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death is swift after the first symptoms.’
    She blinked at so much bad news. ‘I understand. I think. Has it spread beyond the City yet?’
    ‘They think not. But they might not know.’
    ‘They might not indeed.’
    ‘Spread the news will you?’
    ‘You don’t have to ask,’ said Ophelia dryly. ‘We will.’
    ‘It might be an idea to sort of close yourself off while this thing lasts; keep away from anyone who might spread infection.’
    Ophelia nodded. But I knew they wouldn’t. Black Stump had welcomed a vampire-crazed psychotic into their community, had called a ruthless werewolf friend. They would never accept that someone they liked couldbring them harm. If a couple of Wanderers arrived with smiles and an appetite, they’d welcome them to dinner, plague or not.
    ‘One more thing,’ I said slowly. ‘Have you a list of OutlandNets anywhere?’
    ‘A few. Local ones, the school one, some of the Wanderers left contactsigs. I suppose you want to warn as many people as you can.’
    That too, I thought. But I just said, ‘Yes.’
    ‘I’ll send them through on print-out. Okay?’
    ‘Okay. One more thing.’ I didn’t want to say it. But I had to. ‘I know you trade with the City for the stuff you can’t grow. But any City contact is dangerous. I’d like to … to give Black Stump enough credit to get through the next year or two without having to trade, so you can just order through the City.’
    Ophelia’s face showed shock, and something unreadable. ‘You’ve got enough credit to do that?’
    ‘More than enough. Royalties on Virtual designs.’ The kilolitres just kept mounting up.
    She thought for a while. For a moment it seemed she was going to say no. Then she said, ‘All right. Thanks, that’d be good. Look, if you’ve got so much credit, could you put in enough for a new generator too?’
    ‘Yes. Sure. Of course.’ I blinked. ‘I thought you’d refuse. Get all indignant.’
    ‘Are you crazy? If we had credit we’d share with you,’ she added matter-of-factly.
    It was so true — and so obvious — it shook me that I hadn’t realised it before. Black Stump just assumed that what you had, you shared. Which went for my credit too.
    ‘Hey, wow, I can’t wait to tell the others. A generator that works …’
    ‘Don’t forget about the plague.’ It was obvious the plague paled against the thought of a new generator.
    ‘What?’ said Ophelia vaguely. ‘Yeah, of course.’
    Another face appeared on the screen: younger; Ophelia’s jutting chin but more determined. Portia. She stared at me. ‘Your hair looks awful.’
    ‘Thanks, kid.’
    ‘I’m not a kid,’ she said indignantly. ‘I’m ten and three quarters. Do you know that in Shakespeare’s time I could be married now? Betrothed anyway.’
    ‘Really?’ Eleven and a half years, I thought, and my daughter might be saying that too. If we survived.
    ‘I’ll put the credit in as soon as I log off,’ I told Ophelia. ‘Order supplies from the City now and have them sent out on remote.’
    ‘Yes, sure. Coffee too? Oh, for some Realcoffee.’
    Ophelia gave me their creditsig, it was a City one but the Outlands credit Nets mostly work on City Cred. ‘And chocolate,’ said Portia decisively. I logged off, logged in the credit transfer and then went to tell the others.

chapter 13
    E laine had brought a casserole — chicken with cream and apples — and we ate the apple pie she’d left in the fridge. Afterwards I said I was tired, so they left, and Neil finally agreed to come up to bed.
    We made love slowly. It had been a long time. Neither of us had wanted to perform linked to the monitors at the Clinic. Afterwards we lay and watched the moonlight through the window and the leaf shadows on the wall. It was all Realtime; I’d put the terminals onto manual. Without a computer Link nearby any echo of a mental Link between us had vanished too.
    Two years before I always lived within computer range; had broken the Link only for