Wolf Time by Lars Walker

Author:Lars Walker [Walker, Lars]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 0-671-57815-4
Publisher: Baen Publishing Enterprises
Published: 1999-06-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER X

Martell walked to Harry's house and got a church key from Minna, who said her brother was out and looked at him strangely. But Minna always looked at him strangely.

The church was only a few houses down, a big gothic building in yellow stone. He was turning the key in the lock of a side door to the narthex, the wind in his ears, when Elaine's heels tapped up behind him.

"Please, let's get inside," she said.

He let her in.

They stood in the dim narthex, facing one another. Martell's instinct, shooting unbidden from long-dormant ganglia, was to take her in his arms. Instead he looked at her as she looked at him, each shifting balance like a wrestler.

The old pictures rose in his mind — Elaine standing in a sunny room, a yellow dress in her hands. She was folding the dress to pack in the suitcase which lay open on the bed.

He had stood in the bedroom doorway, poleaxed by the incarnation of his fears.

"She's my student," he thought, "my responsibility. I shouldn't be living with her. So it had to happen one day. And what better day than today?"

He had turned and left the apartment without a word spoken. When he returned she was gone.

Today she wore a pale trenchcoat over a warm-looking knitted dress in blue. Blue went with her eyes. She untied a scarf and relased her long, heavy golden hair. He caught his breath. Her face, a perfect oval, had been lovely in a girl. Now it was wondrous. But there remained a softness, almost a supplication, in the slightly formless mouth that spoke of a hurt and lonely child. Only the hardest of men could have looked at that face without warming a little.

"You look beautiful," he said.

She smiled.

"My God, don't do that!" he said, turning his head away.

She touched his shoulder with a slim hand. "I'm sorry, Carl. Some people say my smile's a deadly weapon. I didn't mean to take advantage of it. I guess nowadays men are so scared of women, a nice smile's the sexiest thing a girl can wear.

"You look pretty good yourself, you know. You look — well, more distinguished. Character lines. And you haven't gotten fat or bald. I'm impressed."

Martell had trouble meeting her eyes again. He'd always found it hard to take compliments. Now, able to sense that she meant what she said, he felt like a voyeur. And what if she started lying? He didn't want to know if Elaine lied.

"I thought we'd use Harry Gunderson's office," he said. "He's the assistant pastor. He's a friend of mine, and he's out."

"OK, lead the way." Her nervous smile dissolved him.

He led her down a side aisle of the sanctuary, toward the office addition behind the chancel. The light shone faintly from an overcast sky through the looming stained glass. He glanced back and thought Elaine looked cold and uneasy.

In the dim office hallway, two doors down on the left, he stopped in front of Harry's door, unlocked it and held it open for her.

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