It was enough. We found Lil in an underground break-room, lightly dozing
on a ratty sofa. Her head rested on Tom's lap, her feet on Rita's. All
three snored softly. They'd had a long night.
Dan shook Lil awake. She stretched out and opened her eyes, looked
sleepily at me. The blood drained from her face.
"Hello, Julius," she said, coldly.
Now Tom and Rita were awake, too. Lil sat up.
"Were you going to tell me?" I asked, quietly. "Or were you just going
to kick me out and let me find out on my own?"
"You were my next stop," Lil said.
"Then I've saved you some time." I pulled up a chair. "Tell me all about
it."
"There's nothing to tell," Rita snapped. "You're out. You had to know it
was coming -- for God's sake, you were tearing Liberty Square apart!"
"How would you know?" I asked. I struggled to remain calm. "You've been
asleep for ten years!"
"We got updates," Rita said. "That's why we're back -- we couldn't let
it go on the way it was. We owed it to Debra."
"And Lillian," Tom said.
"And Lillian," Rita said, absently.
Dan pulled up a chair of his own. "You're not being fair to him," he
said. At least someone was on my side.
"We've been more than fair," Lil said. "You know that better than
anyone, Dan. We've forgiven and forgiven and forgiven, made every
allowance. He's sick and he won't take the cure. There's nothing more we
can do for him."
"You could be his friend," Dan said. The light-headedness was back, and
I slumped in my chair, tried to control my breathing, the panicked
thumping of my heart.
"You could try to understand, you could try to help him. You could stick
with him, the way he stuck with you. You don't have to toss him out on
his ass."
Lil had the good grace to look slightly shamed. "I'll get him a room,"
she said. "For a month. In Kissimmee. A motel. I'll pick up his network
access. Is that fair?"
"It's more than fair," Rita said. Why did she hate me so much? I'd been
there for her daughter while she was away -- ah. That might do it, all
right. "I don't think it's warranted. If you want to take care of him,
sir, you can. It's none of my family's business."