“Mr. and Mrs. Luthor! Please look this way!” One of the swarm shouted. “Is it true you are donating part of the proceeds from the sale of your magnificent Picasso and Degas collection to help the homeless children of Metropolis?”
Mrs. Luthor? As in Arianna Carlin Luthor? This should be interesting...
“Lois, this is an impressive piece of investigative journalism. Still it was a wise move to come to the Legal Department before sending it over to Perry. An article of such caliber usually triggers a tidal wave reaction, one of global significance.”
Constance Hunter neatly replaced the papers and computer diskette into a blue folder, leaned back in her chair and took a contemplative pose. <How do I impress upon this young firebrand what kind of man Daae is without dampening her enthusiasm *or* scaring her witless?>
Wait, what? Constance Hunter is in the DP Legal Department? That's a new twist...
“That is *my* story. Claude *stole* it.” Lois spoke, her voice carrying loud and clear across the bullpen.
Go Lois! Stand up for yourself.
“Oh, Perry, please forgive my memory lapse. Lois *did* assist with a little research, just as before during the college bribery scandal. There is more than enough material for her to contribute a sidebar or two.”
What a snake!
When word reached Jack Bartholomew in his tiny researcher’s cubicle, he immediately made his way to the elevator. <Since Constance Hunter is supposed to have seen this story of Miss Lane’s I better let her know what’s goin’ down.>
Ha ha! Go Jack!
Lois handed the diskette back to Constance and said, “I clearly remember having only one diskette and I tucked that into my desk drawer along with everything else.”
“Oh, this?” Constance grinned, as she put the diskette in her pocket and patted it securely. “It’s the spreadsheet for the Legal Department’s vacation schedule!”
Perry shook his head fighting to keep a grin from spreading across his face, “So much for Claude thinking less of you.”
Gotta love it when girls band together against a worm like Claude.
She was infuriated, yet despite her anger, she noticed a very handsome man sporting circular wire rim glasses, dark hair, wearing light gray pants and a dark gray shirt walking towards the elderly gentleman who had given her the newspaper. For some reason he gazed at her with a curiously joyful expression on his face.
Lois tried to ignore the man. He looks like he just fell off a turnip truck, Mr. Greenjeans, no matter how gorgeous he is didn’t matter and I’ve got bigger problems.
Uh-huh...
“Entirely possible. You see, she never boarded the Zurich Air flight. According to my records she departed with the Luthors who were on their way to Italy, they dropped her off in Rome and from there she caught a flight to Kinshasa and that is the last anyone heard of her.”
“Thank goodness! Maybe it was you giving her the newspaper which slowed her up long enough to get that phone call.” The younger man said.
“Precisely. Now she can move forward with her life and you will meet her under entirely different circumstances. This is a great victory, one to be savored Clark. For this is the time pivot which forced your life on a different trajectory, now we need to return you to two years prior to Tempus’ appearance in Metropolis so we can fix this wretched situation he threw you into.”
“Herb, do you really think it’s possible? What about my past self? We will exist at the same time.”
The little man bounced on his toes, apparently wanting to say something, but was reluctant to do so. “No. That will not happen. Please, please trust me; everything will be taken care of, all in due time.”
Clark whispered softly, almost reverently, “*My* Lois and I will have a life … together.”
“Exactly! My boy, both of you will enjoy many adventures together and will be very happy…”
“But I won’t have a secret identity. How could an intensely private woman like Lois Lane deal with the paparazzi? You saw how that crowd of photographers chased Luthor and his wife.”
“Clark, let me assure you, Lois in this or any universe can handle those ruffians quite easily. Remember this is Lois of five years ago. Currently, she is a relatively unpolished gem who has not won her first Kerth award. But by the time Tempus shows up, she *and* her counterpart will find a way to not only get you into the suit, but prevent your secret from being discovered.”
And thus the adventure begins....
