|
|
|
|
|
|
|
identify it. It doesn't appear to be dangerous or anything. But the thing is . . . Mr. Trigg, we were wondering if you had been out of the country recently?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cyrus thought, Oh shit! Kyna has. Great! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
He reached out and closed the door. "No I haven't, but my, uh, employer travels a lot. Listen, Doctor, be straight with me, okay. This thing, you know, it's not AIDS or anything contagious?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"No, no, it's nothing remotely like that. It acts like some sort of symbiotic parasite. It's just . . . strange. Can you come back in? I want to repeat the tests. It's just possible that some form of contamination got into the test tubes, hard as we try to prevent that sort of thing." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cyrus breathed a mental sigh of relief. Doctors! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Sorry, Doc. No can do. We're already out the door." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Well"the doctor sounded relieved"I guess if you're feeling all right . . . Just be careful. If you begin to feel anything strange: loss of appetite, nausea, fever, anything like that, go to a hospital at once. You have my number here if they need to call." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"No worries. If my appetite were any better, they'd have to airlift food into Salt Lake." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
They rang off and Cyrus hurriedly checked the room. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
He pitied the poor maid who had to come in behind them. Wet towels were piled on every flat surface and her bed looked like it had exploded. Cyrus shrugged and carried the last suitcase out to the waiting Lincoln. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"What kept you?" Kyna asked. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As soon as he said it, Cyrus wondered why he had lied. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The next stop on Kyna's itinerary was Kalispell, Montana. When Cyrus said he never pictured Montana as being a hot spot for diamonds, she replied, "You'd have to ask Bryan. Far as I know, they use 'em to decorate their saddles." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kyna could have taken the expressways and main highways, |
|
|
|
|
|