“Stephen, please try to understand,” Andie said. “I was in Brazil with Jacobsen, right before she was killed. I feel like I’ve let her down somehow, not pushing harder on this issue.
“You did the best you could,” Jeffers said smoothly. “It’s wonderful to keep her memory alive, and you know how I feel about that. But we can’t operate from a daily viewpoint of how Eleanor might handle something.”
“But what if there are supermutant experiments taking place in Brazil? It certainly looks that way.”
Jeffers threw his napkin down on the table and dialed up the check. “Well, I still don’t think that memorypak was conclusive evidence. Besides, I thought you told me that the mutants are conducting their own investigation, privately. So the matter is far from closed.”
“Yes, but—”
“Andie, there’s only so much we can do officially. Brazil is a foreign country. We can’t risk creating a diplomatic incident. I agree that the thought of any experimentation on human subjects is repugnant, but we don’t have proof of that. Records of embryo splitting done in test tubes don’t mean there are captive women in some clinic in Rio with implanted mutant pregnancies.” Jeffers waggled his eyebrows. “Sounds like some horror vid. Dr. Ribeiros and his island of mutant embryos.”
Andie laughed in spite of herself and followed him out of the restaurant to his gray skimmer. When he pulled up to the curb near her apartment, she was surprised to see him kill the motor.
“Andie, I can’t tell you what your help means to me. You’ve made this transition very easy.”
“I’m glad.” She looked down at her lap self-consciously.
“I really enjoy working with you. Being with you.”
He reached out and drew her into an embrace. The kiss was warm, deep.
“Would you like to come in?” Was she really asking him up to her apartment? Her boss? A mutant?
“Of course.”
Andie led him inside, upstairs; they paused for a quick drink on her sofa. Then they were in her bedroom.
“Come here,” he whispered, reaching for her. All of her hesitation disappeared. She moved into his arms easily, as though she’d done it a hundred times.
Once they were in bed, Andie saw with relief that he was a functional, normal human male. Nothing genitally exotic, thank God. Andie felt the muscles ripple under his tanned skin as he moved over her, in her. She’d never been so close to a mutant before. He felt warm, as though his body temperature was higher than normal. The golden eyes, like a jungle cat’s, held her with hypnotic power. Was she prey? Did she care? All she wanted right now was Stephen Jeffers in her bed. She sighed gently. Then less gently as she came.
16
MICHAEL CUT THROUGH the clear pool water, arms at his sides, legs motionless. A thin, silvery wake uncoiled behind him. As he passed them, other swimmers watched enviously. He didn’t care. One of the nicest things about telekinesis was being able to propel yourself through water without effort. His gift prevented him from competing in swimming competitions, of course. The so-called Fairness Doctrine prohibited mutant participation in sporting events. But that didn’t matter to Michael. He loved to feel the water enfold him. The sheer sensual pleasure was reward enough. He wasn’t really interested in showing up some poor normal flailing away with arms and legs. If they wanted to keep their silly sports “pure” so that they wouldn’t be reminded of their own limitations, let them.
He flipped over onto his back and glided toward Kelly. She was a graceful swimmer, for a normal. He admired the way her dark hair fanned out behind her in the water. Also, he admired the sleek azure suit that clung to her like skin.
“Time for one more lap?” she asked.
Michael looked at the wall clock guiltily. He’d promised Jena that he’d pick her up at the shuttleport at nine. It was seven-thirty now.
“Uh, no. Got to get home early, work on some contracts. But we can come back tomorrow.”
“Okay. I’ve only got a half-day of temp work anyway.”
She floated toward him, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him lightly. The quicksilver feel of her as she floated against him was enticing, but he pulled away.
Kelly frowned. “Anything wrong?”
“No. Just getting cold.”
“Well, let’s go.” She swam toward the ladder, then looked toward him mischievously.
“How ’bout a boost?”
Telekinetically, he lifted her gently out of the water and deposited her on a beechwood bench. The lifeguard gave him a dirty look.
What the hell, Michael thought, and levitated himself up and out of the water, landing with a graceful twirl near Kelly. She applauded and threw him a green towel.
Once again the lifeguard scowled. Michael shrugged. He wasn’t breaking any rules, aside from a few old-fashioned assumptions about physics. And mutants had proved the physicists wrong, much to the physicists’ astonished delight.
“See you in fifteen minutes,” Kelly said. She snapped her towel at him and walked toward the women’s showers, hips swinging saucily.
Michael watched the steam rise from the heated water and wondered how his life had ever gotten so complicated.
He was not completely surprised to see that a second lock had been fitted through the metal handle of his locker door, securing it against his key. When would they learn? With a sigh, he concentrated his full telekinetic force on the lock. As he increased the molecular movement within the metal it glowed pink and began to melt. The metal pooled on the floor, glinting as it cooled. He slowed the molecules to hasten the process. The practical joker would find a slag heap for all his trouble, Michael had spent years foiling normals who’d pulled such stunts, in high school and at college.
Kelly was waiting for him, wearing a bright-yellow parka that glowed in the November twilight. Michael put his arms around her. She moved suggestively against him as they kissed. Michael felt a pang of guilt mixed with a flicker of desire. Sooner or later, Kelly was going to figure out that he was seeing somebody else. She was already suspicious. He couldn’t risk losing her. But how could he break off his affair with Jena and lose the magic of their intoxicating couplings? He promised himself he would end it. Eventually.
The November trees threw skeletal patterns against the deepening purple sky. It was Michael’s favorite time of day. He wanted to take Kelly by the hand and just walk off into the cool middle distance. Instead, he got into the skimmer and took her home.
Andie answered the message light on the third blip. Bailey’s hound-dog face stared out at her. Fatigue deepened every line of his jaw.
“Red, I’ve got something on that mutant girl.”
“Melanie Ryton?”
“The same. Don’t get excited. It’s only a little bitty something.”
“Well?”
“Stolen skimmer report lodged two months ago by a Maryland businessman.” Bailey squinted at a printout on his desk. “One Benjamin Cariddi claims Melanie Ryton stole his car.
“He specifically named her? How did he know who she was?”
“Says here that she was his girlfriend. They had a fight.”
“His girlfriend?”
“Yeah. Says she was employed as an exotic dancer at the Star Chamber.” Bailey looked up. “I wouldn’t take my worst enemy there.”
Andie smiled frostily. “Maybe that’s where Mr. Cariddi finds all his girlfriends.”
“Anyway, the skimmer was recovered. Abandoned at a Maryland suburban tube station.”
“And our girl’s long-gone?”
“No leads.”
“Can you get me a copy of that report?”
“Sure, Red. Anything else?”
“Yeah. Tell me what to say to her parents.”
The shuttle was half an hour late. Michael paced the landing port. A small group of mutants was gathered in the bar but he avoided them. The last thing he wanted to do right now was sit with mutants. Mutancy was responsible for most of his problems these days.
&
nbsp; He’d dropped Kelly off quickly, but not so quickly that he hadn’t noticed the look of confusion and disappointment on her face. He should be with her right now, he thought.
The shuttle landed with a jolt and taxied toward the port. Within moments, the doors had opened and Jena was striding down the walk toward him, wearing a tight blue opalescent pantsuit. Michael saw that he wasn’t the only male in the crowd watching her progress with interest. He had to admit it: she was stunning.
“Michael! God, how I missed you.”
She threw her arms around him and kissed him.
Despite his resolve to resist, he pulled her closer, inflamed by the seductive subliminal images with which she teased him.
“Come on,” he said at last, pulling away. “Let’s go someplace where we can be alone.”
Andie had a full afternoon scheduled. But it was going awry already.
The Washington Post reporter, Jacqui Renstrow, was ten minutes late. After her, Andie had Jason Edwards of Network Media and Susan Johnson, the late-night vid hostess, stacked up. Both vidjocks wanted to interview Jeffers on his determination to repeal all athletic guidelines and restrictions on mutants. God knew what Renstrow wanted.
“Andie. Good to see you again.” Jacqui Renstrow settled into the booth, blond curls bouncing. “Sorry I’m late. Barton was in one of his loquacious moods—”
“And you never know when he’ll let slip something that will gain you the Pulitzer, right? What are you drinking?”
“Scotch, neat. Thanks.”
Renstrow opened her screencase and pulled out a notescreen.
Andie held up a warning hand.
“Wait a minute, Jacqui. You said you wanted to do some deep background work. I won’t have anything for public release on the Fairness Doctrine repeal until Friday.”
The reporter smiled brightly. “Relax, Andie. I just want to take some notes. You know we’re putting together a retrospective on mutants in public office. Of course, we’re concentrating on Jacobsen and Jeffers. I wanted to get a little more background on Jeffers.”
Her tone set off Andie’s alarm bells.
“Such as?”
“I want to emphasize Jeffers-the-businessman as well as public figure,” Renstrow said. “To show his other facets. For instance, I had no idea his private law firm was so large.”
“That’s on public record,” Andie said.
“Of course. And then there’s his multinational corporation with all its subsidiaries.”
Andie leaned closer. “Don’t forget, all of Jeffers’s business concerns are being administered by blind trusts for the duration of his tenure in the Senate.”
“Can’t have any private agendas getting in the way of public business, can we?” Renstrow said, with a laugh that rang more than a little false to Andie.
“That’s the idea.”
“Honestly, Andie, he must be a superman. I don’t know how he did it. All those subsidiaries. Betajef, Corjef, Unijef. When did the man make time to handle so much import business, his law concern, and run for the Senate?”
“Some people are just particularly capable, I guess.”
“Especially if they’re mutant?”
“Is that the point of your story?”
“Oh, no. I’m just expressing admiration. He must be an administrative and financial wizard.”
“He’s a successful businessman. But that’s part of public record, too. And not such an odd occurrence among mutants. They tend to be very successful.”
“Overcompensation?”
“I’m not qualified to speculate.”
“Where did he develop his financial acumen?”
“Well, his father ran a very successful import and export business. And I suppose he concentrated on business studies in his undergraduate work.”
Renstrow frowned and looked at her notes. “Well, I don’t see how, considering he got a degree in premed.”
“Premed?” Andie tried to cover her confusion.
“Yeah. Majored in genetic research. Kind of strange that he went on to law school instead of medical school.”
“People change their minds sometimes.” What was Renstrow after?
“Don’t I know it. I changed my major three times.” Renstrow finished her drink. “Well, I’d love to get some more information about how he developed his financial skills.”
“Perhaps he’s just naturally talented in that area.”
Renstrow smiled in a way that made Andie nervous.
“You’re probably right,” she said. “Look, I realize this is kind of a puff piece. But I need to talk to Jeffers about this. Can you get me in, Andie?”
Andie leaned back and faked a yawn. “Forgive me, I’ve been talking to reporters all day. I can’t promise anything right away, Jacqui. But I’ll certainly pass your request along to the senator. What’s your deadline?”
“Monday.”
“We’ll get back to you.” She glanced at the bar clock. “Listen, I’m late for an appointment. It’s been good to see you.” Grabbing her coat, Andie jumped up and, with a wave, was out the door before the startled reporter could say anything.
There were no cabs in sight. Damn. Andie sealed her coat more securely and decided to walk toward the tube. It was just three and there was still a little daylight left.
Renstrow’s probing had rattled Andie to her bones. What was she up to, talking about Jeffers’s financial skill? Had she uncovered something in the budget? Andie decided to make a quick review of office finances. She’d quiz Jeffers later about his old corporate accounts. Turning down a side street of posh townhouses, doors glowing green with security fields, Andie cut through a brick-lined alley to the tube station.
17
JENA TURNED OVER in bed and looked at Michael in the moonlight. She sighed. “You’re not here with me, are you?”
“What do you mean?”
She sat up.
“I mean, you’re someplace else. With somebody else. And I can guess who.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“No? Well, Kelly is a nice hobby. I guess.” Her tone was acid.
She’s everything you’re not, Michael thought. He was beginning to wish he’d taken Skerry up on his offer, and run away to Canada.
Abruptly, Jena switched tactics. She curled playfully around his knees, breasts whispering secret messages to his skin. Michael leaned back as she stroked him, his nerves still tingling from their lovemaking. If only she would just touch him gently now and not say anything.…
“Your parents are so pleased that I’m seeing you.”
His eyes flew open.
“How did they find out?” he demanded.
“Why?”
“I thought it would make things easier for us.”
“For us?!” Michael pulled out of her embrace. “What do you mean?”
Jena looked flustered. “Well, you know. So they wouldn’t worry when you stayed over here at night. And so the clan would get used to the idea of us as a couple.”
Inside him, something sharp finally crystallized. It was almost a relief. He jumped out of bed.
“Dammit, Jena, what are you trying to do?”
She sat up, eyes big. “What do you mean?”
Michael pulled on his jeans, reached for his shirt. “I mean, you’re playing games with me and my family. Why do they need to know about this?”
“Sooner or later, they’d find out.”
“You’re just trying to encourage their hopes. Build up the illusion that this involvement means something.”
“Of course it means something.” Her tone wasn’t playful any longer.
“To you, maybe.” He finished sealing his shirt, slipped on his boots and jacket. “You think that fancy tricks in bed can keep me hypnotized.”
“I didn’t hypnotize you into bed. You wanted me.” Her voice grated.
“That’s true. After you literally threw yourself at me.”
“And
you came back for more.”
Michael’s cheeks burned. “I know.”
“Why are you making such a big deal out of this?” Jena stretched luxuriously, one silken flank exposed. “Come back to bed. We’ll do that lotus cluster you like so much.”
“No.” He ignored the fiery images that flickered before his mind’s eye. “We’re finished, Jena. This has got to end.”
“You don’t mean it, Michael.”
“I do.”
He fled, but her mindspeech pursued him down the hall and into the street. It’s not as easy as that.
“Go to hell,” he muttered under his breath, startling a businessman waiting for the public screenphone at the end of the block. He didn’t care. He knew what he didn’t want, and that was a beginning. More than a beginning. Kelly burned in his mind, a beacon of promise. Mutant tradition be damned. After the yearly council meeting, he would ask her to marry him, and that would settle things.
The tube gleamed, silver steel, at the mouth of the station tunnel. Andie nodded in satisfaction. Right on time. In minutes, she was at the office.
“Morning.” The new receptionist, Aten, smiled politely. Her golden eyes gleamed.
“Is Senator Jeffers in?”
“Yes, and he’s expecting you, Andie.”
“Good.”
Andie flung her screencase down on her desk, grabbed her lapscreen, and strode into Jeffers’s office.
“Good morning, counselor,” he said cheerfully. “You look ready for action.”
She ignored his playful tone.
“Look at this,” she said, clipping the memorypak of her meeting with Renstrow into his deskscreen, and watching with grim satisfaction as Jeffers’s smile faded. “Good thing I tape every meeting.”
Jeffers frowned. “What does Renstrow want?”
“She wouldn’t say. Just asked to see you. I think she’s digging around trying to make trouble. Maybe you’re too popular. Yesterday’s AWC Journal poll gives you a sixty-three percent approval rating in Oregon. She could just be trying to make trouble and get some byline attention.”
“You’re probably right,” Jeffers said. “When can I see her?”
Andie checked Jeffers’s calendar. “Tomorrow. Before the Mutant Union meeting at four.”