`I'm looking for John Ross,' Nest told her. `Does he work here?'
The black ladys eves lifted, and she have Nest a careful once–over. `He does, but he's not here right now. Would you like to wait for him? He shouldn't be gone long'
Nest nodded. `Thanks: She looked around at the empty seats, deciding where to sit.
`What's your name, young lady?' The black woman regained her attention.
`Nest Freemark'
`Nest. Now, that's an unusual name. Nest. Very different. I like it. Wish I had a different name like that. I'm Dells, Nest. Della Jerkins'
She stuck out her hand and Nest shook it. The handshake was firm and businesslike, but warm, too. `Nice to meet you' Nest said.
`Nice to meet you, too,' Della said, and smiled now. `I work intake here at the center. Been at it from the start. How do you know John? Isn't anyone ever came in before that knows John. I was beginning to think he didn't have a life before he came here. I was beginning to think he was one of those pod people.' She laughed.
Nest grinned. `Well, I don't know him very well. He was a friend of my mother's: She shaded the truth deliberately, unwilling to give anything away she didn't have to. `I was in town, and I thought I ought to stop in and say hello'
Della nodded. `Well, how about that? John was a friend of
your mother's. John doesn't talk much about his past life with us.
Hardly at all. A friend of your mother's. How about that' She
seemed amazed. Nest blushed. `Oh, now, don't you be embarrassed,
Nest. I'm just making conversation to hide my surprise at anybody
knowing John from before hum corning here. 'you know, really, he
spends all his time with Stef that's Stefanie Winslow,•, his … oh,
what do you call it, I always forget? Oh, that's right, his "significant
other:" Sounds so awkward, saying it like that, doesn't it? His
significant other. Anyway, that's what Stefanie is. Real pretty girl,
his sweetheart. Do anything for him. They came here together
about a year ago, and neither one of them talks hardly at all about
what went on before'
Nest nodded, distracted. The uneasiness vas stealing over her again, a persistent tugging that refused to be ignored. She couldn't understand where it was coming from. She had never experienced anything like it.
Della stood up abruptly. `You want a cup of coffee while you wait, Nest? Tell you what. Why don't you come with me, and I'll introduce you to a few of the people who work here, some of John's friends, let them catch you up on what he's been doing? He's downtown at the Seattle Art Museum checking things out for tomorrow night. Big dedication party. Simon's giving a speech John wrote, thanking the city and so forth for the building, their support and all. You probably dorit know about that, but John can fill you in later. C'mon, young lady, right this way,'
She led Nest around the intake desk and down the hallway toward the elevator. Nest followed reluctantly, still trying to sort out the reason for her discomfort. Was Ariel responsible? Was the tatterdemalion trying to communicate with her in some way?
As they reached the elevator doors, a tall, lean, mostly balding black man walked through a doorway from further down the hall and came toward them.
'Ray!' Della Jerkins called out to him at once, `Come over here and meet Nest Freemark. Nest is an old friend of John's, come by to say hello:
The black man strolled up, grinning broadly. `We talking about John Ross, the man with no past? I didn't think he had any old friends. Does he know about this, Nest, about you being his old friend? Or are you here to surprise him with the news?'
He held out his hand and Nest took it. `Ray Hapgood,' he introduced himself. `Very pleased to meet you, and welcome to Seattle'
'Ray, you take ".lest on dawn and get her some coffee, will you? Introduce her to Stef and Carole and whoever, and keep her company until John gets back,' Della was already looking over her shoulder at the lobby entrance as the elevator doors opened. `I got to get back out front and keep an eye on things. Go on now.'
She gave Nest a smile and a wave and walked away. The doors closed, leaving Nest alone with Ray Hapgood.
`What brings you to Seattle, Nest?' he asked, smiling.
She hesitated. `I was thinking of transferring schools; she said, inventing a lie to suit the situation.
He nodded. 'Lot of good schools in Washington. You'd like it out here. So tell me. You know John a long time? I meant what I said; he never talks about his past, never mentions anything about it'
`I don't know him all that well, actually: She glanced up at the floor numbers on the reader board. 'Mostly, my mother knows him. Knew him. She's dead. I didn't know him until a few years ago, when he came to visit. For a few days, that's all'
She was talking too much, giving up too much, but her uneasiness was increasing with every passing moment. She was beginning to hear voices–vague whispers that might be coming from her, but might also be coming from someone else.
`Oh, I'm sorry about that. About your mother.' Ray Hapgood seemed genuinely embarrassed. `Has she been gone a long time?'
Nest suddenly felt trapped in the elevator. She thought that if she didn't get out right away, right this instant, she might start to scream. She was racked with shivers and her .skin was crawling and her breathing was coming much too quickly. 'She's. been dead since I was little,' she managed.
The elevator doors opened, and she burst through in a near panic, feeling stupid and frightened and confused all at the same time. Ray Hapgood followed, leaking at her funnily, `I don't like close places,' she lied.
Oh, he mouthed silently, nodded, and gave her a reassuring smile.
They were in a basement room filled with long, multipurpose tables and folding chairs, a coffee machine, shelves with dishes, anal storage cabinets. There were mingled smells of cooking and musty dampness, and she could hear a furnace cranking away from behind a closed door at the back of the room. Fluorescent lighting from low–hung fixtures cast a brilliant white glare over the whale of the windowless enclosure, giving it a harsh, unnatural brightness. Al young man sat alone at a table to one side, poring through a sheaf of papers. Two women sat together at another table close to the coffee machine, talking in low voices. The women looked up as Nest appeared with Ray Hapgood. One was middleaged and unremarkable, with short blond hair and a kind face. The other was probably not yet thirty and strikingly beautiful. Nest knew at once that she was Stefanie Winslow.
`Ladies,' Ray greeted, steering Nest toward their table. `Say hello to Nest Freemark, an old friend of John's. Nest, this is Carole Price, our director of operations here at Flesh Start, and Stefanie Winslow, the boss's press secretary and all–around troubleshooter'
Nest shook hands with each in turn, noting the looks of surprise that appeared on both faces when Ray mentioned her connection to Ross. It .vas becoming dear that when John Ross had ceased to be a Knight of the Word, he had turned his back on his past entirely. The women smiled at Nest, and she smiled back, but this whale business of her relationship with Ross was growing awkward, and she wished he would just hurry up and get back so that she could get this visit aver with.
`Sit down. Nest; Carole Price suggested, pulling out a chair. `I can't believe we have someone here who actually knows John from… well, from when?
long time ago; Nest answered, trying not to sound evasive. She sat down. `It was my mother who knew him, really.'
`Your mother?' Carole Price prompted.
`They went to school together:
'Good heavens!' Carole Price seemed amazed. 'Even Stef doesn't know much about our boy from those days.'
Stefanie Winslow shook her head in quick agreement. `He never talks about himself, about what he was doing or who he was before we met:' Her smile was dazzling. 'Tell us something about him Nest. before he gets back. Tell us something he won't tell us himself'