'I told you, I'm not ready—’
'I never thought I'd ever be ready,' interrupted Kendrick, his voice soft and flat. 'You see, I've done some thinking, too, and I've been pretty harsh on myself. I've been selfish most of my life. I've always loved the freedom I have, to go and do what I've wanted to do—badly or well, it didn't make much difference so long as I could do it. Self-sufficient, I guess is the term—self, self, self. Then you come along and blow the whole damn thing to pieces. You show me what I don't have and by showing me you make me feel like an idiot… I have no one to share anything with, it's as simple as that. No one I care for enough to run to and say “Look, I did it,” or even “Sorry, I didn't do it.”… Sure, Manny's there, when he's there, but his own opinion notwithstanding, he's not immortal. You said last night that you were scared… well, I'm the one who's scared now, frightened beyond any fear I thought I'd ever experience. That's the fear of losing you. I'm not much good at begging or grovelling, but I'll beg and grovel or do anything you like, but please, please don't leave me.'
'Oh, my God,' said Khalehla, closing her eyes, the tears rolling separately, slowly, down her cheeks. 'You son of a bitch.'
'It's a start.'
'I do love you!' She rushed into his arms. 'I shouldn't, I shouldn't!’
'You can always change your mind in twenty or thirty years.'
'You've loused up my life—’
'You haven't made mine any easier.'
'Very nice!' came the sonorous voice from the stone archway.
'Manny!' cried Khalehla, releasing Evan, pushing him away and looking over his shoulder.
'How long have you been there?' asked Kendrick harshly, snapping his head around.
'I came in on the begging and grovelling,' replied Weingrass in a scarlet bathrobe. 'It always works, boy. The strong-man-on-his-knees bit. Never fails.'
'You're impossible!’ shouted Evan.
'He's adorable.'
'I'm both, but keep your voices down, you'll wake up the coven… What the hell are you doing out here at this hour?'
'This hour is eight o'clock in Washington,' said Khalehla. 'How are you feeling?'
'Ahnnh,' answered the old man, flicking the palm of his right hand as he walked into the living room. 'I slept but I didn't sleep, you know what I mean? And you clowns didn't help, opening the door every five minutes, you also know what I mean?'
'It was hardly every five minutes,' said Khalehla.
'You've got your wristwatch, I've got mine—So what did my friend Mitchell say? That's the eight o'clock in Washington, if I'm not mistaken.'
'You're not,' agreed the intelligence officer from Cairo. 'I was about to explain—’
'Some explanation. The violins were in full vibrato.'
'Manny!'
'Shut up. Let her talk.'
'I have to leave—for a day, perhaps two.'
'Where are you going?' asked Kendrick.
'I can't tell you that… my darling.'
The Icarus Agenda
Chapter 31
Welcome to Stapleton Airport in Denver, ladies and gentlemen. If you need information regarding connecting flights, our personnel will gladly assist you inside the terminal. The time
