Inconstant Moon - Default Font Edition Read Online Free PDF Page B

over his cellphone. “You take very good notes. Maybe I could borrow the ones from the days I missed last week when I was sick?”
    She watches Eric peering at the tiny screen then thumbing in a quick message before nodding to her.
    “Sure thing Mouse. Monday and Tuesday?” She nods. “Email later, okay?” “Excellent, yes, Eric, thank you. That will be a big help.”
    A text flashes on his phone screen and suddenly Eric is in a hurry, nodding as he pockets the phone and snaps his laptop closed and stuffs it into the case. “Later,” he grins and is gone in a blur.
    Mouse turns to Amelia, who seems to be having a job repacking her computer case. Funny how everything that came out doesn't fit back in. Mouse asks, “Would you care to join us for a walk in the woods?” but Amelia shakes her head no.
    “Sorry, Mouse, I've got to work.”
    “OK,” Mouse smiles. “Maybe next time,” and Mouse follows Jose up the steps. Amelia watches them go. Or rather, watches Jose go. Watches his nice tight buns ascending the stairs. Too bad. A walk in the woods would have been nice.
    Especially with Jose.
    Amelia sighs, hoists the case over her shoulder.

chapter 7 . . .
    Maggie heads toward the corner cafeteria table where Oscar's laptop is open at the Oscar Wilde Quotations Page. Oscar reads, “‘Education is a wonderful thing, provided you always remember that nothing worth knowing can ever be taught.’”
    Jake laughs, then chokes on the pop he's drinking. Kate pounds him on the back until he can breathe normally again. Jake grins, then asks, “Got any more, Oz?”
    Oscar laughs. “That's the spirit. You'll be pleased to know there are scads of them. Wilde was the undisputed king of wit.”
    “So tell me another,” prompts Jake.
    “‘The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself.’” says Oscar.
    “Mmmm,” says Kate, “I like that one. It's wonderfully wicked. Gives you permission to do pretty much anything.”
    Oscar does a Groucho Marx eyebrow waggle as he says, “How about this one: ‘The book of life begins with a man and a woman in a garden; it ends with Revelations.’”
    Maggie laughs. “I don't think Liz would like that one.”
    “Or this, one of my very favourites: ‘Women are meant to be loved, not understood.’”
    “Boo! Hiss!” Kate tosses a French fry at Oscar, who deftly catches it in his mouth.
    Maggie slides in beside Oscar, who laughs, and says, “ ‘Nothing succeeds like excess.’”
    Kate looks over at Maggie. “Krystal still hasn't showed. I thought she was really up for the club.”
    Maggie shrugs. “She is. I don't know what happened but I'm sure she'll be here as soon as she can. How's everything else?”
    Jake says, “Liz is coming to take photos for the paper, and Amelia will write the article.”
    “How we doing for food?”
    “We've laid in a few cases of pop and chips, cheezies and pretzels. I thought instead of charging for it, we just leave a glass jar for people to drop donations in.” Says Kate “And maybe order pizza if that isn't enough.”
    “No beer?” asks Oscar.
    “No license. The Computer Centre doesn't have a liquor license. If we'd set it up earlier we'd have had time to apply for one, but we didn't. So, no license, no beer.”
    “Too bad, it would have been a good fund raiser.”
    “I doubt Gates would let us use the room if we had beer.”
    “Good point. Cootes would've gone for it, though.”
    “Of course Cootes would go for it. He left most of his brain cells in the sixties. I swear the old geezer still thinks he's a student. We'd all be so much better off if he retired.”
    Oscar looks over at Maggie. She still looks a bit rough. “You sure you're up to this Mag? Still time for a nap.”
    She sticks out her tongue again but this time Oscar leers. “Don't tempt me girl.”
    Suddenly uncomfortable, Maggie gathers her things to cover her