"Got back what he had left and quit rubbing my nose in it, please. I was an idiot, Richard. Too right."
"So let's forget it. This is his room?"
Bill was not in his room. An inquiry at the desk confirmed what knocking had shown to be likely: Bill had gone out a half hour earlier. I think Gwen was relieved. I know I was. Our problem child had become a major pain in the Khyber. I had to remind myself that he had saved Auntie to see anything good about him.
A few minutes later we entered the local Sloppy Joe. I was looking around for a free table for two when Gwen squeezed my arm. I looked up, then looked where she was looking.
Bill was at the cashier's station, paying a check. He was doing so with a twenty-five-crown note.
We waited. When he turned around he saw us-and looked ready to run. But there was nowhere to run except past us.
We got him outside without a scene. In the corridor Gwen looked at him, her face cold with disgust. "Bill, where did you get that money?"
He looked at her, looked away. "It's mine."
"Oh, nonsense. You left Golden Rule without a farthing. Any money you have you got from me- You lied to me last night-you held out on me."
Bill looked doggedly stubborn, said nothing. So I said, "Bill, go back to your room. After we've had breakfast we'll see you there. And we'll have the truth out of you."
He looked at me with barely restrained fury. "Senator, this ain't none of your pidgin!"
"We'll see. Go back to the Raffles. Come, Gwen."
"But I want Bill to return my money. Now!"
"After breakfast. This time let's do it my way. Are you coming?"
Gwen shut up and we went back into the restaurant. I saw to it that we did not discuss Bill; some subjects curdle the gastric juices.
About thirty minutes later I said, "Another waffle, dear?"
"No, thank you, Richard, I've had enough. They're not as good as yours."
"That's 'cause I'm a natural-born genius. Let's finish up, then go back and take care of Bill. Shall we skin him alive, or merely impale him on a stake?"
"I've been planning to question him on the rack. Richard, life lost some of its beauty when truth drugs replaced thumb screws and hot irons."
"My beloved, you are a bloodthirsty little wretch. More coffee?"
"You just say that to flatter me. No more, thank you."
We returned to the Raffles, went to Bill's room, were unable to raise him, went back to the desk. The misanthrope who had checked me in was again on duty. I asked, "Have you seen anything of William Johnson, room KK?"
"Yes. About thirty minutes ago he collected his key deposit and left."
"But / bought that key!" Gwen said, rather shrilly.
The desk manager was unruffled. "Gospazha, I know you did. But we return the deposit for the return of the key. It doesn't matter who rented the room." He reached for his rack, took down key card KK. "The deposit just barely pays for changing the magnetic code if someone fails to return his key- it doesn't pay for the nuisance. If you dropped your card in the corridor and somebody picked it up and turned it in, we would pay the deposit... then you would have to pay a second deposit to get into your room."
I took Gwen firmly by the elbow. "Fair enough. If he shows up, let us know, will you? Room L."
He looked at Gwen. "You don't want room KK?"
"No."
He turned his attention to me. "You have Room L at its single rate. For double occupancy we charge more."
Suddenly I had had it. All the kaka, all the shoving around, all the petty nonsense I could take. "You try to clip me one more crown and I'll haul you down to Bottom Alley and unscrew your head! Come along, dear."
I was still fuming when I let us into our room and locked the door. "Gwen, let's not stay in Luna. The place has changed. For the worse."
"Where do you want to go, Richard?" She looked and sounded distressed.
"Uh- I would opt to emigrate, right out of the System-
Botany Bay, or Proxima, or such-if I were younger and had two legs." I sighed. "'Sometimes I feel like a motherless child.'"
"Sweetheart-"
"Yes, dear?"
"I'm here, and I want to mother you. I go where you go. I'll follow you to the ends of the Galaxy. But I don't want to leave Luna City just yet... if you will indulge me. We can go out now and search for somewhere else to stay. If we don't find a place-Rabbi Ezra may be right-can't we put up with that surly clerk until Monday? Then we can certainly find a place."
I concentrated on slowing my heart, managed it. "Yes, Gwen. We might shop for a place to move into after the weekend, after the Shriners leave, if we can't find a suitable place available at once. I wouldn't mind that shmo on the desk if we were sure of proper cubic after the weekend."
"Yes, sir. May I tell you now why I need to stay in Luna City for a while?"
"Eh? Yes, certainly. Matter of fact, I ought to stay rooted to one spot for a while, too. Get some writing done, make some money to offset the rather heavy expenses of this week."
"Richard. I've tried to tell you. There are no money worries."
"Gwen, there are always money worries. I'm not going to spend your savings. Call it macho if you like, but I intend to support you."
"Yes, Richard. Thank you. But you need feel no pressure of time. I can lay hands promptly on whatever amount of money we need."
"So? That's a sweeping statement."
"It was intended to be, sir. Richard, I stopped lying to you. Now is the time for large chunks of truth."
I brushed this aside with both hands. "Gwen, haven't I made it clear to you that I don't care what fibs you've told or how old you are or what you have been? It's a fresh start, you and me."
"Richard, stop treating me as a child!"
"Gwen, I am not treating you as a child. I am saying that I accept you as you are. Today. Now. Your past is your business."
She looked at me sadly. "Beloved, you don't believe that I am Hazel Stone. Do you?"
Time to lie! But a lie is no good if it's not believed (unless it is told to be disbelieved, which could not apply here). Time to fan-dance instead. "Sweetheart, I've been trying to tell you that it does not matter to me whether or not you are Hazel Stone. Or Sadie Lipschitz. Or Pocahontas. You are my beloved wife. Let's not cloud that golden fact with irrelevancies."
"Richard, Richard! Listen to me. Let me talk." She sighed. "Or else."
"'Or else'?"
"You know what 'Or else' means; you used it on me. If you won't listen, then I must go back and report that I have failed."
"Go back where? Report to whom? Failed in what?"
"If you won't listen, it doesn't matter."
"You told me not to let you leave!"
"I won't be leaving you; I'll just be running a quick errand, then back home to you. Or you're welcome to come with me- oh, I wish you would! But I must report my failure and resign my commission... then I'll be free to go with you to the ends of the universe. But I must resign, not simply desert. You are a soldier; you understand that."
"You are a soldier?"
"Not exactly. An agent."
"Uh... agente provocateuse?"
"Uh, close." She smiled wryly. "Agente amoureuse perhaps. Although I wasn't told to fall in love with you. Just to marry you. But I did fall in love with you, Richard, and it may have ruined me as an agent. Will you come with me while I report back? Please?"
I was getting more confused by the minute. "Gwen, I'm getting more confused by the minute."
"Then why not let me explain?"
"Uh- Gwen, it can't be explained. You claim that you're Hazel Stone."
"I am."
"Damn it, I can count. Hazel Stone, if she is still alive, is well over a century old."