In Laymon's Terms

“Invisibles see each other?”

I nodded.

“Are there any more about now?”

“No.”

“How long is it since you lost yours?”

“My visibility?”

“Uh huh.”

“Four years ago.”

“Is that young?”

“Sort of average.”

“What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done when you’re—”

“Ham. Listen, being an Invisible isn’t all fun and Peep Tomery, you know?”

“Oh, come on, lighten up, Kate.”

“We have serious responsibilities.”

“Responsibilities? Huh, you sound like my parents.”

“And we are governed by a strict code of conduct.”

“You do sound like my parents.”

“Ham. You’ve got a lot to learn about us. And life’s going to be different for you now. You’ve got to learn how to handle being invisible. Have you thought what happens if you get married? Come on, walk with me.”

I linked arms with him. We walked and talked. Before long we found ourselves heading along one of the leafy paths of Riverside Park. The moon shone bright silver through the trees. The scent of dew grew stronger on the air. An owl hooted.

Maybe Ham was learning; he only paused for a moment when he found the couple making out under some bushes.

As we walked on, I whispered, “Unless you’re a pathological voyeur, watching naked people sex each other up becomes the dullest spectator sport ever, believe me.”

He smiled, his eyes catching the moonlight. “I’m glad you’re here to help me through this, Kate. I’d have gone nuts if you hadn’t found me.”

“Oh, you get used to it. Once, I was taking a shower when—”

“Shhh.” He held up a finger.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you hear it?”

I shrugged.

“Listen.” He tilted his head. “Someone’s crying.”

I told him straight, “Ignore it. We don’t get involved.”

“But someone might be in trouble?”

“That isn’t our problem.”

“But—”

“And if you see someone being mugged or beaten up then it just leaves you feeling bad, because—”

“It sounded like a girl.”

“Ham—”

“There it is again. Come on.”

I thought: Why does he keep doing this to me? Every time I start to tell him to be careful he rushes off.

He dashed across the lawn in the direction of a line of trees. And, yup, I had to follow. Remember? I have responsibilities, too. I couldn’t let the idiot get himself into trouble the first night he lost his visibility.

So I followed. In a minute I’d almost caught up with him. He’d reached the bank of the river. It stretched out glistening silver beneath the moon. At the far side of the water I saw tall buildings that were swish apartment blocks. But at this side of the river there were only gloomy trees overhanging the bank. There were no houses, no cars, no people. Nothing but spooky shadow.

And Ham running, of course. I followed him along the riverside path. I saw his head turning left and right as he searched for whoever made the crying sound. Then suddenly he stopped me. He pointed down the bank to the shore. Two figures were at the water’s edge. Luckily—or unluckily, depending on your point of view—the moon lit every detail. A girl of around twenty dressed in a skimpy little skirt and a crop-top sat on the shore, while looming over her was a real brute of a man dressed in green combats. “Jesus,” Ham breathed. “He’s tied her to a post. Look at her hands.”

I heard the brute say, “Make that noise again and I’ll cut your tongue out.”

“Please...” The girl was terrified.

“So you’re going to be one of the talkative ones, hah? I know how to fix that.”

We watched the guy take a roll of silvery gaffer tape from his pocket. He stuck the loose end of tape to her lips then wound it round and round her head a few times for good measure.

“There, you won’t be singing out so loud now, will you?”

I pulled at Ham’s sleeve as the man talked to the girl. “Ham, come on,” I whispered. “Don’t watch.”

“We can’t just walk away.”

“We’ve got no choice,” I told him. “The rule. No interference in the lives of Visibles.”

“But look at her. He’s tied her to the post. This river’s tidal. Soon the water’s gonna be over her head; she’ll—”

“We’re not allowed to intervene. It’s mandatory: we never touch people or in any way influence events.”

“And have this on my conscience?” He looked shocked.

“What else can we do?”

“I’m going to help her.”

“No.” I grabbed his arm.

He shook himself free and went down to the shore.

And, yup...I had to follow. Had to somehow talk him out of doing anything stupid. Ham was green as spinach soup. He didn’t know the repercussions of intervention.

By the time we reached the couple on the shore the tide had turned. The girl sat with her long, bare legs splayed out in front; her hands tied behind her back to an iron loop set in the post. That in turn was rooted in the riverbed. And, boy-oh-boy, the tide came in fast. Already it washed over her thighs. Her eyes locked on to those of her abductor’s. They blazed in the moonlight as if halogen lamps burned inside her head. Let me tell you, that was pure terror.