He hesitated. “Yes.”
She was the fallback choice again. “And what did you do? Tell them no?”
“Look, Priscilla, I can go or stay. It could be a wild flight. Or maybe not. Who knows? Alicia wouldn’t be very happy if I went. But one of us is going to have to help out.”
“You really want to go, Jake?”
“No. But I will if you want to pass.”
“You’re doing it again, aren’t you?”
“Doing what again?”
“Setting things up for me. Listen, Jake, this is your party. It has been from the start. Go ahead and do it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
* * *
SHE SETTLED IN front of the HV that evening to watch the news. McGruder had all but clinched the Gold Party’s nomination. And Gregory MacAllister, appearing as one of Rose Beetem’s guests, was asked what he thought about terraforming. He commented that we should do something about the air in Baltimore. So the idiot was making a joke out of it.
And, still, where was Monika Wolf? All that talk about blowing off the roof?
* * *
NEWSDESK
GOLDS COMING STRONG FOR MCGRUDER
Hawkins Says Norman “Out of Touch with Reality”
“Lacks Practical Skills to Get Economy Moving”
AI CHESS TOURNAMENT ALL DRAWS AFTER FIRST ROUND
Organizers Suspect Prank by AIs
MEXICAN INVITATION REAL? OR ELECTION PLOY?
New White House Denies Floating Rumors of Mexican/NAU Merger
Callisto: “No Offense, but We’re Not Interested”
NAU PROPOSES CURB OF PULSE WEAPONS
Attacks in LA, Chicago, South Jersey Shock Nation
Baxter: “No Access for Morons”
MAGLEV GOES INTO MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Seventeen Injured; One Missing
INMATES LOVE DANTE
Oregon Literary Program Meeting with Success
Writing Workshops Also Gain Popularity in Prisons
EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION OLDER THAN WE KNEW
Artifacts Shock Historians
REST IN PEACE COMPLETES FIFTH YEAR ON BROADWAY
Jane Pinkerton Comedy Sold Out Through August
DEAD MAN SHOWS UP AT MEMORIAL SERVICE
Mistaken Identities After Hotel Fire in Atlanta
Fire Department Sued
BASEBALL OWNERS WANT MORE TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS
ALL-OUT EFFORT TO SAVE PANDAS
Numbers Continue Downward Spiral
Estimates Sink Below Four Hundred
Natural Habitat, Bamboo Forests, Gone
EDUCATION STATS LOOK GOOD
Achievement Gains in Latin America, Europe, NAU, Eastern Asia
Science, Math, Language Skills Soaring
Chapter 44
THE BLACKSBURG WILDCATS had regularly rolled over the Hawks for two years, and in fact seldom even had to run hard while doing so. At least that was Alicia’s description of the situation. But on that one night, the Hawks showed up with a withering attack, got fourteen points from Alicia, and withstood a determined fourth-quarter rally to come away with a 67–63 victory. Jake sat behind their bench cheering his head off. Afterward, most of the players—everyone who didn’t already have a prior commitment—trooped over to the Roundhouse and partied until midnight.
When the celebration was over, and almost everyone had left, Alicia put down her drink, looked at him, and asked what was wrong.
“You’re pretty good at reading me,” he said.
“You’re not exactly Voltaire, Jake. What’s going on?”
“They’re sending another mission to Orfano. The Academy wants some questions answered. And there’s a body to recover.”
Her eyes darkened. “You’re going with them, aren’t you?”
“I’m sorry, Alicia. They need me.”
“Why?”
“Because I was there before. I know where the wreckage is.”
“Why don’t they send what’s-her-name? Hutchins?”
“They need somebody more experienced.”
“You going to be gone a week again?”
“I don’t know how long, love. It’ll probably be more than that. Probably a few weeks.”
All the light had gone out of the room. She just sat, watching him, making up her mind how to react. “You told me last time it was a one-time thing. That when the mission ended you wouldn’t be going out anymore.”
“I don’t think I ever said that.”
“It’s what I heard. But let’s get it settled. After this one, will you be doing it again?”
God help him, he didn’t know. He didn’t want to live the rest of his life on that mountaintop. On the ground. “Alicia, I love you.”
“That’s not what I want to hear at the moment, Jake.”
“I know.”
“So what is it going to be?”
“We could make it work. I mean, I wouldn’t be going out very often. Now and then, maybe. When they need me.”
“Great.”
“Alicia, it’s what I do.”
“Okay. And I’ll sit it out here while you go riding around. Have I got that right?” There was steel in her voice.
“You’re making it sound worse than it is.”
“Am I? When we first met, the story was that you used to be a pilot. But that was in the past. You’d come to settle in Radford. The outer-space thing was over. If I’d known you were going to keep going back out, I’d have been a little more careful about letting myself get involved with you.”
“I’m sorry, Alicia. That was the plan. I’m not sure what happened.”
She closed her eyes. Nodded. Bit her lip. “Good night, Jake.”
“You need a ride home.”
“It’s okay.” She looked toward the bar. “Janet’s over there.”
* * *
LIBRARY ENTRY
The only difference between a caprice and a life-long passion is that the caprice lasts a little longer.
—Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Chapter 45
CAL MEANT WELL, but he seemed to have trouble with time zones. When the link sounded at midnight, she was willing to bet it would be him. Inevitably she was right. “How are you doing, love?” he asked.
“Actually, Cal,” she said, “I was doing fine. Sleeping, though.”
“Oh. I did it again, didn’t I? I’m sorry, Priscilla. I keep forgetting.”
In fact, usually she didn’t mention it. “It’s okay,” she said.
He took a deep breath. “I’ll skip the small talk.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“No, no. Look, Priscilla, I’d really like to see you this weekend. Maybe Saturday? Would it be a problem if I came up? To the station?”
“Sure, Cal,” she said. “That would be good.”
* * *
HE ARRIVED CARRYING chocolates. He waved at her from the exit ramp, and she somehow automatically fell into his arms. “I hate not seeing you for long periods of time,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about getting a job up here. I understand Kosmik’s looking for an accountant.”
“You’re not an accountant.”