Or so I thought. I closed my eyes in the dark cabin, and waited for
the various places that hurt to stop throbbing. After a while most of
the pain subsided, and I opened my eyes again and was most agreeably
surprised to see Joanie sitting in my chair, staring at me with wide,
worried eyes.
"Feel better now?" she asked.
"A little." My lips felt like platters. "What time is it?"
"Half past four."
"Morning or night?" I asked.
"Afternoon," she said. "You've been asleep around twenty minutes."
"It seems like hours." I was silent, digesting that fact. It was just a
couple of hours since my fight with Riccio. And it was only six hours
since my goof in the boat with Joanie. It seemed like all that had
happened days and days ago.
But she was smiling tenderly. I wondered vaguely if the incident in the
boat had ever really happened.