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CHAPTER 51

Bliss

"What did you say?"

Bliss was paying for her new dress when she was jolted by the Visitor’s voice in her head

"Do you take A at the desk She tried to maintain her composure while inside the Visitor’s excitera is alive?"

"Why does this bring joy to you?" Bliss asked "Why would you care? She’s just a coma patient in a hospital rooirl asked, shoving the purple dress into a plain brown bag and stapling the top with the receipt

"No Sorry" Bliss grabbed her bag and headed out of the roo in

"Do they still have good stuff, or is it all picked over?" one of them asked

"Uh I don’t know," Bliss h She knew they would think her incredibly rude, but it was as if her head were going to crack open

Bliss raised her hand to hail a cab It was five in the afternoon, and all the taxis had their "Off Duty" signs on, a shift switch, and worse, it was starting to rain New York weather For a moment she missed Bobi Anne’s Silver Shadow Rolls and the driver who always took her around Finally Bliss caught a town car that had just dropped off some executive at the corner

"How much to 168th Street?"

"Twenty"

She got inside the car, which felt war rain

She could still feel the Visitor’s exciteitation Why did he care? What did he care about some stupid woman in a hospital?

"Show some respect, the Visitor said coldly Do not speak of your mother that way"

"So it’s true I aht Her heart was pounding so loudly it hurt her chest a little bit

"Of course you are," the Visitor said in a reasonable voice that ether Now, I think it’s tira"

CHAPTER 52

Schuyler

The hospital bed was era Van Alen sat in a chair beside it Schuyler’s ance and restraint in a si of pearls She looked as if she had just co, and not as if she had just spent the last fifteen years immobile in the same bed

Schuyler shuffled into the roora opened her arms, Schuyler hurled herself into thera stime; her skin was as soft as a baby’s Her presence hter sohter’s hair

"Schuyler You came home"

"I’m sorry, I’ I said to you in Tokyo" She raised her tear-streaked face "But how?"

"It was tira said

Schuyler broke away frora was saying