MUM
There! Wasn’t that amazing? Wasn’t it just the most gripping story?
FRANK
It was all right.
MUM
“All right”? Darling, it was d.i.c.kENS.
FRANK
(patiently)
Yeah. It was d.i.c.kens and it was all right.
MUM
Well, it was better than one of your inane computer games, you have to admit that.
FRANK
No it wasn’t.
MUM
Of course it was.
FRANK
It wasn’t.
MUM
(erupts)
Are you telling me that your ridiculous games can compete with a cla.s.sic d.i.c.kens story? I mean, take the characters! Take Magwitch! Magwitch is unique!
FRANK
(unimpressed)
Yeah, there’s a Magwitch character in LOC too. Only he has, like, a better backstory than the d.i.c.kens one. He’s a convict, the same, but he can help any compet.i.tor.
AUDREY (VOICE-OVER)
He transfers powers.
FRANK
Except the compet.i.tor has to take on one of his crimes and pay the penalty—
AUDREY (V.O.)
Exactly. So you have to choose which power structure to go in at. And—
FRANK
Shut up, Aud! I’m explaining. Except you don’t know which penalty you’ve got till they make the choice. So it’s like a gamble, only the more you play, the more you can work it out. It’s awesome.
Mum is looking from Frank to Audrey and back again, in total bafflement.
MUM
OK, this makes no sense to me. None. What power structures? What is that?
FRANK
If you played, you’d find out.
AUDREY (V.O.)
Magwitch is a pretty amazing character.
MUM
Exactly! Thank you.
A slight pause.
MUM
The d.i.c.kens Magwitch or the LOC Magwitch?
AUDREY (V.O.)
The LOC Magwitch, of course.
FRANK
The d.i.c.kens one is just a bit…
MUM
(sharply)
What? What’s wrong with the d.i.c.kens Magwitch? What could be wrong with one of the great literary characters of our time?
FRANK
He’s less interesting.
AUDREY (V.O.)
Exactly.
FRANK
Two-dimensional.
AUDREY (V.O.)
I mean, he doesn’t DO anything.
FRANK
(kindly)
No offense. I’m sure d.i.c.kens was a great guy.
MUM
(to DAD)
Are you hearing this?
Mum’s been p.i.s.sed off with us ever since d.i.c.kensgate. She made us tidy our rooms today, which hardly ever happens, and she found a cheeseburger in Frank’s room and it all kicked off.
I don’t mean a cheeseburger carton, I mean an actual cheeseburger. He’d taken about two bites and put it back into the box and left it on the floor, like weeks ago. It was buried under a pile of rank sports kit. The weird thing is, the cheeseburger didn’t moulder. It kind of fossilized. It was pretty gross.
Mum started on the hugest lecture about rats and vermin and hygiene, but Frank waved her away and said, “I have to go, Mum, Linus is like a minute away. You always say we have to be polite to guests and greet them.” He stomped downstairs and I felt a bit swoopy in my stomach.
Linus again. I didn’t think we’d be seeing so much of Linus while Frank was banned from computers.
Mum obviously thought the same thing, because she looked a bit thrown and called down the stairs, “He does know about your computer ban, doesn’t he?” and Frank said impatiently, “Of course.” Then he added, as he swung round into the hall, “But Linus can play LOC on my computer while he’s here, can’t he?”
Mum looked a bit flummoxed. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. A moment later she was heading off to her bedroom, saying, “Chris? Chris, what do you think of this?”
That was all about ten minutes ago. I know Linus is here because I heard him arrive, a few minutes ago. He went straight into the playroom with Frank and I guess they fired up LOC straightaway. Meanwhile, I could hear Mum and Dad in discussion in their bedroom.
“It’s the principle!” Mum kept saying. “He’s got to learn!”
I think Dad was on the “They’re only kids, it’s all fairly harmless” tack and Mum was on the “Screens are evil and corrupting my son” tack, and they couldn’t agree, so after a while I got bored listening. I headed down to the den and here I am now, waiting.
No, not waiting.
Well, kind of waiting.
I put on an old episode of How I Met Your Mother and try not to calculate how long a game of LOC is, and whether Linus might come and say h.e.l.lo when he’s done. Just the thought of him is giving me little twinges. Good twinges. I think.
I mean, not that he needs to say h.e.l.lo. It’s probably the last thing he wants to do. Why would he?