Page 35 (1/2)

"Dagger plunged deep," he says Risa has no idea what he’s talking about but doesn’t really care

"Get it out of ht," she yells at Roberta, "and if you have any decency in you at all, you’ll kill it!"

Roberta looks at her sternly, and then turns to Cao, Cam Wait outside for me"

Cam quickly, aardly, leaves, and Roberta closes the door Now she’s fu positive out of this, it’s that she’s gotten the better of Roberta

"You’re a cruel girl," Roberta says

"And you’re alike that"

"History will be the judge of e are, and e’ve done" And then she puts a piece of paper down on the table "This is a consent for spine by the end of the week"

Risa picks it up, tears it to shreds, and throws the pieces in the air Robertathis, because she instantly pulls out a second consent form from her folder and slaps it down on the table

"You will be healed, and you will make up to Cam for how badly you’ve treated him today"

"Not in this life, or any other"

Roberta s Risa doesn’t "Well thenhere’s hoping you have a sudden change of heart" Then she exits the roo the pen and the consent form on the table

Risa looks at the consent forn it, but the fact that they want her to intrigues her Why is it so important to them that her broken body be repaired? There’s only one answer to that: For some reason Risa is much more important than she ever dreamed she was Important to both sides

29 - Cam

He sits in the observation roo on Risa--although when it’s officially allowed through a one-wayIt’s called surveillance

On the other side of the glass, Risa stares at the contract Roberta put before her Her face is stony, her jaw clenched Finally she picks up the pagethen folds it into a paper airplane and throws it at the mirror Cam jolts in spite of himself He knows she can’t see hiht spot to make eye contact For a lass, but through him as well, and he has to look away

He hates the fact that she hates him He should have expected it, but still, her words hurt him deeply and make him want to hurt her back But no That’s just the reaction of the various Unwinds in his head; kids ould lash out at the slightest provocation He won’t give in to those ih sensible parts of his and allow him to control those parts that threaten to disturb the peace He rem--the new et used to him, and in time revere him And so will Risa

Roberta comes into the roo here"

"Jericho," he says "She’s a wall, but she’ll crumble I know she will"

Roberta smiles at him "I have no doubt that you’ll win her over In fact, I suspect she’ll change her mind sooner than you think"

Cam tries to read between the lines of her s "Cat that ate the canary--I don’t like when you keep secrets"

"No secret," Roberta tells hi faith in human nature Now come, it’s alhs "Another one?"

"Would you prefer a press conference?"

"A sharp stick in the eye? No thank you!"

Cam has to admit that this new approach to the media is far better than press conferences and interviews Roberta and her friends at Proactive Citizenry have cooked up a first-class advertising caital, the works All just photos, but even so, the ads are powerful

The first round of ads will feature extreme close-ups of various parts of him An eye; streaks of his multicolored hair; the starburst of flesh tones on his forehead Each imatic caption like, "The Time Has Come," or "The Brilliant To advertised Then, when public curiosity is piqued, they move to phase there the ads will feature his face, his body, and finally his whole self

"We’ll create a mystique around you," Roberta told him "Play into their puerile fascination with the exotic until they’re cha at the bit to see more"