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Everyone knehere the Gustav was It was one of the largest buildings on the west side and was the only hotel plebeians were allowed to stay at in the land grant Through some serendipitous twist of fate, Mae walked up to it just as General Gan e car When he saw her, he caeneral had seenfeet and a soaked debutante’s dress probably wasn’t a sight he’d run into before

"Hello, General," she told him "I’ve decided I’d like to have a purpose after all"

When Mae finished her story, she thought Justin, as stretched out on the couch, had fallen asleep Silence fell, and he opened his eyes

"If it makes you feel better, you win the dubious honor of couessed any of that My prevailing theory was that you ran off after some infatuation with a soldier"

She sood it really had felt to get this off her chest She’d never told it to anyone "Infatuation with uess"

"Spoken like a true soldier" He stifled a yawn "That’s why you turned Porfirio down--too eh Mae should’ve been used to that by now "That, and he was pretty heavy-handed about it I think he thought asking was kind of a forly close to the way Kris had behaved, she realized "And I think being his wife…I don’t know He didn’t have a lot of the sexist views patricians have, but there was still an overconfidence about hi with hiine I’d refuse" She sed as she recalled their last

"You were afraid he would’ve tried to control you," Justin said, su it up "Like the others"

"It’s what people do--they’re always trying to get power over each other The fact that it all went dohen Claudia was pregnant just made it worse More callous control of other lives"

"What ever happened to the baby?" asked Justin

"I don’t know Sent away" He was too tired to pick up the lie in her voice, or she was just that good She’d given him a lot, but Emil’s mysterious leads and her own obsessive inquiries over the years about Claudia’s daughter were staying inside Mae’s heart "I was long gone by then"

Justin’s eyelids were drooping again, and she got to her feet The ree had long since worn off and rarely left a hangover "Get some sleep We can do psychoanalysis of my dysfunctional life another ti as normal" When she returned with the blanket, his eyes were closed again, but he asked, "Is it boring, not sleeping? Do you ht at a moment’s notice?"

"Well, yes…but I’ve been a bad sleeper my whole life" The next adhthtular, and she kneas asleep She studied hi not just the lines of his face but also this rareof his ht in her bedroo over the last few days, reading, and watching documentaries Occasionally her eyes would lift to theas she pondered what had happened to Emil Who was he? And as she supposed to do about hi came, she’d reached a decision She showered and dressed and was in thebreakfast when Justin finally woke up He see

"Why would you assu s, but still

"I figured you greith cooks and then just ate froht "Got any aspirin?"

"No I don’t use it"

"Caffeine it is then"

He declined the food and contented hi of coffee She was also pretty sure he ht-eyed and upbeat within the hour

"How are you spending your Sunday?" he asked

"I’ood idea? I ht not take a visit well"

"I know," said Mae glumly "But Whitetree told me she’s still in the hospital I can’t believe I did that This is so I have to understand" The pillow talk had hit her hard Maybe it was all this rumination on life and death, but Mae had to see for herself what she’d done to Kavi, even if it would end in ranting and hostility

"Understood I’ll leave you to it" Justin downed the last of his coffee and set the eentle them?"

"No…Lucian sent the to say?"