Chapter Ten
>>>Friday, 7:51 AM
Lois stepped out of the elevator at ten till eight and moved aside to allow the others getting off at the news floor to walk past her. She glanced around the room and spotted Cat, who had just poured her first coffee of the morning. Lois followed her to her desk and smiled as the tall redhead flopped loosely into her chair.
“Good morning, Cat. How’s the gossip business today?”
Cat hesitated, then looked at Lois. “Huh?”
Lois lost her smile. “You okay? Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t look so good.”
Cat shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I just – there’s something private going on right now.”
“Sure, I understand. You need to bend someone’s ear, just come see me.”
Cat managed a wan smile. “Thanks, Lois. I appreciate that.”
Lois nodded as she stepped back. “Don’t forget. And we’ll have to have lunch together one day next week. As long as it’s not Tuesday.”
“Tuesday? Why is that?”
“Big interview with Lex Luthor. I may pick up some stuff for you, too.”
“Oh, yeah, I’d forgotten about that. Good luck.”
“Thanks. We’ll talk later.”
Lois turned and made her way to her desk, feeling uncharacteristically positive about the morning. She’d enjoyed the party the night before, Gandalf had kept his distance while dancing with her quite skillfully, she’d strengthened her relationship with Jimmy a little more, and the time spent with Clark had been a real bonus. It had been a long time since she’d been around a guy who didn’t make her think he was either undressing her with his eyes or taking her way too lightly.
Clark didn’t do either of those things. He was turning out to be an even better person, a better man, then she’d ever thought. Lois had worried that he’d want to talk about their time in Dr. Friskin’s office, but he hadn’t mentioned it once. Maybe it would become one of those unspoken milestones in their relationship. She hoped so. The last thing she wanted to do with Clark was talk their relationship to death.
She glanced over at his desk, surprised not to see him. With a sigh, she sat down and pulled up her scheduler on her computer. She frowned at the screen and picked up the phone to scroll through her voicemail.
She didn’t notice her editor standing beside her desk until he cleared his throat.
“What? Oh, hi, Perry. Did you want to talk to me?”
“Yes. Come to my office as soon as you’re free.”
She frowned. “Okay.” She stared at his retreating back. Perry was almost never that morose. Something must be wrong.
She made notes for the two voicemails on her system and decided that nothing else demanded immediate attention, so she walked to Perry’s office and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
She pushed the door open slowly and was surprised to see Clark sitting in front of Perry’s desk. His elbows were on his knees and his head hung down.
Lois wondered what was going on this time. “You wanted to see me, Chief?”
“Shut the door, please, Lois.” She did. “Congratulations are due to both of you for that carjacking story in last night’s evening edition.”
Clark shrugged. “Lois did most of the work. I wasn’t much more than a conversation partner for her.”
Perry shook his head. “You got the first break, Clark, and Lois put it together with what she already had, and between the two of you we got a crackerjack story. You two have a writing chemistry that shows up in the copy. It’s going to boost our sales.”
Lois squinted at him. “Then why don’t you look happy?”
“It was the other thing.”
She nodded knowingly. “Ah. The other thing.”
Perry didn’t smile back. “I got a phone call yesterday while you two were getting some well-deserved rest.”
He hesitated, then continued. “The Metropolis Museum of Natural History called. They need to return Lana’s personal belongings to Clark and have him sign some legal papers. You got anything really pressing right now?”
“The White Orchid Ball is tonight.”
“You ready for that?”
She nodded. “Picked up my dress yesterday morning.”
“Anything else?”
“Nothing that will fall apart before lunch. Why?”
“I want you to take Clark to the museum and give him a hand.”
Lois felt a chill against her spine. “You – you want me to – to go with Clark? To the museum?”
“Yes. Unless, of course, you have some reason not to go.”
She swallowed and forced herself to breathe in and out. “No. I don’t have any reason not to go with him.”
Perry picked up a message slip and handed it to Lois. “Ask for Phoebe Shining Mountain in Employee Relations. She’ll take care of everything.”
Lois nodded. The slip of paper felt as insubstantial as a soap bubble and bulky as an anvil all at once. She slowly lifted her gaze to Perry. “When should we go?”
Perry shrugged. “The lady said she’d be in her office all day, starting at eight this morning. She also said that if Clark wanted to come at any other time, he should let her know and she’d make sure she was there, before daylight, weekend, midnight, whatever.”
Clark lifted his head. “I’d like to go now. If that’s okay with you, Lois.”
She nodded and spoke softly. “That’s fine. Give me a minute to shut down my workstation and I’ll be ready.”
*****
Cat watched Clark and Lois head out. Both of them seemed unusually serious, especially given Lois’s good mood earlier. On impulse, she flagged down the nearest person walking by.
“Jimmy! Hey, do you know where Clark and Lois are going?”
“You need to talk to one of them? I have Lois’s cell number.”
“No, that’s okay. Lois and I were talking about having lunch and I wondered if she’d be available today.”
“Probably. Lois is taking Clark to pick up the last of his wife’s stuff from the museum.”
Cat’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Whose idea was that?”
Jimmy tilted his head in thought. “Mr. White’s idea. Why?”
“Oh, nothing, never mind. I’ll just catch her when she gets back.”
Jimmy nodded. “Okay. I, uh, gotta get these proofs to the photo lab, and then I have to –“
She smiled and waved him on his way. “Go ahead. And thanks.”
She waited until the elevator doors closed behind him, then she picked up her cell phone and punched in the special number.
“Hello?”
“This is Cat Grant. Lois Lane and Clark Kent are headed to the Metropolis Museum of Natural History.”
“Why?”
The voice sounded puzzled, even through the distortion. “Kent’s wife worked there before she died. I guess it’s about that.”
“Very well. Anything else?”
Cat hesitated, then continued. “Yes. Lois Lane has an interview with Lex Luthor on Tuesday of next week.”
“I knew that.”
Cat exhaled sharply. “I couldn’t know that you already knew! You told me – “
“Relax, Ms. Grant. I’m glad you mentioned the interview. It tells me that you’re upholding your end of the bargain.”
Cat almost asked about her marker again, but couldn’t bring herself to say the words. “That’s all I have now.”
“Very well. Call me again when you have something else worthwhile.”
Cat hung up her phone and closed her eyes. She hoped she hadn’t just crossed the line and put someone in real danger.
But the threat of injury or death against her and against her parents was compelling. She’d been caught between a rock and a hard place, faced with the choice of reporting to someone whose name she didn’t know but who surely used the information she sent for evil, or refusing to continue and placing her parents – who had no idea what she was doing or that she’d managed to put their lives in someone’s crosshairs – in mortal danger. The huge gambling debt she’d accumulated in college continued to haunt her, and every waking hour she regretted being so stupid. Even taking a second job wouldn’t help her pay off the mountain of debt in anything resembling a reasonable amount of time. The voice on the phone consistently refused to give her any hint of when she’d be out from under this obligation, or if she ever would be done with it.
Cat was afraid that she’d never pay off her marker. She was afraid that the voice would keep using her and keep using her as long as she passed on information, and that the habit of making those calls was too ingrained by now to simply stop. It was almost as if she was addicted to the keypad on that phone. She knew she’d keep calling the number until the day she couldn’t simply do it anymore.
And then she’d die.
*****
Clark settled into the car seat and shut the Jeep’s passenger door. “Lois?”
She didn’t look at him. “Yes, Clark?”
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
She jammed the key into the ignition. “Perry said I should go. I’ll go.”
He put his hand on her elbow and stopped her frantic movement. “It’s okay. I understand. You really don’t have to go with me.”
She turned to him. “Yes, I do. I have to face those people. I need to let them see me and let them know I’m not a monster.”
He frowned. “I think they know that already. Besides, Lana only worked there for about three months. I doubt she had time to make very many intimate friends.”
She sat back and put both hands on the wheel. “That’s – not the only thing.”
“Oh? What else is there?”
She hesitated, then closed her eyes. “I want you to listen to this and not say anything until I’m done, okay?”
Clark looked puzzled but agreed. “Okay, if you say so.”
“Good.” She opened her eyes and turned to face him. “Lana asked me to do something else just before – before I left her on the ship. She – “
“Look, Lois, I thought we decided – “
“Clark!” she barked. “You agreed to listen and not talk.”
His eyes brightened for a moment, then he nodded.
“Good. The other last thing she said – besides for me to tell you that she loved you – was for me to take care of you.”
Clark waited a long moment, then frowned. “That’s it? That’s your big secret? That’s what’s bothering you? That you think you’re responsible for me now?”
She slapped the steering wheel with both hands. “Yes! And what do you mean, is that it? I think taking care of an emotionally fragile Superman would be a huge job for anyone!”
To her amazement, he laughed. “Emotionally fragile? Me?”
He leaned against the door and laughed again. Lois finally smiled. “Yeah, it is a little funny, isn’t it?”
He sat up and wiped his face. “Wow. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For the best laugh I’ve had in weeks.” He chuckled again and she joined him.
“Glad to be of service, sir.” She backed the Jeep out of the parking slot and headed towards the street.
He waited a moment, then said, “Lois, can I ask you a question?”
Her eyes were darting about, watching for stupid drivers. “Sure, go ahead.”
“Okay. And please don’t misunderstand. I’m only asking for information.”
She frowned again, but nodded. “Go ahead.”
“I was wondering where you were trying to go when you left the ship’s hold.”
The question startled her and she avoided running a red light only because she stood on the brake pedal at the last moment.
Clark waited until the Jeep quit rocking, then said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to distract you.”
“It’s okay.” She flexed her fingers on the wheel. “It’s just – I didn’t expect that kind of question.”
“Oh. Sorry again. You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to.”
“No, Clark, I don’t mind telling you. I was trying to get to the radio room and call for help.”
“I see.”
The light turned green and she sped away from the intersection. “Lana was hurt pretty badly and I didn’t know how much longer she – wait.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t – maybe I’d better restate that.”
He nodded. “If you want to. But I know that Lana’s dead. I’m a widower. I don’t particularly like that situation, but there’s nothing I can do about it now, and getting upset every time someone talks about her won’t help me a bit. Besides, I’d like to know what she said in her – what she said to you before you left.”
Lois glanced at him. “You sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure.”
“Okay. That’s really about it, except I was afraid you weren’t going to get there in time. And, well, until you dropped me quite rudely in that raft and I saw how you reacted when I called you by name, I didn’t really believe you were Superman.”
“What, you thought Lana was delirious?”
She grinned. “Actually, I thought she was trying to keep my spirits up. I just couldn’t stand to sit back and do nothing.”
“I see.” He sat back until they stopped at another traffic signal. “That was very brave of you.”
Her head snapped around to stare at him. “Brave? Me?”
“Yes. You knew that you couldn’t possibly hold all those men off with just one pistol, but you tried it anyway, and you did it for Lana and not for yourself. I think that’s very brave.”
“Oh.” She slowly faced forwards again. “Huh. I would’ve said Lana was the brave one. She didn’t have my martial arts skills and she’d been shot, but she never asked me to stay with her or acted like she was the least bit afraid. Not once.”
“I think you were both very brave.”
She forced herself not to shed the tears that were threatening to spill. “Thanks.”
They finished the trip in silence and parked in the office visitor’s area. Lois dashed the wetness from her face before Clark walked around to meet her, and she watched him pretend he hadn’t seen it.
The concierge directed them to Employee Relations, where they met a young, disinterested blonde who didn’t bother to show them her plastic smile. “Can I help you?”
“Clark Kent to see Phoebe Shining Mountain.”
“Mm’kay.” The girl pressed a button on her phone. “Ms. Hill, there’s a Clark Kent here for you.”
After a moment, the door behind the girl’s desk opened and a tall woman with long raven hair stepped out. “Mr. Kent? I am Phoebe Shining Mountain. Please come in.”
Clark took her proffered hand. “Thank you. This is my co-worker, Lois Lane. She’s my chauffer for the morning.”
Phoebe nodded briefly to Lois, then looked closer. “Ah. We meet again, Ms. Lane. I am pleased to know your name.”
Lois frowned. “We meet again?”
“Yes. Lana and I were having lunch in MacKenzie’s Deli some weeks ago and we literally bumped into you.”
“Oh. I remember now.” Lois cautiously shook Phoebe’s hand. “Hello again. I want – I need to apologize to you. I behaved very badly that day and I deeply regret it.”
Phoebe smiled slightly. “The past is done, Ms. Lane, and cannot be changed. Please, both of you, come in.”
Phoebe held the door open for Lois and Clark, then turned to the blonde and said, “Deborah, please hold all my calls until further notice.”
The girl popped her gum and nodded vaguely in Phoebe’s direction. Phoebe’s smile never wavered, but she stiffened slightly before closing the office door behind her.
Clark waited until both Lois and Phoebe sat before taking his seat. Phoebe leaned her elbows on her desk and softly said, “Mr. Kent, I am very sorry for the loss of your wife. She was a good person, honest and trustworthy, and despite the brief time we were acquainted, she enriched my life. I will miss her.”
Lois frowned. “Is there some reason why this had to happen today? Could you have waited a few days, or maybe called earlier?”
Phoebe nodded. “I would have contacted Mr. Kent earlier, but some of the legal documents with which we must deal were not finalized until yesterday morning. And I could not wait long. I have been offered the position of curator of the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History in Oklahoma. Even though I have yet to notify my current employers of my decision, I intend to do so this afternoon, and this will be one of my last official acts before I leave Metropolis.”
Clark sat back in the chair. Lois closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. When she looked up, Phoebe was handing Clark a clipboard with several sheets of paper attached.
“I regret the necessity of this paperwork, Mr. Kent,” Phoebe said, “but we must placate the attorneys on all sides.”
Clark nodded and took the clipboard. “I understand. Where do I sign?”
“There are four forms which require your signature, Mr. Kent. The first will allow us to release your wife’s personal effects to you. They are packed in two boxes in the closet behind me.”
She waited while he signed it. “The second acknowledges your receipt of this check from the museum’s insurance company.”
He took the check from her, looked at it, and nodded. “Thank you. That’s very generous.”
Phoebe shook her head. “Two years of salary is poor compensation for your loss, Mr. Kent, but that is – or, more precisely, was – the museum’s policy for the loss of a family member who was involved in museum business at the time of his or her demise.”
He frowned. “The gun-running was one of the museum’s businesses?”
Phoebe started and leaned back. “No, of course not. But she was one of our executives, and since the museum was being used for nefarious purposes by others of our staff and because she was inadvertently caught up in its wake, the museum bears some responsibility.” She lowered her voice. “This is not a bribe, Mr. Kent, it is a sincere apology. Please believe this.”
He turned to Lois. “What do you think I should do?”
Surprised, she shifted nervously in her chair. “Uh. I don’t know. Is there any specific reason you shouldn’t take it?”
He frowned at her and hesitated. “No, I suppose there isn’t.”
“Then you should take it. If you don’t feel like you should keep it, pick a worthy charity and give it to them. Maybe you could use the money to fund that corporation that Lana started for archaeology research, um, Digger Enterprises?”
Phoebe nodded in agreement. “That is a good idea, Mr. Kent.”
Clark stared at the check in his hand for a long moment, then exhaled. “Okay. I’ll sign this form too.”
Phoebe smiled slightly. “Thank you, Mr. Kent.” She waited while he turned to the third page. “This form is a release of liability. Simply put, it means that you agree not to sue the museum over the events of this past summer.”
Clark sat up abruptly. “If I haven’t sent a lawyer after you up to now, what makes you think I’ll do it in the future?”
Lois put in, “And does he have to sign that form to get the check you were being so generous with a minute ago?”
Phoebe waved her hands and scooted her chair back. “Please, Mr. Kent, Ms. Lane, let me explain. There is no link between any of these forms. Should you, Mr. Kent, choose not to sign this form, we will move on to the next item. As I said when we began, these documents are for our attorneys. They want to know that you have no intention of bringing a lawsuit against us.”
Clark crossed his arms. “And if I don’t sign?”
Phoebe shrugged. “Then one of the junior partners in the law firm may lose some sleep to worrying over that unsigned piece of paper.”
Clark lifted his eyebrows, then slowly grinned. “Far be it from me to rob an attorney of anything, especially sleep.” He scratched his name onto the form.
“Thank you, Mr. Kent. Now this last form.”
Clark read through it quickly, then sat back and read it again. “Am I reading this correctly? This one says that – “
“That LexCorp will pay you your wife’s salary for the next five years, yes. And there will be no taxes taken out of the check. All taxes will be paid by LexCorp.”
Lois steepled her fingers in front of her face. “That’s – exceptionally generous.”
Phoebe nodded. “Yes, it is. And there is one other item that you, Ms. Lane, must be aware of. No word of this arrangement may be published by Mr. Kent or by anyone with whom he works. This is to be done without any publicity.”
“Uh-huh. Who thought this up?”
“Mr. Luthor himself.”
Clark sat up straight. “Lex Luthor authorized this?”
Phoebe nodded again. “Mr. Luthor explained this arrangement to me personally. No one in the museum besides myself will be aware of this. The money will come directly from LexCorp and will not appear on the museum’s books. It will be deposited in whatever account you wish, or you may choose one or more charities as the destination for the money. You may also alter your choice at any time during the next five years.”
“And the only obligation I have is to keep this quiet?”
“Yes, Mr. Kent. That is all.”
Clark looked at Phoebe, then at the form, then back at Phoebe. “That’s a lot of money.”
She smiled. “Yes. As I said, no amount of money can compensate someone for the loss of a loved one, but the money can, at least, ease the physical demands of keeping house and feeding oneself.”
Lois shook her head. This was something she’d remember to ask Luthor about at their interview next week. Off the record, of course, and after she’d established some kind of rapport with him. It would be stupid to lead with a question like this.
Clark finally scrawled his name on the last form. “Okay – say, what should I call you?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Well, we asked for Phoebe Shining Mountain, but your secretary called you ‘Ms. Hill’ when she announced us. What do people call you?”
Phoebe scowled for a moment, then blanked her features. “I apologize. Deborah insists that Shining Mountain is too long and too odd a name to use casually, so she substitutes Hill. It appears to me that she believes she is being facetious. I have asked her to address me by my first name, but she declines to use that form of address also.” She stood. “Please, call me Phoebe. I am proud to be of the Sac and Fox people, but I do not wish to burden others with my tribal name.”
Clark stood also and extended his hand. “Thank you, Phoebe. Please, call me Clark.”
Phoebe shook his hand, then turned to Lois. “I invite you to address me as Phoebe also, Ms. Lane.”
Lois stood up and smiled slightly. “Thank you. But only if you’ll call me Lois.”
“Done. And now, Clark, shall we complete our appointment?”
“Sure.”
Phoebe opened the closet behind her to reveal two gray plastic fold-top boxes labeled “Personal Effects: Lana Lang-Kent.” Lois watched Clark’s face blank out as he saw them.
He stopped for a moment, then reached out and touched the top box. He unfastened the restraining cord and opened it slowly, then pulled out a large photo frame. It held a candid shot of Clark and Lana throwing a Frisbee in the Kent’s front yard. Lois glanced at the picture over his shoulder and almost heard their laughter as they played together.
Clark stared at the picture for a moment, then touched it gently, almost reverently. Lois hesitated, then whispered to Phoebe, “Do you have another pressing appointment after Clark?”
Phoebe shook her head ‘no.’ Lois turned Phoebe’s chair around and touched Clark’s legs with it, then put her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll be back in a little while, Clark.”
He nodded absently and sat down. He put the picture to one side and delved into the box again. Lois collected Phoebe with her eyes and the two women catfooted out of the office, leaving Clark alone with his memories.
****
As Phoebe closed her office door, she turned and lightly tapped Deborah on the shoulder. The girl boredly dropped the phone away from her ear and said flatly, “What.”
“Ms. Lane and I will be back in approximately twenty minutes. Please have that spreadsheet ready by then.”
“Yah, ‘kay.” She turned back to her phone. “So, like, anyway, he said he’d call, but, like, he ain’t called, so, like, should I call him or just key his car or stick a potato in his exhaust pipe or – “
The girl’s grating voice faded into the background as Phoebe led Lois down the hallway. “I apologize for Deborah. She is the youngest daughter of the one remaining director who was not directly affected by the gun-smuggling scandal and has never worked anywhere before.”
“Uh-huh. How much longer is she going to work here?”
Phoebe shook her head. “I do not know. I was originally told she was to be a summer intern, but she apparently enjoys receiving payment for not doing her job more than she enjoys not studying in school.”
Lois chuckled. “I take it the real world hasn’t intruded on her life yet?”
“I believe not. Ah, we have arrived at the cornucopia of dreams, otherwise fabled as the museum cafeteria. Would you care for a late breakfast, Lois? Or would you prefer something to drink?”
“How’s the coffee?”
“It is guaranteed not to dissolve your cup before you drink it, assuming you do not dawdle over it.”
“Oh, you guys like it thin, huh?”
Phoebe laughed softly. “I suppose the Daily Planet’s coffee is not of the gourmet variety?”
“Not even close.”
“Then you must allow me to pay for this cup.”
“Deal.”
Lois’s coffee was black, two sugars, and Phoebe splurged on a cappuccino with whipped cream. “I do not make a habit of drinking so many calories this early in the day. Lana inspired me to lose a bit of weight.”
Lois eyed Phoebe as they sat down. “Lose it from where? You’re not exactly plump, you know.”
“Thank you. Neither are you, Lois.” Phoebe handed Lois a napkin. “May I presume upon our new friendship and ask the nature of the relationship between yourself and Clark?”
Lois froze for a moment, then took a sip, then another. “It’s – it’s complicated.”
“We have some time.”
Lois hesitated. “Would you tell me why you’re asking that question?”
“Of course. In the brief time Lana was here, we became good friends. I flatter myself that we would have become very close friends, given sufficient time. I liked her honesty, her ambition, her determination to be the best she could be – “ she paused and sipped her cappuccino “ – and she was fixed on maintaining her weight and her shape. I admire that in another woman, even one more attractive than myself.”
“I admired her, too. For a lot of things.” Lois dropped her gaze from Phoebe’s grin. “I wish I’d known her better.”
“Ah. Do I hear regret or recrimination?”
She stirred another packet of sugar into her coffee. “A little of both, I suppose. And to answer your original question, I’m trying to be Clark’s friend.”
“I see. Is this friendship based on your guilt or on something else?”
Lois narrowed her eyes at Phoebe. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
Phoebe put her cup down. “I apologize. I did not intend to be rude. My only defense is that, through my friendship with Lana, I have come to care what happens to Clark Kent. In order for him to have attracted so fine a wife, he must be a very fine man, and I do not mean that in any suggestive or coarse sense.”
Lois nodded. “You’re right, he is a fine man, and it’s because he’s a fine person.”
“I surmised as much. And before you either answer my question or decline to respond, I must tell you that I feel some responsibility for Lana’s death.”
“You do?” Lois shifted into ‘reporter’ mode instantly. “Tell me, how are you responsible for Lana dying?”
“She recognized that something untoward was taking place here at the museum and attempted to enlist my aid in discovering the nature of that activity. Through fear of losing my position and my income, I declined to become involved, yet she still sought me out and did her best to be my friend. I owe much to Lana’s memory, and I would not be pleased if her husband were treated badly by anyone.”
Lois nodded. “I see. Then I’ll tell you that I feel pretty much the same way, except that I know Clark better than you do. He’s doing about as well as can be expected, and while I’m more than willing to admit that he’s not ready for any kind of relationship, I don’t think he needs you to be his baby-sitter.”
“Nor do I believe that I should be. I am not your enemy, Lois, unless you have evil designs on Clark Kent.” She picked up her cup and took another sip. “You do not have any such designs, do you?”
Lois grinned. “Not any kind of designs, evil or otherwise. A Clark and Lois romance, seduction, or entrapment of any kind is not on the radar.”
“At least, not at the moment.”
Lois lost her grin. “Why do you say that?”
“Your coffee is growing cold. Would you care for a refill?”
“No.” Lois’s voice also grew cold. “Please answer my question.”
Phoebe met Lois’s gaze openly and directly. “Because no one may accurately predict the future. None of us knows what may happen tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. We both agree that he is a fine man, and you do not appear to have a permanent man in your life, else you would not respond to his feelings as you did in my office. You have some kind of strong feelings for him. You are close to him, and he to you. Yet I sense no romantic or intimate attachment between the two of you. It is an odd relationship, but I believe you may be an ideal friend for him at this time in his life.”
Lois sat back and mentally reassessed Phoebe Shining Mountain. The woman was either completely sincere and was on the same Clark wavelength as Lois was, or she was a superb confidence trickster.
And it bothered Lois that she couldn’t immediately tell which.
So she changed tack. “You know, Clark feels responsible for Lana’s death also.”
Phoebe’s eyebrows rose. “Truly? But Superman was on the scene, was he not? If Superman was unable to save Lana, what more might Clark have done?”
Lois shrugged. “I don’t know. But there are those who might decide I bear some responsibility, too, because I was chasing a story when she got caught up in it.”
Phoebe nodded knowingly. “It seems there is enough guilt to go around many times.”
Lois sipped her coffee. “More than enough.” She lifted her cup. “You know, I think I could stand a refill after all.”
Phoebe smiled warmly. “The path to the coffee pot, just as the path to enlightenment, is open for you.”
*****
Clark sat in Phoebe Shining Mountain’s desk chair, lost in his memories. The contents of the boxes had assaulted his heart and overwhelmed his defenses. Once again he felt Lana’s closeness, her presence, her joy of living, and once again he realized he’d spend the rest of his life without her. The breach in his soul wasn’t as huge as it had been, but it hadn’t yet healed. It was still tender, still raw, still vulnerable.
He put the picture back in the first box and opened the second one. This one held only Lana’s desk items. Clark’s heart rate eased as he examined each item in turn.
Until he found the pen and pencil set.
He’d bought Lana a personalized pen and pencil set for college graduation. It was a common gift, one of five she’d received, but he’d built a wooden holder for both the pen and pencil he’d given her and painted them in Superman’s colors. Lana had yelped with glee when she’d seen the holder and had thanked him most enthusiastically.
All this time, he’d believed it was in one of the boxes that they hadn’t unpacked in the apartment. Yet, right there in his hands, was evidence that she’d put that intimate reminder of him right on her desk for all to see. Even if no one else had known what it represented, she’d known.
And now he knew it, too. The knowledge undid all of his carefully constructed defenses and he fell heavily against the edge of despair. His heart wailed with renewed pain and he hunched forward, gripping the holder tightly in both hands.
*****
Lois sat up abruptly. She turned her head as if listening. “You hear that?”
Phoebe frowned in puzzlement. “Hear what?”
“That.” Lois stood. “It’s Clark. Come on.”
“What? How do you – “ but she was speaking to Lois’s back.
Phoebe picked up both coffee cups and put them in the return window, then followed Lois as quickly as she could.
She caught up to Lois only because Deborah suddenly decided to do her job and was blocking Lois from entering Phoebe’s office. “I’m sorry, lady, but you can’t just barge in there – “
“I was in there not twenty minutes ago! I came out with Phoebe Shining Mountain and now I’m going in to check on Clark Kent!”
Deborah put her hands up and shoved Lois’s shoulders back. “If you don’t back off I’m calling security!”
Lois leaned slightly forward and clenched her fists at her sides. “You touch me again and I’ll clobber you, little girl. Now get out of my way!”
“Lady, you can’t – Ms. Hill, tell her she can’t – “
“Let her pass, Deborah.”
“What? But she – “
“I said, let her pass. This is my office and I allow it.”
Deborah stared daggers at Lois, but she moved aside. As Phoebe followed Lois to the door, Deborah muttered, “I’m telling my dad about this!”
Phoebe had had enough. She turned and faced the girl. “Deborah, you may report to the typing pool after lunch. You are no longer my administrative assistant.”
Deborah’s face flushed red and her jaw slackened. “What? You can’t do that! My dad will – “
“Your father has nothing to do with this. Now you may either follow my instructions or you may resign from the museum altogether. I no longer care which path you choose.”
Without waiting for the girl’s response, Phoebe spun on her heel and strode into her office. When she saw Lois and Clark, she stopped and closed the door behind her.
Clark was slumped forward in the chair, his face in his hands. Lois was kneeling beside Clark with one hand on his shoulder and the other gently stroking his hair. She was also speaking comforting words that Phoebe couldn’t quite make out.
The scene was telling. Lois had known somehow that Clark had needed her, and she had responded. Phoebe wondered whether Clark would respond to Lois’s need in a similar fashion. For that matter, she wondered if Clark would be able to sense Lois’s feelings as she had obviously sensed his.
Even in this time of stress for Clark, Lois was behaving more as a friend than a possible lover. Phoebe decided that Lois had been telling the truth when she’d said that the nature of their relationship was not a romantic one.
She slipped back out of the office and closed the door gently. Such a private time was not meant for a new friend as she still was. Later, perhaps, if there was such a later time, the three of them might share their hearts together, but not now. The bonds of their friendship had not had the chance to grow strong enough for that.
Phoebe wished that circumstances had been different, that the three of them might have become close friends. With Lois and Clark in her circle of acquaintances, there was no telling how interesting her life might have been.
