can actually turn up an authentic recording of the voice of Alexander Woollcott – I'm going to raise your salary, so help me God. Mrs Sweet-scent, sweetheart, I'm in love with you because of what you do for me. Was Woollcott's radio program over WMAL or WJSV? Research that for me, will you? Go through those '35 copies of the Washington Post – and by the way, that reminds me. That American Weekly with the article on the Sargasso Sea. I think we'll finally decide to exclude that from Wash-35 because when I was a boy my parents didn't take the Hearst papers; I only saw it when I—'
'Just a moment, Mr Ackerman,' Kathy said, raising her hand.
He cocked his head expectantly. 'Yes, Kathy?'
'What if I went to Cheyenne and joined Eric?'
'But—' Virgil bleated, gesturing. 'I need you!'
For a while,' she said. Maybe that will be enough, she thought. They might not demand any more. 'You let him go,' she said, 'and he keeps you alive; he's a lot more vital than I am.'
'But Molinari needs him. And he doesn't need you; he has no babyland he's building; he's not a bit interested in the past – he's full of gas about the future, like an adolescent.' Virgil looked stricken. 'I can't spare you, Kathy; losing Eric was bad enough but the deal in his case is that I can send for him any time I get into difficulty. I had to let him go; in fact I'm scared as hell without him. But not you.' His tone became plaintive. 'No, that's too much. Eric swore to me when we were at Wash-35 that you wouldn't want to go with him.' He shot a mute, appealing glance at Jonas. 'Make her stay, Jonas.'
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Jonas said to her, 'You don't love Eric, Kathy. I've talked to you and to him; you both tell me your domestic woes. You're as far apart from each other as it's possible to be and not commit an outright crime ... I don't get this.'
'I believed that,' she said, 'while he was here. But I kidded myself. Now I know better, and I'm sure he feels the same way.'
'Are you sure?' Jonas said acutely. 'Call him.' He indicated the vidphone on Virgil's desk. 'See what he says. Frankly I think you're better off separated, and I have no doubt Eric knows it.'
Kathy said, 'May I be excused to go? I want to get back down to my office.' She felt sick at her stomach and achingly frightened. Her damaged, drug-addicted body yearned for relief and in its thrashings it directed her actions; it was compelling her to follow Eric to Cheyenne. Despite what the Ackermans said. She could not stop, and even now in her confusion she could read the future; she could not escape the drug JJ-180 – the 'Starmen had been correct. She would have to go back to them, follow up on the card that Corning had given her. God, she thought, if only I could tell Virgil. I have to tell someone.
And then she thought, I'll tell Eric. He's a doctor; he'll be able to help me. I'll go to Cheyenne for that, not for them.
'Will you do me one favor?' Jonas Ackerman was saying to her. 'For heaven's sake, Kathy; listen.' Again he squeezed her arm.
'I'm listening,' she said with irritation. 'And let go.' She tugged her arm away, stepped back from him, feeling rage. 'Don't treat me like this; I can't stand it.' She glared at him.
Carefully, in a deliberately calm voice, Jonas said to her, 'We'll let you follow your husband to Cheyenne, Kathy, if you promise to wait twenty-four hours before you go.'
'Why?' She could not understand.
'So that this initial period of shock at the separation has a chance to wear off,' Jonas said. 'I'm hoping that in twenty-four hours you'll see your way clear to changing your mind. And meanwhile—' He glanced at Virgil; the old man nodded in agreement. 'I'll stay with you,' Jonas said to her. 'All day and night, if necessary.'
Appalled, she said, 'Like hell you will. I won't—'
'I know there's something wrong with you,' Jonas said quietly. 'It's obvious. I don't think you should be left alone. I'm making it my responsibility to see that nothing
'Just a moment, Mr Ackerman,' Kathy said, raising her hand.
He cocked his head expectantly. 'Yes, Kathy?'
'What if I went to Cheyenne and joined Eric?'
'But—' Virgil bleated, gesturing. 'I need you!'
For a while,' she said. Maybe that will be enough, she thought. They might not demand any more. 'You let him go,' she said, 'and he keeps you alive; he's a lot more vital than I am.'
'But Molinari needs him. And he doesn't need you; he has no babyland he's building; he's not a bit interested in the past – he's full of gas about the future, like an adolescent.' Virgil looked stricken. 'I can't spare you, Kathy; losing Eric was bad enough but the deal in his case is that I can send for him any time I get into difficulty. I had to let him go; in fact I'm scared as hell without him. But not you.' His tone became plaintive. 'No, that's too much. Eric swore to me when we were at Wash-35 that you wouldn't want to go with him.' He shot a mute, appealing glance at Jonas. 'Make her stay, Jonas.'
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Jonas said to her, 'You don't love Eric, Kathy. I've talked to you and to him; you both tell me your domestic woes. You're as far apart from each other as it's possible to be and not commit an outright crime ... I don't get this.'
'I believed that,' she said, 'while he was here. But I kidded myself. Now I know better, and I'm sure he feels the same way.'
'Are you sure?' Jonas said acutely. 'Call him.' He indicated the vidphone on Virgil's desk. 'See what he says. Frankly I think you're better off separated, and I have no doubt Eric knows it.'
Kathy said, 'May I be excused to go? I want to get back down to my office.' She felt sick at her stomach and achingly frightened. Her damaged, drug-addicted body yearned for relief and in its thrashings it directed her actions; it was compelling her to follow Eric to Cheyenne. Despite what the Ackermans said. She could not stop, and even now in her confusion she could read the future; she could not escape the drug JJ-180 – the 'Starmen had been correct. She would have to go back to them, follow up on the card that Corning had given her. God, she thought, if only I could tell Virgil. I have to tell someone.
And then she thought, I'll tell Eric. He's a doctor; he'll be able to help me. I'll go to Cheyenne for that, not for them.
'Will you do me one favor?' Jonas Ackerman was saying to her. 'For heaven's sake, Kathy; listen.' Again he squeezed her arm.
'I'm listening,' she said with irritation. 'And let go.' She tugged her arm away, stepped back from him, feeling rage. 'Don't treat me like this; I can't stand it.' She glared at him.
Carefully, in a deliberately calm voice, Jonas said to her, 'We'll let you follow your husband to Cheyenne, Kathy, if you promise to wait twenty-four hours before you go.'
'Why?' She could not understand.
'So that this initial period of shock at the separation has a chance to wear off,' Jonas said. 'I'm hoping that in twenty-four hours you'll see your way clear to changing your mind. And meanwhile—' He glanced at Virgil; the old man nodded in agreement. 'I'll stay with you,' Jonas said to her. 'All day and night, if necessary.'
Appalled, she said, 'Like hell you will. I won't—'
'I know there's something wrong with you,' Jonas said quietly. 'It's obvious. I don't think you should be left alone. I'm making it my responsibility to see that nothing
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