Isham smiled. It didn't look like a grimace this time. "Only on loan."
"Just let the CIA take the heat for this?"
"That's what it's for. The CIA's designed to take the heat for the NSA, the NRO, and a half-dozen other organizations in the intelligence community. We'll gladly let them fall to the wolves to keep this bottled up. Justice will prosecute a good percentage of Congress, Congress gets to flay open the CIA. Executive hits Legislative, Legislative gets back at the Executive—"
Nohar leaned back on the curved concrete, ignoring the sudden dagger of pain that erupted from his leg. it was just too much effort to stay upright.
"Checks and balances, right?"
"The way it works in practice anyway."
"What about NASA's deep-probe project?"
"Congress will scuttle them. The NSA will black-budget them, launch, and eventually, we'll find out where these things come from."
Nohar closed his eyes. It felt like he was losing consciousness. "We're going to do the same thing to them, aren't we?" "Not my decision ... "
Figured . . .
Nohar slipped into darkness.
It was Friday, the 26th of August, and the weather was deigning to cool down a little. That, and it looked to be the first week of August with no rainfall. Nohar had just closed the deal on Manny's house, and he was feeling emotionally exhausted.
He sat down on a box in the center of the empty living room and looked at the comm. He wanted to call Stephie, ask her to go with him. However, he couldn't muster the courage—he'd been avoiding her ever since he made the decision to leave this burg. He knew if she said no, he wouldn't leave. And staying in this town would kill him. Too many memories.
He sat on the box in the middle of Manny's living room, realizing he was going to do to Stephie the same thing Maria had done to him. That decided it. He was going to call her.
He had just reached for the comm when someone at the front door rang the call button.
Their timing sucked.
Nohar grabbed a crutch and hoisted himself up to his feet. He was getting good at maneuvering with the cast. He managed to get all the way to the door with-
282
S. ANDREW SWANN
out bashing it into anything. He didn't bother with the intercom. He just threw the door open.
There she was, carrying a huge handbag, smelling of roses and wood smoke.
Nohar fell into the cliche" before he could stop himself. "I was just about to call you."
There was a half-smile on her face. "Oh, you were? IVe been looking for you ever since you left the hospital. You moved out of your apartment—" "Transferred the lease to Angel—"
Stephie nodded and patted him on the shoulder—the left one where the fur had come back in white. "You going to let me in?"
Nohar stepped aside and let her through. She surveyed the empty living room and sighed. It echoed through the house. "So you're moving out of here, too—how is Angel, anyway?"
"She's lucky rabbits are common. They had skin cultures to match her. The fur on her legs is white now, but she can walk. She got a job."
The concept seemed to shock Stephie. "As what?"
"Cocktail waitress at the Watership Down. A bar on Coventry—"
She pulled up a box and they sat down, facing each other.
"So how are you taking things?"
Nohar slapped his cast. "They had to weave some carbon fiber into the tendons, but the cast comes off in a month, and with a few months of exercise—"
She shook her head. "That's not what I mean and you know it. You're still blaming yourself for Manny, aren't you?"
That hit home. "If—"
Stephie put her finger on his lips. "I talked to Manny a lot about you. He was your father for five years, and because of school you ran away to Moreytown and joined a street gang. When your gang got involved with the riots and you found out what your real father FORESTS OF THE NIGHT
283
was, you ran away from them. Now you're going to run away from this life, right?"
Nohar shook his head. "I can't live here anymore . . ."
"I suppose not. But you aren't going to run away from me. I won't let you." They sat, looking at each other.
"I suppose not."
She smiled and shook her head. "At least he doesn't object. Well, I got myself a new job, demographics for Nielsen."
Nohar had a sinking feeling. He forced a smile. "Great. Where?"
"Santa Monica."
Nohar was speechless for a moment, and she seemed to enjoy his reaction. "You knew I was going to California?"
" 'California is a lot more tolerant,' " she quoted,
"Where did you hear that?"
"Those rodents had more than drugs and guns at that motel. The white one left this on the comm." She reached into the overlarge bag and pulled out a ram-card. Nohar noticed the bag kept moving when she took her hand out of it. The bag emitted a slightly familiar smell. "Seems to be a copy of whatever you had on permanent storage on your comm. I was going to give this to you when you got out of the hospital. But you slipped out without telling me. So I played it."
Nohar took the card wordlessly.
"That Maria is one stupid cat for walking out on you."
"No, she isn't."
The handbag was still moving. Nohar couldn't hold it anymore. "What the hell do you have in the bag?"
Stephie broke into a wide grin. "I still remember that line you gave me in the parking garage, about your cat."
Another thing Nohar wanted to forget. He sighed. "Yes?"
284
S. ANDREW SWANN
Stephie reached in the bag and pulled out a small, gray-and-black tabby kitten and handed it to Nohar. Nohar had to collect himself enough to cup his hands under the little creature. It barely fit on his palm. Nohar watched as it stumbled a little, disoriented, and circled around. Then, finding the new perch satisfactory, it curled up, closed its eyes, and began to purr.
Nohar stared at the little thing in his hands, "Damn it, Stephie. That isn't playing fair."
"I know."
She began scratching the little thing behind the ears.