Chapter Thirteen
They checked out of the hotel at four the next morning and deposited their clothes in their new apartment closet. Clark waited on the street for the trucks while Lana walked to the nearest deli for breakfast and lunch fare. He lowered his glasses and watched over her. She must have known he was checking on her; when she left the deli she put the bags down, smiled, and waved in the general direction of her husband.
She turned the corner just as the first truck pulled up. Clark’s parents popped out and rushed to him. “No rest areas in the city!” Jonathan blurted.
Clark smiled and escorted them into the front of the building, then super-sped them up to the apartment. He pointed in two directions. “There and there. Both of them have tissue.”
Jonathan tossed Clark the keys to the truck they’d driven. Clark walked to the elevator just as the door opened and Lana stepped out, followed by her father and a tall, slender redheaded woman about his age.
Lana saw him and dumped the bags in his arms. “Here. Take this to the kitchen and put it away.”
Clark looked at Dennis Lang. “I’d salute if a had a free hand.”
Lana assumed a stern expression and pointed to their front door. “Kitchen. Now.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
In the front room, the redhead looked around and nodded. “This is nice. Your furniture should fit in here pretty well, not too much and not too little.”
Clark walked back from the kitchen. “We haven’t met yet. I’m Lana’s husband, Clark Kent.”
They shook hands. “I’m Virginia McCoy. Call me Ginny. Glad to meet you. Dennis has told me quite a lot about both of you.”
Dennis rubbed his hands together. “Ginny’s a doctor of cultural anthropology and an instructor at Idaho State. She’s between digs and classes right now. Clark, we’re going to wait for the next available restrooms, and then we’ll start ferrying up yours and Lana’s stuff. Can we park the trucks down on the street?”
“No, but I’ll move them into the underground parking area. There’s a large open space near the freight elevator reserved for this very purpose. You have your keys?”
“Here you go.”
Lana held out her hand. “I’ll take one, Clark.”
He held up both sets of keys. “Take your pick. They’re pretty much the same size.”
She snatched the set out of his right hand and spoke to her father as she walked out the door. “Just take the freight elevator to level P2. We’ll be there, unloading one of the trucks.”
*****
Thanks largely to Clark’s talents, they had both trucks empty by lunchtime. The goal, which they met, was to get everything into the apartment and return the trucks to reduce the rental fees. Lana and Clark would arrange the furniture later. They all flopped down on the sofa or in chairs and sighed.
Clark put his arm around Lana’s shoulders. “Wow. That went a lot faster than I thought it would. All you old folks worked really hard.”
Ginny’s eyes bulged, but she said nothing. Martha shook her head. “If I wasn’t so tired, my smart-alecky son, I’d come over there and wrench your ear off for insulting a young person like me.”
Ginny’s eyes showed comprehension and the corners of her mouth twitched upwards, but she remained silent. Lana stood slowly. “If anyone else is hungry, you can make yourself a sandwich. That’s where I’m going now.”
Clark patted her on the rear end. “How about one for me, babe?”
She shuffled towards the kitchen without looking at him. “How about you do it yourself, babe?”
In the ensuing silence, Clark dropped his gaze. “Sorry, folks, I guess I deserved that.”
Dennis shook his head. “I never know how Lana’s going to take what I say, except that she almost always comes around in the end.”
“Yeah, but this time I think I may have stepped over the line.”
Ginny stood. “Well, I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m hungry. Dennis, you want to give me a hand?”
“Sure. All I have to do is get up now.”
Clark stood and held out his hand. “How’s this?”
“Good enough.” Dennis pulled himself upright with a groan and reached for his back. “Oh, that’s gonna be sore in the morning.”
“You mean it’s not sore now?”
“Not like it will be tomorrow, no.”
Clark turned to follow them just as Lana came out of the kitchen with a tray. “Here, Clark. I’m sorry I snapped at you. I plead exhaustion and female silliness. Forgive me?”
He smiled at her. “Nothing to forgive. I was about to come in and make one for myself.”
“No need. But you could make lunch for your parents. I don’t think they want to get up off the couch.”
He nodded. “Mom? Dad? Any preferences?”
Jonathan nodded. “Feathers.”
“For lunch?”
“For my head. I’m really wiped out.”
Clark laughed with the rest, but he tuned in on his father’s heartbeat just the same. He was relieved to hear that it was normal. “What if I surprise you?”
“As long as you make it quick, sure.”
Clark walked into the kitchen to see Dennis and Ginny leaning shoulder-to-shoulder against each other. He smiled and cleared his throat.
They both jumped a little, and Ginny laughed. “I feel a little like a teenager who’s been caught necking on the front porch.”
Clark chuckled back. “It wasn’t so long ago that Dennis was doing the same thing to Lana and me. From my point of view, he deserves a little payback.”
Dennis frowned. “When I get my strength back, in four or five weeks, I’m going to hold you accountable for being so disrespectful, young man. Now, did you come in here for a reason other than interrupting us?”
“My folks are hungry and I’m going to surprise them.”
They stepped aside and picked up their own sandwiches. “The kitchen is yours, my good man.”
“That’s what it says on the lease.”
*****
Lunch ended, and Clark went into the master bedroom to assemble their bed. Lana pulled up a chair across from the sofa where her father and Ginny sat. Jonathan and Martha saw what she was doing and decided to ‘help’ Clark.
She smiled at them. “Okay, you two, time for the interrogation.”
Dennis frowned slightly. “I was kinda hoping you wouldn’t call it that.”
“Hey, I’m the married adult in the family now. You’re just a single guy.”
Ginny raised her eyebrows. “You always so sweet and innocent with your dad?”
Lana’s eyes were cutting lasers. “Yep. Sometimes even more than this.”
Dennis lifted one hand. “Okay, you two stop right there. This will not become a competition of any kind. Understand?”
Ginny nodded. “I’m more than willing, Dennis. Talk to your daughter.”
Lana bristled, but before she could speak, Dennis said, “Okay, Daughter, here are the rules. Ask any question you want as long as it’s not framed as an accusation.” Lana huffed slightly. “I mean it, Lana. That’s not negotiable.”
Lana held his gaze for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. I’m sorry for coming across like a Gestapo agent. And I don’t really want this to be an interrogation. I only want to find out what plans, if any, you two have for the future.”
Dennis held his ground. “What if we don’t want to tell you?”
Lana shrugged. “I suppose I’ll have to learn to live with disappointment. Not easy for an egocentric control freak like me.”
Ginny’s mouth twitched slightly. “Well, I think we can give you some hints, at least.”
“I’d like that. If that’s okay with Dad, of course.”
“It’s okay with me, as long as you don’t try to fix our mistakes.”
Lana spread her hands. “Promise. Pinky swear. Cross my heart and hope to fart.”
Ginny giggled. “Oh, please, Dennis, don’t make her resort to chemical warfare!”
All three of them broke up. Dennis recovered first. “Okay! Whew! Lana, when we leave here, we’re going to a dig in Florida. We’ll probably be there for a couple of months, then we’ll decide where to go from there.”
Lana frowned. “I thought Ginny was teaching at Idaho State.”
“I’m on sabbatical until the spring semester. The Florida dig is part of my second doctoral thesis. My theories about the use of stone tools by ancient Native Americans will be tested quite thoroughly there, and Dennis is going to supervise the cataloging of the artifacts.” She hugged his arm. “I’m lucky to have him there.”
Lana nodded. “Sounds wonderful. Best of luck with your thesis.” She leaned back. “But I was hoping for some personal plans and information too.”
Dennis nodded. “We’re not living together, or even occasionally sharing a bed, if that’s what you mean.”
Lana blushed. “Ah, no, actually, that’s more information than I really wanted.”
He frowned. “Then what are you asking us?”
Ginny touched him on the wrist and smiled patronizingly. “She wants to know if we’re planning to get married any time soon, you very sweet but extremely dense man.”
Dennis’s jaw dropped. He looked at Lana, who nodded. “Really? That’s what this is all about?”
“Well, yeah, Dad. I mean, you two touch each other, you smile at each other, you sit close together, you lean on each other’s shoulders, you look like you’re trying to give your friends something to talk about. What am I supposed to think?”
He composed himself. “What do you think?”
“You mean about you two getting married?”
He and Ginny both leaned forward intently. “Yes.”
Lana took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I think it’s your business, Dad. I only want to be kept in the loop, that’s all. If you two think it’s a good idea, who am I to tell you it’s not?”
Ginny reached out and took Lana’s hand in hers. “Thanks, Lana. I appreciate your attitude, even if your father doesn’t.”
“Hey! I do so appreciate it! She took me by surprise, that’s all.”
Lana grinned. “You were expecting maybe an explosion?”
He cocked his head to one side. “Yes, actually, I was. I had no idea what you thought.”
“Well, now you know. So, are you planning to get married?”
Dennis smiled. “We’d talked about it, but we hadn’t come to a decision yet. Partly because I wanted to get your input on the idea.”
Lana smirked at him. “What for? You’re the one who’ll have to live with her, not me.”
“True. So, I guess we’ll talk some more and let you know when we know.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Lana leaned over and hugged him, then hugged Ginny.
Ginny patted her on the back. “Whoa! That was a surprise.”
Lana smiled at her. “Yeah, Clark keeps telling me I surprise him a lot.”
“I believe it.” Ginny looked at Dennis. “So, what do you think?”
Dennis kissed her on the cheek. “I think we need to talk about it privately and come to a mutually agreed solution.”
She found his lips with hers. “Mmm. I think that’s a great idea.”
Lana watched for a few seconds, then smiled and said, “Hey, you two! I’m still in the room!”
Martha chose that moment to lean out of the bedroom doorway. “Lana Lang-Kent, since when did that ever stop you and Clark?”
*****
That night, Lana lay in Clark’s arms as he slept. Jonathan and Dennis were sprawled around the living room, Martha and Ginny were having a girls-only slumber party in the guest room, and Lana was thinking.
She thought about how wonderful her life was, how lucky she was to be married to the greatest guy in the world, and maybe the greatest hero of all time. She was suddenly overcome with love for the man sleeping quietly beside her. She stroked his hair gently, trying not to wake him, but his eyes fluttered open.
“Lana? Is anything wrong?”
Her eyes clouded over. “No, babe, no. Everything’s wonderful. Everything’s just wonderful. Go back to sleep, my darling.”
He slipped his arm around her waist and drew her closer. “You sure nothing’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Nothing could possibly be wrong at this moment. I just – I just love you so much!”
She let the tears come. Clark enfolded her in a powerfully gentle embrace as she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed for joy against his chest. She thought life couldn’t be better than it was at that particular moment.
*****
They said good-bye to Dennis and Ginny before leaving for work on their respective first days. Lana arrived at the Employee Relations office at eight-fifty on Monday morning. She’d dropped Clark off and taken their car to the museum after extracting a promise from him to meet her for lunch. She pushed through the glass office door and was greeted by a tall, slender woman with sharp but attractive features and long, impossibly dark hair that fluttered around her waist when she moved.
“Good morning, Mrs. Lang-Kent. My name is Phoebe Shining Mountain, and I will be taking care of your employment paperwork today. Please have a seat.”
“Thank you. Uh, how should I address you?”
The woman looked up, apparently puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Your family name is tribal Amerind, I think. Should I call you by your first name or your clan name?”
“Ah, I understand your question. Please call me Phoebe. May I call you Lana?”
“Sure. Are you from a Plains tribe?”
“I am of Sac and Fox descent. My people were originally from what are now the states of Ohio and Illinois. They were moved to reservations in what is now Oklahoma after the American Civil War.”
“Wasn’t Jim Thorpe’s original tribal name Bright Path? He was Sac and Fox too, wasn’t he?”
Phoebe smiled. “You know recent history as well as ancient history, I see. You are correct on both counts. Jim Thorpe is still held in high esteem in Oklahoma. A number of my friends claim to be related to him in some way. Many believe he was the finest American athlete of the twentieth century.”
“I did a high school report on him. I’m from Kansas, just north of Oklahoma.”
Phoebe nodded. “I am glad to know that. Now, we really need to dispose of all this mundane but highly necessary paperwork. May I have your driver’s license and social security card? I must photocopy them for your file and for your I-4 form.”
Lana dug in her purse. “Here you go.”
“Thank you. While I am gone, you might as well start on the W-4 for the IRS and your personal data sheet.”
“Next of kin, right?”
“Of course.” Phoebe stood. “We must contact the correct party or parties should you be accidentally crushed by a falling exhibit.”
Lana grimaced. “That happen often?”
Phoebe walked out the side door as she spoke. “There is always a first time.”
*****
Clark walked into the newsroom at nine-thirty that morning. He’d finished the pre-employment requirements in near-record time, claiming – truthfully – that he was eager to get to work. Perry White was looking over Lois Lane’s shoulder and pointing to something on her computer screen. She was frowning as she typed, obviously making a correction she didn’t want to make.
Clark walked up beside them. Perry noticed him first. “Kent! Hey, you made it through the labyrinth quick! Step inside my office for a minute. I’ll be right there.”
Clark nodded and complied. He looked around the newsroom through the glass in Perry’s office door and saw the chaotic pulse of a major news organization. They were under constant pressure to get the whole story, make sure everything they printed was factual and verified, make the story interesting to read, and get it out to the public immediately if not sooner.
Clark remembered a conversation he’d had with Lana a few weeks before. She’d pointed out that technology had created an easier world for people, but also one where people had less and less patience. People in the worlds she studied had communicated only as quickly as a trade caravan or a traveler on horseback could move from one place to another, and nowadays people became angry if news came to them an hour after it had happened. The result was that the people reporting the news were under constant stress, since the completion of one story only meant the beginning of another one.
Clark had seen all that, had agreed with Lana’s analysis, had understood that she probably couldn’t take very much of that kind of pressure, and he still couldn’t wait to get into the middle of it all. The last few years of being Superman had taught him that, while people sometimes needed help only he could give, they weren’t babies and weren’t helpless without him. He still suffered pangs of regret when he couldn’t help everyone who needed it, but he thought he’d come to terms with the knowledge that no one could right every wrong in the world, much less all those in Metropolis.
Perry pointed at Lois, then grinned at her. Clark could hear him say, “Good work, Lois. Save that and send it to my inbox. I’ll forward it to Melvin and it’ll make the afternoon edition.”
“In the Metro section!” she wailed.
“That’s better than not getting printed at all! Now get back with Claude on that weapons smuggling ring. I have to get Kent started on some things.”
Perry opened the door and shook hands with Clark. “Glad to have you on board, Clark! Sit down and we’ll get you working.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Perry grinned conspiratorially. “You’d be surprised how few rookies understand that.” Perry sat behind his desk. “First of all, let me officially welcome you to the Daily Planet. You’ve written for us before, and you know the kinds of features we print, so none of these assignments should surprise you. Before I give them to you, though, I have to go through my speech about how working for a newspaper every day is different from writing freelance. You have to be here at eight every morning and get the story down fast and get it down accurately. I have time to guide my young reporters, because that’s part of my job, but I don’t have time to motivate you or to write your pieces for you. I’m confident that I won’t have that problem with you, Clark.”
“No, sir, I don’t expect you will.”
“Good! Here you go. We need a profile of this city councilman’s oldest daughter. She’s a real angel, about to start her senior year in high school. It’s good human interest, the kind of stuff you’re already used to doing, and it’s a safe piece for you to get started on. Make sure you get info on her college plans, and don’t pry too deeply into her love life. She’s not supposed to have one yet.
“We also need a piece on the new fountain in the uptown mall. They’ve spent a lot of time and money on it, and our readers would like to know if it’s something worth going to the mall to see. And, should you have the time – which you should – we have a file drawer full of obituaries that need updating. You can’t be too up-to-date on your obits. If you get all this done before Friday, let me know and I’ll load you up again.”
“Thanks, Mr. White. Is there a desk for me, or should I pick an unoccupied one?”
“You’ll have the empty desk to the left of Lois Lane. Ah, I noticed when you were here the other day that you and she aren’t exactly the best of friends. Is being close to her going to be a problem for you?”
Clark shook his head. “I don’t think it’ll be a problem for me, no.”
“Good!” Perry stood. “Let’s get you settled in. Oh, good, there’s Elaine. She’ll take you through the Planet’s computer operating system and phone system. Make sure you follow the password guidelines.”
Clark stood and shook Perry’s hand. “Thank you, Mr. White. I appreciate this opportunity.”
“Just make me glad I gave it to you, son.”
*****
Clark and Lana didn’t make their lunch date. By the time Lana got to a phone, Clark was out of the office on his assignment, and when he got back, Lana’s new office number had already been changed, and he spent several confusing minutes talking to the museum tour secretary. They finally exchanged phone numbers at about three o’clock and laughingly agreed to have dinner at home together. Jonathan and Martha had volunteered to stay a couple of days to help them over the hump.
Lana picked Clark up in front of the Planet building just after six. The commute to their new apartment took about thirty minutes, and they smelled Martha’s meatloaf surprise as soon as they walked in. Lana dropped her purse on the nearest chair and inhaled deeply.
“Wow! Martha, that smells fabulous! Thank you so much for cooking tonight.”
Martha smiled and put the last of the dishes on the table. “It’s a privilege to cook for my son and my favorite daughter-in-law. Besides, I don’t know how often you two will be able to make it out to Smallville, now that you’re ensconced in your new domicile.”
Jonathan chuckled. “Adult education English classes.”
“Mom? You’re still taking adult education classes?”
Martha shook her head. “I’m teaching them.”
Clark’s jaw dropped for a moment. “Oh.”
Lana grabbed his arm. “Come on, you can be properly amazed over dinner. I missed lunch and I’m ravenous.”
*****
Clark leaned back and whistled between his teeth. “Mom, that was the best peach pie I’ve eaten since the last time I ate your peach pie.”
“Thank you, Clark. Lana, would you like another piece?”
Lana waved her hands ‘no.’ “I can tell already, I’m going to have to join a gym. City living isn’t like a small town or college. It’d be easy for me to get really fat, and I refuse to look like the south end of a north-bound bus.” She wiped her mouth. “Clark, do you know of a good gym close by?”
“I can check. I was pretty busy today, too.”
She smiled and patted his arm. “I know you were busy, babe, and I’m glad you hit the ground running. Hey, how do they treat you at the Planet?”
“Like a rookie who has to ask where the men’s room is. How else?”
“No, I mean do they look at you funny? Like you’re an unclassified life form?”
“Uh, no, not really. Why?”
“Because that’s what I’m getting at the museum. People will be talking to me normally, then all of a sudden we’ll walk by someone else or I’ll ask a question and they’ll hesitate, say something else, and watch to see how I respond. I’m glad I’m home, where no one looks at me weird.”
Jonathan made a goofy face and lifted his hands into claw shapes. “You mean like this?”
Martha threw a napkin at him. Lana smiled, but she was the only one who didn’t laugh aloud. “It’s really odd. It’s like that dream where everybody knows something about you that no one else does, like you’re walking around naked and you’re the only one who doesn’t realize it. I’ve been the new kid on the block on several digs, but I’ve never seen anything quite like this.”
Clark drew closer to her. “Do you want Superman to take a quick look? Maybe I can spot something.”
She shook her head. “No, not now. I’m just going to chalk it up to nerves and being the interloper in the pack. I’ll be okay.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “If you say so. Mom, Dad, are you two driving back to Smallville or flying Superman express?”
“Your mother and I want to visit her cousin in Indiana before we head for home. We’ve already reserved a rental car. We’ll say our goodbyes before we go to bed, because we’re getting up before the chickens on Wednesday morning.”
“Give my love to Aunt Vernell, okay?”
“We will, son. Now, I’d better get these dishes rinsed before your mother gives me a lecture on sharing the housework.”
“Hey, I hear that.” Lana swatted him on the leg. He turned to his father with a deadpan expression and said, “Ouch. I feel your pain, Dad.”
*****
It was Lana’s second Monday on the job, and the museum cafeteria was bustling at lunchtime. Lana brought her tray away from the cashier and scanned the room for an open table. She spied Phoebe Shining Mountain seated at a table, talking to Lamont Greer, the loading dock supervisor, and decided to start building friendships.
As she approached, she heard the last portion of their conversation. Phoebe was saying, “Of course, Mr. Greer. I will be in my office at three-thirty today. We may discuss your savings plan and your wife’s medical benefits at that time.”
He smiled and nodded. “Thank you, ma’am. I’ll be there. Excuse me, but that’s my boss coming, so I gotta get back to work.”
He smiled at Lana, who returned it. “I doubt the dock will disappear if you’re not there for ten minutes, Lamont.”
“Thanks, Ms. Kent, but I really gotta get back. See you later.”
Lana nodded to his retreating form. “Lamont seems like a nice guy.”
“He is. Do you also wish to make an appointment with me in my professional capacity?”
“No, I’d like to join you for lunch, if that’s okay.”
Phoebe smiled. “Please do. I appreciate the company.”
“Thanks. Do you eat here often, or are there a couple of really good lunch spots nearby?”
“There are a few. Do you usually limit yourself to salad and ice water?”
Lana grimaced. “No, but I’ve been packing it away pretty good for the last few days. Clark’s parents helped us move from Kansas, and they stayed over for a couple of days, and they’re both fabulous cooks and they trained Clark to cook, and, well, you get the idea.”
Phoebe chuckled. “I do indeed. I admire your resolve to remain slender.”
Lana nodded. “It’s an ongoing battle, at least for me. So tell me all about your life, Phoebe. Married or single or committed or looking or what? Kids? Parents? Anything at all. I’m dying to find a girlfriend I can gossip with.”
Phoebe smiled and tilted her head to one side. “You do not strike me as a social climber, Lana. So I will tell you a little about myself today and save the rest for later conversations.”
“Sounds good to me. You talk and I’ll make my lunch disappear.”
“As you wish. I have been with the museum for nine years. My first doctorate is in anthropology, specifically studying the Native American tribes of the east coast. Did you know, for example, that from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries the Iroquois Confederation controlled much of what is now New England and southeastern Canada? And that the tribes were at peace with one another?”
Lana washed down a mouthful of lettuce. “I knew that generally, but I don’t know much detail.”
“There is much to know. The tribes were not nomadic, as the Plains tribes were, especially after the importation of horses by the Spanish in the early sixteenth century. They – “
Lana held up her hand. “Wait. Are you telling me that the Plains peoples didn’t even have horses until the Europeans brought them?”
“They did not. They began herding horses themselves when they saw how successfully the Spanish utilized them. But I was telling you of the Iroquois and their alliances.”
“Sorry. I’ll eat and listen intently.”
Suddenly Phoebe’s expression flickered, like a movie film with a few frames missing. She recovered so quickly that if Lana hadn’t been focused on her face she would have missed the moment. As Phoebe began speaking again, Lana saw Prudhomme Smith walk past their table, carrying her tray to the kitchen. Miss Smith never looked in their direction, but Lana could almost see her ears swiveling to lock in on their conversation.
Phoebe resumed her narrative, but Lana’s attention was split between the story of the Iroquois tribal wars and the deliberate gait of her boss’s secretary as she left the cafeteria. She made an impulsive decision to trust Phoebe.
Lana broke into the story. “Phoebe, that’s really interesting, but what’s going on here?”
The other woman’s expression froze. “I do not know what you mean, Lana.”
“Yes, you do. You saw Dr. Bean’s secretary walk by like she was checking us out and something happened. Your face changed for just a second, like you knew you were under surveillance. Something’s going on here and no one will let me in on the joke. Will you?”
“You say this. Why should I believe you? Perhaps you are attempting to discover what I know and use it against me.”
Lana did her best to control her reaction. “Look, Phoebe, if I’m trying to spy on you, why would Ms. Smith be spying on both of us? Besides, if I’m one of the people on the inside, why would I even bring it up to you? Wouldn’t that just increase your suspicions?”
Phoebe shook her head slightly. “I am not certain – “
“Just give me a hint, please! I’ve gone from bantering with people to walking on eggshells around them in the middle of a sentence and I have no idea why. Can’t you please tell me what’s going on?”
Phoebe stared deeply into Lana’s eyes. “You do not know? Truly?”
Lana sighed. “No, I don’t and it’s really bugging me. I feel like the new prisoner on the cell block who doesn’t know about the warden’s drug smuggling ring.” Her eyes widened. “Tell me that’s not it! Please!”
Phoebe shook her head. Her long raven hair shimmered along her neck and shoulders. “No. I am certain there are no drugs involved. Something is happening, but I am almost as much in the dark as you are. All I can tell you is that it is not something one asks about. It has only been during the last two years that this has been going on, but I do not know what ‘it’ is.”
“Can’t you find out?”
Phoebe impaled Lana with a stare. “I have tried. Those who ask too many questions lose their jobs and discover that other employment in the field is difficult to find. My work with the Iroquois tribal history is vital to me. I will not risk my career for something I cannot even name.”
Lana sat back. “I see. I think I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“Oh? You think so little of me now?”
“I don’t think ill of you. I just didn’t realize you’d been threatened. I won’t mention it again.”
Phoebe sighed. “It is not so much a threat as it is an attitude. Those who are ‘in the loop’ are wary of those who are not ‘in the loop.’ As you surely have gathered by now, I am of the second group.” Her expression softened. “As your new friend, Lana, I urge you not to probe too deeply into this – whatever it is. I have no hard facts, but I believe that the situation will resolve itself soon. And it may be something quite benign, despite our fears.”
“And despite the evidence?”
“I have no evidence. Are you in possession of information that I do not have?”
Lana shook her head. “No. I just have feelings and impressions that something’s not kosher here.”
Phoebe leaned forward. “I understand your concerns and I share them. But I learned a harsh lesson as a child, growing up as an outsider in the white man’s culture, a lesson which has been reinforced by my studies. Being the person or group on the ‘right’ side has less influence on the outcome of a conflict than possessing superior weapons, numbers, supplies, and tactics. My ancestors fought an unwinnable war against your ancestors because of those factors. Many of my family in Oklahoma still depend on my income to survive. If some in this museum are indeed involved in some illegal or dangerous enterprise, I have no wish to be involved, either deliberately or accidentally. I cannot risk taking food from the mouths of my nieces and nephews because I am uncomfortable with something that I cannot name and cannot be certain actually exists.”
Lana nodded. “I think I understand. I’m sorry.”
“For what? For being on the winning side? For reminding me of something I try to pretend does not exist?”
“No. For imposing on a friendship that hasn’t been built yet.”
It was Phoebe’s turn to sit back. “I see. I am sorry I have disappointed you.”
Lana leaned forward and reached out for Phoebe’s hand. “I’m not disappointed! Not in you, in me. I’m sorry I put pressure on you. You don’t know me, you have no way of knowing how trustworthy I may or may not be, and I can’t expect you to risk your livelihood on the say-so of a woman you’ve just met.” She sat back again. “I’d still like to be your friend.”
Phoebe’s smile didn’t illuminate her eyes as it had before. “Thank you. I would like that also. Perhaps we can work on that in the future. One cannot have too many friends. Now, please excuse me. I must return to my office. I have work which cannot wait.”
She picked up her tray and strode regally to the tray return, then out the door. Not once did she look back at Lana.
