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Her story told me how stupid I’d been to hate Malcolm I’d created a myth about him, about his e of hi it Now I had to let that ilethorpe Square, he’d asked ards to ether again," he said "And perhaps you’ll work alongside us"

I’d said only, "Good night" Yet for the first tis for enuine affection Whatever he’d done, he’d done for what he thought were good reasons

The cold air and exercise began to clear the fog in my brain But I felt tired, too tired to think about Root Whatever she ht have done, for whatever reasons--I’d come to terht by the tiates and tourists sat at the lobby bar, and a few Hillhouse students sprawled along a sofa watching sports on a large-screen TV One of them waved to me I waved back, but walked on toward the elevator I’d had enough conversation for one day

As I unlocked the door of room 408, I expected to find ain But the room was quiet, lit only by the lamp next to Rhonda’s bed Her bed was empty I made out two forms in the other bed, two heads on the pillows, and ht was: Bernadette and Rhonda? Inthe door quietly But it wasn’t Rhonda in bed with Bernadette, I sa It was Walker It was Walker

Maybe I made a noise Bernadette stirred, turned her head, rested her chin on Walker’s shoulder I couldn’t tell if her eyes were open

For the second tiht, I wanted to run Instead I made myself walk to the closet, pull out s inside Before I left, I couldn’t resist taking a last look at the bed, at Bernadette’s profile against Walker’s neck She seeht I slept--or tried to--on a sofa outside one of the second-floorroo hours staring at the taupe-colored shade of a squat brown cera not to feel

Finally I gave up I found a chair by the plate-glass s overlooking the river and watched the dirty water lighten as the sun rose in a place I couldn’t see I’d succeeded inave way to a sensation like goose buoose bumps became sharper, like pinpricks, and threatened to intensify into stabs

I went back down to the lobby and asked for stationery and a pen at the front desk After writing a note to Professor Hogan (saying simply that I had to leave for personal reasons), I sealed it and handed it to the clerk

Briefly I thought about going back to the house near Oglethorpe Square, asking Malcolht in with the other zoo home

Florida was miles and miles away, but Tybee Island lay perhaps fifteen miles to the southeast I put on a thick layer of sunblock, strapped onwalk

I’ers So ive up, they’ve estures that sustained me

That day I lost direction twice The first tias station to ask about street na?"

After he told me the best route, he insisted that I take a free bottle of water

The second ti the shoulder of Route 80, a woman in a yelloo-seat convertible pulled over on the road’s other side "Where’re you headed?" she shouted across to e on Tybee Beach in fine style, sitting in the convertible’s passenger seat, the car radio blaring rock and roll "You be careful now," the woman said as I climbed out When I thanked her, she said, "Whatever it is, you’ll get over it"

My face must have told her ht, knocking on the cottage’s front door, I felt a wave of lethargy pass throughhere? I could have stayed where I was So what if Walker slept with Bernadette? Was it really such a big deal?

Mãe opened the door She looked ard than she had the last time I’d seen her But she threw her arms around me, almost as if she’d expected to see me When we pulled apart, she said, "Today he’s worse Yesterday he seeer He even said a feords But today he’s taken a turn"

She led me into the kitchen, past the table, cluttered with cups and plates, into my father’s room His face was turned toward the wall, but his arm, still attached to an IV tube, looked thinner and frailer toht into the eyes of Mary Ellis Root She sat in a chair at the foot of his bed, an open journal in her lap Her dark eyes gleareet each other, Mãe said, "Mary Ellis ca to catch him up on some research"

I wanted to run away Instead, I ca leam in her left eye seemed to contract, to flicker

Root said, "Aren’t you supposed to be at school?" Her voice was gruff, yet oily

"I’h to convince ry, Ariella" Mãe’s voice sounded sweet and ware"

I didn’t want to leave Root alone with my father But I needed to talk to Mãe, so I went In the kitchen, I took her arm, pulled her down the hall, into the small bathroom I shut the door

"We have to call Dashay," I said "She can help us deal with this I think Root may be the one who made Father sick"

Mãe’s eyes ide They looked weary, but I saw no suspicious gleam