Chapter 32

Io, On the road

Bennington to home in the New Mexico reservation. It should take us ... well it would take several days. Zeus didn't want to speed along. He wanted to take the scenic route.

We stopped for several days in Chicago. Shikhahhhgo, as I believe it is pronounced. Arti went shopping and Zeus surprised me by doing the same. He had not left Arti's side for many days, but on this day he didn't want her company. My tracking of his GPS showed that he went to several jewelry stores.

When we left Chicago the next day, he requested 'Pride and Joy' by Stevie Ray Vaughn, for out traveling music.

Well, you've heard about love givin' sight to the blind
My baby's lovin' 'cause the sun to shine
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy

This selection was very uncharacteristic of Zeus. They were sitting in the seats they had almost grown into: Zeus in the pushed back driver's seat, Arti in the upright passenger's. He quietly reached over the console and took her hand in his.

She looked down at it, over at him, then turned her hand so their fingers interlaced.

Yeah, I love my baby, heart and soul
Love like ours won't never grow old
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy

"You got any plans, you know, for the future?" Zeus asked.

"Like, how long in the future?"

Yeah, I love my lady, she's long and lean
You mess with her, you'll see a man get mean
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy

"I dunno. It depends," he said.

"Depends on what?"

Well, I love my baby, like the finest wine
Stick with her until the end of time
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy

"Depends on how many kids you want to have," he said, looking at her ear.

She turned to face him.

"I don't think I want more than ten or twelve."

"Well, that's a long time, then."

He pulled a small box from his shirt pocket, and placed it in her hand.

"That is," he said, "unless you've changed your mind."

She opened the box. It was a ring. Not huge and gaudy, but a ring nevertheless.

She untangled her hand, slipped on the ring and stopped to admire it a moment. Then she re-interlaced her fingers with his.

Yeah, I love my baby, heart and soul
Love like ours won't never grow old
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy

"Not changing my mind for a long, long time. But you never know," she said.

Back to the humdrum of daily life. Threats from Chinese computers. Routine building of a super computer complex, to be occupied by an abiological intelligence. The construction of what we hoped would be the greatest power grid in North America.

Wedding plans. BlueBird was satisfied. Navajo Pete was grinning all the time.

He took Zeus to the VA Hall, a.k.a. the place where he went to hang out with the boys and drink beer. Zeus went to lose two dollars at Indian Poker. I overheard everything via his earbud.