Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon (33 page)

„Do you want to say good-bye?“ he asked.

„Oh, right,“ I said, grabbing his hand and shaking it. „It's been great meeting you.“

„Thanks,“ he said. „Actually, I mean to George and Spike. I'm ready to leave now.“

„Spike?“ Michael said. „You're giving him Spike?“

„Not giving,“ I said. „He's going to take Spike for training.“

„Aggression-reduction therapy,“ Doc added.

„I cleared it with your mother,“ I said. „She was very pleased to learn that Spike would be spending a rejuvenating few weeks in the Caerphilly Canine Rest Spa.“

„I really owe you one for that name, by the way,“ Doc said. „That's going to double my business; I can tell already.“

We followed Doc to the reception area and bade farewell to George and Spike. Neither of them seemed upset at the
idea of parting from us, and unlike Michael and me, they weren't particularly good at faking it.

„Here, let me help,“ Michael said, taking Spike's leash so Doc would have both hands to hold George's cage.

„I'll meet you down at the car in a minute,“ I said. „I just need to get a few things from the reception desk.“

„You're not going to take all that to California?“ Michael said, looking dubiously at the copier-paper box I was packing.

„No, but I don't want to have to come in here to get any of it when we get back in town,“ I said. „Way too dangerous – before you know it, I'd agree to help out just for a little while.“

„Good thinking,“ he said. „See you down at the car.“

As I was finishing up my packing, Chief Burke strolled up.

„I guess I have to thank you,“ he said, offering his hand. „Not that we wouldn't have figured out who the Ninja really was sooner or later.“

„Might have taken you a while,“ I said. „Up until she pulled a gun on us, I thought she was the Iron Maiden.“

„Oh, no,“ he said, chuckling. „You were the Iron Maiden. We found several earlier versions of that blackmail file on his hard drive, and the first time the Iron Maiden appeared was a day or two after you came on board here.“

„That's the last mystery solved, then,“ I said. „I can leave with a clear conscience.“

„You're leaving?“ he said.

„Not leaving Caerphilly, except for a vacation,“ I said. „But yes, my days at Mutant Wizards are over, thank God.“

„That's a pity,“ he said. „I guess you won't get to work on that new game your brother talked me into helping him with.“

„Let me guess: he's doing Cops from Hell.“

„Please,“ the chief said with a frown. „Police from Hell.“

„Sounds like a winner,“ I said. „Good luck with it.“

„Ah,“ he said. „Here they are.“

Several uniformed officers appeared, escorting Roger. The chief watched with satisfaction as they herded him out the door, then tipped his hat and followed them out of the office.

„So you're leaving us.“

I turned to see Jack Ransom leaning against the entrance wall.

„I've done what I set out to do,“ I said. „And running an office really isn't my line.“

„That's a pity,“ he said. „You're good at it. Only a couple of weeks, and already things are light-years better.“

„That's because all the real problem cases have been killed off or arrested,“ I said.

„And just when I thought things were going better for me, too,“ he said. „Did you hear about my promotion?“

„No – what to?“

„Head of all development,“ Jack said. „Apparently Rob was waffling on who to choose – wasn't sure I had the necessary daring and creativity, he said. But when he found out I was responsible for the Nude Lawyers from Hell version, that clinched it.“

„So all's well that ends well,“ I said.

„Almost all,“ Jack said. „I was hoping the absent boyfriend would turn out to be… well…“

„Permanently absent?“ I suggested.

„Or maybe a myth to scare away people like Roger,“ he said.

„Sorry,“ I said.

And I was. Sorry, that is. Not that it changed anything. But with Michael waiting for me in the next room, I felt safe admitting, at least to myself, that the chemistry worked both ways. I was attracted to Jack, and if things had been different, it would have been fun finding out if it was more than a passing
fancy. And he was right – I was good at this office stuff. Not managing the switchboard, but organizing things, keeping them moving. Running things, so Rob and the programmers and artists could do their job. All the stuff I'd been doing the past few weeks – and all the stuff Liz had been doing, too. Rob needed someone to do all that. If I didn't have my blacksmithing career, I might find I could be very happy working at Mutant Wizards, and if I didn't have Michael…

I allowed myself, just for a moment, to imagine that there was another Meg. A Meg who, instead of falling in love with wrought iron at twenty was still, in her thirties, looking for her place in life. A Meg who hadn't ever walked into a dressmaker's shop to be fitted for a bridesmaid's gown and met the most drop-dead gorgeous man she'd ever seen. I could see that other Meg very clearly. I could see her staying on at Mutant Wizards, gradually taking over the practical side of running things, getting to know Jack better. It wasn't a bad life she'd lead. Maybe even a better one in some ways. Or maybe it only seemed better because I didn't know the complications it would bring, while I knew all too well the complications of the life I had – the financial instability of blacksmithing, the chaotic juggling act that would probably always be part of Michael's and my life together. Yes, probably a good life. But it wasn't my life. Not the life I'd chosen and was choosing again.

„If I had two lives,“ I said aloud. „I could see spending one of them here. But I don't; and I need to get back to my real life.“

Jack nodded with a wry smile, saluted me, and strolled out of the reception room.

I wrote my name on the box, left it by the reception desk where, surely, someone would eventually remember to pick
it up and drop it off at the Cave, and headed for the parking lot.

So now I knew where everybody had gone.

To my left, I saw Dr. Lorelei and the burly anger-management therapist talking intensely with Keisha and Rico. I drifted over to where I could eavesdrop.

„I love it!“ Rico was saying. „Shrinks from Hell!“

„It could be a very important therapeutic tool,“ Dr. Lorelei said.

„Yes,“ Keisha said, nodding. „It's got to be authentic and genuine.“

„And a hell of a lot of fun,“ the burly therapist said. „That's more important, if you ask me. Make it fun, so people will want to play.“

Wonder of wonders, I thought. The Hatfield therapists and the McCoy programmers were learning to coexist.

In another corner, I saw Dr. Brown talking to two programmers. They seemed to be discussing an Affirmation Bear that one of the programmers was holding. Oh, dear, I thought. I hoped my allowing the guys to play with the bears wasn't still causing trouble.

As I strolled over to intervene and take the blame, I saw the programmer put the bear down on the asphalt. Surprisingly, it stood up, instead of flopping over the way the bears usually did. Then the programmer took out a small gizmo, like a television remote, and began pressing buttons.

I heard a loud „urp!“ and saw, to my surprise, that the bear's mouth moved when it belched.

„Excuse me,“ the bear said, and then giggled. He didn't sound particularly penitent to me, but maybe there were limits to how much emotion you could expect from a plush toy.

The programmer pushed a few more buttons, and the bear began walking toward the therapist.

„Oh, my goodness!“ she exclaimed as the bear reached out and hugged her ankle.

„Hiya, babe! How's tricks?“ the bear said. And winked.

„Oh, that's wonderful!“ Dr. Brown exclaimed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. „That's absolutely wonderful!“

„How about another brewski?“ the bear asked.

I didn't stay to see if they'd taught him how to drink.

I could see that most of the parking lot was filled with people doing some sort of vigorous leaping exercise. I strolled up to where Michael was watching them, with a bemused expression on his face.

„So what are they doing now?“ I asked as two programmers and a therapist passed by, doing an involved step that looked as if they were trying to pedal miniature tricycles.

„Don't you recognize it?“ Michael asked. The dancers had changed to some leaps that Baryshnikov might have executed, if he'd been born with more than the usual number of left feet.

„Am I supposed to?“ I asked.

„Your father said you'd taught him this kata,“ Michael said.

„Kata?“

Most of the crowd in the parking lot now appeared to be imitating a gorilla lifting barbells while ridding itself of a hairball. As I watched, they returned to pedaling tiny tricycles while flapping their arms up and down as if they hoped to achieve liftoff.

„It's called The Buzzard Celebrates, according to your Dad,“ Michael said.

Rob whirled by, doing a step obviously inspired by the cancan, and waved cheerfully.

„It's certainly aerobic,“ I said.

„I told Rob we were taking off now,“ Michael added. „He said thanks, and see you in a few weeks.“

We watched for a few more minutes as the programmers and therapists leaped and cavorted together – if not in unison, then certainly in unprecedented harmony.

„Ready to take off?“ Michael asked.

„Way past ready,“ I said, heading for the car.

As we drove carefully through the throng of Celebrating Buzzards to the road, I caught sight of Dad, whirling by with the rest, executing a particularly ridiculous maneuver that seemed to combine a standing broad jump with the hokey-pokey. He paused for a moment, winked at us, and then threw himself back into the fray.

„I think Dad's got everything under control,“ I said. „Step on it. We have a plane to catch.“