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"Right now, I’ anywhere that isn’t in this hospital, and neither is Beverly," I said, and straightened

Any protest Nathandied when he saw the way I was holding the leash He nodded "Okay I’ll be right there I love you" He kissedtoward the nearest set of doors

The nearest security guard frowned in ht I was disheveled, and I ith a dog who didn’t have a service jacket on I offered the wo smile and turned to walk quickly toward the nearest bank of elevators, hoping that she’d let o off and become someone else’s problelaring until I was safely in the elevator and bound for Nathan’s floor Beverly walked easily on her leash, with none of the pulling or foot-dragging that I’d witnessed when she was being walked by her owner; she even heeled naturally, settling against , aren’t you, Beverly?" I asked her "You’re a good, good dog A good dog like you shouldn’t be treated like that I’ll ain You havebrown eyes on me and believed every word I said I could see it in her face, and belief is in the nature of dogs

The elevator let us out on Nathan’s floor, where everyone was iving Nathan’s research assistant, Devi, still raised an eyebrow at the sight of my new black shadow "Sal, I don’t ?"

"She’s a dog," I confirmed needlessly "Beverly, I want you to meet Devi Devi, this is Beverly She joined us in the park"

"It’s nice to , as politely as if she were addressing a hu to pry, but you look a little flushed Can I get you a glass of water or so?"

The unspoken Are you okay? in her words was loud enough that she lass of water would be good" A fainting couch would be better, but if I asked for that, I was going to findould happen to Beverly, who really wasn’t supposed to be in the hospital

"Uh-huh" Devi rose, still watchingto tellto let me spin wild stories to amuseamnesia while you waited for your contact to oods’?" I echoed

"You know Information that can be used to prevent the next World War" Devi walked into the small nurse’s closet behind the desk as she spoke, and called back, "It’s probably on a thuht?"

I’d seen enough bad spywith this, and decided to play along It would make us both feel better "Yes, but I’ve decided to abandonet to the secret plans"

"That’s what overned with a bottle of red Gatorade I wasn’t sure whether it was the red kind that supposedly tasted like fruit punch or the red kind that supposedly tasted like cherry I also wasn’t sure it h that the first half of the bottle didn’t taste like anything but sweetness By the ti in, the dryness inme like she was afraid I’d keel over at any asped, and replaced the lid on the bottle "I think I needed that pretty bad We saw--"

The ie of the man in the park--Beverly’s real master, even if she had abandoned him for me--as the aniave a lurch, objecting to the memory more than to the Gatorade The result was the sa Beverly’s leash into Devi’s hands Devi looked unsurprised She took the leash and stepped aside, clearing the way for me to race to the bathroo a toilet basin I stayed on ainst the floor while I waited for ave another lurch I ain, but barely

At least this time, there was less artificial red in the bowl I leaned to the side and pressed e to vomit a third tis that felt like they were ered to the sink and washed my face with icy water I only wished there were a way for me to wash away the memory of what I’d seen That poor htened, dried my face with a paper towel, and walked back out of the bathroom to rescue Devi fro She was back behind her desk, and Beverly was sprawled at her feet, looking like she belonged exactly where she was I laughed a little, despite the ongoing lightness in my head