|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"This is so Twilight Zone. You know how lucky you are?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Didn't feel lucky when it bit me." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"What was he doing back there?" she asked in a neutral tone of voice. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Who? The floating head?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Toying with us, I think. Keeping us on edge." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Why? Why would he do that?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Beats me. Maybe it's the way he gets off. Or maybe it's just his way of cracking his knuckles." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
She smiled. "Well, it didn't work." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"It was wonderful. I loved it!" She began squirming on the seat and rubbing his thigh. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"I thought you hated snakes." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"I do, dummy. But the ride back down the canyon . . . It was the most exciting thing I've ever done. It was like riding the wind. Can we do it again? Please?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cyrus realized that if he lived to be a thousandan event that Paula had assured him was a very real possibilityhe would never ever understand women. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
After a brief trip back to the motel to shower and change into clean clothes, Kyna drove them to a Mexican restaurant in Old Tucson. It was a nice place with unfinished wooden tables and candles and a staff that relied less on fake sombreros and hand-painted castanets than on fast service, iced beer and large portions of good food. Unfortunately Kyna was too keyed up to pay much attention to her dinner. She mechanically shoveled taco salad into her mouth and sat in stony silence until Cyrus gobbled down his beef chimichanga. Yet with all the rushing around, it was still after eleven o'clock by the time they returned to the Sabino Canyon parking lot. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cyrus got out to make sure the ranger station was locked and when he returned to the car, Kyna was standing by the passenger door in her stocking feet. |
|
|
|
|
|