The Geezer Quest: World After Geezer: Year Two

by Penn Gates

  “No,” Lisa answers, feeling a little confused again by the turn the conversation has taken.

  “I didn’t have too many friends ‘cause Cindi Lou kept coming back to get me, and then I’d have to start all over when she dumped me off again.”

  Nix sees a flicker of fear in Lisa’s eyes at the mention of the woman who tried to kill her. “Never mind that bitch,” Nix says hastily. “What I’m trying to tell you is that I’d take walks at lunch time instead of being ignored on the playground - and one day I discovered this house.”

  Lisa feels a spark of interest and tries to focus on Nix’s story.

  “It was love at first sight,” Nix says. “It was the tower, I think. I used to stand looking up at it, trying to picture what the world would look like from those windows. It was my 10-year-old opinion that you could see what was coming from a long way off. It seemed really - safe.”

  “Would you like to see it?” Lisa asks.

  “Thought you’d never ask,” Nix says immediately. “Lead the way.”

  Nix stands gazing down at the street below. Is she picturing the little girl she was looking up at the woman she’s become? Lisa wonders. Wouldn’t it be great if she could tell that little girl not to worry, everything would work out in the end? Maybe she did - is. Lisa has the feeling she’s spinning away and puts her hand to her forehead.

  “Hey - you all right?” Nix asks immediately.

  “I’m fine - really.”

  “This is every bit as great as I imagined,” Nix remarks. She points at the desk. “Looks like you got everything you need to work in here today - if you feel like it.”

  Lisa sniffles. “I’m such an idiot - I thought they left and took everything - but they were really fixing this place up for me.”

  “Yeah - they did a good job.”

  Nix considers what to say next. Is it a good thing or a bad thing to bring up Ed Holden right now? She has a gut feeling that he’s what’s bothering Lisa, mainly because Lisa is what’s bothering him.

  “This was all Holden’s idea,” she says casually. “After everything you went through, he wanted to make sure you had a safe, comfortable place to come back to.”

  LISA TAKES NIX’S ADVICE and spends the afternoon mentally reviewing her notes before detailing what she hopes to find in her precious pond water and how she will go about testing her hypothesis. Focusing on the empirical rather than the emotional makes her feel like herself again. For awhile she’s able to push everything but science from her mind - but last night’s dreams pop up again when least expected. Bits and pieces start to float to the surface and disappear again, like a photo torn up and tossed in a river. Ed pulling her naked out of the bath, holding her, comforting her - and then leaving.

  For a moment sense memory overwhelms her, and in that moment she admits to herself that it was no dream. Ed had been with her last night and she had mistaken his kindness for the passionate desire that had overwhelmed her. Her face burns as she remembers how shameless she’d been. And the wreckage strewn bedroom - that had been her, too, out of control and out of her mind.

  How will she ever be able to face him again? She decides that as long as she’s in her tower study, no one will dare interrupt her. And she can stay here forever if she has to. She sits staring out the semicircle of long windows at the silhouettes of branches against the orange of the setting sun.

  There’s a tap on the door, disturbing her self-induced trance. Who doesn’t know by now she’s not to be bothered while working?

  “I’m in the middle of something,” she calls irritably. “Go away.”

  There’s another tap. “Stuff to talk about,” Ed says through the door. “I’m coming in.”

  Lisa quickly dims the kerosene lamp on her desk, giving her a shadow to hide in.

  “How are you feeling?” he asks, plopping down in the only other chair in the room. He reaches out and moves the oil lamp so he can see her face. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna talk about last night right now. You need some R & R.”

  “I’m fine,” she says, her lips numb with humiliation. “Never felt better.”

  “Not what Nix told me.” He can see her ready to launch into a denial of the obvious, and he jumps ahead of it. “I just came to apologize - I should have come out to the farm and let you know what was going on. I got this dumb idea in my head that I wanted to surprise you - and I guess I did. But not in a good way.”

  “I’m the one who’s sorry,” she whispers, refusing to meet his eyes. “I accused you of terrible things - crazy things.”

  “Come on, Lisa. You had a rough day, you were exhausted - too tired to think straight. You were adding two plus two, and coming up with five.”

  Her face burns with shame. “More like one plus zero equals one.”

  That stops him for a minute. What the hell is she talking about? Then he remembers Cash’s advice. Look for what’s underneath. It’s shame - and lots of it. He sees it in the way she’s sitting, like she’s trying to fold into herself and disappear.

  “Listen - don’t take this the wrong way, but you look frazzled again. Get some more rest before you look at your pond water.” He clears his throat. “Maybe take a few days and think things through. We’ll talk it all out when I get back, okay?”

  “Where are you going?” she asks, sounding alarmed.

  “I’m taking a few of the guys on a supply hunt with Hatfield and his boys. Gotta try to find whatever we need before bad weather hits. Chiznik will be here taking care of things - and Marcelli. And Janet came in with me - because she misses you.”

  “How could she miss me? It’s only been a day since she’s seen me.”

  “Maybe she just feels safer with you.”

  “I don’t know why. I can’t even take care of myself.”

  “Well now, that’s just bullshit. You can handle yourself in a brawl, if I remember right. You took down the bishop.”

  He wants to go to her right now and hold her close. Tell her everything’s gonna be okay. But she’s as tense as a mousetrap ready to snap at the lightest touch.

  The chair creaks as Ed stands up, and Lisa forces herself to look right at him. “Ed - what is it you want me to think about?”

  He grins at her. “How do you feel about me thinking you’re the sexiest woman in the world?”

  And before she can catch her breath to speak, he’s gone.

  CHAPTER 29: Romance Isn’t Dead After All

  “This house is wunderbar,” Janet cries. “I was not expecting anything so grand.” She runs to Lisa and hugs her, remembering to be careful not to squeeze too hard.

  “It’s that, all right - but it’s not really practical,” Lisa answers. “All this furniture and bric-a-brac to take care of - artifacts from a different era. Who has time to keep it all clean?”

  “I do not know what brick-brack is meaning,” Janet confesses.

  “The vases, the figurines and—” Lisa waves a hand around. “It’s all been collected over a lifetime. People display them to impress others.”

  “We have such things, too,” Janet says thoughtfully, “But they are usually practical items with special meaning, such as a clock.”

  Lisa leans closer to a teacup and saucer and discovers it’s a souvenir from Niagara Falls. “I stand corrected. I think whoever lived here might have kept these things to remind her of happy times.” She gives the cup a little turn so there’s a better view of the Falls. “But never mind all that - Lets go upstairs and set you up in a bedroom of your own.”

  They dig out sheets and blankets in the old-fashioned linen cupboard. As they make up the bed, Janet says, “Do you know, I have never slept in a room alone in my life.”

  “Really?”

  “My own family was large. Did you have brothers and sisters, Frau Doktor?” Janet asks shyly.

  “You know what, Janet? I think it’s about time you start calling me Lisa. Do you think you can do that?”

  Janet looks shocked, and then she breaks into a big, beaut
iful smile. “I will be honored - Lisa.”

  Lisa smiles back - and wonders when the last time was that she did so. It feels like a long, long time ago. “So, to answer your question - I’m an only child. I guess that’s why I’m so - self-absorbed.”

  Janet seems confused by this confession. “Is this like being self-centered? Because you are very unselfish. Look at all the people you have helped.”

  “That’s my job,” Lisa tells her. “But no - self-absorbed is more like being completely focused on my own goals and ignoring everything else.”

  Janet politely refrains from telling her she doesn’t see the difference, which is just as well. The silence forces Lisa to confront the inconsistencies of her own definition.

  “You know what, Janet? I think being self-absorbed is exactly the same as being self-centered. It just sounds better to people who like to think what they’re doing is so important they can ignore everything else.”

  Janet pats her arm. “And sometimes, self-absorbed and unselfish can both be true at the very same time.”

  “And sometimes, such a person may even wish they weren’t so self-centered any more.” Lisa tries to smile. “Would you listen to me! I’m talking in circles. Pay no attention.”

  Janet regards her steadily. “Perhaps you are saying out loud the confusion you are feeling inside.”

  “It’s more like - I might have found what I’ve been searching for all this time, but I’ve found a lot of other things in the process,” Lisa admits, swallowing hard. “And I don’t know if I can bear to lose them.”

  Lisa begins to cry and Janet comforts her - but she doesn’t really understand what the doctor is feeling so bad about.

  After awhile, Lisa pulls herself together. “Hey - why don’t we go downstairs and rummage around in the kitchen - check out what’s there?”

  “As it turns out, not much,” Lisa sighs after examining every cupboard while Janet has been digging around in the drawers.

  “But if there was any food,” Janet comments, holding up a potato ricer in one hand and a potato masher in the other, “I am believing there is no kitchen utensil that would be missing to prepare it - Lisa.”

  “And look at all these cookbooks,” Lisa says. “Who knew you needed more than one?”

  “She must have enjoyed cooking very much,” Janet murmurs, already thumbing through the pages of the nearest one. “Oh my, here is a recipe for Hasenpfeffer - and it is written out in German.”

  “I don’t know what that is,” Lisa admits. “Hasenpfeffer, I mean.”

  “It’s rabbit stew - I am sure Private Baxter could provide us with the main ingredient quite easily. When he returns, I will ask him if he would be so kind as to do a bit of hunting.”

  To each, her own, Lisa thinks, keeping her face from showing her distaste. Aloud she says, “Too bad we didn’t have these sooner, we could have made up a grocery list.”

  Thinking about Holden and the others returning with supplies for the winter makes her nervous. She’s avoided emotional confrontations her whole life. Feelings - especially other people’s - are not predictable.

  “I need to get out to The Whale - finally - and take a look at the pond water I brought back from the farm,” she says suddenly. “Assuming you find anything to eat, don’t wait for me. I’ll probably be out there until late.”

  After her first look through the microscope, her heart pounding, Lisa spends hours in the lab, working with her discovery. At last she’s found something that might change everything - unless, of course, there had been research labs that remained functioning. Maybe they already have a vaccine. Maybe. But how can she be sure unless she travels to the one place most likely to know what’s going on in the rest of the world?

  The kitchen is dark when she enters through the back door, and the house is silent. Janet must be in bed already, Lisa thinks, and takes care not to make any noise. She’s almost to the stairs when she hears voices in the parlor. On impulse, Lisa doesn’t announce her presence, but stands in the dark listening.

  “That is quite a fine fire you are building,” Janet says. “Not so many Englischers know how to build a proper one.”

  “I was a boy scout,” Marcelli laughs.

  Marcelli! Lisa thinks with a smile. Perhaps Janet had more than one reason for wanting to get back to Hamlin.

  On impulse, Lisa creeps as far as the open door of the parlor and peeks around the corner. Tony crouches in front of the parlor’s fireplace, placing wood on a cheery fire. Janet drifts into view, carrying a lantern which she places on a table before sitting on the sofa, arranging her skirt primly.

  Tony stands up and dusts his hands off. “Is it okay if I sit with you awhile?” he asks hesitantly.

  There’s a pause, and Lisa holds her breath. Where is this heading?

  “Of course it is all right,” Janet answers. “Why would it not be?”

  All at once Lisa knows exactly why Janet was so desperate to come back to Hamlin.

  The girl’s voice has the hint of a laugh in it as she adds, “But be careful, Tony, that you are not sliding off this shiny plastic and landing on the floor.”

  For a moment neither one says anything more, and Lisa freezes. Have they sensed her lurking out in the hall? But apparently it’s more shyness than fear of being overheard.

  “I’m - glad you came back, Janet,” Tony blurts suddenly. “I’ve missed you.”

  Janet doesn’t hesitate this time. “And I have missed you,” she says simply.

  They gaze at each other for a second. Tony clears his throat. “I thought maybe you and George would decide—”

  Janet shakes her head. “The world has changed so much - so fast - but George cannot change. He is like an elder.” She mimics him in a quavery voice: “This would never have happened in the old days. The old days were better.”

  Her imitation is good, and Tony laughs before growing serious again. “So - you seem to take things as they come,” he says, feeling for the right words. “Are you willing to put aside old ways that don’t make sense any more?”

  “I am,” Janet says.

  Tony clears his throat. “I wonder if you could ever - could you ever imagine yourself with an Englischer?”

  “Not just any Englischer,” Janets says very slowly. “But if it was to be someone I care for—” There’s a smile in her voice when she says, “Do not be so shy, Tony.”

  Lisa watches as Tony leans toward her and kisses her carefully like he fears she’ll break. For her part, Janet twines her arms around his neck. It’s clear they’ve said all they have to say as they acknowledge their feelings for each other in a language much older than the spoken word.

  Lisa tiptoes away from the door. She’s been holding her breath and now she sighs deeply. In hindsight, it’s quite clear this love between the two of them was meant to be from the very beginning.

  CHAPTER 30: Let Me Introduce You

  Lisa wakes early, so early even Janet is still asleep.The place is dark and deserted when she comes downstairs. She puts on a pot of coffee and wipes down the counters and table while she waits for it to be done. It’s a somewhat futile gesture to prove she’s useful at something besides staring into a microscope.

  She finds nothing worth eating before she staggers outside toward The Whale. It occurs to her that being a scientist has been her sole identity, but that life can’t actually be lived in a laboratory - something she’s been doing for years.

  The sound of a truck startles her. Maybe Ed is back! She pulls up her coat collar against the chill and makes herself walk around the corner of the house at a sedate pace.

  Nix St Clair is climbing out the farm’s pickup truck. “I’m glad you’re awake already,” she calls. “I woke up this morning with a sudden urge to see this lab of yours. Are you up to showing me around the place?”

  “Sure - I was just headed out there.”

  Nix steps into the gleaming white interior and whistles. “I’m getting time travel jet lag,” she exclaims. “After
Geezer, I got dropped back into the 19th century - now I’m suddenly teleported into the future.”

  Lisa had been in a kind of sleepwalking mode when she’d come downstairs this morning, but as soon as she steps inside The Whale, she feels herself morph into a different person. Nix watches as Lisa snaps on a pair of gloves and expertly prepares a slide by depositing a droplet of water from an old mason jar between two pieces of glass. Her hands are rock steady.

  She places the slide under the electron microscope and adjusts some dials while watching the computer screen. “I thought they’d be there,” she breathes, “But I still can’t quite believe what I’m looking at.”

  “Reality TV for science nerds,” Nix quips. “Can I watch, too?”

  “First I need to give you a little background so you know what you’re looking at.”

  Nix groans. “I almost failed biology.”

  “I’ll try to make it as painless as possible,” Lisa says. “But pay attention.”

  “Yes, teacher.”

  “There have been amazing discoveries in the past few years,” Lisa says. “The mamavirus was the first giant virus they found. Then they discovered another they called Pithovirus in the Siberian permafrost.” She watches for Nix’s response, when she gives her the punchline. “The thing is, it was 30,000 years old - and when they brought it back to a lab and stuck it in a petri dish with an amoeba, it actually attacked the amoeba!”

  “Holy crap,” Nix says. “That has the small pox virus beat all to hell.”

  “But the discoveries didn’t stop there, Lisa continues, warming to her subject. “Inside the biggest virus ever found was the smallest virus ever seen.” She pauses dramatically. “The virophage does the same thing to the jumbo virus that the big guy does to those things in your pond - it hijacks its replicating machinery.”