Misti’s Adam, she thought, put her needs ahead of his and sought her opinion about everything that came close to their orbit. She physically ached when he was absent from her and felt an irrational panic at the fleeting thought that she might someday lose him.
But God smiled on them, as He often does, and simply let them be as one for their entire lives. Misti couldn’t know that, of course, so the very thing that provided warmth and stability in her life was also the one thing she viscerally feared losing the most.
Humans. How odd.
***
“You sound exactly like that man of yours, Misti. I just wish the entire family was here to see this. That was Adam to a tee!” Edward was in a jovial mood, surrounded by family and happier than he had ever been, save those wonderful days so long ago with his Anna.
The presence of Misti had become the tangible missing cornerstone in the foundation of a family that had never been wholly complete. The Barrows Bay folks had always had two seeming outliers in their core of paired up happiness; Edward, the loner patriarch who chose a life of inward solitude, and Adam who seemed destined for both greatness and eventual isolation. Whether such isolation would be chosen or imposed was the great unanswered question.
But with Misti now secretly wedded to Adam, a remarkable transformation had taken place with both Adam and Misti. They were both happy, peaceful and calm. Calm.
“So, what will we have to do to get the Princeling to help us with the DL Main, Misti?” All eyes swivelled her way.
“Boy king.” She said quietly. “He prefers boy king. Princeling is not … well, you know Adam.”
“Done.” Said Edward smiling at his young protégé, “Boy king it is. So how do we get him to hack into his own program and hive off the functionality we need for our little science project. Without Big Brother here or in the US getting wind of it?”
“Why not get someone like Bitsie to write the code. I’m sure she can do it.” Misti was probing why this meeting was even called at all. Although she was aware it involved getting her to persuade Adam to do what they wanted, not necessarily what she wanted, she couldn’t understand why it was even necessary to get her involved at all. Surely Edward’s status as supreme pontiff of the Barrows Bay family would be enough to get Adam’s acquiescence if not outright willing assistance. Edward could still muscle his way with Adam, as fathers often do.
The task was easy enough for her, but she was just not certain she wanted to do it.
Edward spoke first, “Because Adam will find out that someone tinkered with his code, then he’ll be pissy for weeks and even more uncooperative than at present. We cannot have these kinds of delays. Especially now when we’ve finally made headway on decryption and got into the nickers of Paulo’s little research project in New Jersey. Adam can get us where we want to be quicker, faster and more accurately with less fuss than Bitsie. Besides, did I mention that Adam would find out anyway?”
“I don’t like feeling like I’m tricking Adam or asking him to do something he doesn’t really want to do. I think we should all just get him here and ask him for his help. What’s wrong with that?”
Misti looked at each of them, one at a time.
Rod spoke, “Because Adam is incredibly stubborn and would like to waste our time making us convince him to do something he probably already wants to do, and will do, when all is said and done. I love my brother but this ritual of asking, then pleading with him for help got old when we were ten. We’re all trying to move this project along in a straight line toward a conclusion as fast as possible. We don’t have time for silly antics and proving to him the merit of what we all and individually know to be true. I can’t move forward, and neither can Cindy, Edward or London until we know more about the contents of the Library. Then there’s the Hannah question.” Rod fixed his eyes on Misti as did Cindy. Edward suddenly looked intently at his keychain, as if he had just discovered the solution to cold fusion.
“What Hannah question? I thought she was off with her girly girlfriend peeping through keyholes and discovering what? Nothing so far. I’ve said nothing about Hannah to Adam and I don’t like this secrecy or keeping things from him. That’s not the relationship we have, and, anyway, you’re going to have to tell him about her sooner or later. I deem sooner to be better than later.”
Not exactly true, of course, at least not the part about what she had mentioned to Adam about Hannah’s involvement. But, Misti had promised to be scrupulously honest with Adam, not anyone else.
Edward said, “The Hannah situation is exactly as you imagine. She’s getting nowhere on the key questions of where the lesser libraries are located or what’s in them. In fairness, she could use our help on that. She could use Adam’s help on that.”
Edward stopped for a moment to think. Then he said, “Just so you know Misti, Hannah agrees with you. Tell Adam everything and sooner rather than later.”
“OK. Go on,” said Misti.
“She thinks she’s made some progress on locating some of these so-called ‘Preserves’ mostly by process of elimination based on limited information. Won’t know until she gets in the field and they’re pretty spread out. Some of the field work is wilderness, so we may need some other support for that work. But she’s made a ton of progress in other areas dealing with the anthropology of these … people. She needs more information to do her job and that information is contained in the Library, most of which we haven’t yet deciphered.”
Edward continued, “Everything we all do is connected. But like a puzzle, the pieces must be placed in the correct sequence to make any sense of the overall picture. We need his help in so many areas where he can help, but he won’t or can’t, for some mystifying reason.”
“The reason is known and that’s the problem,” Cindy said. “Adam won’t help because he thinks this is a silly exercise and we are all wasting our time. And his. He doesn’t want to be walking the Hall of Shame with the rest of us if this turns into the fiasco he thinks it is. But his mistake is that he has reached a conclusion unsupported by the facts, or any facts.”
“And your contrary conclusion is correct I suppose, Cindy?”
“No, I didn’t say that. Not for sure anyway. But we have evidence that something is up and rather than simply decide by fiat that these folks do or do not exist, at least we’re trying to find out the truth of the matter scientifically, systematically. Who knows what we do then, but we can’t do anything if we fail to determine the underlying facts of their existence.
Cindy continued, “Hannah’s job is to verify our research, compile a working model of them as a social, political and military organization and understand what they’re capable of and are seeking to do. She and her team, along with the rest of us eventually, will then go out in the field and find them and their Libraries, wherever they are and in whatever form.”
Rod said, “We need Adam desperately, but he thinks this project is beneath him. It isn’t. He won’t listen to us, but he will listen to you. We need your help.”
“You’ve told him all this?”
“Of course. Many times, and in many ways.”
“Mom and Pops too?”
“All of us.”
This seemed odd to Misti, if for no other reason than it would be almost unthinkable for Maria to ask for Adam’s help, which apparently Adam had then refused. Adam could no more say no to his Mom, in Misti’s estimation, than he could to Misti, if it was in his power to help. There had to be more.
“I’ll speak to him and let you know what he says. Fair enough?”
“Sure,” piped in Cindy and Rod, resigned to Adam’s petulance.
“No,” said Edward, looking at Misti with that feral flash of teeth that frightened even Maria. “You need to convince him to get to work with us right away. No discussion and no delay. I’m tired of his BS and it’s not up for discussion.”
Edward seemed peeved and abruptly dismissed his kids. “He needs to be in my office brig
ht and early tomorrow morning with us all. We can conference in Bitsie and Tony by phone.”
“And Hannah?” Misti asked. “What do I say to him about her part in the project?”
Edward looked up and thought for a moment. “Tell him everything. In fact, tell him everything you know about everything you and I have ever said, done or thought about. Empty the cupboards. No more secrets, at least on this end. In fact, why don’t all of you get your unasked and unanswered questions together so we can clear the air and begin again? Might be a good time to confirm your suspicions and end speculation about my past.”
Rod and Cindy looked at Edward with shaking heads. “No, no. Not interested Dad,” they both said. “Keep your secrets and take them to the grave. Everything we need to know, we know. Your secrets are your business, not ours.”
Edward turned to Misti. She said, “I’ll be in this office at 6:30 tomorrow morning with a willing and compliant Adam and you will tell us everything. Just do me a favor and don’t lie to us old man. Now would not be a good time.”
She turned and left.
***
He turned to greet her as she came in the front door, looking up from the manuscript he was reading on the couch. “How’d the family confab go?”
She smiled at her husband and plopped down next to him in a lump. She craned her head in his direction, leaned over and said, “How would you like to do that one thing you like to do but I won’t let you do all the time?”
“You pretty much let me do whatever I want any time, so what is this really about, my lioness?”
“Your Dad.”
“Oh. What now?”
“Your Dad wants you to do something for him and he has offered something both of us want. Certainly, I want it very badly. And since I want you to do this thing too, I will offer to do that thing I only let you do occasionally as a sweetener.”
“I’m not sure what ‘that thing’ is, so let’s skip the incentive and just tell me what’s on your mind.”
Misti leaned over and whispered something in his ear, gently flicking his inner ear with her tongue. Then she said, “Why don’t you step into my office and I can demonstrate for you.”
Adam said, “No need. The answer is yes.”
“To what?”
“Whatever you want. Or Dad, if he’s the motivation behind this.”
“You’re far too easy. And uncomplicated.”
“I know. Really great, isn’t it? The new Adam.”
“You don’t know what I want yet. It might not be worth it.”
“If I’m about to do what I think I’m about to do, then I don’t care what you want. I’ll do it.”
“Down boy. And step this way.”
Chapter 33
The cell phone rang in Misti’s purse, which she gathered up instantly while Adam got dressed. “Cindy, dear. What’s up?”
“Care to go for a run?”
“I just got some exercise with Adam, so I’d rather hang out here for a while. Can we go tomorrow?”
“No, I think we should go for a run right now.”
“So, not exercise?”
“No, not exercise.”
“What then?”
“If we’re going to have an open house with lots of family secrets on display, I’d like to know the whereabouts and status of couple of mine. Before we all get a little too honest, perhaps. I know how much Adam hates the family dirty laundry being kept from him but there may be one or two secrets that should remain buried in the past. You know what I mean?”
“I do. Give me ten and I’ll meet you at the soccer field.”
“In ten.”
Misti clicked off, and shouted at Adam, “Hey you, that was Cindy. We’re going for a run. Be back in an hour or so.”
Adam responded, “Can I come too?” Followed quickly by, “Does it hurt to walk?”
“Very funny, Mr. ‘strong like a bull’. And no, you’re not invited. Girl talk.”
“What’s up?”
“Don’t know. An argument maybe?” Misti was trying to be deceptive and coy but Adam knew better.
“Alright, alright, if you don’t want me to know. But your skills at prevarication need some work. You’re beginning to suck at lying to me.”
“I’ll get right to work on that. Maybe I’ll stop by and talk to your Dad for a master’s class. He’s an accomplished liar.”
Adam chuckled, then walked in to kiss his girl goodbye. “Hurry home. I’ll miss you.”
“Big baby. How did you ever get along without me, anyway?”
“I was lonely and miserable, and I sucked big time at life. Now I’m all better. You?”
“Same. And I hate you for being so sweet. It takes me off my otherwise highly focused, badass game.”
“I feel your pain. Tic toc. I heard you say ten.”
***
Adam watched as his wife ran down the driveway, then turn abruptly in the direction of the main campus of the Institute. The soccer field was beyond the main campus buildings, so in a flash, Misti disappeared. Adam thought no more about it, returning to read the manuscript where he had left off before he had become distracted by amazing sex with his amazing wife.
Misti reached the field on time and watched as Cindy arrived from the opposite direction, nearer her home with Rod and the girls.
“I suppose you want to talk about it?” Misti said, as the two girls hugged in greeting.
“Yeah, I guess I do.”
“I won’t say anything Cindy, I hope you know that. I would never breathe a word of it unless you wanted me to. Or gave me permission. There would be no reason.”
Cindy cut to the chase. “Have you told Adam?”
“Certainly not, Cindy. I would never do that.” Insofar as Misti did not tell Adam anything as he already knew, she considered that she wasn’t lying to her good friend and family member. But to acknowledge that Adam already knew, maybe guessed about them as teens, would do no one in the family any good. Misti knew that this knowledge was locked away deeply in one of Adam’s mind vaults and would never, ever bubble to the surface accidently. Adam had said what he had said about Rod, Cindy and the girls and the consequences and pain of disclosure. So, if Misti wasn’t completely honest with her friend, she felt that in this case not telling the absolute truth was entirely justified.
So, she continued dissembling.
“I tell Adam everything, everything he needs to know about who I am, what I’ve done and what I’ve experienced. But I don’t give him every last detail and Adam doesn’t ever ask for names and dates. That I have done what I’ve done and been honest with him about my experiences is enough to satisfy him. But honestly, he never asks for details and probably never will. He just isn’t interested in them. Besides, he is such a beautiful, tolerant and non-judgmental creature, he wouldn’t care even if I did tell him. Which I will never do. I promise.”
“But his brother would.” Cindy said.
“You’ve never spoken of it to him? I mean to Rod, of course?”
“No, and I don’t think I could. Not now. He’s, you know, such a guy. A good guy, a great father and a wonderful man and the best husband I could ever imagine. But a regular guy who thinks he’s all enlightened and progressive because he voted for Barack. Twice. And Trudeau. Once. But in some ways, he’s a good Catholic boy and old school. Macho, you know. An enlightened macho who loves his girls and his wife, and the world just as it appears to him right now. He looks out for us and protects us, and me, and wants to keep everything bad as far away as is possible. He doesn’t want a disturbance in his very happy world.”
“You don’t need his protection, Cindy.” Misti wondered what Cindy meant. Sometimes Misti could be a tad literal and miss the finer points. Just like Adam.
“I know, I know. But it’s sweet that he cares for me, for us, in that way even if I can kick his ass and ten other guys. I don’t need him to protect me, but he wants to. He wants to be my guy.
And I want him to be my guy too. More than anything in the world. I am so happy, and I don’t want that to ever change. Not for a truth that doesn’t need to be told.”
“Are you OK with what happened? We don’t ever have to even think about it again, if that’s what you want.”
“No, no. Oh God no. I treasure the time we spent together and everything we did. I wouldn’t change a thing and I still think about those warm nights and all that fumbling around under the covers. But that was then, and it has been and always will be a part of me. A part of who I am and how I see my world. A beautiful part.”
“So, you don’t want a quickie?” They both laughed and then Cindy began to cry.
Cindy said, “You’re a horrible human being. Certifiable if you ask me.”
“I know.” Misti was sad that Cindy was sad. She understood her sister-in-law in everything she thought and felt. Misti understood the perilous edge of a relationship with a man. Far better if life really was simply black and white. Sadly, it just isn’t. Love is complicated. Relationships even more so.
“Can we keep this as our little secret? Just between us? Send me a postcard occasionally so I’ll remember?”
“I would do anything you want, no matter what you ask Cindy. Anything. So, I’ll do this, and we can forget it ever happened. We’re married ladies now, after all.”
“But I do want to remember. It was a magical time and I ached for you when we were apart. And you’re the real reason Rod first got lucky when he did. So, he has you to thank for that or should anyway.”
“Then we’re good and my lips are sealed. But if you ever do want a walk on the wild side, you know where to find me.”
“And Adam?”
Discovery Page 86