Klara and the Sun

Even the morning after the Morgan’s Falls trip, Josie is cold toward Klara. Klara is surprised that the Mother also seems distant, since it seemed like the trip went well.

Josie becomes weaker, and now instead of going down to the kitchen for breakfast, the Mother has coffee in Josie’s bedroom. Melania Housekeeper is bothered by Klara’s hovering around, so she sends Klara outside. As she walks, she gets the idea of asking for help from the Sun for Josie, since the Sun did so much to help Beggar Man.

A doctor visits Josie often, as does Rick. Josie stops taking remote school lessons. Melania Housekeeper makes Klara chaperone when Rick is there. During Rick’s visits, he and Josie often play “the bubble game,” a game that they invented when they were younger. Josie draws sketches, then Rick adds dialogue or thought bubbles to them.

Josie and Rick discuss a man who is painting Josie’s portrait in the city. Rick finds him creepy, particularly since Josie has been to his studio four times but never seen anything. He takes lots of pictures of her different body parts. Josie counters that the Mother is always there, and she wouldn’t just hire a pervert.

Eventually, after more visits, the bubble game goes from fun to tense. Rick has a harder time writing the words. He is particularly stumped by what to write about a tribe of eyeball aliens looking at a female figure. Ultimately, Josie is disappointed by what Rick writes.

Klara sees one of the bubble game comics on the ground while tidying up one day. Josie asks her what she thinks of it. Klara believes that Rick interpreted two of the figures in the drawing as himself and Josie. Josie doesn’t like the text, because it implies that she is a blob character who changes with different situations, but Klara believes the text Rick wrote for the characters is kind to Josie, since it shows she is clever at protecting herself.

On another afternoon, Josie and Rick play the bubble game again. Rick is taking a while on a bubble, and they start talking about other subjects, and Josie suggests that Rick should try to get into Atlas Brookings, a college that takes a small percentage of unlifted children (like Rick). Josie is worried that “the plan” won’t work if Rick doesn’t get a good education. Rick finally finishes the bubble. Josie is offended by what he writes, and Rick leaves without another word. The comic features a Josie-like character saying that she’s glad her mother has “Courage” so that she can stay in bed all day and be sick.

One morning later, Klara finds Josie drawing and writing intensely. She asks Klara to put the paper in an envelope in a drawer. Klara guesses correctly that the paper must be for Rick. But Rick has not come back since the bubble game incident. Klara volunteers to deliver the letter, and Josie agrees.

Klara takes the letter to Rick’s house. She notices Rick’s house is not as nice as Josie’s. Rick is excited about the envelope and invites Klara inside. Rick apologizes for the smell and says his mother isn’t well (but not sick like Josie), but Klara can’t smell.

Rick opens the envelope and finds that it contains a drawing that says “Rick and Josie forever” on it. A happy stick-figure boy and girl are surrounded by pointy looking objects. Rick likes it. Klara suggests maybe he should say thank you in person. Rick wonders if it’s a good idea, but Klara argues it is.

Klara then asks about McBain’s barn. She believes it may be related to helping Josie with her illness. Rick is confused, but Klara doesn’t want to explain everything yet. Rick trusts Klara and tells her there’s an informal path going to the barn, but it’s not maintained and could be difficult for an AF.

Just then, Rick’s mother (Miss Helen) interrupts. She doesn’t seem to notice Klara at first and talks a lot. She asks Klara questions about various things, like how she learned to speak. She then talks about how Rick is trying to get into Atlas Brookings, the only decent college that accepts unlifted students, but Rick has had trouble getting tutors. Rick asks his mother to drop the subject.

Miss Helen begins telling Klara a story about how one time she looked out the window and saw the Mother (whom she calls Chrissie) with a child who wasn’t Josie. Rick suggests maybe his mother wasn’t in the best condition that day, but Miss Helen asserts that she was seeing and thinking clearly. Miss Helen believes she saw the Mother with Sal—except this was two years after Sal died. Klara agrees that this is a strange story.

Rick suggests Klara should leave, but Miss Helen says first they need to discuss Rick’s education. She notices Josie’s drawing, but Rick takes it and puts it away before she can see. Miss Helen gets off topic, so Klara asks her what she has to say about education.

Rick leaves. Miss Helen says that she’d like for Klara to help Rick study. Then she says that the real issue is getting Rick to want to try (because he believes he can’t go away and leave his mother alone). Miss Helen then says that, while she has a “secret weapon,” the only one who can really affect how Rick thinks is Josie.

Klara says she’s surprised that Miss Helen would choose a path that might lead to her own loneliness. Then Rick comes back, and Klara says she must get back to Josie. Rick asks Klara to tell Josie that he really likes the picture and that perhaps he’ll be over the next day to say so himself.

Following Rick’s instructions, Klara makes the journey to Mr. McBain’s barn just before sunset. She stumbles, but Rick (who has been watching from a window) comes out to help her. He agrees to carry her piggyback the rest of the way.

Rick and Klara make it to Mr. McBain’s barn, and Klara asks to be left alone. She sits and waits in the barn for the Sun to fill it. As the Sun gets near, she forms words in her thoughts (because she believes the Sun doesn’t need to hear her aloud) and asks the Sun to make Josie better, just like the Sun did for Beggar Man. She apologizes to the Sun if her request seems selfish and promises that she’ll do something special in return if the Sun helps her.

As Klara heads back, she finds that Rick ignored her and waited for her to finish. Klara tells Rick that his mother, Miss Helen, is stronger than he realizes and that he should consider going to college, but Rick remains skeptical. He says his mother’s “secret weapon” is just an old flame of hers who is connected to the school.

The next day, Rick comes to visit Josie again. They tease each other and reconcile. Rick suggests that maybe Klara should give them some privacy. Klara says she has to stay to stop any hanky-panky, but Josie assures her that’s not going to happen.

Klara begins to think about destroying the Cootings Machine. She doesn’t want to tell anyone about her plan, but—conveniently—the Mother tells Klara that they’ll soon be taking a trip into the city. They are all going so that Josie can have her portrait done by Mr. Capaldi. Mr. Capaldi is also interested in meeting AFs. Rick and Miss Helen will also be coming because they have their own business in the city.

Later in the week, Rick and Miss Helen visit the house. Everyone seems to be in a good mood. Rick tells Klara he’s decided he’s going to do his best to get into Atlas Brookings, the college that accepts unlifted students. He even agreed to meet with the man his mother used to be involved with who has connections to the school.

Two days later, Klara is a little surprised when Melania Housekeeper tells Klara that the Mother won’t allow her (Melania) to come to the city with them, so it’s Klara’s duty to keep a close eye on Josie. Melania calls Mr. Capaldi a creep and suggests he might not really be a portrait painter. Klara agrees, and Melania Housekeeper says she and Klara are on the same side when it comes to protecting Josie.

One night, still before the trip, Klara hears Josie crying out in the middle of the night. Josie says she isn’t in pain but needs the Mother at once. Klara says that as an AF, she can do whatever Josie needs, but Josie insists on her mom. When the Mother comes, Josie says she doesn’t want to die, and her mom stays until Josie falls back asleep.