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average carpenters, mainly because Julia knew what Roger wanted before he ever told her. Daniel
thought sometimes they could telepath, too. But their unspoken communication came from long years
together. Steve and Rachel had been helping as well; they enjoyed coming out on weekends to work in
the fresh air.
The hotel had three stories made of worn red brick. It was as long as a grain barge and almost as wide.
Roger had considered finishing it in its original elegance, and then opening it up again to tourists as a bed
and breakfast, but he didn't expect to have it finished before he retired. His retirement was more than
twenty-five years away.
But the eagle had changed everything. The mysterious messenger had appeared one morning when
Roger was on a service call, and according to Roger had 'told' him to finish the hotel. Roger wasn't one
to fantasize. If he said the eagle had told him to hurry with the renovation, then that's what the eagle had
somehow communicated to him. The fact that others might find this story strange didn't seem to bother
him in the least. But Roger had enough to do running his hardware store and raising his children without
adding the chore of finishing this massive project so quickly.
"Blind faith, Daniel. We're finishing this on blind faith. I'm doin' this fast, but I'm doin' it right." Roger
happily slammed in the final nail on yet another sheet of plaster board.
***
Monday came too soon. Daniel enjoyed the morning with Eric, but in the afternoon he went to work as
usual.
Sara's parents had given them three-hundred million dollars in cut diamonds for their wedding present.
Diamonds weren't valuable on Teruhl: they were like sand on the beaches of Earth. They thought that at
some point in the future they would spend their wedding present wisely. Daniel had no intention of
spending any of it-it lay safe in his safety deposit box at the bank-but it was a great comfort to know that
they didn't have to work if they chose not to.
Ann had proved helpful to them as well. Her child psychology background proved invaluable in
unlocking Eric's mind. Before they had known her as a child psychologist, they had known her as a
hypnotist.They originally engaged her services to help them unlock some of the memories of their
abductions.
Daniel thought of these things as he pulled his battery-powered scooter out of the back of his van in the
parking lot at work. The scooter was a God-send to him once, but now he didn't need it. He could
out-walk and out-run anyone on this campus. But he dared not show that side of him, so he used the
scooter to keep up pretenses. Someday, when Daniel and Sara would have to move on to a different
location and a different life lest their ageless bodies would give them away, Daniel could dispense with the
scooter. He slammed the hatch and drove the scooter into his building. Its wheels moved far too slowly
for him now.
He drove the scooter by a classroom door. A group of people came out. It was apparent they had had
a meeting in that room. The last person to leave was Michael Torgelson.
"Well, hello, Daniel," Michael said. "I haven't seen you for a while."
Daniel panicked. Torgelson noticed everything. He'd been eyeing Daniel suspiciously for weeks.
"You're out of your territory today," Daniel said in his most friendly voice.
"We just had a union meeting. How are you?"
Daniel felt uncomfortable as Michael looked at him. "I've been quite well. And yourself?"
"Oh, I'm fine. You certainly look healthy, Daniel. Not your usual exhausted self."
"Thanks, I think."
"Marriage must agree with you."
"Yes, I get lots of loving from my wife." He laughed, trying to be casual but knowing he wasn't
succeeding.
Michael said. "Say, Daniel, has there been some sort of a breakthrough with polio?"
"What do you mean?"
Michael scratched his head. "Well, It's my understanding that once paralysis sets in, your muscles are
damaged forever." He looked puzzled by his own questions. "Last I read, aging polio survivors are
having re-occurances of the symptoms of the disease. You, on the other hand, seem to be getting
stronger."
"Yeah. For an aging polio survivor I'm pretty lucky."
Torgelson blushed. "I just meant you were looking pretty hearty and strong lately. My cousin had polio.
She isn't doing well at all. She's about your age. Is there some miraculous doctor you might recommend?"
Daniel's heart plummeted. "Uh . . . . actually, I have been trying some experimental treatment.
Acupuncture . . . Reiki massage . . .magnets . . . an osteopath could help her . . ."
"Any new drugs out there? It always bothered me that we could put a man on the moon but we couldn't
find relief for the damage some of these crippling viruses have caused. My cousin-" Michael rushed on,
excited now, "she's tried about everything. She's getting really depressed. Dangerously depressed. Isn't
there anything she can try now?" He stepped back and looked at Daniel with a penetrating gaze. "I mean,
you're doing so well."
"I don't know what to tell you, Mike," Daniel said, sweat popping through the armpits of his shirt.
"Could you give me the name of your doctor?" Michael pressed.
Yes, Daniel thought. His name is Santoo. He's my father-in-law and he lives on the planet, Teruhl, thirty
light years from Earth.He just wanted Michael to leave. "I'm really sorry about your cousin. Some polio
survivors do better than others. That's what makes the disease so baffling. It's really a case by case sort
of thing. Tell you what, let me see how my treatments go. I may not continue to improve. My strength
could be temporary. If anything appears to be lasting, I'll share what I know."
Disappointment in his voice, now, Michael pleaded, "I just want the name of a doctor. Why can't you
give me that much?" Michael looked hurt. With great relief Daniel watched him turn and walk away, but
Daniel felt horribly guilty and selfish.
Still shaking, Daniel went into his office and picked up the chemistry tests he was about to give his class.
Then he went down the hallway and into his classroom. The students were waiting for him. "How are we
all today?" Daniel asked cheerfully.
"We'd be great if you'd cancel the test, Daniel," one of the students said in fun.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Daniel teased, "but how will I know how smart you are unless you tell me on your
test?"
"Aww . . ."
"Now, now, the test isn't that bad." He handed the tests out and then sat down at the table in the front of
the room.
The hands on the clock ticked by slowly, but Daniel was thankful for this brief respite in his busy life.
Suddenly, before Sara had even stuck her head in the doorway, he knew something was very wrong. He
turned to the door and Sara stood there, face as white as a sheet.
Daniel got up, knees shaking, and walked to her. Lisa, his good friend in his work life, stood next to her.
"Daniel, it's an emergency. Lisa said she'd sit with your students and pick up the tests when they're
finished."
"What . . . ?"
"Go, Daniel," Lisa said. "I'll take care of things here."
Daniel lurched out the doorway. His throat was dry. Eric wasn't with Sara. "It's Eric, isn't it?" Daniel
asked, afraid of the answer Sara would give him.
"Yes," she said. She led him down the hallway and into the empty janitor's closet. Then she held him in a
tight embrace. "They took him, Daniel. In the middle of the day they came down and took him." He felt
her tears on his cheeks, and the pendant turned to a malignant fire. Then his body melted and they were
gone.
***
They stood in the kitchen, facing each other. "They're getting bolder, Sara. They're getting bolder by the
minute."
"What can we do, Daniel?" Sara said frantically.
"We wait." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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