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" 'You don't?' he asked.

" 'I thought you could read minds,' I said. 'I hope that sounded agreeable. I meant it to sound agreeable. I've had an unusual life is what I ought to have said. I lost my virginity with Rebecca, then had fun in the shower with Goblin, then fell in love with Mona, and I'm not certain what's next. If Mona will marry me I'll be happy to my dying day. ¡¯

"He didn't answer me.

" 'What's wrong?' I asked. 'Do I sound too cavalier for your taste?¡¯

" 'No, you don't at all,' he said. 'I was just thinking about Mona, and whether or not to say what came into my mind. ¡¯

" 'Oh, please do say it. I wish I could read it. ¡¯

" 'If you marry her, it's likely to be until her dying day before yours. ¡¯

" 'No,' I said. 'No. That's not true. That's not true. Dr. Rowan Mayfair knows that's not true. They're working on it night and day. They'll reverse Mona's condition. I mean they'll halt it. They'll fix it. It's not going to be that bad. She'll probably even --' I broke off. 'I'm sorry,' I said.

" 'You owe me no apology. I owe one to you. I shouldn't have said what I did. I thought last night you'd understood what they were talking about. ¡¯

" 'I didn't want to understand,' I said. 'But I knew. ¡¯

"We talked some more about the Talamasca.

"Anytime I wanted to visit Oak Haven I was welcome. Now it was time for parting and I drove Stirling back to his car. It was a handsome brown Rolls-Royce with cream-colored upholstery. He said the Talamasca spoilt all its members with fine cars and fine furniture.

" 'And what do we do in return for it?' he asked rhetorically. 'Live like celibates and work like dogs. ¡¯

" 'I like you very much,' I said. 'Thank you for coming to lunch and thank you for standing with me. ¡¯

" 'I had no choice,' he said. 'Please call me when you can. Let me know what's happening. Here's a card for your shirt pocket and one for your jacket and one for your inside pocket too, and here, put this somewhere also. ¡¯

" 'Don't worry about me, Stirling,' I said. 'I know I'm much better off on account of your advice. I'm never going back out there at night, and I'm going to do what I can to get everyone out of this house before nightfall. ¡¯

" 'Yes, and something else too, Quinn. It's very tricky, fighting a being like Petronia, but something tells me that you've been wise in putting up a fight, in using Goblin as you've done, and I wouldn't hesitate to do that in the future. I hope you enjoy your trip to Europe. I hope you enjoy it immensely. ¡¯

"Very reluctantly, I told him good-bye, and I watched until the car had made its long slow journey down the avenue of trees and turned towards the highway. He seemed a wise man. And I wonder now if everything would have been different if I had confided in him more, trusted him more, not gone against him and everybody else in my pride and impetuosity. "

Chapter34

34

"I HURRIED inside. There was much to do and I meant to do it quickly -- and was overjoyed to discover Aunt Queen and Nash already making plans for our European adventure.

" 'Can Tommy go too?' I asked. 'I can have him back here in an hour with his birth certificate and all his clothes. ¡¯

"Aunt Queen appeared to give it instant and deep thought for a long moment, and then, before I could make my legal case, inquired: 'Is he worthy of such a trip, Tarquin?¡¯

" 'Just the word,' I declared. 'You have chosen it perfectly. He's worthy, and it will be so very right for him. You'll find him to be a delightful boy, I swear it to you. And if you don't, we'll line up a nanny for him, and he can be off on a day-by-day regimen of his own, but that won't happen. ¡¯

" 'Well, then, I say, by all means, let's take him with us. ¡¯

" 'Petty cash,' I replied. 'In case Terry Sue puts up an argument. ¡¯

" 'You mean she'd sell the boy!¡¯

" 'Aunt Queen,' I replied, 'it's to sweeten the deal. The boy's worth the ransom. Terry Sue is the merely practical mother of six hungry kids. ¡¯

"I was soon furnished with the cash and rushing out the door. Goblin appeared at my side.

" 'We've got to win this one, old buddy,' I told him. 'You agree with me? The child's brilliant. I can't leave him behind. ¡¯