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court.
    There’s a woman you want on your side, Glennis said, sitting down.
    Not sure bout that, Yeager said.
    Pass me some of that, would you? she said to him.
    He pushed his bottle to her. She took a swig and looked at Harrison.
    What happened? What the doctor say about Gracie? she said.
    He leaned back in his chair.
    Jim?
    There’s a problem, Harrison said. It’s rare.
    Goddamn. How rare?
    Four, maybe five percent.
    Five percent?
    Maybe less.
    Can they do anything?
    Nope.
    Why the hell not?
    Doctors don’t know much about it. Only gave it a name a decade ago.
    How’s Gracie?
    She’s okay.
    I’ll bet she’s not.
    Look, we knew it’d be something like this, Glen.
    Might not be a surprise, Glennis said, but that don’t mean it hurts any less bad.
    Just one them things, Harrison said.
    I’m gonna come over tomorrow, see her, she said.
    You’re gonna have plenty enough on your plate tomorrow, he said.
    Might need the company myself.
    Thanks for the vote of confidence, hon, Yeager said.
    If I didn’t think you could do it, hotshot, I wouldn’t be letting you fly, she said.
    You’re my good luck charm, Glen; I’m gonna paint your name on the nose.
    You can’t do that, she said.
    Hell I can’t, it’s my ass on the line. Jim, let’s get in early; I’ll bring some paint.
    Sounds good, Harrison said.
    Glamorous Glennis , Yeager said.
    Glennis cracked a smile. Pancho appeared behind the bar and called them all miserable pudknockers.
    You havin a goddamn s é ance or are you gonna drink something? she said.
    Scotch, Harrison said.
    That’s more like it.
    Pancho brought four drinks and they sat around the table and toasted the Glamorous Glennis .
    Best be gettin home, Harrison said.
    Be good to that wife of yours, Glennis said.
    He nodded. Five-thirty? he said to Yeager.
    Bright and early.
    Gonna be a hell of a day, Pancho said.
    Say, hon, Yeager said to Glennis, what say we saddle up a coupla Pancho’s best mares an have ourselves a little ride? Damn pretty night, tonight.
    Sure, she said, assuming you can catch me.
    Yeager watched her stand and leave. He smiled, then followed.
    Harrison, Pancho said, come here, would you?
    She led him over to the serving hatch and picked up a brown paper package.
    Saw Gracie earlier, she said.
    She told you?
    Pancho nodded.
    Couple steaks, she said, handing him the package. Give her a big kiss from me.
    Thanks, Pancho.
    Get out of here, would you? You’re making this place look like a goddamn soup kitchen.
     
    He got home at midnight. The bedroom was dark. Grace breathed into the silence, sleeping on her side. He sat on the edge of the bed, unbuttoned his shirt, unlaced his shoes. He pulled open the curtains. The desert was white. The milky light fell into the room. He felt heavy. He pulled a pack of Luckies from his shirt pocket, tapped it on his leg, put one in his mouth. He reached over to the box of matches on his bedside table. Grace stirred. The flame flared orange on her bare shoulder. He sat and smoked and thought of nothing.

    First light was a diesel spill across the sky. The ground was gray. The hard silence of the desert sung. In the main hangar, men worked in old fatigues and brown coveralls. They worked in yellow light. When they got tired, they drank dark coffee from the pot at the back. When they got cold, they smoked cigarettes in the janitor’s office. Black leads laid thick across the concrete floor. The X-1 sat quiet in the commotion. Harrison ate a sweet roll, drank hot coffee and watched the men work.
    Anyone get that Drene? he said.
    We got it, one of the mechanics called out.
    Hey, Harrison, got a minute?
    It was Yeager.
    Sure.
    They stepped out of the hangar to talk. It was cold.
    Got me a little ol problem, Yeager said. Horse threw me at Pancho’s last night. Sorta dinged my goddamn ribs.
    What do you mean, sorta dinged?
    Well, guess you might say I damn near like to broke a coupla sonsabitches.
    You seen a doctor?
    Hell, no. I made Glen call out the