this,” Danielle continued. “Oh my god, what
did they do to you?”
“Who?” Tamani asked.
“You were at Fort Shergawa, right?” Danielle asked. “Right?”
“Yes.”
“I think something happened out there, to you,” Danielle said,
leaning forward and whispering. “They did this. It’s the kind of thing
they would do. I’ve heard all about it. Tests and experiments. Drugs.”
“Now Danielle,” Arrowroot protested.
“God, Daddy, don’t you see?” Danielle asked, turning an accusing
eye toward her father. “They did this to her. And we’re all just
letting it happen, right under our noses. They’re doing it in our
name, with our taxes. Anyone who pays taxes pays for it.
Danielle took a breath and turned to Tamani. “You poor thing,”
she said, and her voice broke slightly. “C’mon, let’s get you washed
up.”
Wearing a confused smile, Tamani stood up and let Danielle lead
her by the hand to the restroom.
Arrowroot and Guillaume took their seats and watched until the
pair was out of sight, then Arrowroot took a discreet survey of the
room, relieved to see that the other diners had lost interest in them.
A sloppy girl in a wedding dress was surely not the most amazing thing
any of them had seen in their lives.
He and Guillaume began eating, the awkward silence between them
almost physical. Finally, Arrowroot looked up.
“I don’t know what Danielle’s told you,” he began, “but that’s
not my girlfriend.”
“But of course,” Guillaume responded with what Arrowroot knew was
intentional ambiguity.
“I met her less than an hour ago. She might have information I
need, and that’s it.”
“Yes,” said Guillaume, taking a bite of an omelet. “Danielle’s
told me about that.”
After another pause, Arrowroot added, “I’ve been to Paris.”
“As a tourist?” Guillaume asked, with the merest hint of a sneer.
“That, and business too,” Arrowroot said. “Heard a rumor there
was a Manet I might be able to get for a song. But no such luck, so I
bought books instead.”
“I only went to Paris two years ago,” Guillaume admitted.
“Well, having been, I’m not sure I’d recommend it over the French
countryside,” Arrowroot said. “Smelly and dirty.”
“I always wanted to go,” Guillaume said. “I dreamed of going for
years.”
“But you didn’t?”
“No money,” Guillaume replied. “My mother was very poor.”
Danielle and Tamani returned and took their seats. The food had
been cleaned off Tamani’s face and neck and, to the extent possible,
off the top of her dress too.
Just as significantly to Arrowroot, the hardness seemed to be
gone from Danielle’s eyes. Something about finding Tamani smearing her
face with her dinner had touched his daughter, it seemed. Even the
most ruthless gold digger isn’t going to wear her dinner in the
presence of her would-be sugar daddy. If Danielle truly believed the
nonsense she was spouting about Army drug experiments, fine, as long
as it tempered her cynicism a little.
“Tamani has amnesia,” Danielle announced. “She’s forgotten
everything, practically, except how to talk.”
“Well, yes,” Arrowroot said, “that’s what I’ve been trying to
tell you.”
“You didn’t say amnesia, Daddy.”
“Well, I’m not sure that’s the exact word for it,” he retorted.
“Tamani, you know, I don’t want to speak for you, but as I recall, you
said you made yourself forget everything – everything that happened
before this morning.”
“But of course,” Tamani admitted, speaking in a slightly French
accent.
“So you know French,” Danielle observed, stifling an indulgent
smile. “I wonder if you’re from France? Or were a French teacher?”
“No,” Tamani said, “I learned it tonight. From Guillaume.”
“Ha!” exclaimed Guillaume. “French cannot be learnt that way.
Perhaps English. Never French.”
“I wonder if your memories might come back,” said Danielle, “if
you had some time
did they do to you?”
“Who?” Tamani asked.
“You were at Fort Shergawa, right?” Danielle asked. “Right?”
“Yes.”
“I think something happened out there, to you,” Danielle said,
leaning forward and whispering. “They did this. It’s the kind of thing
they would do. I’ve heard all about it. Tests and experiments. Drugs.”
“Now Danielle,” Arrowroot protested.
“God, Daddy, don’t you see?” Danielle asked, turning an accusing
eye toward her father. “They did this to her. And we’re all just
letting it happen, right under our noses. They’re doing it in our
name, with our taxes. Anyone who pays taxes pays for it.
Danielle took a breath and turned to Tamani. “You poor thing,”
she said, and her voice broke slightly. “C’mon, let’s get you washed
up.”
Wearing a confused smile, Tamani stood up and let Danielle lead
her by the hand to the restroom.
Arrowroot and Guillaume took their seats and watched until the
pair was out of sight, then Arrowroot took a discreet survey of the
room, relieved to see that the other diners had lost interest in them.
A sloppy girl in a wedding dress was surely not the most amazing thing
any of them had seen in their lives.
He and Guillaume began eating, the awkward silence between them
almost physical. Finally, Arrowroot looked up.
“I don’t know what Danielle’s told you,” he began, “but that’s
not my girlfriend.”
“But of course,” Guillaume responded with what Arrowroot knew was
intentional ambiguity.
“I met her less than an hour ago. She might have information I
need, and that’s it.”
“Yes,” said Guillaume, taking a bite of an omelet. “Danielle’s
told me about that.”
After another pause, Arrowroot added, “I’ve been to Paris.”
“As a tourist?” Guillaume asked, with the merest hint of a sneer.
“That, and business too,” Arrowroot said. “Heard a rumor there
was a Manet I might be able to get for a song. But no such luck, so I
bought books instead.”
“I only went to Paris two years ago,” Guillaume admitted.
“Well, having been, I’m not sure I’d recommend it over the French
countryside,” Arrowroot said. “Smelly and dirty.”
“I always wanted to go,” Guillaume said. “I dreamed of going for
years.”
“But you didn’t?”
“No money,” Guillaume replied. “My mother was very poor.”
Danielle and Tamani returned and took their seats. The food had
been cleaned off Tamani’s face and neck and, to the extent possible,
off the top of her dress too.
Just as significantly to Arrowroot, the hardness seemed to be
gone from Danielle’s eyes. Something about finding Tamani smearing her
face with her dinner had touched his daughter, it seemed. Even the
most ruthless gold digger isn’t going to wear her dinner in the
presence of her would-be sugar daddy. If Danielle truly believed the
nonsense she was spouting about Army drug experiments, fine, as long
as it tempered her cynicism a little.
“Tamani has amnesia,” Danielle announced. “She’s forgotten
everything, practically, except how to talk.”
“Well, yes,” Arrowroot said, “that’s what I’ve been trying to
tell you.”
“You didn’t say amnesia, Daddy.”
“Well, I’m not sure that’s the exact word for it,” he retorted.
“Tamani, you know, I don’t want to speak for you, but as I recall, you
said you made yourself forget everything – everything that happened
before this morning.”
“But of course,” Tamani admitted, speaking in a slightly French
accent.
“So you know French,” Danielle observed, stifling an indulgent
smile. “I wonder if you’re from France? Or were a French teacher?”
“No,” Tamani said, “I learned it tonight. From Guillaume.”
“Ha!” exclaimed Guillaume. “French cannot be learnt that way.
Perhaps English. Never French.”
“I wonder if your memories might come back,” said Danielle, “if
you had some time
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