From Part 12:
“You can open your eyes now,” he said. She did. They were floating, not moving, just hanging in mid-air between a floor of white and a sky of brilliant blue. All around them the afternoon sun cast long shadows of cloud on cloud. “You ready to go?” he asked.
“Almost.” She lifted her head with a knowing smile. His smile answered hers as he lowered his head in response . It was not a long, passionate kiss. It was soft and quiet, warm and affectionate. A reaffirmation of their still-new relationship and a celebration of the fun they’d had together. When their lips parted, she grinned up at him and said, “Now I’m ready.”
*****Now, Part 13*****
Gently, he turned her around so that they were floating side by side, his right arm around her waist and his left hand holding hers. As they began their transatlantic flight, they moved from a vertical to a horizontal position, watching first the clouds, then the open ocean pass below them. “It's a little breezy. I’m glad you don’t have some fancy hairdo,” he said.
“Nope. I used to have long hair in college. My first journalism professor—a woman with short, curly hair—took me aside after the first week. ‘Lois,’ she said, ‘you’ve got the makings of a great reporter, but the hair has got to go. You won’t have time to take care of it, and it calls attention to you as a woman. This is a man’s world, chica. Better get used to it.’ So that weekend I went in to see my stylist, took a deep breath, and said ‘Cut it off.’ I had to close my eyes. I’ve gotten used to it now.”
“Well, I think it’s beautiful.” Just in time, he stopped himself from saying, “And you can still put it up like you did at the White Orchid Ball.” A new thought occurred to him and he asked, “Are you warm enough? I should have warned you to bring a jacket.”
“Actually, I feel fine. I guess I should feel cold this high up, but I don’t. Hey! Speaking of jackets, I just remembered—you left yours on the seat at the theater.”
“Yeah, I figured it would make it look like I was planning to come back. I’ll just pick it up from the lost and found tomorrow.”
Lois gave her head a little shake. “You really aren’t from Metropolis, are you? A jacket that nice will never make it to the lost and found. If one of the customers doesn’t take off with it, the guy who sweeps up will.”
“Then I’ll buy another one. It’s really no big deal.” Well, there was another clue. That jacket had probably been worth $500. Anyone who could be that blasé about losing it obviously wasn’t hurting for funds. He was definitely some kind of professional, and a pretty successful one at that. Please don’t let him be a lawyer.
Dusk falls quickly when you’re flying east, and even faster when you’re flying east with Superman. The water below them was now completely dark. Except for…”What’s that tiny light that keeps twinkling in and out in the water?”
His voice was a warm rumble in her ear, low and soft, “Look up.”
She turned her head and let out a gasp. “Oh my God! I’ve never seen the moon so bright. Or so many stars.”
“Do you trust me?”
He was teasing her, she knew, but she meant it when she said, “With my life.”
“Stay close.” With that, he rolled them both over so that they were facing up, the sky spread over their heads like a black canopy studded with diamonds. His arm supported her back and her head rested on his shoulder.
“It’s so beautiful! If I could fly I’d be out here every night. You never see stars like this in the city.”
“I’ll bring you out any time you like. I grew up looking at stars like this.”
“Really? I thought you said you didn’t fly until you were 18.”
“I didn’t. But the ocean isn’t the only place to see a sky full of stars. They look the same in the country, or the desert, or the mountains, even many beaches. Anywhere there isn’t any light pollution. Remember the story of Abraham? God brings him outside at night and tells him to look up at the sky and count the stars if he can, then He promises, ‘That’s how many descendents you’ll have.’” He nodded up at the shining display. “That’s what Abraham saw.”
“Well, they didn’t look like this at Girl Scout camp, I’ll tell you that much.”
“Was the camp in the woods?”
“Yes, now that you mention it, and even in the clearing there was the campfire.”
“There you go, then. You have to have wide open spaces to see a sky like this. Or a friend who can take you above the clouds. I’m not kidding. I’ll take you up any time you want to go. You’ve got my number.”
“I may just take you up on that.”
“I hope you will.” He tilted his head back until he could see the horizon. “We’d better turn over again. I see lights ahead.”
He rolled them over gently and, once she had her bearings again, Lois looked ahead and saw the same lights that Caleb had. “Which part of Europe is that?” she asked.
“That’s the coast of Portugal on our right. In a few minutes we’ll see the French coast. We’re coming in over the Bay of Biscay. We’ll pass over southern France and over the Alps into northern Italy. You’re not afraid of ghosts, are you?”
“Ghosts? No, I don’t believe in ghosts.”
“Good, because I’d like to land us at the edge of a cemetery I know. We won’t even be near any graves. It’s just a park-like setting and a quick walk to the street, but it’s almost guaranteed to be deserted at this time of night. Then it’s just a short walk to the restaurant. Or we can try to hail a taxi if you’d rather.”
“No, walking’s fine as long as the weather’s okay.”
“Not a cloud in sight. We’re just about there. You ready?”
“Sure.”
“I’m going to turn you to face me again for the landing. Is that okay?”
Oh, you can hold me in your arms any time. She thought it, but she didn’t say it. “Okay.”
Two minutes later, Lois and Caleb walked out of the cemetery hand in hand and strolled leisurely down the sidewalk. Light spilled onto the pavement from cafes and shops, some closed for the night, but others still doing a healthy business. Suddenly, Caleb felt a tug as Lois stopped in her tracks, forcing him to stop with her. He turned and raised a questioning eyebrow.
“I can’t believe I forgot to ask you!” she said, resuming their walk. “Who was that creep at my apartment reporting to?”
A frown creased Caleb’s brow. “A man who used to work for MI-6. His name is Nigel St. John.”
“MI-6? Why would British Intelligence be interested in me? I haven’t been in the U.K. since high school.”
“He *used* to work for MI-6. He got greedy and went free lance several years ago.”
“And now he works for?”
“Luthor.” Dark clouds gathered in his face at the name.
“Lex Luthor? But he’s the biggest philanthropist in Metropolis. Why would he have a rogue ex-spy working for him?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Lois. Maybe because he’s also the biggest crime boss in Metropolis?”
She stopped again. When he turned to face her, she said, “You’re serious.” It wasn’t a question.
He sighed in frustration. “I’m dead serious, Lois, but I can’t prove a thing. He practically admitted to being the one who tested Superman. He implied that the population of Metropolis would be safer if Superman left town. But I don’t have a recording of the conversation. It’s his word against mine. As far as a court is concerned, all I have is circumstantial evidence, innuendo, and a huge hunch.”
“Well, a journalistic investigation is not the same as a court trial. I’ve started a lot of investigations based on just that combination. Sometimes they pan out, and sometimes they don’t, but it can’t hurt to take a look.”
“It can’t hurt me, but it could hurt you. Luthor doesn’t play around, Lois, and he’s not above killing anyone who gets in his way. Even beautiful women. You know what happened to Dr. Baines.”
“You don’t think that was an accident.”
“I’d bet money it wasn’t, but I have no proof.”
“Proof turns up sooner or later. You just have to figure out where to look for it. You can plow your way through a lot of dead ends on the way, but all it takes is one good hit, and the pieces start to fall into place. I should know, Caleb; this is what I do.” He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. “And I know how to do it carefully. I don’t *always* jump in without checking the water level. Besides, you’ll have my back.”
“Always.”
Lois started walking again, pulling Caleb along with her. “That’s enough shop talk for tonight, but come Monday morning I’m going to be drilling you for everything you’ve got on the esteemed Mr. Luthor.”
“It’s not much, but I’ll tell you what I know.”
“Every little bit helps. You never know what the key piece is going to be.” She swung their still-joined hands lazily. “But not tonight. Tonight I’m on a date, and I’m getting hungry.”
“That’s a good thing, because we’re almost there, and Mama Paola likes to see people enjoy their food.” A gaggle of university students came spilling out of a doorway ahead of them, and they scooted to one side to make room for them to pass. The bulk of the group was past them and they were nodding politely to the stragglers when one of them, a tall, athletic girl of 18 or 19 with long, dark hair gave them a second glance.
“Enzo? È lei? Non posso credere! Quando prendi indietro?”
“Antonia! Siamo stati solo sul nostro modo di ristorante della vostra nonna."
Caleb and the young lady grasped each other’s shoulders and exchanged kisses on each cheek. Lois, who had only understood one word of their exchange—something about the restaurant, she gathered—stood by feeling a strange mixture of awkwardness and curiosity.
The young lady addressed her with a smile and an outstretched hand. “Mi dispiace. Noi non soddisfatte. Io sono Antonia, nipote del Mama Paola.”
Caleb jumped in immediately. “I’m so sorry. Lois, this is Antonia. Her grandmother is Mama Paola, the restaurant’s owner. Antonia, this is Lois. She’s American, and I’ve been terribly rude speaking Italian in front of her.”
“I’m pleased to meet you.” Antonia’s English was obviously a lot better than Lois’s Italian.
“Antonia! Sono provenienti o non?” someone called from the group, which was now half-way down the block.
Antonia waved at her friends. “I’m sorry. I have to go. Will I see you later?”
“I’m afraid not. We head back to America early tomorrow.”
“Shame on you, Enzo!” The young lady gave Caleb a playful slap on his arm. Next time you’re in Florence, you have to come see us at the beginning of your visit, not the end.”
“Antonia!” Her friends were losing patience.
“So long. It was nice to meet you.” And with that, Antonia bounded down the sidewalk to catch up with her companions.
“Sorry about that,” Caleb said, leading Lois onward.
“Antonia, hmm? She’s pretty.”
“She’s grown up a lot since I last saw her. I wouldn’t have recognized her if she hadn’t spotted me first.”
“Oh? And when did you last see her?”
Caleb looked confused for just a moment, then a knowing smile spread over his face. “That would be four years ago. You know, when I was twenty-three and she was fourteen.”
“Oh. So she was more like a kid sister.” Lois wished her sense of relief wasn’t quite so obvious.
“Yeah, I guess. I’ve never had a kid sister, so I wouldn’t know exactly. I was a regular at Mama Paola’s, and Antonia used to hang out there after school until her parents got home from work. I helped her with her algebra.”
Just as they approached the restaurant, Lois said, “Your name is Enzo?”
Caleb leaned close and whispered, “Only in Florence.”
The conversation was interrupted by their arrival at the restaurant. There was a parallel conversation to the one they’d just had with Antonia; Mama Paola greeting ‘Enzo’ enthusiastically, and ‘Enzo’ explaining that his friend Lois only spoke English. Mama Paola delighted in making a big fuss over Enzo and his pretty lady friend, dashing back and forth like a mother robin, bringing them bread, wine, antipasti, and promising them a fresh batch of Fussili Puttanesca. Caleb ordered a dish of Fettuccine Alfredo as well.
“In case you don’t like the Puttanesca sauce,” he explained as Mama Paola hurried off to the kitchen. Like coffee, it’s an acquired taste.”
Lois could feel her cheeks burning. “You rat! You were laughing up your sleeve at me that whole night, weren’t you?”
“Not at all. I was too busy trying not to let you see how attracted I was to you.”
“’We head back early tomorrow?’ You’re an expert liar, Mr. Knight.”
If she’d expected her accusation to raise an answering blush in her date, Lois was disappointed. “No, I’m an expert at telling only part of the truth. By the time we’re done with dinner and Mama Paola closes up, it will be after midnight here. So we will be heading back early tomorrow.”
“So you’re telling me I just have to listen very carefully to everything you say and not assume that I know what you really mean.”
He leaned close and lowered his voice so that only she could hear him. “No, Lois. Not you. And not most people most of the time. I don’t like stretching the truth. I only do it when it’s necessary to protect my secret. I couldn’t have told her that we’d just flown in for dinner.”
“You took an alias, though. Do you do that everywhere you go?”
He sat up straight as a young woman brought two salad plates to the table. He ran one hand through his hair. “When I was 18, I found myself suddenly very mobile.” I.e., he’d learned to fly, but he wasn’t going to say so in public. “Once I got used to the idea, it seemed like a great opportunity. I could go anywhere. And I did, the summer between high school and college, every break I got from school, and later after I graduated. I started with all the famous places—the Great Wall, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon, Angel Falls—then the famous cities—Paris, Rome, London, Moscow, here. That was how I discovered my gift for languages. I don’t know if it’s part of the whole package, or just part of me. I guess it doesn’t really matter. It was a grand adventure, traveling around, seeing all the sights, meeting all kinds of people. After a while I learned that if I liked a place I could pick up odd jobs and make enough money to stick around for a while. But there was always this fear in the back of my mind. What if something happened?” I.e. what if he got caught doing something super? “I didn’t know what would happen to my parents, so I never used my real name. I never lied if I could help it. I just used a local name, spoke the local language, and people saw what they expected to see.”
Lois’s eyes went wide and her wine glass toppled over into her lap.
