Page 99 - The Midnight Library

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clean-shaven in this life, his hair side-parted and business-like, but he was

the same Joe. His dark eyebrows as bushy as ever – ‘ at’s the Italian in you,’
as their mother used to say.
‘Joe?’
What’s more, he was smiling at her. A big, brotherly, uncomplicated smile.

‘Morning, sis,’ he said, surprised by and a little awkward from the length
of the hug she was giving him.
When the hug was over, he introduced the other two people he was
standing with.

‘ is is Priya from Gulliver Research, the people organising the
conference obviously, and this is Ror y, obviously, from Celebrity Speakers.’
‘Hi Priya!’ said Nora. ‘Hi Ror y. So nice to meet you.’
‘Yes, it is,’ said Priya, smiling. ‘We’re so pleased to have you.’

‘You say that like we’ve never met before!’ said Ror y, with a booming
laugh.
Nora backtracked. ‘Yes, I know we’ve met, Ror y. Just my little joke. You
know my sense of humour.’

‘You have a sense of humour?’
‘Good one, Ror y!’
‘Okay,’ her brother said, looking at her and smiling. ‘Do you want to see
the space?’

She couldn’t stop smiling. Here was her brother. Her brother, whom she
hadn’t seen in two years and hadn’t had any semblance of a good
relationship with in far longer, looking healthy and happy and like he
actually liked her. ‘ e space?’

‘Yeah. e hall. Where you’re doing the talk.’
‘It’s all set up,’ Priya added, helpfully.
‘Bloody big room,’ said Ror y approvingly, as he cradled a paper cup of
coffee.

So, Nora agreed and was led into a vast blue conference room with a wide
stage and around a thousand empty chairs. A technician in black came up
and asked her : ‘What do you fancy? Lapel or headset or handheld?’
‘Sorr y?’

‘What kind of mic will you want up there?’
‘Oh!’
‘Headset,’ her brother interjected on Nora’s behalf.