Max Barry - Lexicon: A Novel

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Copyright Max Barry, 2013

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Barry, Max.

Lexicon : a novel / Max Barry.

pages cm.

ISBN 978-1-101-60490-8

1. Persuasion (Psychology)Fiction. 2. Secret societiesFiction. 3. LinguistsFiction. 4. Romantic suspense fiction. I. Title.

PS3552.A7424L49 2013

813'.54dc23

2012046980

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

For Jen, again

Contents

Every story written is

marks upon a page

The same marks,

repeated, only

differently arranged

[I]

Now when Ra, the greatest of the gods, was created, his father had given him a secret name, so awful that no man dared to seek for it, and so pregnant with power that all the other gods desired to know and possess it too.

F. H. BROOKSBANK , The Story of Ra and Isis

[ONE]

Hes coming around.

Their eyes always do that.

The world was blurry. There was a pressure in his right eye. He said, Urk.

Fuck!

Get the

Its too late, forget it. Take it out.

Its not too late. Hold him. A shape grew in his vision. He smelled alcohol and stale urine. Wil? Can you hear me?

He reached for his face, to brush away whatever was pressing there.

Get his Fingers closed around his wrist. Wil, its important that you not touch your face.

Why is he conscious?

I dont know.

You fucked something up.

I didnt. Give me that.

A rustling. He said, Hnnn. Hnnnn.

Stop moving. He felt breath in his ear, hot and intimate. There is a needle in your eyeball. Do not move.

He did not move. Something trilled, something electronic. Ah, shit, shit.

What?

Theyre here.

Already?

Two of them, it says. We have to go.

Im already in.

You cant do it while hes conscious. Youll fry his brain.

I probably wont.

He said, Pubbaleeese doo nut kill mee.

An unsnapping of clasps. Im doing it.

You cant do it while hes conscious, and were out of time, and he probably isnt even the guy.

If youre not helping, move out of the way.

Wil said, I... need... to... sneeze.

Sneezing would be a bad move at this point, Wil. Weight descended on his chest. His vision darkened. His eyeball moved slightly. This may hurt.

A snick. A low electronic whine. A rail spike drove into his brain. He screamed.

Youre toasting him.

Youre okay, Wil. Youre okay.

Hes... aw, hes bleeding from his eye.

Wil, I need you to answer a few questions. Its important that you answer truthfully. Do you understand?

No no no

First question. Would you describe yourself as more of a dog person or cat person?

What

Come on, Wil. Dog or cat?

I cant read this. This is why we dont do it when theyre conscious.

Answer the question. The pain stops when you answer the questions.

Dog! he screamed. Dog please dog!

Was that dog?

Yeah. He tried to say dog.

Good. Very good. One down. Whats your favorite color?

Something chimed. Fuck! Oh, fuck me!

What?

Wolfs here!

That cant be right.

It says it right fucking here!

Show me.

Blue! he screamed into silence.

He responded. You see?

Yes, I saw! Who cares? We have to leave. We have to leave.

Wil, I want you to think of a number between one and a hundred.

Oh, Jesus.

Any number you like. Go on.

I dont know

Concentrate, Wil.

Wolf is coming and youre dicking around with a live probe on the wrong guy. Think about what youre doing.

Four I choose four

Four.

I saw it.

Thats good, Wil. Only two questions left. Do you love your family?

Yes no what kind of a

Hes all over the place.

I dont haveI guess yes I mean yes everybody loves

Wait, wait. Okay. I see it. Christ, thats weird.

One more question. Why did you do it?

WhatI dont

Simple question, Wil. Whyd you do it?

Do what do what what what

Borderline. As in, borderline on about eight different segments. Id be guessing.

I dont know what you mean I didnt do anything I swear Ive never done anything to anyone except except I once knew a girl

There.

Yeah. Yeah, okay.

A hand closed over his mouth. The pressure in his eyeball intensified, became a sucking. They were pulling out his eyeball. No: It was the needle, withdrawing. He shrieked, possibly. Then the pain was gone. Hands pulled him upward. He couldnt see. He wept for his poor abused eyeball. But it was still there. It was there.

Blurry shapes loomed in fog. What, Wil said.

Coarg medicity nighten comense, said the taller shape. Hop on one foot.

Wil squinted, confused.

Huh, said the shorter shape. Maybe it is him.

They filled a sink with water and pushed his face into it. He surfaced, gasping. Dont soak his clothes, said the tall man.

He was in a restroom. An airport. He had come off the 3:05 P.M. from Chicago, where the aisle seat had been occupied by a large man in a Hawaiian shirt Wil couldnt bear to wake. At first, the restroom had appeared closed for cleaning, but the janitor had removed the sign and Wil had jagged toward it gratefully. He had reached the urinal, unzipped, experienced relief.

The door had opened. A tall man in a beige coat had come in. There were half a dozen free urinals, Wil at one end, but the man chose the one beside him. Moments passed and the tall man did not pee. Wil, emptying at high velocity, felt a twinge of compassion. He had been there. The door had opened again. A second man entered and locked the door.

Wil had put himself back in his pants. He had looked at the man beside him, thinkingthis was funny, in retrospectthat whatever was happening here, whatever specific danger was implied by a man entering a public restroom and fucking locking it, at least Wil and the tall man were in it together. At least it was two against one. Then he had realized Shy Bladder Guys eyes were calm and deep and kind of beautiful, actually, but the key point being calm as in unsurprised, and Shy Bladder Guy had seized his head and propelled him into the wall.

Then the pain, and questions.

Have to get this blood out of his hair, said the short man. He attacked Wils face with paper towels. His eye looks terrible.