EIGHT
Dan finished his casserole and leaned back in his chair. "A repast for the gods. Good job, Gabe."
"It's nice to be appreciated." He slanted a glance at Ronnie. "May I offer the man a cup of coffee?"
"As long as you don't have one yourself." She got up, went to the refrigerator, and took out a gallon of milk. "Dan, bring some decaffeinated coffee when you come next time." She poured a glass of milk and brought it to Gabe. "Gabe's having a little trouble sleeping."
"What a nag," Gabe said as he sipped the milk.
She took Dan's cup to the coffeemaker on the counter, poured out the hot liquid, and after giving it to him, sat back down. "Nagging is sensible when dealing with unsensible human beings."
Dan chuckled. "Good God, you two sound like you've been married ten years. Pilsner might get off your back if he could hear you now."
Ronnie involuntarily tensed at the name. She realized with a sense of shock that the scene with Pilsner had taken place only yesterday. So much had happened since that interview on the terrace, it might have occurred a year ago.
"How much damage did he do?" Gabe asked.
Dan looked at him in surprise. "Didn't you see him on television? The story has been all over the networks."
"We haven't turned on the set," Gabe said. "How bad?"
Dan shrugged. "Not good. Pilsner's very credible, very upright, and doesn't come across as your typical bureaucrat."
"He's a patriot, not a bureaucrat," Ronnie said quietly.
Gabe ignored her. "Have you heard from Koras?"
"He's doing all he can but Pilsner's well respected in the administration. The news media is on your side and public opinion is rallying."
"Keep the pressure on. I want everythingdone that can be done to undermine Pilsner's position."
"No," Ronnie said. "Leave Pilsner alone."
"We can't leave him alone," Gabe said impatiently. "He's the key."
"Then it's a key we won't use," Ronnie said. "No slanted stories. No digging into his past to discredit him."
"He'stryinghardenoughtodiscredityou," Dan said. "He's had to defend himself, so he's pouncing on your background with both feet."
"I deserve it. He doesn't."
Dan looked at Gabe. "You're the boss. What do I do?"
"No, Gabe," Ronnie said.
He opened his mouth to argue with her and then closed it again. "Put it on hold, Dan," he said finally. "I'll get back to you later. Keep on issuing positive stories. Rehash the wedding. Make sure Koras is kept primed."
Dan nodded as he rose to his feet. "I'll keep you informed. I guess I'd better get back to Marasef."
"You could stay the night," Ronnie offered.
He shook his head. "Far be it from me to interrupt a honeymoon." He hesitated before he said to Ronnie, "Look, Pilsner's making somepretty grim noises. He'd throw the book at you if he got the chance."
"You already told me that." Ronnie smiled. "Duly noted." '
"I just don't want you to make any mistakes. You're safe here, but leave Sedikhan and you're in trouble."
He was saying that Sedikhan was a prison for her… and for Gabe if he chose to stay with her.
"She's not budging," Gabe said. "Where else would she get someone to cook for her?"
Dan chuckled, his expression lightening. "Yeah, I knew you had some use. John has a few business decisions he'd like you to make. Is it all right if I have him call you here?"
Gabe shook his head. "I'll call him."
"Whatever you say." Dan gave them both a casual wave and strolled out of the kitchen.
Gabe turned to her and attacked as soon as Dan left the room. "Stop putting blocks in my way. For Lord's sake, don't you want to win?"
"You don't know how much."
"Then we have to get Pilsner before he gets you, dammit."
"You wouldn't go after him if it wasn't forme. He's one of the good guys." She smiled without mirth. "And there are too few of them in Washington to waste. Somewhere along the way the politicians forgot what they're supposed to be doing up there."
Gabe's expression froze. "We the people?"
She nodded. "Do you know, I didn't have a formal education until I left Evan. We were always traveling and on the run, so I picked up what I could from correspondence courses and any books I came across. One of my favorite was a dog-eared volume of American history for children. It was full of things like Pilgrims and Indians at the first Thanksgiving and Betsy Ross sewing a flag and Nathan Hale dying for his country. A lot of those stories were pure fiction and pretty schmaltzy, but I believed them. I guess I still believe them."
Gabe smiled resignedly. "I think you do, heaven help you."
"Maybe heaven will help me." She smiled with an effort. "But it won't if we shoot down the good guys. So back off Pilsner."
He shook his head. "You're making a mistake."
"But you'll do as I say?"
"I'm not promising anything. I'll try to findanother way, but I won't have you sacrificed to Pilsner's standard of right and wrong."
It was the only commitment she was going to get from him, but the delay might be enough. There would be no reason to pursue Pilsner if she was not around to benefit.
She stood up and began stacking the dishes. "Why don't you find a deck of cards while I do these dishes? I don't think either of us is going to sleep any more tonight."
"May I ask what you're doing?" Gabe asked from the doorway of the kitchen a week later. He quickly strode forward to steady the ladder on which she was balancing.
"I'm shading these light bulbs with pink tissue paper." She glanced down at him with a grin. "Pretty romantic, huh?"
"You wish to arouse my libido in the kitchen?" Gabe asked. "My cooking must be getting pretty boring."
"Once I saw a television show that featured a sex therapist who said every couple should make love in unconventional places." She finished taping the paper and started down the ladder. "I want to be prepared."
"You refused the hammock. What could be more unusual than that?"
"Try me tonight, by the light of the moon. I howl at midnight."
"You do? That should be interesting." He regarded the pink tissue paper. "Do you realize there's every chance that paper will catch fire if the lights are left on too long?"
"We'll be careful," she said cheerfully. "It's only temporary. I'm going to phone Dan and tell him to bring a whole box of pink light bulbs next time he comes."
"Because pink is soft and there won't be glare." He shook his head, but his smile was tender. "Why not red lights?"
"I thought red would be a bit surreal. Pink is fine. Pink is good."
"No, it's Ronnie who is fine." He reached forward to kiss her on the lips. "All this isn't necessary, you know. It was only a temporary thing."
"Maybe. We won't take any chances."
"I believe I like you in this maternal mode." He slipped an arm around her and led her out of the kitchen. "What do you have planned for die bedroom?"
"Nothing maternal." Her smile faded as die full import of her words sank home to her. "Andthat reminds me. I want you to start protecting me."
"I'd say you're a little late," Gabe said dryly.
"Since we've been intimate in the extreme for the last week."
"Better late than never. It didn't occur to me." A possibility existed that she had been deliberately irresponsible. Perhaps she had wanted to have Gabe's baby. "I'm not alone in this. You should have thought about it too."
"I assumed you were on the Pill." His rare, warm smile lit his face. "A baby…"
"No," she said quickly. "Don't even think about it." She was thinking far too much about it herself. She had never thought of herself as maternal, but she knew she would want Gabe's baby even though it would complicate her life enormously.
"I can't help it. It intrigues me."
"Forget it. If I got pregnant…"
He went still. "You'd abort?"
She shook her head. "That wouldn't be my choice."
"Thank God. I was afraid I'd have to kidnap you and hold you prisoner until I could talk you into keeping it."