The next day, Harker had received a message from his communicator that Roland would soon be returning and that they had found the location of Victoria's ship. It was in an unnamed 'island' which was really just sea ice far up North, near the Geographical North Pole.
Harker recalled the memories of Edmund that he had gained from Joan. It was very unlikely that they would have reached that far, but it wasn't impossible…..
Logic aside, he had a feeling that it wasn't a coincidence that Victoria's Arctic Seer would be going on the same expedition as Edmund's Arctic Seer.
But why? That's the question he would like to find out.
The warm, fuzzy feelings from yesterday full of bliss and pleasure was giving away as his resentment and more negative feelings resurfaced. Besides Victoria, there were also other things to worry about. Namely the congregation of An Xin and what happened to Hanker the clone.
He checked the time he received the message and his eyes widened when he saw that it was at 1:34 a.m. Roland said he'll be coming home within 5 hours, and when he checked the wall clock with crosses as hands, it was already 6:02 a.m.
"Shit." He sat up, and woke his women.
Mina grumbled. "What is it? It's so early, can't we all cuddle a little bit longer?"
Joan nodded. "Yeah… You're even enjoying yourself by squeezing my boob right now. Can't you just go back to that and take some rest? You're such a busybody sometimes, Jones."
Harker blinked. "I wasn't squeezing your boob."
Mina's eyes suddenly widened, and awkwardly chuckled. "Oh, sorry…. I thought it was a pillow or something. It was so soft…"
Joan just shrugged. "It's fine. Anyway, the point is that Harker should definitely stay in bed for a lot longer…. Maybe for the whole day again."
"Haha, even if I want to, I can't. Roland's coming, we all got to take a bath and get dressed." Harker told them.
And so, they all took a shower one by one. Harker went first, and then Joan, and then Mina. He was done and wore a bathrobe for a moment as he brushed his teeth. He and Joan were talking a little bit about toothpaste brands in the US versus the UK, before Mina suddenly called out.
"Um…. Professor Joan. Can I get a little help with the douche?"
Harker's face reddened, while Joan just looked like she was getting called out by a student for a difficult question on the exam. "Sure, I'm coming!"
Harker was left brushing his teeth while listening to the muffled instructions Joan was giving to Mina on how to use a douche properly. He then heard a knock on the door, and cursed internally.
"Hey, Roly-poly! How are ya?" He leaned on the door with an awkward smile on his face.
Roland felt a little unnerved being called Roly-poly after hearing Hanker call him that, but he calmed himself in front of Harker. "We found the location. It's—"
He was suddenly interrupted by Mina's shouts.
"Oh! It feels so weird, it's gushing like a waterfall on my assho—"
Harker quickly pushed Roland aside and shut the door. "You know what? Let's talk about this while having tea on the balcony over there! I'll go prepare 'em, just stay right there."
Roland raised an eyebrow, but waited on the balcony nonetheless. Harker left frantically for the tea, hoping that the girls won't be too loud in all their douching and make things even more awkward than they already were.
He returned with two cups of piping hot tea, and accidentally put quite a lot of sugar on Roland's.
Roland took a sip, and frowned. "It's too sweet."
Harker was already gulping down out of sheepishness, but exchanged the cups. "Oh I see! Here, have mine instead!"
Roland looked at the small water stain made by Harker's lips on the rim of the cup, and gingerly took a sip while making sure to avoid that part.
After he did, he said. "Harker…. You said that you could separate your cells to make another version of yourself, right?"
Harker wasn't expecting that it would be him who would bring out the topic he wanted to talk about the most. But this was for the best, as his curiosity had been slowly killing him.
"I….. I'm sorry for having a clone of mine follow you and Mina. Yes, it's true. I could divide myself, but it's hard to divide my attention at the same time since I'm new to this. You have met my clone, right?"
Roland nodded, and eventually explained what happened. How he realized Harker 2.0 was following them, how weird he was acting, and how they escaped together after An Xin. But of course, he left out several important things.
Especially the parts that would explain his apprehension just from having Harker beside him.
"He acts nothing like you, Harker. I'm not sure how he acted towards Joan, but I don't like him. I don't trust him." He insisted. "You should get rid of him soon."
Harker scrunched up his eyebrows, wearing a solemn look. "About that…. I don't have to. He's gone."
He told him about his own experience with the clone. The crown of flowers, the feeling that some of his memories with Joan were missing, and that last time he was connected to him. The truth was, Harker wasn't sure what to feel about Harker 2.0.
Sure, he was behaving strangely, but he didn't do any harm. He still did what Harker told him to. And when he had his own sense of identity, his own desire to name himself and separate himself from Harker… He sympathized with him. How hard must it be to live a life under someone's shadow, as just a copy?
If Hanker did act like he despised him, it was most likely because of that insecurity for not having his own 'life'. For existing as just a copy of someone else.
He observed Roland's reaction at all this, and it also seemed conflicted. When he was done, he paused to give him time to react to the news. He didn't know why he did that, and why he felt like his clone's death would affect his best friend that much.
He just felt it, knew it in his heart.
Roland eventually responded with: "Well, that's a tragedy for him but…. It's a relief for us. We don't have to worry about him anymore."
"He said it's your fault that he changed. He implied it." Harker said. "Do you know what he meant?"
Roland shook his head. "I don't."
Harker could also tell that was a lie. A white lie to hide a truth that was better kept hidden.
But Harker chose not to break that door open, especially if Roland was guarding it so much. He chose denial in the end for his friend's sake. He took a sip while uneasy silence remained between them for about 2 minutes.
Harker looked at his cup. He realized that the place where he had sipped….
Was also the same place where Roland's lips were.
".... You're right, this tea really was too sweet. I should be careful when I prepare some for the girls." He said, going back to the suite.
Harker turned his back on him so abruptly, and Roland almost called out for him to come back. But instead, he let him extend the distance between them. It was better this way.
It was better to put some distance, a safe distance.
Roland went to make a call on the hotel's telephone. It was his superior from the Supreme Court who was teaching him to assist in cases.
"Hello, Sir…. Yes, I know that I declined the offer to take the next case. But I just need to take care of some business before I'll be back in New York and…. I think I'm ready now. I'm ready to defend on my own, full-time."
The man made a joke on the other side of the line, and Roland chuckled without mirth.
"Yes, I know that will make me quite busy but… I think I do need to keep busy for a while. So busy that I don't have to think of anything else besides paperwork and messy court trials. Just work and nothing else...."
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