He spent Saturday evening with his sister, Nexa. He reserved Sunday for tightening up security around the estate grounds. Monday, he hung out in the control room all day experimenting with Artificial Intelligence. He set Tuesday aside to revise and update several virtual holographic projections. Wednesday he drove to town and picked up repair parts for his miniature robot, Waffle. Today, he stayed on the grounds and did nothing at all. Maxim found it impossible to ignore the connection he felt with Oddily. The harder he tried to forget, the more keenly and insistently he remembered. The mystery of the girl’s pathetic life both haunted and intrigued him. In truth, the problem could have been easily solved by going to the school and asking around about her. Then he would have the assurance that her behavior was back to normal after their whirlwind adventure. Despite this, he wouldn’t allow himself the luxury. It would be impossible to question anyone without having his inquiry overflow into a stream of gossip. He had to find another way.
