Sacrifice

Max spotted me. Put a finger to his lips, motioning for me to come with him. He led me to the one-way glass on the side wall of one of the treatment rooms. Inside, Immaculata, in the lotus position, dressed in a loose white cotton outfit. Facing her a couple of feet away, Luke. Her arms gently parted the air, like she was conducting an orchestra in slow motion. The kid followed along, copying every gesture. Max tapped my shoulder, pointed at his stomach. Inhaled deeply through his nose, expanding his stomach. He exhaled sharply, in a steady, powerful stream, his chest growing as the air poured out. Yoga breathing. He pointed back into the treatment room. Luke had a blissful look on his little face as Immaculata pressed both hands against her midsection, exhaling as Max had done. Luke was with her, locked in synch.

Lily was in her office, talking at her daughter Noelle, the dark-eyed limit-tester. Noelle's around fifteen, couple years older than Terry. Lily snapped something at the kid, who responded by cocking her head the exact same way her mother does.

I stepped inside, lighting a smoke. Mother and daughter both made a face. 'Hi, Burke!' the kid said.

'Hello, Noelle. How's school?'

'It's summertime,' she said, like I was brain-damaged.

'Okay. Listen, I need to talk to Lily for a minute.'

'Where did you get that suit?' she asked, ignoring what I'd said.

'Orchard Street.'

'What's it made of?' Stepping over to me, fingering the lapel.

'I don't know.'

'It doesn't look like anything.'

'It's not supposed to, Noelle.'

'Oh, ugh!' She was wearing black leather high-top shoes, white anklets with little red hearts on the cuffs, black bicycle pants to her knees, a gauzy white skirt over the pants, cheerleader-length, a black silk tank top covered by a red bolero jacket. Two earrings in one ear, no makeup, her glossy black hair cut in a radical wedge, jaunty white beret on her head. I was her father, I'd start stockpiling weapons.

'Noelle…' Warning note from Lily.

'I'm going, Mother.' She looked at me again. Turned to Lily: 'Could I buy Burke a decent jacket…something nice, so he'd have a look?'

A smile blossomed on Lily's face. 'Sure, you want to waste your money.

Noelle pivoted like a ballerina, held her hand out to me. 'Give me some money, I'll get something for you.'

Lily chuckled. 'How much money?' I asked.

'Oh…three hundred dollars, okay?'

'No.'

'You want me to buy junk?'

'Look, I'm perfectly happy with what I got, okay?'

'Oh, pul-eeze, Burke. Your gear is seriously heinous. How about two hundred?'

'For two hundred, do I get something stuupid dope hype fresh?'

'Oh, you're so down there,' she giggled. 'Okay, two hundred.'

'How about one hundred? And how about you leave your mom and me alone?'

She held out her chubby child's hand again. I put a couple of fifties in it. 'Thank you so much,' she said, no sarcasm, just a trace of breathiness. Practicing, getting it right. Then she gave her mother a kiss and made a dignified exit.

88

'How's it going?' I asked Lily.

'He's coming along. It's not something you can do in a week.'

'I know. Not in ten days, either.'

Lily put her elbows on the desk, nestling her chin in the V of her fists. 'What are you saying?'

'I got an idea. Or the beginning of one, anyway.'

'Before you play around with any ideas, you should look at this stuff,' indicating a handful of paper covered with typing.

I looked a question at her.

'Treatment reports,' she said. 'From Teresa.'

89

I let Pansy out to her roof, made us each some supper while she took her pre-dump stroll. Then I sat down to read the reports. Had to hold the pages almost at arm's length to make out the words. I'd need reading glasses soon.

Hair fell into my eyes. I combed it back with my fingers. Seemed like they were sliding through easier than they used to these days.

The report was a war-zone dispatch— no overheated adjectives, no proposal writer's lies…cold truth. They