And perhaps you dont want to come close to anyone again and risk being hurt.
Do you expect me to be awed by your percep-tiveness? Im well aware Im avoiding new relation-ships and the reason for it.
Of course you are. Youre a brilliant woman. So why dont you do something about it?
Maybe I dont want to do anything about it.
Not even to live a fuller, richer life?
You dont know how full and rich my life is com-pared to what it was before. I was lost and now Im found. She said haltingly, I was drowning in pain and Ive managed to climb to dry land. Thats enough, Logan.
Its not enough. Its time to go on.
She shook her head. You dont understand.
Im trying.
Why?
I like you, he said simply.
She stared at him. What are you up to, Logan?
I dont have an agenda. I do make new friendshellip; even if theres a risk of losing them. I like you and I admire you. I just thought Id tell you.
Before you start using me again.
Yes.
Youre totally incredible. She looked back at the monitor. Do you expect me to say all is forgiven and lets go play in the sandbox?
No, I told you, no agenda. Were past all that now. I just wanted to be honest with you for a change. Sorry I disconcerted you. He rose to his feet. Id better let you get back to work.
Yes, you had.
I thought youd have more done by now.
She was relieved that odd moment of revelation and intimacy was over and that Logans usual de-manding self was back. He was right. He had discon-certed her. It took me longer than I thought to clean up Ben. She glanced at Kessler, who was seated at the table at the far end of the lab. Gary wasnt pleased. Hes been chomping at the bit to get to work and I still need the skull for verification.
Why did you take those photographs at Barrett House?
Insurance.
How long is the superimposition going to take? This place is a little too public. I want to get out of here.
Im hurrying as fast as I can. She adjusted the camera aimed at the skull on the pedestal, and then made a minor adjustment on the second camera aimed at one of the photographs of Ben Chadbourne Logan had given her at Barrett House.
How long is this going to take? he repeated.
It depends. Setting up sometimes takes the longest, and I havent used this equipment before. I think Ive got it right.
How does it work?
Havent you got something else to do?
Just interested. Am I bothering you?
I suppose not. She made another adjustment. As you can see, the one camera is focused on the skull, the other on the photograph. The angle on the skull and the photograph both have to be the same. Then both cameras are connected to a mixer, an editing machine that Ive connected to a VCR. The VCR plays the images on the monitor. The mixer can create a split screen where a line runs vertically and horizontally between the images at the same time or half of each image. The line can be moved to show less of one image and more of the other. Thats called a wipe. Rut what I need to do is cause a fade.
And whats that?
Its sort of like a dream sequence in a movie. You know, when one image blurs and then suddenly becomes another? One image is superimposed on an-other and then I equalize the fade so that you can see the photograph and the skull both as if the persons skin is transparent.
Can you show me now?
Here it comes. She brought the two images up on the monitor and started to work.
Why did you pick the
Be quiet. Im busy.
Sorry.
She was only vaguely aware of him beside her during the next period of painstaking adjustment.
Move.
Too much.
Racktrack.
