bring you pain."
"I find it hard to believe I ever cared for you,” she said. “It's like it was some other man."
"It was. His name was Carlos Mendoza, and he doesn't exist any longer."
"Probably just as well,” said the Mouse, getting to her feet. “I guess we'll have to take our chances elsewhere. I'm sorry I bothered you."
"Shut up and sit down,” said the Iceman. He didn't raise his voice, but his tone carried so much authority that the Mouse, to her surprise, found herself obeying him.
"That's better,” he continued. “You and the girl are safe for as long as you remain on Last Chance. I owe you that much.” He paused. “My protection doesn't extend to the Forever Kid. Now go to the hotel and stay there for half an hour. That'll give me time to pass the word."
"What about the Kid?"
The Iceman shrugged. “He can stay or leave as he pleases—but if he's looking for someone to put a permanent end to his boredom, he's as likely to find him here as anywhere."
"You mean you?"
He shook his head. “He's got no reason to want to kill me, and I've got nothing to prove."
"If I'm still here in three weeks,” said the Mouse, “someone will be joining me—an illusionist named Merlin. I want him protected too."
He stared at her, and finally nodded his assent.
She pushed her chair back from the table and got to her feet.
"I'll see you around,” she said.
"I imagine you will."
"The waitress told me that I wasn't being charged for my room or my drink. Is that right?"
"Your meals are on the house, too."
"They'd damned well better be,” she said. “It's a small enough price to pay to sooth a guilty conscience."
"I don't feel any guilt,” he replied. “But I do feel a certain obligation."
"You may just overwhelm me with the force of your emotion,” said the Mouse sardonically.
"I am glad you're still alive."
"Next you'll be telling me that you still love me,” she replied sardonically.
"No, I don't."
"Or that you never did."
"I did, once.” He paused. “It was a mistake. You can't send someone you love into danger."
"So you stopped sending people into danger."
The Iceman shook his head sadly. “No. I stopped loving them."
[Back to Table of Contents]
10.
That afternoon the Mouse stopped by the assayer's office and cashed in her diamonds for the standard 33% of market value. She walked out with 165,000 credits, and after she paid the Forever Kid for his entire week, she went to the room she was sharing with Penelope and hid the remaining money in the little girl's pillow, along with the 20,000 credits in cash she had removed from the miners’ bodies.
"Is the money safe here?” she asked.
Penelope, who was playing with her doll, shrugged. “I suppose so."
"But you don't know for sure?"
"Nobody wants it right now."
"Will they want it tonight, when they think we're asleep?"
"Probably not,” said Penelope.
"Why ‘probably not'?” asked the Mouse. “Why not ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or ‘I don't know'?"
"I can't see all the futures that far ahead. In the ones I can see, nobody tries to take the money away.” She paused. “Well, all but one, anyway."
"And what happens in that one?"
"The man you call the Iceman kills the woman who tries to sneak up here to rob you."
"He'll actually kill her?"
"Only if she tries to come up here. In the other futures I can see, she doesn't stop by the assay office, or if she does, the man who works there doesn't tell her about your money."
"It must be very confusing for you sometimes, trying to separate the present from the future, or the real future from all the imaginary ones."
"They're all imaginary until one of them happens,” answered Penelope, carefully straightening her doll's dress. “It used to be more confusing. I'm learning how to sort them out better."
"Do you ever see a future in which someone isn't trying to hurt or rob us?” asked the Mouse.
"Hardly ever."
"Well, I suppose there's a certain twisted logic to that,” admitted
"I find it hard to believe I ever cared for you,” she said. “It's like it was some other man."
"It was. His name was Carlos Mendoza, and he doesn't exist any longer."
"Probably just as well,” said the Mouse, getting to her feet. “I guess we'll have to take our chances elsewhere. I'm sorry I bothered you."
"Shut up and sit down,” said the Iceman. He didn't raise his voice, but his tone carried so much authority that the Mouse, to her surprise, found herself obeying him.
"That's better,” he continued. “You and the girl are safe for as long as you remain on Last Chance. I owe you that much.” He paused. “My protection doesn't extend to the Forever Kid. Now go to the hotel and stay there for half an hour. That'll give me time to pass the word."
"What about the Kid?"
The Iceman shrugged. “He can stay or leave as he pleases—but if he's looking for someone to put a permanent end to his boredom, he's as likely to find him here as anywhere."
"You mean you?"
He shook his head. “He's got no reason to want to kill me, and I've got nothing to prove."
"If I'm still here in three weeks,” said the Mouse, “someone will be joining me—an illusionist named Merlin. I want him protected too."
He stared at her, and finally nodded his assent.
She pushed her chair back from the table and got to her feet.
"I'll see you around,” she said.
"I imagine you will."
"The waitress told me that I wasn't being charged for my room or my drink. Is that right?"
"Your meals are on the house, too."
"They'd damned well better be,” she said. “It's a small enough price to pay to sooth a guilty conscience."
"I don't feel any guilt,” he replied. “But I do feel a certain obligation."
"You may just overwhelm me with the force of your emotion,” said the Mouse sardonically.
"I am glad you're still alive."
"Next you'll be telling me that you still love me,” she replied sardonically.
"No, I don't."
"Or that you never did."
"I did, once.” He paused. “It was a mistake. You can't send someone you love into danger."
"So you stopped sending people into danger."
The Iceman shook his head sadly. “No. I stopped loving them."
[Back to Table of Contents]
10.
That afternoon the Mouse stopped by the assayer's office and cashed in her diamonds for the standard 33% of market value. She walked out with 165,000 credits, and after she paid the Forever Kid for his entire week, she went to the room she was sharing with Penelope and hid the remaining money in the little girl's pillow, along with the 20,000 credits in cash she had removed from the miners’ bodies.
"Is the money safe here?” she asked.
Penelope, who was playing with her doll, shrugged. “I suppose so."
"But you don't know for sure?"
"Nobody wants it right now."
"Will they want it tonight, when they think we're asleep?"
"Probably not,” said Penelope.
"Why ‘probably not'?” asked the Mouse. “Why not ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or ‘I don't know'?"
"I can't see all the futures that far ahead. In the ones I can see, nobody tries to take the money away.” She paused. “Well, all but one, anyway."
"And what happens in that one?"
"The man you call the Iceman kills the woman who tries to sneak up here to rob you."
"He'll actually kill her?"
"Only if she tries to come up here. In the other futures I can see, she doesn't stop by the assay office, or if she does, the man who works there doesn't tell her about your money."
"It must be very confusing for you sometimes, trying to separate the present from the future, or the real future from all the imaginary ones."
"They're all imaginary until one of them happens,” answered Penelope, carefully straightening her doll's dress. “It used to be more confusing. I'm learning how to sort them out better."
"Do you ever see a future in which someone isn't trying to hurt or rob us?” asked the Mouse.
"Hardly ever."
"Well, I suppose there's a certain twisted logic to that,” admitted
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