Chapter 43

Kelli and I talked twice Friday evening. I called her the first time to tell her my dessert plans had worked out. I told her I was very happy with the results. When she asked if there was anything she could do, I suggested a dark chocolate topping, if she knew of one she liked. She 'hmmm'd' at me and said she had an idea.

She called me later to say she'd found a topping and that she was worried that she'd be too excited to sleep that night. I joked that this was just what a guy liked to hear and then told her about the drive up to the lake with Darius to make sure everything would be ready in the morning, and she told me she'd bought a new swim suit for the occasion.

We managed to spend an hour on the phone talking about nothing in particular before we bid each other a goodnight. I had to stare at my lap for several minutes and threaten it with a cold shower before I could get on with my evening.

A cold shower was sort of what I was interested in anyway, or at least one caused by shifting some water molecules around. I'd had my taste of it earlier, but the cooperative water molecules had me excited about locking a moving macroscopic quantities.

While he didn't say anything, I could feel Bud's silent approval of my train of thought. I considered the bathtub again but decided against it. There was water in the cavern after all. I just needed a bowl or something to put a small amount in. getting a lock on even a single molecule within the swift moving stream at the back of the cavern would be difficult at best. I wanted my molecules at their cooperative best.

I had found some small paper bowls in the pantry while I was packing up for the ski trip. I grabbed one and took it and an empty ice tea bottle out of the trash. I rinsed the bottle out and headed downstairs.

I did not get wet. Well, I did get a little wet just trying to scoop some water out of the fast moving underground stream, but other than that, I did not get wet. What I did do was lock on enough water that when I lifted it out of the bowl could see it with my own eyes. I did remember to move it S-l-o-o-w-l-y, to avoid any sonic booms or other unexpected effects.

But damned if I didn't move enough to see! I was ecstatic, but put the water back and started from scratch. A dozen tries later I had most of the water in the bowl hovering three feet above the bowl it had started in. I had a ski date in the morning or I might have stayed there all night playing with the water.

I went to bed wearing a huge smile.

I want to say that Saturday morning started out like gangbusters, but I'd be lying. My gotta-have-it, too-early-to-be-fucking-around cup of coffee was not waiting for me when I got up. The timer on the coffeemaker, for some reason unknown to me, did not engage at the requested time, so a freshly brewed pot of coffee was not waiting for me when I came down the stairs. I flipped the switch to start it manually and went away grumbling, to take my shower.

Despite the coffee hitch, things proceeded quickly. I had a small bag packed with a change of clothes for on the boat as well as several pairs of socks and the usual necessary items – toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, shaving cream, deodorant. My water gear was in a separate bag that everything wet would go into for the ride back from the lake.

I also packed the medical kit I shipped home from Okinawa with my other equipment. It didn't have any of the high powered meds it used to. As with my automatic weapons, grenades, and other too lethal for home items, they belonged to the Corp and they wouldn't let me keep them. I'd added some more acceptable civilian alternatives to the pack in their place. I knew how to use what was in the kit pretty well too, emergency first aid did not stop at first aid when you were in the field. I'd never had to take on the role of combat surgeon, but in a pinch I felt that I could, up to a point. I honestly hoped I never had to.

Showered, dressed, packed and the freezer plugged in and happy in the jeep, I pulled out of the driveway and onto River Road at 6:30 am. We were due to meet up at the IHOP at 8:00, which was more than enough time for me to get there. I didn't mind being early. The cup of coffee I had in my hand wasn't going to be enough, so I was hoping to get at least one more cup in me before anyone else showed up. By the time we left the IHOP it would probably be warm enough that the four iced teas I had in the freezer would be the drink of choice. I just had to remember to pull them out while we ate breakfast so they wouldn't freeze. I liked them cold but didn't want to be opening the freezer too often either. It wouldn't take too much for the temperature in such a small space to rise. I'd settle for whatever temperature I wound up with while we were on the road.