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this time, she’s scared. It isn’t a game and she’s scared.”
    “But Emma, remember, she’s a sick woman,” he said gently.
    Emma didn’t respond.
    “Dr. Adams tells me she hasn’t long to live. Isn’t it more likely that the invisible threat is to her own mortality? She’s facing death, and of course she’s frightened.”
    “It seems like more than that,” Emma answered, but with less conviction.
    “I’ll talk to her.” He smiled his Sunday smile to reassure her. “Everything will be fine.”
    He saved Nora for last, wanting to feel unhurried while he helped her to confront her fears. All through his other visits his mind strayed, preoccupied with the right turn of phrase, the right expression, to enlighten her. It was a formidable task.
    She was resting when he came into the room and he took a moment to arrange his face in the proper beneficent manner.
    “Nora,” he said, and folded his hands in front of him.
    Her black eyes opened, immediately alert and her lips parted, the tip of her tongue flitting to moisten them. Color flooded into her cheeks.
    “Watch her . . . it will come, and she is weak.”
    Outside, the sun ducked behind a cloud.
     
     
     
     
     

ELEVEN
     
    Rachel stood in the laboratory doorway, her eyes taking in the impressive array of technological equipment in the spotless room.
    “Does the Mayo Clinic know you’ve taken all this?”
    Nathan laughed, delighted. “This is what I spend my money on.”
    “But, an electron microscope . . . it must have cost . . .”
    “. . . a lot of money,” he said tactfully, surveying his domain. “And worth every penny.”
    “Somehow, when you told me you planned to retire to the lab, I pictured a damp dark basement with rats and things growing on the walls.” She shook her head in wonder. “And maybe a hunchback or two.”
    “I’m working on that.” He took her arm. “Let me show you the rest of the hospital—you won’t recognize it.”
    “I’m lost already.”
    They had covered the east, north and west halls and were turning down the south hall, toward the front of the hospital when Nathan halted, stopping in front of an unmarked door.
    “This,” he announced, “is for you.” He pushed the door open to reveal an office, furnished, equipped and ready for occupancy. The rear wall featured a large sliding glass door which opened out into the courtyard. One wall was given entirely to bookshelves and her own medical books, sent for storage when she’d gone to Africa, were handsomely displayed.
    “It’s beautiful.” She turned to face him. “This is the nicest thing anyone could have done for me. Thank you.”
    “I’ve been waiting a long time for you to come home. I hope to make you sufficiently obligated so you’ll stay a while.” He smiled. “A little emotional blackmail never hurt.”
    “This’ll do it.” She sat in the chair and looked around the room. “I spent the last year doctoring out of a tent—this is heaven.”
    He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Now . . . shall we check on our patients?”
    “Lead on.”
    The first patient was pacing the room when they arrived.
    “It’s about time,” Franklin Dunn said, drawing up to his full height of five foot five and regarding them with disdain. What he lacked in size, he made up for in volume, raising his voice further. “You promised me I’d be going home today, and look, it’s already three o’clock.” He tapped the face of his expensive Swiss watch.
    “I know how to tell time, Franklin,” Nathan said, unperturbed. “If you don’t calm down, your blood pressure’s going to go through the roof, and if your blood pressure’s up . . . you won’t be going home today.”
    “I hope,” Dunn began, his voice controlled, “that you never have need of my professional services, because if you ever do, if there is a God, I’ll extract my pound of flesh.” Then he smiled. “So this must be Rachel.”
    Rachel, stunned, did not reply.
    “Rachel,