The cooperative, friendly Peter was back now. But Jeremy wasn't in the mood to be conciliatory. He just looked at the moon on the water.
"Think about it, okay? Can I get you anything?"
"Yeah," he said coolly. "A vodka and soda with lime."
Peter smiled and patted him on the back.
"I'll send it up to you." He went below decks as Jeremy continued to stare at the black water.
Despite Peter's offer, he didn't want to think about the future, or the past -- he just wanted to escape somewhere. He needed time to sort out what he was going to do with his life, and with whom. He wondered how things would shake out in the Community, now that Lenzke wasn't manipulating it. Did he want to go back? Society seemed terribly complicated, but right now it was hard for him to imagine going back to a simple, agrarian lifestyle.
What would he do if he stayed? Work for Peter? It was too early to think about that. There were too many other things to resolve first.
Where is my drink? he wondered, and looked back to the stairway that came from below deck, where the party was going on. Dr. Berry was standing at the head of the stairs with two drinks in her hands. She walked over to the railing and gazed out at the water.
"So, do you hate me?" she asked after a minute of sharing the view.
Jeremy looked at her again and smiled. "No. I just need some time to myself. Get away for a while. Relax. Swim. Ride a horse."
"Jeremy, I'm so sorry about all the things we had to put you through. Please believe me that it was necessary. A lot was at stake. Maybe more than you know, or ever will. Our plan might not have been the best, but it worked. And it's not as if Peter and I have had a joy ride these last few months."
Jeremy inhaled deeply and looked at the moon. He shook his head, smiled weakly, set down his drink and walked back down the stairs to the lower deck.
A 10-piece jazz band was playing "Begin the Beguine." Duncan, dressed in an expensive white tuxedo, was dancing with one of the women from the agency, and Duncan's staff was captivated at the sight, as if they'd never seen anything like it before. A few of the technicians from the agency surrounded MacKenzie, throwing questions at her in a very animated discussion. Hanna was talking to someone from Duncan's group -- he hadn't learned all their names yet -- but she noticed Jeremy coming down the stairs and kept glancing in his direction. Jeremy walked toward them, stopping to greet people along the way.
He stood beside Hanna as she continued to chat with a somewhat drunken computer specialist. He was obviously trying to find whatever piece of glory he could from the victory over Lenzke, although he didn't know who Lenzke was, or how he had been beaten in the end. Jeremy held out his hand.
"I'd like to thank you personally for your involvement in the operation," he said. "It was a tight squeeze at the end, but we wouldn't have made it without a lot of hard work from people like you." The man took his hand and shook it vigorously, smiling as if he'd just received an Olympic medal.
"I need another drink," the man said, and walked to the bar. Jeremy winked at Hanna, and they stood together in silence, enjoying each other's company.
"Look," Hanna said, "we're pulling into the dock."
"The party's supposed to go all night," Jeremy said, looking around. Several other people had joined Duncan and Peter on the dance floor. "And it doesn't show any signs of slowing down. But I was wondering if you'd be willing to go ashore with me. I feel like having a chocolate malt."
Hanna smiled. "Should I invite MacKenzie?" she asked.
Jeremy looked over in MacKenzie's direction. Dr. Berry had joined the throng of computer experts and was quizzing MacKenzie about something. MacKenzie, red-faced and laughing, nearly spilled her drink on Dr. Berry's dress.
"I think she's doing okay," Jeremy said.
"Well, I really ought to tell her we're leaving," Hanna persisted, and turned away to send MacKenzie a message. Jeremy watched MacKenzie as she straightened up a touch, and then looked toward Hanna. She raised her glass in a toast and winked at Jeremy.
"She says she's having a blast, and we should go enjoy ourselves."
They walked arm in arm down the gang plank onto the concrete quay. A row of hovercars were at their disposal, and they picked the closest one. They climbed in and told the hovercar to take its time getting to the Chocolate Bar.
END
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About the Author
Greg Krehbiel is a happily married father of five wonderful children. He's had a distinguished career in professional publishing, including lengthy gigs in editorial, product development, IT and tech development, marketing, and audio and web conferencing. He has a degree in Geology and studied theology as preparation for ministry -- then thought better of it. He's a home brewer (beer, wine and mead), an occasional jogger, an avid writer, and enjoys camping and fishing.
Author's Note
This book was originally written back in the early 1990s. I tried to get it published by a traditional publishing house, but it was a frustrating process and I let it drop. I had other things to do, like raise a family. These days it's trivially easy to publish a book, so I've been going through my old files to see if any of it's still worth a read. In going through The Intruder I was surprised how little I had to update to make it relevant in 2012. But the essence of a book shouldn't be the technology, but the story, and this story still resonates.
About Crowhill Publishing
"Krehbiel" is a German name that roughly translates to English as "Crow Hill." Crowhill Publishing is the imprint for all of Greg Krehbiel's books. Find out more at http://crowhill.net.
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