probed hers; it was an eerie feeling, being watched by those half-seeing eyes. "You can guess, maybe," he said softly.
"Now, what's that supposed to mean?" she protested. "It could be anybody—Jonders, you, David. Some big shot." She shrugged.
"I mean," he said teasingly, "it's someone you know." He became mockingly serious. "That's all I can tell you."
Mozy scowled. She didn't like what she thought was the answer. "It's David, isn't it? It's Kadin, right?"
Hoshi blinked with reptilean deliberation. "Can't say," he murmured. But his expression did not contradict her statement.
"Shit," Mozy said. "Shit!" She shook her head, surprised by the intensity of the emotion. The knot in her gut was painful now; she was having trouble breathing. "It is David, isn't it? Where are they sending him? Why him? What if it doesn't work?"
"What do you care?" Hoshi said. "You don't even know him, really. And I never said it was him, anyway."
Mozy snorted at the last comment. That was just Hoshi covering his ass, after spilling. Still, he was right. Why such a strong reaction? She had never met Kadin and never would; he lived in the space settlement, and she lived on Earth, and that was it. She shrugged. "I like him, that's all. I wouldn't want to see anything happen to him."
"Uh-huh." Hoshi placed his fingertips on the table, as though playing a piano, or a computer keyboard. He smiled. "Have you considered that maybe they're transmitting him to Earth?"
"Are they?" she cried. Hoshi turned up his palms, grinning. "Tell me," she pleaded. "Is he coming here?"
At last Hoshi shook his head. "No." When Mozy glared at him, he sighed. "Sorry. Bad joke."
"He's not coming to Earth?"
He shook his head again. "Why is it so important to you?"
Angry at having been baited so easily, she sank back into the booth seat. When she spoke, her voice was harsh. "He's the only one who lets me feel involved there. The only one. It's damn frustrating, you know, just going in there twice a week, and not even seeing the results of it."
"Sometimes you do see results," Hoshi said. "You just don't know it."
She ignored him. "We're friends, in a way. Even though sometimes I'm scared half to death in the scenarios, and it's hard to leave them, to come back to reality—I still don't want it to end. I wish I could meet him." Stopping for breath, she gulped half of her beer. A mild alcoholic glow was spreading through her body.
Hoshi studied her. "What is it you like so much about him? Just out of curiosity."
She looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then shrugged. "He's friendly. He goes out of his way to make me feel comfortable. He treats me like a real person." Hoshi's face clouded, and she added, "Well, you do, too. But hardly anyone else does. They're always in too much of a hurry. Well, David's not that way. Even when things get crazy, in the scenarios, he never forgets that I'm involved, too, and that I might need help getting through it."
"That's part of his job," Hoshi pointed out.
"It's part of his character, too," Mozy insisted. "I just wish I knew what his part was in all this—"
"Can't tell you that."
"I know . I'd ask him myself, but the hypnotic blocks work so well, I always forget. Now you tell me he's going to be put through the transmitter, and maybe scattered halfway to hell. Well, I just wish I could meet him, once—in person—before then." A wave of sadness crested in her, then slowly subsided, leaving a gritty feeling in her throat. "I have all these images of him, different ones each time I meet him. I'd like to know what he really looks like." She toyed with her glass.
"If I didn't know better," Hoshi said, "I'd say you're kind of sweet on this—guy." Hoshi looked poised and controlled, his fingers drumming lightly on the table's edge. His eyes seemed to focus and unfocus as he peered at her—seeing heaven-knew-what pattern of shadows, what image of her face. Those grey irises, with their slightly dilated pupils, seemed to
"Now, what's that supposed to mean?" she protested. "It could be anybody—Jonders, you, David. Some big shot." She shrugged.
"I mean," he said teasingly, "it's someone you know." He became mockingly serious. "That's all I can tell you."
Mozy scowled. She didn't like what she thought was the answer. "It's David, isn't it? It's Kadin, right?"
Hoshi blinked with reptilean deliberation. "Can't say," he murmured. But his expression did not contradict her statement.
"Shit," Mozy said. "Shit!" She shook her head, surprised by the intensity of the emotion. The knot in her gut was painful now; she was having trouble breathing. "It is David, isn't it? Where are they sending him? Why him? What if it doesn't work?"
"What do you care?" Hoshi said. "You don't even know him, really. And I never said it was him, anyway."
Mozy snorted at the last comment. That was just Hoshi covering his ass, after spilling. Still, he was right. Why such a strong reaction? She had never met Kadin and never would; he lived in the space settlement, and she lived on Earth, and that was it. She shrugged. "I like him, that's all. I wouldn't want to see anything happen to him."
"Uh-huh." Hoshi placed his fingertips on the table, as though playing a piano, or a computer keyboard. He smiled. "Have you considered that maybe they're transmitting him to Earth?"
"Are they?" she cried. Hoshi turned up his palms, grinning. "Tell me," she pleaded. "Is he coming here?"
At last Hoshi shook his head. "No." When Mozy glared at him, he sighed. "Sorry. Bad joke."
"He's not coming to Earth?"
He shook his head again. "Why is it so important to you?"
Angry at having been baited so easily, she sank back into the booth seat. When she spoke, her voice was harsh. "He's the only one who lets me feel involved there. The only one. It's damn frustrating, you know, just going in there twice a week, and not even seeing the results of it."
"Sometimes you do see results," Hoshi said. "You just don't know it."
She ignored him. "We're friends, in a way. Even though sometimes I'm scared half to death in the scenarios, and it's hard to leave them, to come back to reality—I still don't want it to end. I wish I could meet him." Stopping for breath, she gulped half of her beer. A mild alcoholic glow was spreading through her body.
Hoshi studied her. "What is it you like so much about him? Just out of curiosity."
She looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then shrugged. "He's friendly. He goes out of his way to make me feel comfortable. He treats me like a real person." Hoshi's face clouded, and she added, "Well, you do, too. But hardly anyone else does. They're always in too much of a hurry. Well, David's not that way. Even when things get crazy, in the scenarios, he never forgets that I'm involved, too, and that I might need help getting through it."
"That's part of his job," Hoshi pointed out.
"It's part of his character, too," Mozy insisted. "I just wish I knew what his part was in all this—"
"Can't tell you that."
"I know . I'd ask him myself, but the hypnotic blocks work so well, I always forget. Now you tell me he's going to be put through the transmitter, and maybe scattered halfway to hell. Well, I just wish I could meet him, once—in person—before then." A wave of sadness crested in her, then slowly subsided, leaving a gritty feeling in her throat. "I have all these images of him, different ones each time I meet him. I'd like to know what he really looks like." She toyed with her glass.
"If I didn't know better," Hoshi said, "I'd say you're kind of sweet on this—guy." Hoshi looked poised and controlled, his fingers drumming lightly on the table's edge. His eyes seemed to focus and unfocus as he peered at her—seeing heaven-knew-what pattern of shadows, what image of her face. Those grey irises, with their slightly dilated pupils, seemed to
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