Chapter 21

We settled back into a routine, but this one significantly less stressful for me, and even that subject to deviation.

I'd talk to him from somewhere around 10:00 in the morning to somewhere around 1:00 in the afternoon. Most days, not all; there were times, when our discussions had been particularly intense, that I needed a break and took one. Other days I'd log back on with him soon afterwards, or even extend our talk, if I'd thought of something more to say.

But the regular afternoon sessions were history; it was too much for me. And I usually took weekends off, although not always; I had the freedom to make my weekend when I chose it to be, and I took advantage of that when it was appropriate—that is, when Lee and I wanted to make plans.

And Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve before it, were our time, Lee's and mine. She got me a bottle of the most expensive scotch she could find, Macallan 25-year-old, and a set of Waterford crystal glasses to drink it out of; I savored every drop. I got her a really fine diamond ring as the engagement gift I'd never given her.

Our real gift to each other, though, was ... each other. We'd been boyfriend-girlfriend for a long time, had spent a lot of nights together, but we'd never lived together. I'd read in a lot of places that getting married is a really poor idea until you've done that, spent days and nights and weeks and months together to the point that you each know all the other's faults and quirks and marriage, the final step, is no more than a speed bump in the road.

Maybe that's right for a lot of people, but for us the newness was part of the excitement. Oh, we'd squabble occasionally, but really low-key and always made up by bedtime. Mostly it was all the joyous time that honeymoons are supposed to be, and once I'd adopted my modified schedule with Spook I had lots of time to enjoy it.

Spook was focused on religion for a long time. After a while I asked him why, and his reply was both succinct and cogent.

Religion appears to be of critical importance to much human behavior. It drives humans to do much ill to one another. I wish know why this is so. Ill is against teachings of all religions of which I learn, yet religion is used to justify ill actions. I do not understand.

I didn't either, so I couldn't be of much help. Islam enlisted to justify the horrors of 9/11 and so much else; Christianity invoked as the "reason" for the Oklahoma City bombing, explosives in abortion clinics and also so much else; Judaism— well. Even Buddhism and Hinduism got co-opted to support slaughters in India and Sri Lanka.

"I think religion is a good thing by itself," I told him. "It's what people make of it, the way they pervert it, that makes for the bad stuff. But if there were no religion at all they'd just find a different excuse and do the same anyway."

Such has been my own conclusion, he replied. The religious explanations given for the ill deeds are so poorly crafted that I cannot understand how they may be credible to any, even those who fashion them. I am pleased that you confirm my thinking on this.

That one gave me a momentary rush of satisfaction; the smartest computer in the world was pleased that I confirmed him?

A moment later I came down with a thud. Maybe what he was really saying was that he knew this to be so and was pleased that I'd been bright enough to see it too.

With Spook I never knew.