Thomas Gainsborough The Blue Boy painting

TROUBLED AS NEVER BEFORE BY THE DARKNESS beyond the windows, Ethan went through his apartment, closing the drapes and shutting out the rainy night as if, in fact, it had a thousand eyes.In his study, at his desk, it.Among everyone on the household staff, only Ethan could access and reprogram the security and the telephone systems.The screen changed, offering him a new set of options.The phones in his apartment featured all twenty-four lines, but only two were accessible to him. He could not eavesdrop on anyone’s calls, and they were likewise unable to overhear his.Furthermore, when calls came through to other lines in the house, [263] Ethan he switched on the and engaged the house-control program. On the screen, icons appeared for the heating-cooling controls, the pool and spa heaters, the landscape watering and lighting, the interior lighting, the interlinked audio-video equipment, the electronic security apparatus, the telephones, and other systems.Using his mouse, he clicked the telephone icon. A request for his password appeared, and he entered