More Than Human Part 2, Section 5 Summary

  • Prompted by questions from Stern, Gerry elaborates that he's made some progress, but that this last memory was mere talk, unlike the first. He felt all the memories of the first one when he recalled it.
  • The psychotherapist suggests there might have been an unpleasant memory that Gerry's mind doesn't dare relive. Stern suggests it has to do with the Baby is three phrase.
  • Stern quizzes Gerry on who said the phrase. The teen realizes he said it, but when the psychotherapist asks when, Gerry comes up empty.
  • Stern indicates that Gerry's forgetfulness shows how angry the teen is and states his suspicion that Gerry wants to quit. The teen confesses it, and the psychotherapist says he might be on the verge of the answer. Stern says many quit on the verge of their answers. Gerry refuses to quit.
  • The teen asks why Lone might have let him live there despite his lacking special mind powers. Stern suggests maybe Gerry does have some. The teen denies it, and Stern asks if any of this relates to the Baby is three phrase.
  • Gerry talks about approaching a big house and continues to save the mysterious phrase. He blurts out the age thirty-three and then tries to escape the office. Stern stops him and convinces him to keep going. This is like some sort of race into the mind!
  • Gerry lies back down and asks why he said thirty-three when, he insists, he is fifteen. He also points out that he's the one saying the phrase, but it seems not to be in his voice. Stern asks if the fact that the voice is someone else's relates to the fact that the teen is not thirty-three. Gerry whispers his agreement, and Stern tells him not to be afraid. This is getting intense.
  • Stern says people don't pay attention to the symbols around them or in their memories unless they're in a place like a psychotherapist's office. He says having someone else's memories (as when Gerry said the thirty-three age) would be a huge shock, and that must be the area of the teen's mind where the problem is.
  • Gerry wonders if he'll start to remember with someone else's mind. The psychotherapist says that a moment ago, it seemed that way to the teen. Gerry feels tired, but realizes the exhaustion is a way of trying to get out of having to remember. Stern prompts him with the Baby is three phrase. Gerry thinks one of his rhyming strings of words, this time ending with the shout of the name Kew. (Oh yeah, that family!)
  • The teen decides to take a more indirect path to the other person's memories for now. Stern agrees, pointing out that Gerry is the doctor.
  • Gerry returns to another memory. He's walking up a driveway toward a super-clean house. He feels he must go there.
  • He knocks on the door and a black woman answers. He says he has to see Miss Kew, and he and the black woman argue over his filthy state. She slams the door on him. They fight some more, and eventually Gerry gets in. Alicia Kew, from the stairs, tells the black woman, Miriam, to let him in. Gerry thinks Miss Kew is about thirty-three. Startled, he emphasizes the age to Stern.
  • Gerry tries to start up a conversation with Alicia, but she shuts him down, pointing out his grammar errors. (Me no like grammar errors she saith not.)
  • The teen tells Miss Kew that Lone instructed him to have a private conversation with just her. Alicia Kew is startled by Lone's name and tells Miriam to leave. Miss Kew leads the teen to her library.
  • Alicia asks where Lone is. "He died," Gerry says simply. She is startled and, in disbelief, asks him if Lone really is dead. Gerry relates how Lone was hit by an oak that fell in a flood. Alicia is horrified, but still corrects his grammar.
  • She stands and asks Gerry if he's Lone's little boy. Gerry says he is, and that Lone asked him to come to her. Alicia asks his name and whether he'd like to live with her and have new, clean clothes.
  • He says that was Lone's idea because Alicia is wealthy and owed him a favor. Well, take that, Alicia!
  • Alicia demands to know what details Lone gave him about that. Gerry only says he must live with her, as Lone said, and that he must go get the other kids. Miss Kew's like, who?
  • Gerry explains about the other children. Janie is eleven, Bonnie and Beanie are eight, and Baby is three.