Cloner A Sci-Fi Novel About Human Clonin - By Emma Lorant Page 0,61

sitting in the middle of the double bed, solemnly tearing Seb’s nursery-rhyme book into shreds.

Still two infants in the cots, one on the bed. She counted them off on her fingers, then breathed relief. Her triplets were safe.

Fastening a nappy on Janus, she tucked him under her arm and backed into the children’s bathroom. She had to take Janus with her. He was different, thinner. Geraldine mustn’t see him. What’s more, he didn’t have his bracelet on. What if it happened again? As long as she held on to him he couldn’t - clone, she thought wildly. As long as she held on to him they were safe.

‘I’m finished,’ she could hear Seb saying to Geraldine, could hear them coming back down the corridor.

Lisa inched further into the bathroom, then forced her eyes to look into the bath. The body was still there. Lisa squeezed Janus tight, but couldn’t control her retch.

‘Mummy. Where are you, Mummy?’

Janus began to kick and then to bawl.

‘Shut up,’ she screamed at him, then remembered that Seb was looking for her, no doubt about to burst into the bathroom, and that Geraldine was with him. She kicked the door shut and locked it. The large key clattered out and on to the floor.

‘Take Seb to his room, Geraldine,’ she shouted through the door. ‘I’ll come and see him in a minute.’

The girl twisted the doorknob. ‘Anything wrong? D’you need some help? Why’s Jansy making all that racket?’

‘I told you it’s sopping wet in here,’ Lisa shouted at her. ‘Just get Seb off to his room.’

‘I would stay, Lisa, but…’ Presumably Matthew was waiting for her. A stroke of unexpected luck.

‘Just get Seb to bed, Gerry.’ Lisa had lowered her voice, energy draining out of her. ‘Then you can go; I’ll see you in the morning.’

‘I’m having lunch with Uncle Nige, Lisa. I did remind you. Betsy’s coming. I made sure she remembered.’ The girl rattled the knob again. ‘What’s wrong, Lisa? The door won’t open.’

‘For goodness sake! I sometimes need to go to the loo as well.’

‘Oh.’ An audible intake of breath, even through the door. ‘Sorry.’

Holding Janus to herself to quiet him Lisa heard Geraldine and Seb trotting down the corridor. Where had she put the damned bracelet?

Lisa forced herself to look at the bath ledges. She searched over every nook and cranny for the silver band but couldn’t see it. Her eyes now roamed round the other surfaces: the basin, the window sill, the cupboard holding nappies, the laundry basket. The bracelet was nowhere to be seen.

There was another knocking on the door. Lisa, her mind fixed on the bracelet, gripped the child in her arms hard enough to precipitate a wail. She relaxed her grip and absently kissed his head.

‘Anything else I can do?’ Geraldine asked. ‘Shall I take Jansy for you?’

The girl had evidently spotted something was up, Lisa was aware. But there was nothing she could do about that, no way she could open the door to her. Geraldine might know something was wrong but she couldn’t possibly know what it was. And she was probably thinking longingly about Matthew. With any luck he was waiting for her.

‘Are you okay? Jansy sounds rather miserable.’

‘He’s just grisly.’ A deep breath in, a last determined effort to keep control. ‘He must have had too much of the clotted cream and feels sick. Look in on the other two and see if they’re all right,’ she called out. ‘I’m almost through here.’

Within moments the doorknob rattled again. Lisa bit back the urge to scream at the girl to go.

‘Is it all right if I go now?’

‘Is Seb in bed?’

‘He’s reading his helicopter book.’

‘Right, then. Off you go.’

‘Good-night, Lisa. You too, Jansy.’

It was at this point that Lisa remembered what had happened to the bracelet. In her haste to take it off she’d simply dropped it in the bath. It must be with the body.

Janus was wriggling under her arm. What time was it? Was Alec due back? Sick, shocked, distraught, she turned, knocking the baby’s head against the bath. A shrill long scream brought her back to reality. Had Geraldine heard that? There was no further clatter at the door. She must have left.

Holding her breath, averting her eyes, the kicking infant still under her left arm, Lisa placed her right hand into the bath and tried to feel for the bracelet. The slimy bath, its bottom covered in a glutinous mixture of soap, dirt and that odd yellow liquid, revolted her. Unable