20.3

Shard spoke sharply in a language still completely foreign to Max.

The only word he picked up was the old favourite –

“Chello.”

He moved to leave.

“Not you,” Shard said, with a chuckle.

20.4

“Max, the world is dying and we are dying with it. We need to know if there is a living God – to help to regenerate the planet. This is a specific moment in time. We call it the Regeneration. ”

Shard raised his eyebrow, seeking Max’s understanding.

“Mmm,” Max murmured uncertainly.

“So we chose you for an experiment. We needed to record an innocent renunciation, to see if we could make contact with God.”

Shard allowed his words to sink in.

“When you say record – you’ve been filming me?”

“Of course we have,” Shard chuckled.

“I knew it!” Max said, relieved. “I knew it was a set up right from the start when David Brown turned up at the pool that day. Ever since then I’ve always had a suspicion that I was being watched.”

Of course it was a set up!

You were pushed the whole way!

Mate… Blind Freddie knew that!

Shard raised his finger, silencing this thought.

“But what you wouldn’t know Max…” he said, with a cheeky grin, “Is that the film was taken through your very own eyes.”

“What do you mean?” Max asked, amazed.

“We have a lens implanted in the blind spot of your eye. We’ve been filming you, through you, as you.”

Mate…

What can you say?

Is that possible?

“Still? Now? As we speak?”

“Still, now, as we speak.”