kevin knew it wasn’t, but the laptop had to be somewhere for Taki to have remote-guided the mec. He waited in the hope that Michelle might pick up on the subject, but she just came around the table and picked up the video cartridge that she had come downstairs for. “Oh, I thought it was a laptop,” he said lamely. She didn’t respond. He went on desperately, “Do you use one?”