It's good that you tried. It matters to John that you tried. Really tried. My own older brother's idea of helping me felt more like stabbing me with a fire poker, metaphorically speaking, and we've barely talked since.
We were close as children. Drifted apart as we got older. He got married, had children of his own. His wife doesn't want me around them. Not entirely sure if it's because she thinks homosexuality is contagious or if she thinks my decadent immorality would be dangerous to them. Gerald made an appointment with a well-regarded psychotherapist for me without asking me first, I told him he could sod off. And that was that. We still exchange Christmas cards, though. And had dinner together at the Savoy a few years back. But we really don't see each other very much, which almost takes effort considering we both live in the West End.
Old Man Seed, mostly. He's the one who started it all. Sabotage his auto when John was a tiny infant and a lot of misery might have been prevented. But mucking about with time is risky and murdering him now solves nothing.
I do. [He gestures loosely to the bulky 1955 32 inch RCA television against the wall.] It's not connected to anything. No wires, no electricity, but I can watch films from the library on it. I set the films on top, and they play. I'm not sure how it works, so I'm going with 'alien technology so advanced it's basically magic.' Like everything else on this ship.
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You certainly accomplished that. And that's something you and I have in common.
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[Norton has a sip of tea and abruptly switches topic.]
John remembers what you did for him when you were children. I think...he's scared of you, but he loves you. If that matters to you.
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It does, in a way.
I thought I was helping him. Helping both of them. It just got us separated.
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You two not get along?
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Especially when they're shitty.
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Has he asked for forgiveness?
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You have the right idea.
I won't ever forgive our parents. Or the assholes who fostered us after that.
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Murdering who?
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Would have saved me a lot of trouble trying. It would have been satisfying to see.
[But speaking of - ]
Do you have a way to watch movies?
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Might ask you to borrow that. Never got to see the end of Gone with the Wind.
Old Man Seed dragged Jospeh and me out of school right after Atlanta burned.
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So that's a yes?
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Anything else you want from me? I'm going to go - drink myself into a stupor, thanks.
[All the talk about his brothers makes him want to forget everything.]
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Sure thing.
[He walks out the door, but pauses without turning around.]
For what it's worth, I believe you about John. I don't know how or why but - maybe it's just hope that he could have the life he deserved to have.
[And then he closes the door.]