[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Thank you. Instant dumb loyalty. You re a right Titanian tootsie.
She had to laugh. Damn you, Winter! You ll joke in your coffin. What fantastic things happen to
you. I wonder why.
He refilled their glasses. I don t know. Maybe because I invite them without meaning to. After all,
you re a fantastic thing that s happened to me, and I swear I never invited it.
She finished her cognac and announced, I m going to make a confession, beginning to look like
Saint Joan of Arc. It wasn t any accident. When I realized I wanted you, I set out to get you. I looked
up everything about you, talked to people who knew you, spent days going through everything you ever
wrote& You didn t stand a chance. Don t hold it against me.
Your halo s showing, he murmured.
She slopped another cognac into her glass. Why did you say you needed a girl? she demanded.
You must have hundreds.
No.
How many?
You ask the damnedest questions. What s Demi short for, Demon?
Neh-neh-neh-neh-NO. Fifth Amendment.
Now, Demi&
Never.
One call to payroll and you re doomed.
You wouldn t!
I have you in my power.
You won t hold it against me?
Second Amendment.
What s that?
Right to bear arms.
Well& I told you I was raised down south. Typical fine Virginia family, so I m a typical fine
Virginia girl& She gulped. W-with a typical fine Virginia name.
Consisting of?
Demure, she whispered.
What! He began to break up.
She responded with hauteur. My full name, suh, is Demure Recamier Jeroux, and ah defies y all.
Why Recamier? he asked faintly.
Madame Recamier is mama s hero.
I see. Now listen, my stoned sprite, you ve got a kid s idea that I m a Casanova with like a
Women s Corps at my beck and call. That just isn t true of myself or any man. Women are always in
control and they make the decisions.
Saying that I seduced you. I knew you d hold it against me.
Damn right you did. So now you ve had your Titanian will of me, what?
I still want to know why you said you needed a girl when I made my move in the conference
room.
He took a long beat, then, Isn t it obvious? I m not always jaunty-jolly under the gun. Damn the
torpedoes, full speed ahead. You may fire when ready, Gridley. There come times when I lose my
cool and I m upset and confused and frightened like I am now. Then every instinct makes me turn to a
woman for comfort and support.
Ssss.
What are you sissing about?
Because I m your mother image, she said with delight. It s double incest.
All you southern types love decadence. Or is it the Titanian in you?
I was pure, sir, until I was dépravée by a surfeit of Maori.
How dast you steal my type line?
She put her glass down firmly. What time is it?
Fourish.
I ve got to get dressed.
What s the rush? Where are you going?
Home, silly. She arose from the couch. I ve got to change to block gossip at the office. There ll
be scam enough as it is. And I have to feed my cat.
Cat! he exclaimed. A fine Virginia girl like you wasting herself on a cat?
She s special. She chases the spots you see before your eyes. She s a psycat and I love her.
I will be damned. I ll see you home, of course.
Thank you. What are we going to do about your problems?
Cool it and wait for the next move.
Are you in any danger? she asked anxiously.
Not really. He looked up at her with love, pulled her close and nuzzled her belly.
No fair, she giggled. You re tickling. Get up, Star-pooped. Let s get dressed.
You meant that to sting.
Yes, now that I ve robbed you of your manhood I ve no more use for you. That s the Titanian
way.
"
"
"
I m bowlegged, she called from her dressing room, not complaining. Are you always so passionate?
Only the first time around. Showing off. We all do that.
I ll make sure it s always the first time around with us. She poked her head out. Why aren t you
exhausted, too?
I don t know. Maybe it s because I ve stolen your Titanian essence. Rogue, the Vampire, they call
me.
Why on earth are you blinking like that?
Trying to work up spots before my eyes for your alleged psycat to chase. He fondled the pet
which was an affectionate Saturnian crossbreed, an odd blending of Siamese with koala. She is a
beauty. Does she chase her own spots?
But of course; all cats do. I ve finished changing now. Time to go.
I ll walk you to the office.
Only as far as the corner, I beg. If we re seen together at the main entrance first thing in the
morning& Well! Do I call you or you me?
You call me, and for God s sake use your own Virginia voice. Don t spring like a Mata Hari on
me.
C est magnifique, she answered in throbbing spy-sultry tones, mais ce n est pas la guerre.
Come on, Starjock.
I ll give you the plans for the secret invasion, he whined, if you ll only let me out of your secret
thrall.
CHAPTER FOUR
CORONATION
On the King s gate the moss grew gray;
The King came not. They called him dead
And made his eldest son one day
Slave in his father s stead.
Helen Hunt Jackson
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]