Gene Wolfe - Home Fires

Vanessa tittered. “You can’t be as silly as that. I know you’re not. I checked the passenger lists.”

“I didn’t know they were public.”

“They’re not. Do you want the whole story?”

“I do.” He noticed that the ship’s roll seemed more pronounced. “Very much.”

“All right. At a dinner years and years ago, I sat next to a nice young man who worked for this line. We chatted and I was oh so charming. I can be charming when I want to.”

“I know.”

“Well, I knew you and Chelle were going on a cruise, so I looked up this gentleman and told him what Chelle thought. I’m sure you remember. She thought I’d been out in space, too, and that was why I wasn’t an old lady now. So I said I’d been out in space for the government and I couldn’t say anything about it.” Vanessa paused. “He let me see the passenger lists and took me to dinner. I didn’t have much money, so that was very nice. I liked him, and Charlie’s history. I told you, didn’t I?”

Skip said, “I’d think he’d be too old for you.”

“You’re right. He was, a bit. Still he was terribly nice. Do you know who’s not too old for me? Who’s exactly the right age?”

“I understand why you left the apartment. Still, I wish you’d told me you were going.” When Vanessa said nothing, he added, “I suppose you were afraid I’d have tried to stop you, and you’re probably correct.”

“It wasn’t that at all. They tried … I was afraid to tell anybody. Terrified! Put your arm around me. I’m serious. Do it. I need a man’s arm around me, and you’re just right for me and—oh, damn! I’m g-going to c-c-cry.”

He hugged her.

“I was so t-terribly frightened. Horribly, horribly frightened. I—I talked it down for a few days, but now I’m frightened again. They tried to k-kill me, Skip. They did! I was going to a few places I remembered, just to see what they were like now and who was there. Oh, Lord!”

“What was it?”

“It seemed so funny at the time. I kept a straight face until I got away, but then I laughed until the people around me must have thought I was crazy. I laughed, and I had almost forgotten that part.”

“Tell me.”

“I went to Simone’s and there was a woman there eating with some man. I didn’t recognize her, but she must have been much younger. Anyway, she recognized me. Her mouth dropped open. Do you know what I mean? And she positively gawked! So I pretended I hadn’t seen her and scooted, but after that I had to laugh. And—and…”

Vanessa had begun to tremble again. Skip tightened his grip.

“He stabbed me. Just stabbed me in the back while I was walking down Seventy-second with hundreds of people around us. He did! I know you won’t believe me, but it’s the truth.”

He gave her his handkerchief.

“Women were screaming and I was on the sidewalk trying to get up, only I had this thing in my back that hurt and hurt, and nobody would pull it out, and there were police all around and people saying, ‘I didn’t see it. I didn’t see it.’ Over and over.”

“You’re not making this up?”

Vanessa had begun unbuttoning her sleeves. “I’m going to take off my blouse. I don’t want you to pull off the bandage, and it’s too dark for you to see the place anyway. But you can feel the bandage—it’s a little bit above my bra strap. Go right ahead and feel it. Be gentle.”

As well as he could judge, there was pad of gauze somewhat smaller than the palm of his hand, held in place by tape. It was, or might have been, stiff with blood.

“We’ve a doctor on board—an official doctor, I mean. Dr. Prescott. He changed the bandage for me yesterday, and he says my body will absorb the stitches as the wound heals. Do you want to hear more about Tim? That’s the nice man who got me this job. He’s president of the cruise line now. I told him which ship, and I’d take any job to get on it and be there for Chelle and all that nonsense, and he said could you be a social director, we haven’t got one for the Rani ? The mandate’s five to four, you see, and every little bit helps.”

Skip nodded.

“Well, of course I could and I said so, so here I am.”

When Skip did not speak, Vanessa added, “I could take off my bra so you could feel it better. Wouldn’t you like that?”

“No. I’ll leave if you do.”

“All right.” She sat. “Only I’m going to leave my blouse off for now. We’ve got huge fans and vents that catch the wind when there is any, but it’s so dreadfully hot all over the ship.”

“First I should tell you that Chelle’s angry with me. I’ll answer—”

“Of course she is. If she hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have stripped.”

Although Vanessa could not have seen them, Skip’s eyebrows went up. “She told you?”

“No, indeed. Your face did. When I spoke with her, she was deeply in love with you. Or that’s what she said.”

“I see.” He took a deep breath. “I was about to say that I’d answer your questions, but you must answer mine first—my questions about the attempt on your life. I’m going to do my best to protect you, and these are things I’ll need to know. Did you see your attacker?”

“You defend criminals, don’t you? Isn’t that your business?”

He chuckled, surprising himself. “That’s what people think it is, and they may be half right. I defend persons accused of crime, Vanessa. They’re criminals, of course—but that’s because everyone is. Did you see your attacker? Don’t stall.”

“No. No, I didn’t. It was somebody behind me, and then I fell down.”

“Was it a man or a woman?”

“I don’t know! I just told you so.”

“You’ve been wearing ten-centimeter heels every time I’ve seen you, so I assume you were wearing them then. In those heels you must be as tall as quite a few men.”

“Not as tall as you are, Skip. You’ve a good two fingers on me.”

“Did you see the knife? After they pulled it out, I mean.”

“No. They never showed it to me. I suppose the police have it. What difference does it make?”

Skip shrugged. “It’s something we know your attacker had, and it might tell us something about him. Was it a dagger?”

“Isn’t that just a knife you stab people with?”

“A dagger is double-edged. It’s made for stabbing. Knives are made for cutting, for the most part. When people are stabbed, it’s usually a kitchen knife. Often it’s part of a set, a set that will be one knife short. It was the stabbing that made you give up the apartment I gave you?”

“That’s right. Because I was in the hospital the first night. After I got out, I thought, they’ll be looking for me and by this time they may have found my apartment. You’re not checking out my breasts.”

“Sorry. I didn’t know you wanted me to.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to stare, but it would be nice if you noticed them.”

“I have. Who is ‘they’?”

“People from the company that brought me back, from the Reanimation Corporation.”

“Do they have a good reason to want you dead? What is it?”

“You haven’t been making the payments. You told me you haven’t. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Lots of reasons.” Skip wanted to pace and did, only slightly impeded by the roll of the ship. “In the first place, I didn’t tell you I hadn’t been making the payments. I said I was going to stop.”

He pressed a button to light the dial of his watch. “Today is Tuesday. When were you stabbed?”

“It was a Wednesday, I think.”

“A week ago? This is important. Wednesday of last week?”

“Don’t be silly, we sailed the next day. It was two weeks ago.”