"Valenti does know something more now," Isabel insisted. "He knows that you know who the alien is. He's just going to keep hammering at you until you tell him."
"Liz would never do that!" Maria exclaimed.
"Liz would never do that," Michael repeated in a shrill voice, mocking her. "You only say that because you're too innocent to think of all the ways someone as twisted as Valenti can come up with to make someone talk."
"It's not Liz I'm worried about," Isabel told Maria. "It's you. You want to tell Valenti the truth, don't you?"
"We both promised we wouldn't-" Liz began.
But Maria interrupted her. "Yes! I want to tell him. I won't-not unless we all agree. But think about it-it would solve everything. He told Liz he just wants to track aliens to make sure they aren't a danger to humans. Once he finds out you're not going to hurt anyone, he'll leave you alone. He'll leave all of us alone."
"I have three words for you-Project Clean Slate. Does that sound like some Welcome Wagon to you?" Michael demanded. "It's more like the politically correct way to say death squad."
"Michael's right," Liz said. "We can't-"
"I don't care what you have to say about it. You're not one of us." Isabel pushed herself out of her chair and strode over to Maria. She leaned down until they were eye to eye. "If you take one step toward Valenti, I'll know about it, and I'll kill you. I can do it, and you won't even see me coming. You'll go to sleep one night and never wake up."
"Shut up and sit back down!" Max exploded. "No one is killing anyone. You're acting as cold and vicious as Valenti."
Isabel straightened up and stared at Max. He could see tears shimmering in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Izzy," he said immediately. "I didn't mean it to come out like that."
"Don't even bother," she answered. "I knew you would side with them." She ran out of the room. A few seconds later Max heard his Jeep squealing out of the driveway.
"Nice going, man," Michael muttered as he went after her.
Max was glad Isabel wouldn't be alone. There was no way she would let him explain or apologize or anything for a while. But she would talk to Michael, and he'd stop her from doing anything stupid. Unless she convinced him to do something stupid.
"I have to go, too. I can't-" Maria's voice broke. She grabbed her purse and her jacket and bolted. Max moved over to the couch and sat down next to Liz. "I think that went well," he said sarcastically.
"I'll talk to Maria," Liz said. "I know I can convince her not to go to Valenti. She's just so scared that she wanted to believe we could tell him and he would fix everything."
"Isabel's scared, too-more than scared. She's been terrified of Valenti since we were little kids. He was like the bogeyman to her back then. She used to have nightmares about him and wake up screaming," Max answered. "But she won't hurt Maria. Isabel isn't that crazy."
Liz didn't answer. She just studied his face, her dark brown eyes intense. "What?" he asked.
"You risked everything when you healed me, didn't you?" Liz said. "Putting Michael and Isabel in danger must have really torn you up."
"I knew I could trust you," he murmured, staring at her. He could almost taste her skin under his lips. He could almost feel her body pressed against his. Without even thinking about it, he leaned toward her.
What are you doing? he thought. She let you kiss her today to get rid of Kyle. Period.
Then why did her eyes keep drifting down to his lips? Did she want him to kiss her again? It sure seemed that way. But if Max were misreading her signals, if she only let him touch her to throw Kyle off track, Max would look like a jerk. Worse than a jerk.
"Uh, I should go after Isabel and Michael," he said.
"There is a remarkable similarity in the accounts abductees have given of the medical procedures performed on them by the alien beings. Most report that hair and skin and tissue samples were taken and that small objects were implanted in various parts of the body. Many experienced a needle or drill penetrating the braincase."
Maria stumbled away from the exhibit. She couldn't read any more. She'd thought a trip to the UFO museum would make her feel better, because it would help her understand Max, and Michael, and Isabel. But it had filled her head with horrific images.
The aliens didn't see anything wrong with performing experiments on people. Want to know how a human thinks-why not just stab a needle in its brain? No need for anesthetic. And if you accidentally gave one a lobotomy or traumatized it so badly it could never have a job or a family-no problem, there are always more of them to scoop up.
Maria heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Alex hurrying toward her. Finally. She'd called him more than an hour ago.
"I just got your message," he said breathlessly. "You sounded really upset. What's up? Why did you want me to meet you here?"
"Do you believe in life on other planets?" Maria asked.
"Please tell me you didn't drag me down here to have one of your marathon finding-the-meaning-of-life conversations," Alex complained.
Maria glanced around the museum. There were a couple of tourists in earshot. She grabbed Alex by the arm, dragged him to the tiny coffee shop in the back, and sat him down at a table in the corner.
"Remember that day at lunch when you came up to me and Liz and she started talking about tampons?" Maria asked.
"Could you just pick a subject and stay with it for ten seconds?" Alex begged.
Maria opened her mouth, then shut it. Was she really going to tell Alex about Max and the others after she had promised Liz never to say anything to anyone?
She stared down at the table and traced one of the little alien heads decorating the tabletop. She ran her finger around it again and again. Its big, dark, almond-shaped eyes seemed to stare up at her accusingly.
Liz just didn't understand. She thought she could trust Max. She didn't realize that aliens don't have the same feelings and emotions humans do.
Alex reached out and pulled her hand away from the alien head. "Hey, something really is wrong, isn't it? You can tell me. What about that day at lunch?"
She couldn't handle this by herself. And for the first time she couldn't talk her problem over with Liz. Liz was part of her problem.
"That day at lunch Liz changed the subject when you came up because something happened to her, something that we both promised to keep a secret," Maria said.
Alex leaned closer. "Is Liz all right?" he asked.
"Yeah. At least for now," Maria answered. Just get to the point, she told herself. "Last weekend Liz got shot while we were working at the cafe. Max Evans was there-and he healed her. He put his hands over the bullet hole, and it closed up. He saved her life."
"Oh, I get it." Alex slid back in his chair. "You and Liz are working on your project for Miss Dibble's class. Arlene Bluth told me she's going around asking people to borrow a quarter and telling them she'll mail it back. She's supposed to write a report on the reactions she gets and analyze what it indicates about society or something. Your project is much cooler."
"I'm not telling you this for some school project," Maria exclaimed. Her voice started rising out of control. She took a deep breath and continued. "I was there when it happened. I was holding this cloth over Liz's stomach, and I could feel the blood soaking through it. My fingers were getting all slippery, and I knew she was going to die."
Maria swallowed hard. "Anyway, he saved her. And when she asked him how he did it, he told her he was an alien." There, I said it, she thought. She felt horrible about betraying Liz's trust, but they were both in danger, and they needed help.
"You're serious. You really believe that Max is from outer space?" Alex asked.
"Max, and Isabel, and Michael Guerin," Maria said.
"Oh, right. Anyone else?" Alex joked. "How about Ronald McDonald-no one on earth has feet that big. And don't forget Elvis-everyone knows he's at least half alien."