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Are You Afraid Of The Dark :: Sheldon Sidney
Страница: 33 из 173I'm so proud of you, sis, he'd always tell her, and Lois was proud of Gary's accomplishments as well. He had earned his Ph.D. in science, was working for an international corporation, and had taken up flying as a hobby.
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AS LOIS WAS thinking about Gary, there was a knock at the front door. She looked out the window to see who was calling and recognized him. Tom Huebner. He was a tall, rugged-looking charter pilot, a friend of Gary's.
Lois opened the door and Huebner walked in.
"Hi, Tom."
"Lois." "Gary isn't here yet. I think I heard his plane a little while ago. He should be here any minute. Would you like to wait or-?" He was staring at her. "You haven't been watching the news?" Lois shook her head. "No. What's going on? I hope we're not going to get into another war and-" "Lois, I'm afraid I have some bad news. Really bad news." His voice was tight.
"It's about Gary."
She stiffened. "What about him?" "He was killed in a plane crash on his way here to see you." He watched the light go out of her eyes.
"I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved each other." Lois tried to speak, but she was hyperventilating. "How-how— how-?" Tom Huebner took her hand and gently led her to the couch.
Lois sat down and took deep breaths. "What-what happened?" "Gary's plane hit the side of a mountain a few miles outside of Denver." Lois felt faint. "Tom, I'd like to be alone." He studied her, worried. "Are you sure, Lois? I could stay and-" "Thank you, but please go." Tom Huebner stood there irresolutely, then nodded. "You have my number. Call if you need me." Lois did not hear him leave. She sat there in a state of shock. It was as if someone had told her she had died. Her mind started flashing back to their childhood. Gary had always been her protector, fighting boys who teased her and, as they got older, escorting her to baseball games and movies and parties.
The last time she had seen him was a week ago, and she saw the scene in her mind, unspooling like a blurred film through her tears.
The two of them were seated at the dining room table.
"You're not eating, Gary." "It's delicious, sis. I'm not very hungry." She watched him a moment. "Anything you want to talk about?" "You always know, don't you?" "It's something to do with your work." "Yes." He pushed his plate away. "I think my life is in danger." Lois looked at him, startled. "What?" "Sis, only half a dozen people in the world know about what's happening. I'm flying back here next Monday to spend the night. On Tuesday morning, I'm heading for Washington." Lois was puzzled. "Why Washington?" "To tell them about Prima." And Gary explained it.
* *
* * *
AS LOIS WAS thinking about Gary, there was a knock at the front door. She looked out the window to see who was calling and recognized him. Tom Huebner. He was a tall, rugged-looking charter pilot, a friend of Gary's.
Lois opened the door and Huebner walked in.
"Hi, Tom."
"Lois." "Gary isn't here yet. I think I heard his plane a little while ago. He should be here any minute. Would you like to wait or-?" He was staring at her. "You haven't been watching the news?" Lois shook her head. "No. What's going on? I hope we're not going to get into another war and-" "Lois, I'm afraid I have some bad news. Really bad news." His voice was tight.
"It's about Gary."
She stiffened. "What about him?" "He was killed in a plane crash on his way here to see you." He watched the light go out of her eyes.
"I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved each other." Lois tried to speak, but she was hyperventilating. "How-how— how-?" Tom Huebner took her hand and gently led her to the couch.
Lois sat down and took deep breaths. "What-what happened?" "Gary's plane hit the side of a mountain a few miles outside of Denver." Lois felt faint. "Tom, I'd like to be alone." He studied her, worried. "Are you sure, Lois? I could stay and-" "Thank you, but please go." Tom Huebner stood there irresolutely, then nodded. "You have my number. Call if you need me." Lois did not hear him leave. She sat there in a state of shock. It was as if someone had told her she had died. Her mind started flashing back to their childhood. Gary had always been her protector, fighting boys who teased her and, as they got older, escorting her to baseball games and movies and parties.
The last time she had seen him was a week ago, and she saw the scene in her mind, unspooling like a blurred film through her tears.
The two of them were seated at the dining room table.
"You're not eating, Gary." "It's delicious, sis. I'm not very hungry." She watched him a moment. "Anything you want to talk about?" "You always know, don't you?" "It's something to do with your work." "Yes." He pushed his plate away. "I think my life is in danger." Lois looked at him, startled. "What?" "Sis, only half a dozen people in the world know about what's happening. I'm flying back here next Monday to spend the night. On Tuesday morning, I'm heading for Washington." Lois was puzzled. "Why Washington?" "To tell them about Prima." And Gary explained it.
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