Chapter 53

Jefferson knocked on the giant door, and while the lights behind him turned off automatically one by one, the room behind him returned to darkness.

"Come in!" said the voice behind the door; it was Homer.

Jefferson came in and saw Homer and Hugo, Homer was facing the window, hands behind his back, staring out the window. Jefferson had no idea what he saw there. But his gaze looks far away; his mind is tossed about in the sky.

Meanwhile, Hugo was sitting at the desk. Jefferson rarely saw him sitting there, and once Jefferson did, he wasn't working. He played games on his laptop, and his ears were stuffed with headphones.

"Good evening, Homer, Hugo," said Jefferson, but when he called Hugo, his voice became low and barely audible even to Homer, let alone Hugo, who was wearing headphones.

He did it on purpose; Jefferson didn't want him to notice that he was already here.

"Jeremy?" asked Homer.

He turned to face Jefferson, his hands still behind his back, his posture straight and