Read Shadow World for Free Online Page B

said.
    "Hi," Cara echoed hesitantly. She and Mark eyed each other warily.
    Rob masked his surprise. "Cara, this is Mark Kenner, one of our fourth-year students, and Mark, this is--"
    "We've met," Mark broke in, "and I owe her something. An apology.
    "I'm truly sorry about last night," he said to Cara. "I took my bad mood out on you, and I was rude. Please don't judge the students at this school by me. I'm just ... uh ..." He trailed off awkwardly.
    "Going through a hard time?" suggested Cara. Her smile forgave him.
    Mark looked at the doctor accusingly.
    "I haven't said a thing to her," Rob protested. "You know better than that.
    Hell, I don't even know what you two are talking about."
    Neither smiled. Rob glanced at Cara and realized that her journalist-trained eyes probably saw in Mark's face the same
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    tired-to-the-bone strain that he did.
    "Cara," Rob began, "would it be possible for you to ..."
    She was already ahead of him. "You know, Dr. Rob, I really need to pull my notes together before our interview this morning. Is there somewhere I could work?"
    Rob nodded, appreciating her quick perception. "There's a conference room here," he answered, opening the adjacent door.
    "But first"--Cara paused in the doorway--"I owe you an apology, too, Mark. I was the rude one, and very unprofessional. I wouldn't want you to judge all journalists by me."
    Mark smiled, the expression momentarily wiping the stress and fatigue from his face. "Let me set you up with some friends who'd love to be interviewed,"
    he offered by way of acceptance. "After lunch?"
    "After lunch," Rob interrupted firmly. Can't let him get too comfortable; he'll lose the impetus to tell me whatever it is that's brought him here. "Come on in, Mark."
    Steering the younger man into his office, Rob shut the door and activated the
    "No Interruptions, Please," sign. Quickly he signaled his assistant to hold all calls. Before he could sit down at his desk, a small, sleek form bounded into the chair and sat smugly, tail curled primly around her feet.
    "Morning, Bast. Why didn't you put the coffee on?" Rob asked as he scooped the little black cat up one-handed. Her purring increased
    geometrically. Plopping her in the middle of his desk, the doctor waved the lights up slightly, then ordered a pot of coffee.
    As he sank into his seat and leaned back, he regarded Mark, who was still standing awkwardly near the door.
    "Have a seat," he invited, waving at the nearest chair.
    The student didn't move. "No, thanks. This won't take long, Rob. I just came to tell you that I've decided to withdraw from StarBridge. I'm meeting with Kkintha ch'aait," he named the school's Administrator, "this afternoon to tell her that I'm going back to Earth."
    As a psychologist and M.D. Rob had had years of practice in keeping his inner feelings off his face, and he was grateful for that now.
    "But you're telling me first?" he asked evenly, concealing 32
    his shock and distress. "You must know I'd be ... I am ... totally opposed to such a thing. Running away isn't a solution to problems, you know that. If you leave, you'll be throwing away years of hard work, good work ... you'll be abandoning the dream you've had ever since you were a child. Mark, that would be a terrible mistake."
    "You've been my friend, as well as my counselor," said Mark quietly. "You've tried to help. I felt I owed it to you to be the one to tell you myself. But this isn't a subject for argument, Rob. My mind is made up."
    "I wouldn't be your friend if I didn't try and talk you out of this. I'm going to try my damnedest to change your mind."
    Mark smiled briefly. "Can't we consider the attempt made, and leave it at that? I already know everything you'll say ... hell, everything you have said in our sessions, Rob. And I've listened. But I have to listen to myself first. This decision is the right one for me."
    The coffee arrived. Stalling for time, Rob slowly poured two cups, even though Mark shook his head as he pushed the