Firefly. Part 19

"Well, maybe it's mine."

Cyrano shrugged.

Tishner returned to his car, and got in, and pulled it out of the way. Cyrano moved on beyond the loop, then turned into the dirt road. Mid had said to leave May there, but if the deputy took her out, that was not Cyrano's doing. Maybe it was for the best.

* 23 - FRANK DREW UP to the door. It opened and Demerit emerged. "I don't like that cabin," Frank said. "Could she come here instead?"

Demerit spread his hands. "Mid said no."

Jade Brown appeared. Tishner almost did a double take. She looked much better than before. Now she was in a low-cut pink dress that showed more breast than he had believed she possessed. May Flowers had thought that Demerit and Brown might have something going, and that had seemed possible. Now it seemed that Demerit would be a total fool if he didn't have it going, because Jade Brown had become one pet.i.te piece of flesh. The lines of her face had smoothed, and she seemed animated in the manner of a person who had discovered religion.

"But you don't work for Mid," she said.

"I don't have anywhere to put her. We're agreed that she can't go back to town. If she can't come to this house-"

"She's bait for the monster," Brown said.

"This is how Mid treats his employees?"

"He treats us well," Demerit said. "But we have to do what he says. We're going to watch that cabin until the monster is caught."

"I wish I could! But I've got other business." Frank shook his head.

"Look, she needs stuff, right? I got a few cans of things, I'll just drop them off."

They nodded together. Frank wished he knew what their private relations were!

He returned to his car and drove it down the dirt road, following the exterminator's tracks. As he maneuvered through the winding reaches, he thought about May Flowers.

He had seen her just about naked when he took her out of the hotel. Because the view was unintentional, it had had a special quality. She was a solid woman, but well enough formed for all that; in fact, impressive for her age. Then she had impulsively hugged him, taking him for a friend, though their relationship had been slightly on the hostile side of business. What her brute of a husband had done to her-that had made Frank angry. He knew she didn't want any notoriety, so he had gone along with her preference. But he wouldn't have minded arresting that man for spouse abuse and rape, and if he resisted, Frank wouldn't have minded shooting him. No animal like that should be allowed loose!

But mainly it was that single glad hug, as if he were her best friend. It had caught him completely by surprise, and he hadn't known how to react, so he had ignored it. Yet after things settled down, he still felt that hug. His wife didn't hug him like that. The pa.s.sion had long since gone out of his marriage, and it survived mainly on sufferance: as long as he held his job. Trudy would decamp the moment he lost it. She had given him notice, and he believed her. She had no sympathy with his stands of principle. It wasn't that she was unprincipled, just that she was removed from the situations that he was close to, and her values differed. What he called principle she called looking for trouble.

In short, that hug had made him think of May as a woman rather than as a business contact. That change of perception was having an insidious effect on his outlook. Perhaps it would come to nothing, a pa.s.sing fancy. He knew May didn't have any interest in him. But he had to see to her welfare in what little ways he could.

So he had gone shopping, unasked, for her. Now he would deliver the goods to her, and perhaps she would be pleased. If not, at least he would see her again, for what that was worth.

He noticed after a time that he had lost the exterminator's vehicle; he should have caught up with it by now. That meant that the man was hiding, setting up to try to trap the monster. Frank was right with him on that; he just didn't like the bait being used.

He came to the cabin and stopped. He got out, then reached in back for one of his bags. He carried it to the door and knocked.

She answered immediately. "I heard you coming," she said. Her eye was now thoroughly discolored, but the rest of her was in a too-tight dress. She had had to use one of the ones she had bought for Jade Brown, and even with spot altering it just wasn't close to her size. There was a pad over her left breast, tucked into the dress. He understood the reason for these, but it remained a striking contrast. "Is something wrong?"

He was jolted out of his inspection. "I thought you might need some stuff," he said, abashed. Before, he hadn't cared what she thought of him; now he did.

"Oh, did none make Geode do more shopping for me?"

"Who?"

She grimaced. "I used wrong names. I meant-"

"The Brown woman, and Demerit?"

"Yes. They have special names. She told a story about none, and after that-please forget that I gave them away."

"No, I can see it. We've been calling each other by our first names, and they should also. May I bring this in? I shopped myself; I don't know what you need."

"Oh, of course. That's very nice of you."

She moved back, and he carried the bag in. "It's just some lettuce and apples and stuff; I really was guessing. But-" He shrugged.

"Do you have a moment? I don't want to take you from your work, but-"

"I shouldn't be away from it, but-"

"Sit down; I won't hold you long. It's just so nice to have company, however briefly. I'm not used to being helpless like this, and-"

They were seating themselves on the mattress; it was what offered. "I'd better tell you straight," he said. "I don't like you being here."

"But you set it up!"

"Yes. Then I realized that it could make you bait for the firefly. I don't want that to happen to you."

She took a deep and somewhat shuddery breath. "I was trying not to think about that."

"I'd like to get you out of here, but I don't know where to take you."

She smiled somewhat wanly. "It would be ironic if I fled one monster only to fall prey to another."

"The exterminator is mounting guard, but I don't trust this. That firefly-"

"Cyrano," he said. "We call the exterminator Cyrano. As far as I know, he's competent. So Mid decided to leave me as a tied lamb, to bring in the predator?"

"That seems to be the size of it. Look, maybe my wife would understand if I took you home."

She paused, glancing at him. "Would she?"

"No. But I can't leave you here!"

"Forgive me if I misinterpret, but it almost seems as if you have some personal feeling here."

"I'm sorry. I apologize. But I guess I do."

"I had understood that we were hostile a.s.sociates, united only by our interest in the firefly."

"We were."

"What changed?"

"You got in trouble. You were glad to see me. You hugged me. I know it meant nothing, but-" He shrugged.

"So you came to see whether I might be amenable to something?"

He scrambled to his feet. "No. This is going wrong. I'll get out of here."

"No, wait. I didn't say I objected."

He froze. "I just had to see that you were all right. That's all." But it wasn't all.

"Frank, you helped me when I needed it. You were the only one I felt free to turn to, and I didn't like imposing, but-"

"I was glad to do it. Look, is there anywhere else you can go?"

"I think not. My job here isn't finished. Frank, I acted impulsively, but I realize now that there was some substance to that impulse. I had no business calling on you, but I must have known that you could be prevailed upon. I am flattered if I made an impression on you. I realize what a sight I was-and what a sight I remain."

"You're a good sight. You won't go?"

"I'm afraid I won't. But I do appreciate your concern. I am coming to appreciate qualities in you that I did not perceive before. But you are a married man, and I'm an independent woman, normally. I think we are in a situation where appearances may be deceptive."

"Yes. I guess I'll have to leave you here. But I don't like it."

"Will you come again tomorrow?"

"Do you want me to?"

She nodded. "Yes, Frank. I want you to. You don't need to bring anything."

"Maybe I should bring you a gun," he said.

"I'd shoot myself in the foot. As far as I know, the monster never took anyone who was alert."

"But you have to sleep!"

"I know. I wish I had company-no, no, don't volunteer! I'd love to have you, perhaps for more reasons than one, but that isn't right. But I think I have to brave this night myself, as I did last night."

"Yeah. Maybe so. d.a.m.n, I hope you're okay!"

"That's sweet of you, Frank."

"That's straight fear!" He went out, before he could say anything else that might be even more stupid.

He drove back along the trail. "Exterminator-Cyrano-you keep good watch tonight!" he muttered. He felt stupid and guilty and mixed up. What business did he have getting emotional about that woman? So he had seen her bare-breasted; that shouldn't have been more than a pa.s.sing thrill. So he had carried her mostly naked to the car, and felt her bare flesh. So that was in the line of duty. She had been beaten up and raped-but he had seen that before too. She had been glad to see him; what else could she have been, in that situation?

Yet she had not objected when she misconstrued his purpose in visiting her at the cabin. That suggested that she returned his illicit emotion. That the spark of her joy had signaled a deeper change of feeling. Of course such speculation was treacherous, considering the situation. They were both, after all, adults, and not young ones. Still- He reached the house. Demerit was there. "She won't leave. I don't like this at all. How sharp is this guy Cyrano?"

Demerit-Geode-spread his hands.

"That's what I thought. Listen, I helped put her there. I have some responsibility. If she gets taken-"

Jade Brown emerged. none-yes, that did seem to fit her now. "If she gets taken, we'll all be responsible," she said.

"She told me your names," he said, apropos of nothing.

"We're in this together," she agreed.

He nodded. "I'll check tomorrow. Can you folk-?"

"Yes," she said. "Geode will go there. Maybe I'll go there for the night. I've had experience with the firefly."

Frank began to move. "That'll help, maybe." He returned to his car and drove off. His feelings were mixed, about all of them, especially himself.

* 24 - GEODE SIGHED. He could see that Frank Tishner didn't like it, but like the rest of them, he was stuck.

"He likes her," none said as they went back inside.

Geode was astonished. "Him? Her?"

"It happens. We know, don't we? We can check on her when we go on the rounds."

"Better wait till afternoon. Sometimes Mid calls in the middle of the day, and I'm supposed to be here."

"Then we shall wait," she said brightly. "It's the night we have to fear."

"Yes."

"What's next, then?"

"Every month or so I have to clean the pool."

"Then we shall clean the pool!" She led the way toward it.

Geode followed. It was amazing how much nicer things were with her along.

The pool was about thirty-two feet long, sixteen wide, and ranged from three to eight deep. There was a Jacuzzi extension at the shallow end. It was enclosed by a screen, the yard and trees visible beyond. Its deck was pebbled in brown.

"Oh-there's a dragonfly caught in here," none said.

"They get in," he agreed.

"Maybe I can get it out. There's nothing for it to eat in here." She picked up the net and went after the insect, but it avoided her teasingly.

"They don't like to be caught," he said. "But they're pretty tame."

She set down the net and put out her hand instead. The green dragonfly lit on it. "Oh! you're right!" she exclaimed, pleased. She walked carefully to the screen door, opened it, and put her hand outside. The dragonfly flew away.

"We have a frog too," he said. "A black one. It got in somehow, and I don't think Mid would mind, so I let it be. It takes a swim maybe once a day, and hides behind the flowerpots the rest of the time."

"That means the water's good," she said.