Chapter Five
Clark checked his supplies once again. Three automatic pencils, two ballpoint pens, three legal-sized notepads, two digital voice recorders, extra batteries – even though both recorders already contained new batteries – and a small cooler of soft drinks and bottled teas. Two fully charged digital cameras, both with maximum-sized blank memory cards, rested inside a padded case. A golf umbrella with the Planet’s logo on it was folded and leaned against one of the air conditioning exhaust vents on the roof.
Lois smiled and shook her head. “And I thought I was obsessive.”
“You are. It’s just that right now I’m even more obsessive.”
She chuckled and lifted her eyes to the surrounding buildings. “Do you see her yet?”
He reached up and touched his glasses, then lowered his hand without moving them. “No. And I don’t like the look of these clouds. Perry would throw a fit if this interview got rained out.”
“Well, she’s still got eight minutes before she’s not punctual, thirteen minutes before she’s fashionably late, and about twenty-three minutes before she’s just downright rude.”
A woman’s alto voice came from behind them. “In that case, I believe that I am a bit early.”
Both Clark and Lois spun around in surprise. Neither of them liked having someone sneak up on them, and Lois knew that Clark especially hated it. It meant that Wonder Woman might have more abilities than she’d shown thus far.
Wonder Woman was standing beside the roof exit, wearing a man’s fedora and an open trench coat over her glitzy uniform. She took off the hat and shook out of the coat as she said, “I apologize for startling you. I am still learning what is and what is not polite in your society.” She folded the coat and placed it on a piece of ductwork, then put the hat on top. “I flew up from the alley below. I am fairly certain I was not observed, but I assure you that I did not intend to arrive in such a mysterious fashion.”
Lois took a deep, calming breath before answering. “That’s okay. I guess we just assumed you’d swoop down out of the sky like Superman usually does. We shouldn’t have done that, and I’m sorry.”
“I am not offended, Ms. Lane. Are you ready to begin our interview?”
“Yes. You remember Clark Kent, I hope? He’s my husband and partner.”
Clark slowly extended his hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Wonder Woman.”
The garishly clad woman looked at his hand for a moment, then slowly took it in hers. As she squeezed, he said, “Wow! You’ve got quite a grip there.”
“For a woman, you mean, Mr. Kent?”
“For anyone, actually. Um – may I have my hand back?”
She released his hand and he shook it several times as if the blood had been forced out of it. Wonder Woman smirked at him, then turned and offered her hand to Lois.
Lois’ hand remained at her side. “You’re not going to prove you’re stronger than I am, are you?”
“No! Of course not. We are sisters, and there is no need for me to demonstrate my superiority in regard to you.”
Cautiously, Lois lifted her hand. The taller woman’s grasp was firm but not painful, and Lois wondered why she’d tried to embarrass Clark.
But that question might come later, if at all. “Are you ready to begin our interview?”
Wonder Woman gestured at Clark. “Is this man here as your assistant?”
Lois’ eyebrows rose, but before she could reach her boiling point, Clark said, “Yes, I’m her assistant today. I’ll take care of whatever needs taking care of.”
Wonder Woman nodded once. “Very well. Let us begin. What is your first question, Ms. Lane?”
“Could we get a few pictures first?” interposed Clark. “To go with the article, of course.”
Lois spent the time Clark used in posing Wonder Woman for the pictures in calming herself. It wasn’t just that the woman all but snubbed Clark, but that she seemed to actively dislike him simply because he was a man. And that kind of discrimination always set Lois Lane on edge, no matter which direction it flowed.
But she’d maintain control, both for the sake of the story and for Clark’s sake.
After a few moments, Wonder Woman lifted an imperious palm to Clark. “I believe you have sufficient photographs of me, Mr. Kent. We should begin the interview. Ms. Lane, what do you wish to ask?”
“Ah – perhaps this will go better if you simply call me Lois.”
The tall brunette smiled. “Thank you for your courtesy. I will be pleased to address you as Lois.”
“Good. Would you allow us to record this interview?”
“I assume you mean electronically?”
“Yes. How else – never mind. May we record the interview?”
“Please do so. I would not wish to be misquoted.”
“Thank you. Ready, Clark?”
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am, we’re ready.”
She’d have to make this up to him later, she mused. Lois smiled blandly and opened her notepad. “First question is, what’s your real name? I can’t believe your parents named you Wonder Woman.”
The heroine chuckled. “No, they did not. The title is an appellation of honor among my people. I am sorry, but I am not at liberty to reveal my true name at this time.”
Lois nodded. “Okay. Can you tell us where you come from?”
“My home is the island nation of Themyscira. We sometimes refer to it as Paradise Island. I sincerely doubt that you have ever heard of it.”
Lois glanced at Clark, who returned a microscopic shake. “No, we haven’t. Can you tell us anything about your home, like where it is, what kind of government you have, what your culture is like, anything like that?”
Wonder Woman crossed her arms in apparent thought. “I am also not at liberty to reveal the location of Themyscira, but I can tell you that it is cloaked, hidden from the outside world.”
“Cloaked? You mean like Star Trek cloaked?”
“I regret that I do not know what that means.”
“Oh.” Lois paused, then continued. “How is it cloaked? Do you have a perpetual fog around it, do you use some kind of machine to hide it, what?”
“It is hidden by a machine, a technology which the outside world does not seem to possess. Unfortunately, since I am not well versed in those sciences, I cannot explain it further.”
“So you don’t know how it works?”
“Only that it bends electromagnetic waves and particles around the island, rendering it invisible to both the naked eye and to any instruments one might use to attempt to locate it. I am unable to explain further.”
“I see. Okay, can you tell me about your government?”
“Gladly. We are ruled by an hereditary matriarchy. The queen is the ultimate power, of course, but she is assisted by a court of nine advisors selected by the nobles and approved by a general election. We also have a chancellor who is selected by the queen and approved by the Court of Nine. Each member of the Court serves a single five-year term and may be asked to serve another term after another five years have passed. Both the queen and the chancellor hold office until either death or voluntary relinquishment of the office. The queen is then succeeded by her eldest daughter who has borne her own daughter. The chancellor is succeeded by one selected by the queen and approved by the court.”
“Interesting. Does the chancellor have to step down when a new queen gets promoted?”
“No. Nor may the queen relieve the chancellor of her duties. The queen is most powerful, but there are checks and balances within the system.”
“I guess it works for you.”
“It has functioned in this manner for nearly two millennia. I see no reason to alter its makeup at this time.”
“I didn’t mean to sound as if I was criticizing your country. I’m sorry if that’s how it came across to you.”
“No, it is my fault. I am somewhat sensitive about such things. I am next in line for the throne when my own daughter is born, and the thought of changes to the government I will inherit disquiets me.”
“Then let’s talk about something else. Where are you staying in Metropolis, assuming that is where you’re living at the moment?”
“I do reside in Metropolis, but I am once again not at liberty to reveal the location of my domicile. Judging by the response of the people of this city to celebrities, I doubt that I would have much peace.”
“You’re probably right. Can you tell us why you’re here in our city?”
Wonder Woman turned and took two steps away from Lois, then turned around again and returned. “I am searching for a suitable mate.”
“You – you’re doing what?”
“I am searching for a suitable mate. It is what my mother did when she believed it was time for her to bring me into being, and what her mother did when Hippolyta was conceived. All Amazons become mothers in this fashion.”
It was so far from anything Lois had expected that she couldn’t respond at first. Clark apparently sensed her shock, because he leaned forward and asked, “Have you met anyone who might qualify? I’m sure you have very high standards.”
Wonder Woman scowled at him for a long moment, then said, “I have indeed met a man who would qualify, although I have not spoken with him about the subject. But I can assure you, Mr. Kent, that man is not you.”
“That’s okay, I’m already married.”
Wonder Woman inhaled deeply. “Yes, I had forgotten for the moment. Thank you for reminding me.” She moved in front of Clark and said, “Tell me, how do you view your wife?”
He frowned. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“I mean to ask you if you treat your wife as a servant, a cook, a maid, or a drudge. I mean to ask you if you grant her any independence at all.”
Clark took a half-step back and said, “Maybe you should ask her those questions.”
The costumed heroine tilted her head to one side and stared at him for a moment, then said, “I do not believe that will be necessary. You seem to hold your wife in high regard, a quality which other men in your world seem to lack. Perhaps I was too hasty in my evaluation of you, Mr. Kent.”
Lois finally found her voice. “Wonder Woman, I can assure you that Clark neither owns me nor rules me. But he does love me, and I love him. And I neither own him nor rule him. But that’s our personal life. What we’re doing now is our profession. And I’d prefer that we keep this interview on that level. If you don’t mind, that is.”
Wonder Woman turned to Lois and smiled thinly. “I concur. I apologize for changing the subject. Have you other questions to ask me?”
Lois took another deep, calming breath. “Yes. The people of Metropolis are pretty familiar with Superman’s powers. Do you have the same abilities that he does?”
“No. I am blessed with great strength, and I am able to fly great distances at speeds just below the speed of sound. I can also run faster than any human, and I can deflect projectiles aimed at me, such as bullets or arrows or spears, with my bracelets. But while my sight and hearing seem to be significantly more acute than the human norm, I do not have those special abilities which Superman possesses.”
“What about your lasso? I’m told you can compel people to tell the truth by using it on them.”
Wonder Woman lifted the golden lasso from her hip and displayed it for Clark and Lois. “Legend among my people calls this lasso ‘magic,’ but it is not. It sends an electro-encephalic surge into the person who wears it from the person who wields it. The surge is too weak to cause permanent damage, but it breaks down the person’s ability to deceive the wielder. It can also be used to control an individual for a short time.”
“Just a short time?”
“Yes. I cannot force someone to change his or her personality or behavior permanently. As I said, it is not magic, merely an advanced technology. And I am the only one who may wield this particular item. It is keyed to my own brainwaves and is no more than a fancy rope to anyone else.”
“Very interesting. Can you tell us why you wear such a revealing costume? Most women in Metropolis wouldn’t dare appear in public in so little, even if they looked as good in it as you do.”
“Do you believe I look good in it, Lois?”
“Yes. But that doesn’t answer my question.”
Wonder Woman laughed softly. “No, it does not. And you are indeed as tenacious as I have been told. Very well, I will tell you that this is also a traditional costume among my people, save the tiara, which is mine by royal birthright. The costume is given to the winner of a competition among the nobles without issue when she goes out from the palace to seek a mate and gain a daughter of her own.”
“I see.”
Clark lifted his hand. “Excuse me? I have a question, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind,” said Lois. “Wonder Woman?”
“Please, Mr. Kent, ask your question.”
“Thank you. In all the discussion we’ve had on your society, your government, your culture, I haven’t heard you mention a male person. Why is that?”
“Why, because we are a society of warrior women. I was under the impression that you already knew that fact.”
“No,” Lois said, “we didn’t. And it’s very interesting. Does that mean that a woman who wants to have a child must find a man from somewhere else? Or is there a separate living area for the men in your country?”
“There are no men at all on Themyscira, Lois. That is why I am here and not there. I must bear a daughter in order to qualify as the next in line for the throne.”
“Then where do your – your husbands live?”
“Many choose to continue to reside in their own country, but quite a few have established a small settlement on a nearby island. Each has his own dwelling where he may work at his chosen profession. There are several very good goldsmiths there, along with wheelwrights, blacksmiths, stonemasons, architects, and one who calls himself a computer genius, whatever that is. And before you ask, I am not permitted to disclose their location.”
“Okay,” Lois said. “Is there some time limit on your having a daughter? Is this something urgent that you need to get done right now?”
“No, actually, it is not. I am now twenty-four years old, but our law states that I must have a daughter before I am forty-five else I am no longer in the line of succession.”
Lois nodded, thinking, then something occurred to her. “Tell me, if your society is one of only women, what happens to any male children born on your island?”
“Ah. You assume, then, that we toss them into the sea to drown, or that we perform some barbaric ritual on them to slay them?”
“No. I’m not assuming anything. I’m asking a question.”
“Very well. Centuries ago, when our nation was first founded, there are legends that male children were sometimes killed, either at birth or before their first birthday, when all Amazonian children must be examined by the Court of Nine. But that has not happened for many centuries, assuming that it happened then. Male children are placed into the care of foster families in nations near ours. But this does not occur often. Female births outnumber male births by an eleven-to-one ratio, and the birth of any child is an occasion for rejoicing.”
“Why the discrepancy? Why so many girls born over boys?”
“Partly because we control conception medically, and partly because our bodies seem to prefer girls in our wombs rather than boys. Miscarriages are quite rare in Themyscira, but statistically speaking, there are far more male babies lost than female babies.”
Lois nodded. “Let’s talk about some of the things you’ve been doing since you’ve been here. Since you state that you’re looking for a suitable mate, why are you performing rescues and helping to stop crime?”
“Should I refrain from such activities?”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m only asking why you’re doing these things.”
“Because I am needed.”
“Really? We have the regular police and fire departments to handle most of those situations, and the Metropolis emergency medical teams are among the leaders in the world. Why, specifically, are you needed?”
Wonder Woman frowned and crossed her arms again. “It is incumbent upon me to assist lesser beings in their time of need. The burden is placed upon me by my family, by my people, by the costume I wear and the mission I must accomplish, and by the debt owed to the common class by the noble class.”
“We don’t have nobles in this country. There are class differences, but we’re constantly working to overcome them.”
“Yes, I have noticed this. It is most puzzling.”
Clark lifted his hand again. “Excuse me? I have another question.”
“Proceed, Mr. Kent.”
“Superman is from another planet. Krypton doesn’t exist any more, but there is a colony of Kryptonians on another world who are working to build a society there. I know you’ve already told us that you’re from Themyscira, but are you from Earth or are you from some other planet, like Superman is?”
“Interesting question, Mr. Kent. I was born on this planet. To my knowledge, all of my ancestors were also born on Earth. If there is an alien heritage within any of us, it is hidden from both myself and our own genetic scientists.” She glowered at him. “Does that satisfy your curiosity?”
He only smiled. “Yes. Thank you.”
“Have you any more questions, Lois?”
“Yes. We’d like to know your impressions of Metropolis, its people, its culture, that kind of thing.”
“Ah. A safe subject. I am impressed with some aspects of your city. I find the architecture somewhat sterile, but I believe that my impression arises from my preference for stone buildings over steel ones. And I find that most of the people here are always in haste to perform some task, usually one which they intend will improve their financial situation.”
“Is that a problem?”
“No, it is not a problem, Lois, but it is different from home. There, we all work for the betterment of our entire society. Everyone has a role to fill, and everyone is trained to fulfill that role.”
“What if someone decides that she wants to fulfill some other role?”
“Sometimes a sister will desire to alter her vocation. If she is able to demonstrate a talent for her new career choice, she is allowed to pursue it.”
“That sounds pretty strict to me.”
“Perhaps, but our society has endured for more than a millennia. Our laws and traditions have sustained us for all of that time. Our nation thrives today because of that strictness.”
“I can see that. So how would you compare our society to yours at home?”
Wonder Woman paused in thought, then said, “You are chaotic and disorganized. You exhibit a great energy, but it is wild and undirected. Yet this seemingly aimless fury seems to work for you. You allow your citizens the freedom to choose their own paths, even if those paths lead to harm to the body politic. I am still attempting to understand you.”
“I hope we can help you in that understanding.”
She nodded, then turned to Clark. “What of you, Mr. Kent? Do you desire to help me understand your society?”
“Yes,” he answered. “I believe that understanding others is one of the first steps toward making fast friends with those others.”
“And you would prefer to understand these others instead of ruling them for their own good?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting. Your thoughts are fascinating, Mr. Kent. It appears that I have indeed misjudged you, and for that I apologize.” She turned to Lois and said, “I regret that I must depart at this time. I have an appointment which cannot be postponed. I hope I have satisfied your desire for an interview.”
“You have, Wonder Woman. Thank you very much.”
“Thank you, Lois. I look forward to reading the article when it is published. Do you know when that might be?”
“Tomorrow morning, probably, unless something absolutely huge pushes it off the front page. You’re big news.”
The costumed woman smiled in apparent satisfaction. “I will examine the Daily Planet tomorrow.” Then she donned the fedora and trench coat and walked silently to the edge of the roof. She looked around, then stepped into thin air and floated down out of sight.
Lois and Clark looked at each other for a long moment, then she said, “Your desk or mine?”
He lifted his face to the sky, and Lois saw tiny raindrops speckling the lenses in his glasses. “I think yours. And make sure you put your name first on the byline. I don’t want her re-thinking her revised opinion of me.”
*****
Hippolyta frowned at the viewer again. Diana was almost ten minutes late for her scheduled contact. She hoped that her daughter had found someone who needed her help and had not simply ignored her schedule.
Then Diana’s face appeared in the viewer. “This is Diana reporting. I greet you, my queen, and I humbly beg your forgiveness for my tardiness.”
Hippolyta forced a smile and nodded. “It is good to hear from you, daughter. Have you anything of import to impart?”
Diana’s face froze for a moment. She either didn’t understand the levity, or, more likely, simply didn’t approve. “I have given an interview to the Daily Planet,” she finally said. “As prescribed by our law, I revealed nothing concerning Themyscira’s location.”
“I expected nothing else, my daughter.”
“I must report that I have not spoken with Superman since our last contact.”
“You have time. There is no reason for undue haste.”
“Of course. If there is nothing else – ”
“A moment. You mentioned an interview?”
“Yes. The Daily Planet, the most prestigious print news organization in Metropolis.”
“Do you know when this interview will be published?”
Diana’s brows drew down. “I assume you wish to cut it out and add it to your scrapbook record of my life?”
Hippolyta tried to hide the hurt she felt. “I believe that all of our sisters would be interested in such an interview.”
The face in the viewer softened slightly. “Of course. The reporter with whom I spoke believes it will be published tomorrow morning, local time.”
“Thank you. We will obtain a copy for our royal archives.”
“Do you wish for me to purchase a copy and send it to you?”
It was the closest thing to an apology to come from the mouth of the princess in nearly a decade. “There is no need. We will assign that task to another.”
“As you wish. If there is nothing else, I will terminate this contact.”
“No, nothing else. May you be blessed in your quest, daughter.”
Diana seemed to hesitate, then her face vanished from the screen. Hippolyta let out a deep sigh.
A young woman bent to pour wine in a tall vessel. The queen glanced up at her and said, “Thank you, Myrhha.”
Myrhha smiled and nodded, then turned to leave, but Hippolyta stopped her. “Wait. I wish to ask you something.”
“Anything, my queen.”
“What do you – how do you – oh, this is so frustrating!”
Myrhha stood beside the queen with her hands folded demurely in front of her and said nothing. Hippolyta stood and paced around the room. “Myrhha, how do you deal with your daughters when they behave in such a disrespectful and hostile fashion?”
The younger woman suddenly looked afraid. “My lady – my queen – it is not for me to advise the crown – ”
“Oh, bother the crown!” She took her servant’s hands in hers and pulled her closer. “For the moment, I ask you to forget that I am your queen and you are my maid. I ask you, woman to woman and mother to mother, do you have any advice for me on how to speak with my daughter?”
Myrhha looked into the queen’s eyes and apparently decided that the older woman was sincere. “My lady, I wish I had some useful advice for you. I wish I had some insight into the workings of young, headstrong women who think more highly of themselves than they ought. But, sadly, I do not.”
Hippolyta sighed and released Myrhha’s hands. “I am sorry. I ask too much of you and I have made you most uncomfortable. I apologize.”
“There is no need, my lady. It is I who should apologize, for you have asked honest counsel of me when I have none to give.” She hesitated, then asked, “Might I summon Chancellor Phillipus to you?”
The queen laughed ruefully. “She advised me to ask you what to do.”
Myrhha ducked her head. “Then I have failed you doubly, my lady.”
Hippolyta smiled and touched the maid’s face. “You have done no such thing! You have spoken honestly to me when I was the one who presumed on our relationship.” She took Myrhha’s hands again. “You have served me faithfully for many years, and I expect you to continue to do so.”
“That is my wish also, my queen.”
“Then I will delay you no longer with my own petty family problems. Please, resume your tasks.”
Myrhha hesitated, then said, “I would say one more thing, my queen. With your Highness’ permission, of course.”
“Say on.”
“If I have a problem in my relationship with one of my daughters, it affects our household only, because none look to us to lead them. If the queen, however, has difficulties with her daughter, it affects us all.” Her eyes bored into the queen’s. “I know that you believe me to have taken your daughter’s side over yours in matters of state, that I desire a return to the old traditions more than I value the peace of our land. That may or may not be true. But I do know that a haughty queen would never ask a commoner’s opinion concerning a sensitive family matter. You have done so. For what my personal respect might be worth, you have more than earned it.” She paused, then continued. “And you have earned my loyalty to the death.”
“What? Myrhha, you are not obligated to – ”
“This is not from any sense of obligation, my queen. This is woman to woman.” She smiled shyly. “Mother to mother, if you like.”
Hippolyta’s smile was sincere. “Thank you. And I do like it, very much.”
“Thank you, my queen. I must return to my duties now.”
The queen nodded and allowed her to slip away, grateful that the younger woman had committed her personal loyalty freely and fully, and secure in the knowledge that she would never turn away from that commitment.
*****
Lin raised her hand to halt the exercise and Lois relaxed slightly. “I believe that we’re done, Lois. We’ve performed the routine three straight times without a mistake. Let’s take it to the warehouse.”
“The warehouse?”
“Isn’t that the correct idiom? Oh, no, I meant to say ‘take it to the house.’ Sorry.”
Lois chuckled. “No problem, Lin. And taking it to the house sounds good to me. I’m starting to get tired.”
“Starting? You’ve worn me down today! Lois, you are by far the best student in the entire dojo.”
“Oh, come on, I’m not that good.”
“My granddaughter speaks the truth, Ms. Lane,” said Master Chou. “You are indeed her best student. In some ways, you are even her equal. Do you not agree, Lin?”
The women bowed to him. “I do agree, Grandfather.”
He returned the bow and smiled. “Will you both come and talk to an old man for a few minutes? I have few friends left and my words require an outlet.”
Lois glanced at Lin, who nodded. “We would be honored to hear your words, Grandfather.”
“Then come and sit with me at my table. I have fresh tea and my grandson’s favorite pastry.” He smiled conspiratorially and lowered his voice. “We will not tell him that we ate them all.”
The women laughed and followed him. The Master poured tea for each of them and offered each woman a strawberry tart. Lois shook her head, but Lin said, “Please, Lois, you’ll regret it if you don’t take one. They are outstanding.”
With a small grin, Lois bit into hers and immediately made yummy noises. “Wow! That is truly delicious. Where did you get them?”
“From a friend of mine,” answered Master Chou. “He sometimes pays his son’s class fees in food.”
Lin smiled as Lois devoured her treat. “If our opinion matters to him, Grandfather, you may tell him that we both approve wholeheartedly.”
Her mouth full, Lois only nodded.
“I am pleased, and I am confident that Mr. Trung will also be pleased. But now I wish to discuss something else with both of you.”
Lin sipped her tea and waited for her grandfather to find the right words. He finally said, “Do you remember, Ms. Lane, what I told you when I first met you?”
Lois nodded. “You told me that my head and my heart were not in the same place.”
“That is correct. Since then, however, your head and your heart have come together, and they are in harmony. And your chi has grown substantially since that day. In fact, your chi is nearly as strong as your husband’s. It is as if you draw strength from him, as he surely draws from you.”
“He’s the strongest man I know, inside where it counts.”
“You understand, then, when I say that your strength equals his in many ways.”
Lois crinkled her forehead. “I think I should thank you.”
“I am making an observation, Ms. Lane, not giving you a compliment for flattery’s sake. If I were not aware of my granddaughter’s chi, I would say that yours is the strongest chi of any of my students.”
Now she looked surprised. “Really? What about your male students?”
“Some are strong but unfocused. You, however, are very focused. The only problem is that you are almost out of balance.”
“Grandfather,” Lin put in, “remember what we talked about? How women are different from men in many ways?”
He frowned at her. “I need no instruction on women from my own granddaughter! Have you forgotten that you once had a grandmother? I have not, nor have I forgotten the lessons she taught me.” He turned back to Lois. “When we first met, I confess that I had put those lessons aside. But you reminded me of her so much, Ms. Lane, and I was shamed into admitting my grave error.”
Lois smiled. “I’m just glad you decided to teach me.”
“Ah, but it is my granddaughter who has taught you. And she has done a masterful job. In fact, were you to aspire so high, you might be the next to wear the Dragon’s Heart bracelets.”
Lin almost laughed at Lois’ expression. For a moment she thought her friend would fall off her chair.
“Wh-what!” Lois sputtered. “Me? The Heart of the Dragon? You’ve got to be kidding!”
The old man shook his head and smiled. “I do not kid. Lin is indeed worthy to wear them, and it is right that she decide to whom she will pass them on. And you could be that person – if you so desired. And having such a goal in your life might, I believe, be the factor which would restore the full balance of your chi.”
“But – but I’m not Chinese!”
Lin and her grandfather both laughed. “No one’s perfect, Lois,” she said.
“In the past,” he said, “that alone would have disqualified you, as would your being a woman. But no more. Lin has shown me the error of my ways.”
“And you don’t have to make a decision now, Lois,” Lin added. “No pressure at all. We just wanted you to be aware that you have this choice.”
Lois cut her eyes at Lin and scowled. “You two set me up, didn’t you?”
“Lin and I have discussed this subject at length, yes, and we are in agreement that you should have this opportunity should you wish to pursue it.”
Lois sat back in her chair. “Thank you,” she replied. “I – I really don’t know what to say!”
Master Chou smiled. “You need say nothing at this moment. Merely think on it. You have plenty of time. Two years, three at the most, however.”
“Two years? Is that all? Wow, I’d better start thinking fast.”
The three of them shared one more chuckle. “Lois and I must each go home now, Grandfather. Thank you for the tea and for the pastries. They were as sweet as your words.”
The women stood, and Lois bowed deeply. “I am honored that you have considered me worthy of such a mark of respect. I will do my best to fulfill your expectations of me.”
“You have already exceeded them, Ms. Lane. Go in peace and walk in honor.”
*****
It had been a quiet Saturday night for Gotham, and Batman returned to the cave rested and slightly restless with unexpended energy. It would be a good time to go back to the request Superman had made of him.
As he’d expected, the usual avenues of investigation yielded very little. Wonder Woman hadn’t appeared anywhere else that he could find, except for a few older mentions in some personal diaries. They were far too old to refer to this woman, but the descriptions of her abilities seemed to line up with what little he already knew about her.
Maybe Alfred’s suggestion that Wonder Woman was a role to be played rather than a personal identity held more validity than he’d first thought. It seemed that at certain past times in Europe, and later in the Americas, a woman with extraordinary powers would appear, perform heroic deeds for a brief time, and then “mysteriously vanish into the fog from whence she had come.”
He chuckled at the archaic phrase. It had appeared in one of the diaries, but it seemed to describe the behavior of each of the women mentioned. Their physical descriptions, aside from all of them being beautiful, differed in height, coloring, hair length and color, and voice timber. The only other constants were that each diarist – all of whom were unmarried – had eventually succumbed to the mystery woman’s charms and taken her into his bed, where she had made him happier than he had ever been before.
And not long after that, either she had vanished from his life forever or he vanished along with her. Most curious. It seemed as if the women were simply looking for a certain type of man to father their children.
He’d need to lock that particular piece of information down before he told Superman about it. No sense in alarming the man without cause.
Batman checked his instruments. A powerful high-frequency EM burst had shown up on his sensors on the previous afternoon, and it didn’t correspond to any known military or civilian transmission protocol. In fact, it shouldn’t have been there at all. As he reviewed the record, he realized that decoding it would test his limits, assuming he could crack the code at all.
The Sunday morning Daily Planet carried the Lane and Kent interview with Wonder Woman. He smiled as he read it. Wonder Woman had obviously tried to reveal as little information about her homeland as was possible, but the subtle hints in the text combined with the transmission he’d picked up told him a great deal. And he’d learn volumes more if he could decode it.
He nodded and rubbed the bridge of his nose where his cowl sometimes rubbed it raw. He could see why Superman wanted more information than Lane and Kent had printed. This woman had the potential to be quite dangerous, and he had no protocols set up to deal with someone like her.
Maybe it was time to do just that.
