by every few weeks, his wagon full of supplies; after unloading it, he tipped his hat and rode back to town: he never invited Daniel to return with him, never stepped foot inside the cabin he’d helped build. Nathaniel Durham was ashamed of his half-brother, frightened of the mysterious half of his blood.
Daniel had hoped it might be different, but he wasn’t surprised. The red death had taken James Durham two summers before his birth. The next spring, a stranger came to town. He charmed the widow Marnie, then vanished amidst rumors of wizardry. A month later her blood did not come and she and Nathaniel, six at the time, fled their home during the night. The boy never forgave his mother, never forgave the unborn. Of course the unborn would know none of this until it was only history, albeit history that had taken on the quaint air of myth.
“Please, Nathaniel,” he whispered, staring past the fire. “Forgive me.” He took the pipe from his mouth, placed it at his feet. With a groan he stood, shuffling into the center of the room, thinking of the strange feeling that had come over him lately, the sense that his past was on a collision course with his future.
Daniel leaned back, closed his eyes and saw only fire.
Chapter Ten: Three Pots of Coffee
1
Robert Lieber spent all Thursday undergoing an exhaustive battery of tests. Doctor Matt checked on him at lunchtime. They ate at a diner local to the Cancer Center.
Robert was insatiable. He’d weighed in this morning, a weekly habit, and had been light six pounds. Last week he’d been two pounds south of his normal one hundred sixty. To compensate he put away two sandwiches, three bags of chips and two defiantly non-diet sodas while Matt pretended not to notice. They left the diner together and the doctor promised to contact him when the results came in.
The nurses, techs, and doctors were finished with him by six. He drove home in a daze, aching from the needles and patches and the disturbing feeling that he was already a corpse, a ghost perhaps, and that he’d been surrounded all day by angels in white, seraphim readying him for transfer from one plane to the next.
Surprisingly, Veronica wasn’t home yet. He checked with his next door neighbor in case she’d left Jennifer with her, but the old woman just shook her head. He nervously crossed the lawn and took the stairs to Jenn’s room. He heard her voice and pushed the door open. “Hey, baby.”
Jenn was on her bed, surrounded by dolls. It was if she was holding court with old friends. “Hey Daddy,” she said, scooting off her mattress. She grabbed a couple of dolls, carried them to her toy chest.
“You okay, honey?”
She kept her back to him, continuing to clean up. “Yup.”
“Where’s Mom?”
“She said she’d be right back.”
“When was that?”
“I dunno. After she picked me up from school.”
Robert stepped back. Had she dropped Jenn off at three and left her here alone? He wiped his palms on his pants, went to his daughter and knelt in front of her. He took her hand. “You hungry?” She nodded and he scooped her up. Against his chest, her face was inches from his. Her breath was sweet: she’d already done her after-dinner brushing. He carried her downstairs, set her on the kitchen counter. “What’s your pleasure?”
“Hot dogs.”
“Hot dogs?”he asked, sifting through the contents of the fridge. “You don’t want tacos, or hamburgers?”
“Hot dogs.”
“How many?”
“Ten!” she screamed, leaping from the counter.
* * * * *
Veronica came home just before The Tonight Show aired.
“Where’ve you been?” asked Robert, staring at the muted television.
She tossed her purse on the chair next to the couch. “Thinking.”
“You left our daughter home alone.”
“Is she alright?” asked Veronica, a little too nonchalantly for Robert’s taste.
He rose. Veronica’s eyes were wide. She had no makeup on. Her hair was up in a clip. “That’s not the point
Daniel had hoped it might be different, but he wasn’t surprised. The red death had taken James Durham two summers before his birth. The next spring, a stranger came to town. He charmed the widow Marnie, then vanished amidst rumors of wizardry. A month later her blood did not come and she and Nathaniel, six at the time, fled their home during the night. The boy never forgave his mother, never forgave the unborn. Of course the unborn would know none of this until it was only history, albeit history that had taken on the quaint air of myth.
“Please, Nathaniel,” he whispered, staring past the fire. “Forgive me.” He took the pipe from his mouth, placed it at his feet. With a groan he stood, shuffling into the center of the room, thinking of the strange feeling that had come over him lately, the sense that his past was on a collision course with his future.
Daniel leaned back, closed his eyes and saw only fire.
Chapter Ten: Three Pots of Coffee
1
Robert Lieber spent all Thursday undergoing an exhaustive battery of tests. Doctor Matt checked on him at lunchtime. They ate at a diner local to the Cancer Center.
Robert was insatiable. He’d weighed in this morning, a weekly habit, and had been light six pounds. Last week he’d been two pounds south of his normal one hundred sixty. To compensate he put away two sandwiches, three bags of chips and two defiantly non-diet sodas while Matt pretended not to notice. They left the diner together and the doctor promised to contact him when the results came in.
The nurses, techs, and doctors were finished with him by six. He drove home in a daze, aching from the needles and patches and the disturbing feeling that he was already a corpse, a ghost perhaps, and that he’d been surrounded all day by angels in white, seraphim readying him for transfer from one plane to the next.
Surprisingly, Veronica wasn’t home yet. He checked with his next door neighbor in case she’d left Jennifer with her, but the old woman just shook her head. He nervously crossed the lawn and took the stairs to Jenn’s room. He heard her voice and pushed the door open. “Hey, baby.”
Jenn was on her bed, surrounded by dolls. It was if she was holding court with old friends. “Hey Daddy,” she said, scooting off her mattress. She grabbed a couple of dolls, carried them to her toy chest.
“You okay, honey?”
She kept her back to him, continuing to clean up. “Yup.”
“Where’s Mom?”
“She said she’d be right back.”
“When was that?”
“I dunno. After she picked me up from school.”
Robert stepped back. Had she dropped Jenn off at three and left her here alone? He wiped his palms on his pants, went to his daughter and knelt in front of her. He took her hand. “You hungry?” She nodded and he scooped her up. Against his chest, her face was inches from his. Her breath was sweet: she’d already done her after-dinner brushing. He carried her downstairs, set her on the kitchen counter. “What’s your pleasure?”
“Hot dogs.”
“Hot dogs?”he asked, sifting through the contents of the fridge. “You don’t want tacos, or hamburgers?”
“Hot dogs.”
“How many?”
“Ten!” she screamed, leaping from the counter.
* * * * *
Veronica came home just before The Tonight Show aired.
“Where’ve you been?” asked Robert, staring at the muted television.
She tossed her purse on the chair next to the couch. “Thinking.”
“You left our daughter home alone.”
“Is she alright?” asked Veronica, a little too nonchalantly for Robert’s taste.
He rose. Veronica’s eyes were wide. She had no makeup on. Her hair was up in a clip. “That’s not the point
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