Benny Washington, unable to relate to his distant father, and wracked with guilt over the recent death of his mother, seeks solace in best friend Peter Hall, comic books, and ballet-a passion he and Peter share. When Benny learns on the Internet tha...
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CHAPTER FIVE
God?
Once everyone has their shoes off and tromps upstairs to Benny's room, he presents the God Machine, still resting on his desk. Naturally, Emma and Fremond had insisted on seeing the machine and Benny didn't mind so long as they don't interfere with him testing it out.
Peter's eyes bulge when he sees that Benny has soldered a power cord—replete with three-pronged wall plug—to the metal frame of the machine. There's also a USB cord with one end attached to the machine and the USB plug lying beside Benny's keyboard.
"Wow, you really hooked this thing up!" Peter raises a hand and Benny slaps it.
Benny feels good about his additions. He intends to be a professional dancer, but knowing how computer parts fit together is always a great skill to have. His dad hopes he'll outgrow his "unhealthy interest in ballet" and become a hardware engineer, but that isn't going to happen.
"Why the USB?" Fremond bends forward, examining the machine and studying the cables.
Benny steps up to the monitor and turns it on. The Monster Hunter Go game is still onscreen. "My dad gave me the beta version of this Monster Hunter game to try out. I thought, you know, since the God Machine has no speakers, God could type a message to me through the game."
Fremond nods, clearly impressed. "I don't think God would work that way, but it's a good plan." He scrutinizes the soldering job. "You do solid work."
"Thanks."
Emma approaches, looking worried and uncertain. "Benny, this doesn't look safe. And you still haven't told us why you want to talk to God."
Benny looks down, his chest tightening, his mind filling with images of that day when Emma came to school insisting he go with her to the hospital, that his mother had asked for him. Unable to speak for fear of cracking, he nods at Peter.
Peter faces his sister, but doesn't look annoyed this time. His eyes fill with sadness. "Remember how Mom sent you to pick up me and Benny that last day, to go see his mother in the hospital?"
Emma nods. "But Benny ran off and only you and me went."
"Benny thought if he didn't show up, his mom wouldn't die because she'd, you know, keep waiting for him. But she did die and now he wants God to let him talk to her one last time to apologize."
Emma's mouth drops open. "Oh, Benny, your mom understood. You don't—"
Benny whips his head up, eyes narrowed. "You promised you wouldn't try to stop me. That's why I let you and your boyfriend in."
Emma flinches. "He's not my boyfriend." She gives Benny a long look. "I won't try to stop you, but..." Turning to Fremond, who wears his own shocked expression, she adds, "Fremond, do you think it's safe?"
