The Legacy

him. Taunting him. You lied to us. You said we would live for ever. We didn’t. You won’t either. ‘They are lying,’ he said, his voice strangled.
    ‘No.’ Hil ary shook her head. ‘I have been sent photographs. Dried-up bodies.
    Horrible. Too horrible.’ She shuddered. ‘I need to know what’s going on, Richard.
    We already have protesters on the streets over water rationing. If people get wind of this, if they think that Longevity can’t protect them –’
    ‘It can protect them,’ Richard said forceful y, banging his hand down on his desk suddenly. ‘It has always protected them. Shut the protests down. Put more police on the streets.’
    ‘It’s not as simple as that,’ Hil ary said tightly.
    ‘Of course it is,’ Richard said.
    ‘Hundreds of people are missing, Richard.’ She looked at him searchingly. ‘Taken away in the middle of the night. Hundreds. I told you weeks ago that we needed to communicate more with their families, their friends.’
    ‘Families? No one has families any more, Hil ary,’ Richard said irritably. ‘No one cares about anyone else any more. You know that. We have communicated, anyway – we have told people what they need to know when they need to know it.’
    ‘You mean you have told people nothing,’ Hil ary said stiffly.
    ‘What else would you have us do?’ Richard stared at her insolently. ‘We’re get ing to the bodies as soon as their identicards reveal their temperature rising. Would you have us spend our time instead counsel ing next-door neighbours and writing long let ers to their estranged sisters and brothers?’
    ‘No, Richard, I would have you get rid of the problem,’ Hil ary said. ‘They’re cal ing them the Missing. People want to know what’s going on . I want to know what’s going on. What do we tel the newsfeeds? That Longevity is safe? That no one is get ing il ? They’re beginning to report on the missing people. We’re losing control here and you have given me no answers.’
    Richard stood up heavily; he needed height over Hil ary. He felt tired. So tired.
    Hil ary looked back at him boldly; he could see in her eyes that she suspected the balance of power was up for grabs. ‘Do I need to bring in scientists from other countries?’ she asked pointedly. ‘Do The Authorities need to take over Pincent Pharma?’
    His eyes narrowed; he could feel adrenalin course through his veins. How dare she! How dare she question him! ‘Don’t you dare,’ he said angrily.
    ‘Then I need answers. Proper answers. Do your drugs not work, Richard?’ She was looking at him triumphantly, mockingly. She had no idea, Richard realised, how close she was to the truth.
    ‘Of course the drugs work,’ he lied.
    ‘I know they work,’ she said exasperatedly, ‘but you must tel me the truth. I don’t buy your story of a virus, Richard. Longevity protects us from viruses – we al know that. What’s real y going on? Are the conspiracy theories true? Are you testing new drugs on an unsuspecting public?’
    If only, Richard thought. If only it were that simple. He closed his eyes. When you are weak, at ack – it is the best defence. That had always been his mantra. So why now, when he needed it, was he lost? Why could he not see what to say, what to do? Even Hil ary could see his weakness – he was exposed, vulnerable. He needed his armour, needed to wrest control. He thought frantical y. Then suddenly, like a dove appearing over Noah’s ark, an idea occurred to him – an idea that would get Hil ary off his case, that would give him time. It was bril iant. He smiled to himself.
    He felt his energy returning.
    Grimly, Richard leant towards Hil ary, his eyes serious. ‘You real y want to know what happened? Why people are il ? Why they might be dying in other countries?’
    ‘I real y want to know,’ Hil ary said, her eyes wide with expectation.
    Richard stood up and sighed for dramatic effect. It was a bold lie that he was going to tel , and one that could backfire spectacularly – but only if managed badly, and Richard never managed anything badly. Slowly he turned to Hil ary, his expression serious. ‘You’re right. There is no virus.’
    Hil ary nodded victoriously. ‘As I suspected. Go on,’ she ordered him.
    Richard paused for dramatic effect before continuing. Then he took a deep breath. ‘There was a contamination,’ he said, his voice low. ‘The Underground . . .
    They contaminated a batch of Longevity.’
    Hil ary’s mouth