Metafire

"No." He was taken aback, but then he thought better of it. "Oh yes. I was in an FBI briefing the other day. They were explaining telltale signs that might reveal the terrorists. We have to be careful. God only knows what the result would be, if they shipped a bomb into space and blasted our new colonies. Anyway, they said they were starting a new kind of research center in Houston. They're hiring software types."

"Thanks, I'll tell her." She was thinking about Jack and feeling safe in having changed the subject. "By the way, sorry about the weekend, but I still want to be alone. I'm just not over all this horror." She lied.

Chapter 6 Conversation

That evening, when Erisa approached her house, there was Jack, leaning on a rake. He had straightened up her yard. Augusta street does not exactly have grass lawns, more like sand and cactus. In fact, the street, within a mile of downtown, was itself dirt. But Jack made her little yard look pretty good.

As she got out of her car, he spoke. "I didn't have anything to do today, so I just came over and played with your yard. I hope you don't mind."

"No. I like it. Let's eat." She took out a small bag, sauntered up to him, smiled and said, "I loved last night. I've got a bottle of wine here." Wine was pretty expensive stuff.