Jeff Noon - Vurt

That voice! It was the voice of… falling away from me in blood as I clung on tight to her one thousand times as I my father reflected in the mirror reflected in the mirror reflected in the mirror reflected as I as I saw the blades coming in again sister

It was the voice of Sniffing General.

Sniffing General… can you…

blood all over

What's happening, General? Can you help me?

…THE TROUBLE YOU'RE CAUSING ME.

Tell me!

sister screaming from the cuts

curiouser and curiouser

…INSIDE OF CURIOUS. NOBODY DOES THAT! NOBODY!

Get me out. Get us both out!

THERE IS NO WAY. YOU'RE CAUGHT IN A LOOP.

our father digging his one thousand ways through desdemona as he cutting as he smiling

You've got to, General!

Blow that Choke out of your nose and do it!

sister falling apart

It just gets worse, General.

taking the silver feather reflected one thousand times out of my pocket

sister reaching out for me as she as she reached out for me bleeding and the bleeding was bleeding the wounds were wounded

You think I have a choice, General?

I pushed the silver sniffing general feather in as I as I pushed the silver feather in over the top of the curious yellow

I need a door, General… two feathers at once who's ever done that before?

Tough shit. the silver coming on the yellow which was yellow in the yellow silver in the yellow in the yellow the thousand mirrors cracking… as I… father swinging the razor at my sister… as I… waiting for the menu to scroll…

1. EDIT

2. CLONE

3. HELP…

menu stops… as I stopped my father's hand…

Shit! What number was the door? What number!

that's enough, father… as I…

What number was the door? What number?! as I took the razor from his hand and then I…

Four for a door. Four for a door. That's it. as I pushed the razor into my…

as I pushed the razor into my father's eye… coming back to me now the feelings as I as I thought about the number four my father screaming with his hands coming up to his eyes as I got the menu up to my eyes…

1. BLUE

2. BLACK

That's okay, Sniffer. I don't need it any more. as I thought about the number five

Five for alive. a door opening up as the mirror broke and our father was putting red hands up to his eyes and the door opened in his eyes and I could see the trees of platt fields through the holes in his eyes

"Sniffing General…"

A new voice.

"What is the problem?"

I was pushing des towards the door in father's eyes

"I am trying to stay asleep, General. Please explain." desdemona won't go through she's clinging to me dragging me along as well

WE'VE GOT A MIRROR META IN CURIOUS YELLOW, WITH AN ILLEGAL LIFE-DOOR BREACH PLUS AN UNAUTHORIZED SWAPBACK ATTEMPT WITHOUT ADEQUATE EXCHANGE MATERIAL.

"Is that all."

Please, Scribble… come with me. my sister talking to me…

It can't happen, Des. It just can't

"Don't make me angry, general."

so I'm thinking about the number one whilst they argue number one for a blue world seeing the thousands of blue names scroll down thinking about P for pleasure

"Where are we, Scribble?"

My sister and I sitting on the park bench in Pleasureville, listening to the birds singing and watching the play of dappled light on the newly cut lawn. Kids are skipping. No sign of the postman. I had two, maybe three minutes before the General dragged me away from this sweet blue world. I had my sister with me, and she looked happy at last, just like I remembered her. That was Pleasureville Blue for you.

"We're inside a Vurt, Des."

"It's lovely."

"What do you remember?"

Her smile faded for a second as she searched through her memories. "Nothing," she said. "Nothing at all, except that the world is beautiful and that you are my brother and that we should just stay here forever. Shall we do that, Scribble?"

"No." Her eyes went blank for a moment, filled with a blue void. "This isn't the real world, Des. The real world is not beautiful, but it's where you belong. No, don't try to understand. Just believe what I'm saying. I'm sending you back, Des. If I can."

"You're coming with me, Scribble?"

"I don't belong there, sister. This is my place. This is what I am."

"Scribble!"

"It can't happen, Des. It just can't. I love you too much. Or you don't love me enough."

Which adds up to the same thing. The same pile of bones.

I looked deep into my sister's blue eyes, saw the truth there, and then looked away. Sister said nothing. A boy and a girl sitting on a park bench on a sunny day, the girl looking into the sun, the boy with his head in his hands.

THERE YOU ARE! I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER.

"Hobart's telling you to deal with it, General."

"Send my sister back!"

SHE HAS NOTHING TO EXCHANGE WITH. IT CANNOT BE - "I'm staying here."

"Scribble! What's happening?"

My sister's voice calling…

"Scribble. Please don't…"

She was holding tight to my hand, trying to pull me with her. But I was firmly rooted now, working the Vurt like I was born to it.

"You know the truth, Des. Keep the faith. Don't stop thinking about me."

My father's eyes opening, blood-red in a blue Pleasureville sky.

"Scribble!!!!!!"

"Just do it!" and desdemona falling away the touch of her fingers the gift of her eyes falling falling into the eyes of our father and through to where I could catch glimpses of the shifting branches and the moon on the lake in the park where the world is good and the rain is tender…

I pull Curious Yellow out of my mouth, leaving the silver there. All the layers fall away until I'm seeing only darkness.

I SUPPOSE WE OUGHT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOU?

"I guess so," I answer.

The menu scrolls down.

1. BLUE

2. BLACK

3. PINK

5. LIFE

6. CAT

Sniffing General was sitting behind his desk, lining up three lines of Choke powder.

"By God I need this."

I didn't say anything. Game Cat's door lay just beyond.