Managing Death Read Free Page B

chair I touch not only the land of the living but the land of the dead as well. Traffic is moving nicely in both zones, which is really rather remarkable. The throne is opiate, CNN and 3D extravaganza rolled into one. I have to concentrate to manage that sensory overload. Part of me doesn’t want to; the effort of it burns a little behind my eyes like the seed of a migraine. How the hell am I expected to handle all this? And it’s not getting any easier.
    I open my eyes. Oh, yes, the ‘interventionists’ haven’t left. How much have they seen?
    ‘You don’t have a clue how hard I work,’ I say, but they do, and they’re right.
    ‘That’s just it,’ Lissa says. ‘You’re working so hard at avoiding everything that you’re going to avoid everything out of your life. You’ve come unstuck, you’re drifting, and you haven’t even noticed it.’
    Tim’s nodding. I glare at him.
    ‘Steve, you’re even more disengaged than you were when Robyn left.’
    Now, that’s just too low. Robyn’s my ex. She couldn’t handle me being a Pomp and it took me years to get over that. It took Lissa, and the loss of nearly everything that I cared about. Surely I’m not … ‘That’s bullshit!’
    ‘What’s bullshit is the amount of work Lissa and I have had to do to cover for you. When was the last time you spoke to another RM?’
    I’d initially tried really hard to keep in touch with them. To start a discussion about a global response to the Stirrer god. Nothing, silence. The global response had been for every RM to ignore my emails and my calls. If they weren’t going to speak to me, I wasn’t going to speak to them. ‘They’re all pricks and backstabbers,’ I say.
    Tim nods. ‘Exactly, and you’ve left us to deal with them. The whole Orcus, and no RM to bat for us. Thanks a lot, mate.’
    ‘Well, you’re my Ankou.’
    Tim nods. ‘And I’ll watch your back. But I’m not here to wipe your arse. If this keeps going on … we’re both out of here.’
    Lissa’s face is as resolute as I have ever seen it. ‘Do you know how hard I’ve been working? Hunting downnew staff in Melbourne, Perth, Mount Isa, Coober Pedy? I’ve run around this country, God knows how many times, trying to find you people who at the very least have a chance of not dying on the job. And you’re hardly interested. Have you spoken to any of them after their interview? Have you made yourself available to any of them?’
    I open my mouth to speak: what about Meredith? But once, just once, isn’t enough of a defence. They’re right. I know they’re right, but if they could sit in this throne … dream my dreams … They’re right. ‘So what do you want me to do?’
    ‘Today?’ Tim asks. ‘Or from now on?’
    ‘Both.’
    Tim beams at me. ‘That’s what I want to hear. A bit more enthusiasm would be nice, though.’
    I lean back in my chair. ‘All right. All right. Where do I start?’
    Lissa unfolds her arms, walks to the desk and takes up another chair. ‘The Death Moot. Let’s start with that. The business we can get to, but the Moot is a priority. You’ve got to find the Point of Convergence.’
    ‘Can’t we just book a hotel?’
    ‘Ha! This is Mortmax Industries,’ Lissa says. ‘Things don’t work that way. It’s revealed through some sort of ceremony, although I’m not sure what it entails. And Tim can hardly go and ask anyone else. How do you think the other RMs would take that?’
    ‘Bad. It would be bad,’ I say.
    She pats the black phone on my desk. ‘You’re going to have to speak with Mr D. And after that you’re going to have to start paying attention to the business of being RM.’
    I pick up the heavy handset. ‘Do I have to call him now?’
    Lissa starts to fold her arms again. Tim’s face is settling into a scowl. ‘It has to be done. And today,’ Lissa says. ‘In some ways we’ve been as bad as you. We should have done this sooner. Today’s the last day you can perform the