Neptune Road Volume IV Read Online Free

time for a break. The two head
for the kitchen to forage.
     
    Dr. Mangrove is sitting with his elbows on the
kitchen's picnic table, hands on either side of his head, when May
and Feller get there.
     
    "Howdy, Doctor," Feller says, and turns to the
refrigerator. "How are things? Headache getting better?"
     
    "No," Dr. Mangrove says.
     
    May sits down opposite Dr. Mangrove. She looks at him
intently but says nothing.
     
    "What?" Dr. Mangrove asks.
     
    May remains silent, staring at him. Her brown eyes
are huge. She's very still.
     
    "Here you go," Feller says, setting a bagel down on
the table in front of May and having a seat himself. He takes a few
bites of his own lunch and chews them before he notices that
neither May nor Dr. Mangrove have moved.
     
    Feller looks the pair over. "Am I missing
something?"
     
    "I have a theory," May says.
     
    "Don't have any theories," Dr. Mangrove says.
     
    "Okay, I don't have a theory," May says. "I'm just
sitting here, enjoying my bagel." She picks it up, takes a bite and
chews, never taking her eyes off of Dr. Mangrove.
     
    Dr. Mangrove sets his hands on the table. "Sorry I
haven't been too social lately," he says.
     
    "Yeah, me too," May says. "Wanna play Battleship
later?"
     
    "I'm not sure I can," Dr. Mangrove says. "Lots to do
in the workshop, you know." His hands fidget. Sweat has broken out
on his forehead.
     
    "I see," May says. "Well, if you change your mind,
let me know," May says.
     
    "I will, if I change my mind," Dr. Mangrove says.
     
    May reaches out and touches Dr. Mangrove's hand.
     
    "Let's go back to the bridge," May says to
Feller.
     
    "Um, okay," Feller says, chewing. "You finish that
bagel, though. That thing wasn't cheap."
     
    On the way back to the bridge, May elbows Feller in
the ribs. "Did you see that?"
     
    "What? Dr. Mangrove acting like he's been sedated or
something? Yeah, I sure did."
     
    "I think I know why," May says. "Remember how we
pulled out that component and he got all worked up about it? Made
us put it back?"
     
    "Yeah," Feller says. "That was super fishy."
     
    "He's being monitored," May says. "Something happened
in that - Bird-lab. He's not able to talk to us about anything.
This is the man who can spend way too long explaining anything in
the universe. And he's gone catatonic. I think it's because he
can't speak freely."
     
    "I think you're right," Feller says. "Now, let's test
that theory. We need to induce some kind of response."
     
    "Yeah," May agrees, "but without getting the old
man's head smooshed."
     
    "Okay. One test, no smooshing. Let's get Philo,"
Feller says, and the pair bump fists.

089 - A Rooftop in Scar City

     
    The floors in the elevator go to 95, and then above
the 95 button, there's one more with a sticker covered by a picture
of a football. Edward punches the footy button and the elevator
launches upward.
     
    The glass doors open and Edward steps out onto the
roof. The light is different up here, less filtered and not blocked
so much by the walls of the Scar. The entire surface is artificial
turf.
     
    Edward switches on the appearance-dampener on a
string around his neck. It's nothing fancy, just bounces some light
around and distorts things so nobody can quite retain an image of
his face. He sits down on a bench and starts lacing up his boots.
They're loud orange.
     
    "Wow, those shoes are some caution cone orange. How
you doing there, Caution-Cone?" It's a man about twice Edward's
size, dark-skinned, wearing a striped jersey that's too small. He's
shaved an elaborate pattern onto his head.
     
    "Good," Edward says. "I mostly play defense, if it
matters. But whatever."
     
    "Sounds good, we need defenders," the man says. "Hey,
Coach! Caution-Cone here plays defense." A burly and bald
individual in an Ireland jersey and basketball shorts, apparently
the coach of one of the sides, nods.
     
    "I'm Coach," bald man says. "Pleased to meet you.
Kickoff in five."
     
    Edward joins a group taking shots on