The Web

'Next time we'll have Claire up,' said Pam. 'She's a marvelous violinist. The kids, too.'

Ben laughed. 'That'll be real relaxing.'

'Your kids are great, Ben.'

The food came. Platters of it.

Watercress salad with avocado dressing, carrot puree, fricassee of wild mushrooms with walnuts and water chestnuts. Then the chicken, sizzling and moist.

A bottle of white burgundy remained untouched. Picker poured himself the rest of the bourbon. His wife looked the other way and ate energetically.

'Gladys didn't learn to cook like this at the base,' said Robin.

'Believe it or not, she did,' Pam said. 'The commander thought himself quite the gourmet. She's very creative, lucky for Dad.'

'Has he always been a vegetarian?'

'Since after the Korean War. The things he saw made him determined never to hurt anything again.'

Picker grunted.

'But he's always been tolerant,' said Pam. 'Had meat shipped over for me when I arrived.'

'You don't live here?' said Robin.

'No, I came last October. It was supposed to be a stopover on the way to a medical convention in Hong Kong.'

'What's your specialty?' I said.

'Internal medicine and public health. I work at the student health center at Temple U. ' She paused. 'Actually, it was a combination work trip and breather. I just got divorced.'

She filled her water glass, shrugged.

'Did you grow up here?' asked Robin.

'Not really. Ready for dessert?'

Picker watched her walk away. 'Some fool in Philadelphia 's missing out.'

Ben eyed him. 'Another bottle, Dr. Picker?'

Picker stared back. 'No thank you, amigo. Better keep my wits. I'm flying tomorrow.'

Jo put down her fork. Picker grinned at her.

'Yes, darling, I've decided to go ahead.'

'Flying in what?' said Ben.

'Vintage craft, but well maintained. Man named Amalfi owns it.'

'Harry Amalfi? One of those crop dusters? They haven't flown in years.'

'They're quite serviceable, friend. I examined them myself. Been buzzing jungles for fifteen years and I'm going to buzz your poor excuse for one tomorrow morning, me and Dr. Missus. Take some aerial photographs, prove to the boys back at the institute that I've been here and that there was nothing to dig up.'

Jo's fingers were gathering tablecloth. 'Ly-'

Ben said, 'It's not a good idea, Dr. Picker.'

Picker shot him a fierce smile. 'Your input is duly noted, friend.'

'The forest is Navy territory. You'll need official permission to fly over.'

'Wrong,' said Picker. 'Only the east end is Navy land. The western half is public land, never formally claimed by the Navy. Or so Dr. Wife here tells me from her maps.'

'That's true, Ly,' said Jo, 'but it's still-'

'Zoom,' Picker spoke over her. 'Up and away- would you rather I remain bored to the point of brain death?'

'The entire forest is one mile wide,' said Ben. 'Once you're up there it's going to be pretty hard to keep track-'

'Concerned about me, amigo?' said Picker, with sudden harshness. He picked up the bourbon bottle, as if ready to break it. Put it down with exquisite care, and got up.

'Everyone so concerned about me. Touching.' His beard was littered with crumbs. 'Fonts of human kindness to my face, but behind my back: drunken buffoon.'

He shifted his attention to his wife, glaring and grinning simultaneously. 'Are you coming, angel?'

Her lip trembled. 'You know how I feel about small craft, Ly-'

'Not that. Now. Are you coming, now?'

Without taking his eyes off her, he picked up a piece of chicken and bit in. Chewing with his mouth open, he shot a hard, dark glance at Romero: 'It's a metaphor, friend.'

'What is?' said Ben.

'This place. All the other damn bumps in the ocean. Volcanoes ejaculating, then dropping dead. Conquerors arriving with high hopes only to slink away or die, the damned coral parasites taking over, everything sinking. Entropy.'

Jo put down her fork. 'Excuse us.'

Picker tossed the chicken onto a plate and took her arm roughly.

'Everything sinks,' he said, pulling her away.

5

Pam came back carrying a huge bowl of fruit. She eyed the empty chairs.

'They left,' said Ben. 'They're renting one of Harry's crop dusters and buzzing the jungle tomorrow morning.'

'In one of those wrecks? Are they safe?'

'I tried to talk him out of it. He's a world-class explorer.' He arched his eyebrows.

She put the bowl down and sat. 'I'm afraid sometimes Dr. Picker gets a little… difficult.'

'Nice of your father to put them up all this time,' I said.

She and Ben exchanged looks.

'They kind of invited themselves,' she said. 'Dad's a soft touch. Apparently, she's quite a prominent researcher.'

'What about him?'

'He works part-time for some wildlife organization with a shoestring budget. Studying some fungus or other. I get the feeling he's having trouble finding grant money. I guess it's difficult… Dad should be here any moment.'

She passed the bowl.

'Is it true?' I said. 'About the Navy cutting off contact with the village with a blockade?'

She nodded.

'Why?'

'It's the military,' said Ben. 'They live in their own little world.'

'Dad's working on it,' said Pam. 'Wrote to Senator Hoffman because the two of them go back a ways. And Hoffman knows Aruk from personal experience; he was Stanton 's commander during the Korean War.'

'The gourmet?'

She nodded. 'He used to come up here with his wife, sit right on this terrace and play bridge.'

'Sounds like a good contact,' I said. The senator from Oregon had been discussed as a presidential candidate.

Ben put his napkin down and stood. ' 'Scuse me, got to pick up the kids. Anything you need for tomorrow, Pam?'

'Just more disposable needles. And vaccine if it's running low.'

'Already there,' said Ben. 'I set up before dinner.'

He shook our hands and left quickly.