He returned his attention to Madam Kondazian and again moved to the woman's ear, clearing his throat as a reflex and not because of necessity or because of having any throat at all strictly speaking.
"Silence! He would speak."
"Madam K, honestly, we'll probably just get going," Maisie said diplomatically. "We don't even want our money back or anything," she added, ignoring the looks of non-refundable disapproval from her friends. "The carnival closes at midnight and we've still got to do the ghost train."
"Tell Sophie I am here, and I love her very much," he said into Madam K's ear, speaking loudly and slowly and enunciating each word very deliberately, as if speaking to an elderly relative who's hearing was only slightly more compos than their general mentis.
"Shush, girl. It is Philip. I called him, and now he answers," Madame K chided, and he was feeling very optimistic about this whole thing until she then said, "Hello Sophie, it's me, Daddy. My, but how you've grown!"
Well, not ideal, but a start. Another attempt perhaps.
"I miss you very much Sophie and your mother as well. I did not want to remember my life because you two were my life and I...I left you behind."
Madam K had paused, her head cocked to one side. She spoke again.
"It's very nice and warm and pleasant where I am. You'll love it when you get here," she said before hurriedly adding, "not that you'll get here for a very long time of course."
Sophie rolled her eyes but the anger had gone out of her.
"Madam K, let's leave my Dad go and give someone else a turn. Bye Dad, thanks for playing," Sophie said to the air around her, and let go of Maisie's hand long enough to wave at nothing, and he could tell she was doing her best not to blow up at this woman who was, at the end of the day, only doing her job. Or at least only pretending to do her job.
Madam K studied Sophie and seemed to decide that perhaps enough in this case was more than enough. She nodded and said, "Thank you daughter, be good" but dragged out the last word so that it was "gooooooooood" and sounded like she, or more accurately Philip, was being sucked up by some sort of cosmic hoover. "Now dears, who would you have me summon next?"
Sod it.473Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY60oa1o0gT
