Read Manifestations for Free Online

last two weeks, Zach had been observing Mister Lizney. He had had his unit monitored, he even had some of the man’s clothes and pocket items chipped. His teacher lived in a modest home, more modest even than the orphanage. He kept no mementos on display, nor did he ever look at any when Zach revised the surveillance footage. Mister Lizney spent most of his alone-time immersed, probably monitoring his students. He might even know that Zach was watching him, but that didn’t seem likely, because if he did, something would have changed between them.
     
    This is what Zach had observed so far. Lizney presented himself as the first wall for his students to climb. A hermit with no history who taught low rankers about the Weave — and yet he didn’t wear a symbiot. That was curious.
     
    Today he greeted Zach at the door and waved him in. He had a wand in his mouth and a couple of handscreens wedged under his arms. Always busy with more than one project. Zach reached out to catch the screens before they fell. Lizney had stiff movements and always dropped things.
     
    ‘Why, thank you.’ He took the wand from his mouth. As he walked he rubbed his hip. It must be sore today. If Zach had a sylus, he would be able to scan him for implants. He would have to find a way to get one into the unit. After he’d found a way to get one, that is. He was always looking for new ways to gather data.
     
    The man had thinning hair, which he must have chosen not to repair. When asked about it, he claimed he would revive his scalp when he could get around to it. Lizney wore his helmet almost permanently, a silver cap with tinted lenses that went from purple to opaque when he immersed. He wore a range of indoor kimonos with bright patterns that confused the eyes. In his off-time he enjoyed a little mesh, but never around the students.
     
    Miles was a bit plastic in the face. His skin was pale, but turned a deep tan if he caught too much sun. Zach thought the sheen of it looked unnatural. Zoom-ups over one thousand per cent caught a regularity that indicated manufacturing. His teeth too had been replaced at some point.
     
    Mister Lizney avoided the topic of his skin; he said there had been an accident and didn’t like talking about it. ‘This is one of those mysteries you are to solve, young Musashi.’ His smile was sad. His smiles were often sad. It was the only time Zach liked him, when he smiled like that. At other times Lizney’s face and manners seemed artificial and he acted as though he was barely managing to put up with his students.
     
    ‘How are you today? Tired yet?’
     
    ‘No, sir,’ Zach replied automatically.
     
    “‘No, sir.” Very good. We can tick off “Shows continued respect for his elders” then. Of course I know your beta waves are down so you’re either lying to me or you have convinced yourself.’ He didn’t wait for an answer, but bent carefully into a seat, one of two that were angled together by the small window, and beckoned for his screens back. When Zach took the other chair Lizney tapped the air with the wand and drew a vertical line.
     
    ‘I see you are on track for your endurance badge. Very good. Now there is a note here from your foster. He says you’re having trouble with the other children.’
     
    ‘He said that?’ Zach pulled his helmet from his pocket, flicked it open and quickly looked through the lenses to see the overlay Mister Lizney had superimposed in the room. It gave Zach’s records, his stream, in an orderly but complicated arrangement of documents, footage and graphical analysis. Lizney pushed the note from Tom towards him with the wand and Zach read it quickly.
     
    Oh, he thought. Bronwyn.
     
    ‘It’s not all the kids, I don’t see much of them at the moment. I’m shut in my study day and night. There’s just this one annoying girl. She poured cold water on me while I was under and then Tom caught me as I was chasing her ... hey, why are you smiling?’
     
    Lizney