“Oh, no worries,” Tai says, her eyes diving back into her soup. She adjusts her elbow by my side and digs into me, as if to prompt me to say something, but I’m not sure how to take the conversation any further without saying something I might not want to, in front of this group of strangers. They probably all know Nítuchí, if they’re Teddy’s colleagues. I elbow her back, as if to say, Not the time and place.

“Can I tell you both something cool?” Teddy asks, face opening.

Tai leans in. “Always.”

He rubs his palms together. “We’re on the verge of gaining access to large amounts of Hero Pharm data, which would completely transform the way the Carers function. Imagine being able to integrate decades of results from private pharmaceutical studies into the Carer database. Combined with new governmental permissions granted insofar as the types of artificial intelligence that can be integrated into the Carer’s code … Well, we could help so many people. Between that and the new hologram tech I’ve been working on, so patients can see their lost loved ones … Carers would save hundreds of lives in their first year of wide release on Viloxin alone.” His eyes shine at us like a child’s on Christmas, and I remember why luck’s drawn to my uncle and my sister like moths to the light. “It’s an incredible way of following your mother’s mission, don’t you think?”

I pipe up: “Her … mission?”

“Helping others at any cost.”

Just then, the next course arrives—flowers floating in a gelée—and Tai’s squeal interrupts us.

Only after the others in the small group have finished their meal and said their saliva-speckled goodbyes does Teddy mention his surprise.

“Girls, I received something strange yesterday from the lawyer handling the estate of the director who filmed that promotional video of your mother and died from suicide.”

Tai, midsip, stops.

“He claims,” he says, setting down his drink, “that it’s a genuine copy of White Fox. All four parts.”

BOY

EXCERPT FROM VANITY FAIR MAGAZINE INTERVIEW WITH MIREILLE FOIX HAMMICK

AUGUST 2001