James BeauSeigneur - In His Image James

"Hope's not in a boarding school," Decker interrupted. "We moved to Washington two years ago after I sold my newspaper in Knoxville and went to work for NewsWorld Magazine."

"Oh, forgive me. I didn't realize. It's just that, well, my parents sent me to a boarding school when I was 12 and I hated it. Anyway," she said, changing the subject and turning her attention again to Hope. "I'm glad you were able to come along, dear."

"Harry is out in the back yard playing with Christopher. They probably didn't hear you drive up. I'm afraid the professor's hearing is not what it used to be. I'll tell him you're here." Decker and Hope waited as Mrs. Goodman went to call her husband.

"He'll be right in, Mr. Hawthorne," she said as she returned and then excused herself to the kitchen.

A moment later Professor Harry Goodman appeared. "How are you, Decker? How have you been?" he continued, not waiting for an answer. "You look like you've put on some weight and lost more hair." Decker cringed a little at Goodman's recognition of what was obvious to everyone but himself.

"And you must be Hope," he said, looking in her direction. "I'll bet you'd like to meet my grandnephew, Christopher." Goodman turned toward the back door where a young boy was standing with his nose pressed against the screen, looking in. "Christopher, come in here and meet Mr. Hawthorne and his daughter Hope."

Decker had never seen Goodman so animated or in such a good mood. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr. Hawthorne," Christopher said as he extended his right hand.

"It's very nice to meet you as well," Decker responded, "but we actually met about four years ago when you were seven. You've grown quite a bit since then."

Martha Goodman emerged from the kitchen with a plate full of chocolate chip cookies. "Oh, good, I love chocolate chip," said Professor Goodman.

"They're not for you," teased Martha. "They're for the children. Hope, would you and Christopher like to come out in the backyard with me and have some cookies and milk?" Hope – who didn't like being thought of as a child but who did like chocolate chip cookies – nodded and went with Christopher and Mrs. Goodman to the backyard.

Decker and Goodman settled in for a long conversation. "Professor, you look great," Decker began. "I swear, you look ten years younger than the last time I saw you."

"I feel great," Goodman answered. "I've lost twenty-four pounds. My blood pressure is down. Hell, I'm even regular most of the time," he added with a chuckle.

"That's another thing," said Decker. "You seem… well, almost jolly. What's going on?"

Goodman looked toward the back door. Christopher was standing there with the screen door part way open, watching as Hope and Mrs. Goodman inspected some flowers. Certain he wouldn't be missed, Christopher ran into the living room to his granduncle. From his shirt pocket he pulled two chocolate chip cookies. Goodman took the cookies and accepted the hug that came along with them. Christopher put the side of his index finger to his lips to signify a pact of silence, and then went over to Decker and reached back into his shirt pocket. As he did, he saw the results the hug had on the two remaining cookies. Looking at the badly broken cookie remains he offered them apologetically to Decker. Decker accepted graciously as Christopher gave the same code-of-silence signal and ran out the back door before he could be missed.

'"What's going on?'" Goodman said, repeating Decker's previous question. "That's what's going on." Goodman nodded toward where Christopher had made his exit. "I may look ten years younger, but I feel like I'm forty again." Decker knew from his last visit with Goodman that Christopher's parents had been killed in an auto accident. His closest surviving relative was his grandfather, Goodman's older brother, who was unable to take care of him because of his failing health. So Christopher had moved in with Harry and Martha.

"Originally, I thought we were too old to take care of a child, but Martha insisted," Goodman continued. "We never had any children of our own, you know. Christopher has been the best thing to ever happen to Martha and me. But, I was right – we were too old. So we just got younger."

Decker smiled.

"Well, let's get down to business," said Goodman. "This time I think we've really got something. Let me go get my notes." Goodman left the room for a moment and returned with three over-stuffed notebooks. Two hours later it was clear to Decker that Goodman was right. Goodman had developed a vaccine for treating many of the viruses which can cause cancer, such as Rous sarcoma and Epstein-Barr. Further testing was necessary to determine if the vaccine development process was universal, and there would have to be actual testing in humans, but all of the tests to date had been remarkable, proving as much as 93% effective in lab animals.

"So what you've done is to grow and support massive cultures of the C-cells, and then introduce the cancer virus in vitro," Decker said. "In that environment, the virus attacks the C-cells, which respond by producing antibodies, resulting in the complete arrest and ultimate elimination of the virus."

"In a nutshell, that's it," Goodman concluded. "And if the vaccine development process proves out, it will probably be just as successful with any other virus, including AIDS or even the common cold. Admittedly, those will be a little tougher because of all the mutations of the AIDS virus and all the varieties of cold viruses."

"This is fantastic! I think I can guarantee you a major story on this. I'd be surprised if my editor doesn't put your picture on next week's cover."

"So, we'll go with the same plan as before to explain the origin of the C-cells?" Decker asked.

"There's no reason to change it that I know of. I'll say that I developed the C-cells through genetic engineering and that I can't say more without revealing the process."

"Good," Decker responded. "I'd like to spend some more time looking over your notes, but I promised Elizabeth we wouldn't be late."

"I'm way ahead of you," interrupted Goodman. "I've already made copies. Just make sure you keep them under lock and key and call me if you have any questions." Goodman gathered his papers and the conversation soon turned to small talk.

Decker told Goodman that after visiting with Elizabeth's sister for a few days, he'd be going to Israel for six weeks to relieve the News World reporter covering the recent Palestinian protests. "By the way, do you remember Dr. Rosen from the Turin expedition?" Decker asked.

"Joshua Rosen?" Goodman asked. "Of course. Seems I read something about him somewhere a couple years back."

"That was my story in NewsWorld" Decker responded. "I sent you a copy."

"I remember it now. It was something about him leaving the U. S. and going to Israel after they cut his program from the defense budget."

"Right. Well, he's still there. They finally granted him citizenship. I'll be staying with him for a couple days."

"That's right, I had forgotten about that. He wanted to become an Israeli citizen but they wouldn't let him," Goodman recalled.

At that moment Martha Goodman, Hope, and Christopher came in the front door from a long walk. "Would you and Hope like to stay for supper?" she asked Decker.

"I'm sorry, we really can't," Decker answered.

"Are you sure? I know that Christopher would enjoy Hope's company for a while longer."

"Thanks, but Elizabeth and Louisa are expecting us," Decker explained.

As the miles rolled by and the highway scenery grew redundant, Hope told her father about her visit with Christopher and Martha Goodman. "We had a lot of fun," she said. "He's really a nice kid. It's a shame he'll be thirteen in a couple years."

"Why's that?" Decker asked.

"Because thirteen-year-old boys are so obnoxious," she answered.