54
“He came for my mother,” Elinor says. “She was still alive then. The two of them were able to enjoy eight more years together.”
“Wait,” I say, “so you knew?”
“Not always,” she says. “I noticed the change, of course. Their dispositions were very different. But one wouldn’t assume the true reason behind it. I didn’t know the extent of my father’s experiments at the time. It’s something I learned of only later.”
“Did your mother know?” I ask.
“Eventually. She told me she confronted him. He confessed everything.” Elinor smiles. “I believe they were very happy together after that.”
This is all too much for me. Daniel can see it. He’s fresher than I am—he hasn’t already spent today traveling to other universes and back. So he quickly steps in.
“How long ago?” he asks.
“Eighteen years,
