"Preferably unopposed," Larry said. His eyes on Stu were friendly but sharp - very sharp. "Can I get you a beer?"
"I better not. Had a few too many with Glen Bateman a couple nights ago. Fran's a patient girl, but her patience only stretches so far. What do you say, Larry? Want to ride along?"
"I guess... oh hell, I say yes. I thought nothing in the world would make me happier than to get here and dump my people and let somebody else take over for a change. Instead, pardon my French, I've been just about bored out of my tits."
"We're having a little meeting tonight at my place to talk over the big meeting on the eighteenth. Think you could come?"
"Sure. Can I bring Lucy?"
Stu shook his head slowly. "Nor talk to her about it. We want to keep some of this stuff close for a while."
Larry's smile evaporated. "I'm not much on cloak-and-dagger, Stu. I better get that up front because it might save a hassle later. I think what happened in June happened because too many people were playing it a little too close. That wasn't any act of God. That was an act of pure human f**kery."
"That's one you don't want to get into with Mother," Stu said. He was still smiling, relaxed. "As it happens, I agree with you. But would you feel the same way if it was wartime?"
"I don't follow you."
"That man we dreamed about. I doubt if he's just gone away."
Larry looked startled, considering.
"Glen says he can understand why nobody's talking about that," Stu went on, "even though we've all been warned. The people here are still shellshocked. They feel like they've been through hell to get here. All they want to do is lick their wounds and bury their dead. But if Mother Abagail's here, then he's there." Stu jerked his head toward the window, which gave on a view of the Flatirons rising in the high summer haze. "And most of the people here may not be thinking about him, but I'd bet my bottom dollar that he's thinking about us."
Larry glanced at the doorway to the kitchen, but Lucy had gone outside to talk to Jane Hovington from next door.
"You think he's after us," he said in a low voice. "That's a nice thought to have just before dinner. Good for the appetite."
"Larry, I'm not sure of anything, myself. But Mother Abagail says it won't be over, one way or the other, until he's got us or we've got him."
"I hope she's not saying that around. These people would be headed for f**king Australia."
"Thought you didn't hold much with secrets."
"Yeah, but this - " Larry stopped. Stu was smiling kindly, and Larry smiled back, rather sourly. "Okay. Your point. We talk it out and keep our mouths shut."
"Fine. See you at seven."
"Sure thing."
They walked to the door together. "Thank Lucy for the invite again," Stu said. "Frannie and I'll take her up on it before long."
"Okay." As Stu reached the door, Larry said, "Hey."
Stu turned back, questioning.
"There's a boy," Larry said slowly, "that came across from Maine with us. His name is Leo Rockway. He's had his problems. Lucy and I sort of share him with a woman named Nadine Cross. Nadine's a little out of the ordinary herself, you know?"
Stu nodded. There had been some talk about a peculiar little scene between Mother Abagail and the Cross woman when Larry brought his party in.
"Nadine was taking care of Leo before I ran across them. Leo kind of sees into people. He's not the only one, either. Maybe there were always people like that, but there seems to be a little bit more of it around since the flu. And Leo... he wouldn't go into Harold's house. Wouldn't even stay on the lawn. That's... sort of funny, isn't it?"
"It is," Stu agreed.
They looked at each other thoughtfully for a moment and then Stu left to go home and get his supper. Fran seemed preoccupied herself during the meal, and didn't talk much. And while she was doing the last of the dishes in a plastic bucket full of warm water, people began arriving for the first meeting of the Free Zone Ad Hoc Committee.