the intruder. She felt hated.
“No. Just don’t get any ideas about the ax I’ve got outside.” He nodded toward her book and with an effort he smiled, trying for a reassuring look.
Unsure what to make of his questionably comic reference and his uncomfortable smile, she tried to joke back.
“I’ve no idea what you mean—I’m just here on a little errand. I’ve brought the silver cigarette case I promised you.”
His smile took on a tinge of sincerity.
“Would you like some breakfast?”
“Sure. Thanks.” She forced a calm tone.
“What would you like? An omelet? Cereal?”
56
“Cereal, please.” Quiet, Stiff. Polite.
“I always have cereal when I’m in the city. Somehow when I’m out here I always have to have an enormous greasy breakfast.”
He was making a conscious effort to talk, to put her and himself at ease.
He poured a bowl of cereal, doused it with milk, and brought it to Devan.
“I’ll grab you a spoon. Would you like some juice?”
“Sure. Thank you.”
Vaughn made himself an omelet while she ate her cereal. He took a chair across the table from her when his food was ready.
“The driver will be back for me in three weeks. If you can stand me for that long, we’ll just hike to the pickup point that morning, and you’ll be back in Seattle that afternoon.”
“Three weeks?” Fresh despair at the thought of being trapped there with him for so long. “People will think I’m dead.”
“You haven’t heard any search party activity?”
“No.”
She answered quietly, bowing her head. Of course no one would be searching for her this far down river. Or in this forest at all. Who knew where she was? Only one other person. She felt her hand trembling as she took a drink of juice.
“Are you cold?”
“A little.”
He went to the fireplace and got a fire going, then went into the kitchen. He came back with two big lovely peaches.
57
“Have one. They won’t stay fresh for long.”
“Thanks.”
The fruit was firm and fragrant. She took a bite, pleased by the sweet tartness.
“So, what do you do? Back in the real world, in Seattle?”
“I’m a student. I study literature at the university.”
“Ah, yes, Dostoyevsky.”
“That’s right, I’m in the Dostoyevsky department. All crime, punishment, epilepsy and tuberculosis, all the time.”
Sarcasm. Her usual defense mechanism. Like him she was struggling to be conversational, hoping to put him at ease. She was still very frightened of him, not trusting his congeniality this morning after his roughness the night before.
“Fascinating. I majored in Miller. All parasites, alcoholism, and STDs, all the time.”
“Well, they’re only offering that as a grad program now.” They were both smiling watered-down smiles.
As he looked at her he could not quite resolve the person she appeared to be with the person she had to be, to be there in his cabin. Maybe she was crazy. Really crazy. The others had been criminal, but they’d taken what they wanted like robbers. In, out. Maybe this one had a different plan. Would anyone be nuts enough to become obsessed with a stranger? Seek him out, thinking they could make him fall in love? Or worse? He started getting images from “Basic Instinct” and “Misery.” She felt him scrutinizing her, trying to solve her riddle, as he bit into the peach he had been holding distractedly as they talked. As he ate it, his teeth tearing the delicate 58
skin and sinking into the tender flesh, the golden juices wetting his lips, Devan was dismayed to feel herself flush. The image of him committing that terribly intimate act had forced itself into her mind. She could almost feel his mouth on her. She had the feeling that Vaughn was deliberately being suggestive as he devoured his morsel of fruit.
Flushed and nervous she got up from the table. He saw, but did not understand her sudden discomfort.
“I’ll wash up if you’re finished.”
She took his plate, then went to the sink
“No. Just don’t get any ideas about the ax I’ve got outside.” He nodded toward her book and with an effort he smiled, trying for a reassuring look.
Unsure what to make of his questionably comic reference and his uncomfortable smile, she tried to joke back.
“I’ve no idea what you mean—I’m just here on a little errand. I’ve brought the silver cigarette case I promised you.”
His smile took on a tinge of sincerity.
“Would you like some breakfast?”
“Sure. Thanks.” She forced a calm tone.
“What would you like? An omelet? Cereal?”
56
“Cereal, please.” Quiet, Stiff. Polite.
“I always have cereal when I’m in the city. Somehow when I’m out here I always have to have an enormous greasy breakfast.”
He was making a conscious effort to talk, to put her and himself at ease.
He poured a bowl of cereal, doused it with milk, and brought it to Devan.
“I’ll grab you a spoon. Would you like some juice?”
“Sure. Thank you.”
Vaughn made himself an omelet while she ate her cereal. He took a chair across the table from her when his food was ready.
“The driver will be back for me in three weeks. If you can stand me for that long, we’ll just hike to the pickup point that morning, and you’ll be back in Seattle that afternoon.”
“Three weeks?” Fresh despair at the thought of being trapped there with him for so long. “People will think I’m dead.”
“You haven’t heard any search party activity?”
“No.”
She answered quietly, bowing her head. Of course no one would be searching for her this far down river. Or in this forest at all. Who knew where she was? Only one other person. She felt her hand trembling as she took a drink of juice.
“Are you cold?”
“A little.”
He went to the fireplace and got a fire going, then went into the kitchen. He came back with two big lovely peaches.
57
“Have one. They won’t stay fresh for long.”
“Thanks.”
The fruit was firm and fragrant. She took a bite, pleased by the sweet tartness.
“So, what do you do? Back in the real world, in Seattle?”
“I’m a student. I study literature at the university.”
“Ah, yes, Dostoyevsky.”
“That’s right, I’m in the Dostoyevsky department. All crime, punishment, epilepsy and tuberculosis, all the time.”
Sarcasm. Her usual defense mechanism. Like him she was struggling to be conversational, hoping to put him at ease. She was still very frightened of him, not trusting his congeniality this morning after his roughness the night before.
“Fascinating. I majored in Miller. All parasites, alcoholism, and STDs, all the time.”
“Well, they’re only offering that as a grad program now.” They were both smiling watered-down smiles.
As he looked at her he could not quite resolve the person she appeared to be with the person she had to be, to be there in his cabin. Maybe she was crazy. Really crazy. The others had been criminal, but they’d taken what they wanted like robbers. In, out. Maybe this one had a different plan. Would anyone be nuts enough to become obsessed with a stranger? Seek him out, thinking they could make him fall in love? Or worse? He started getting images from “Basic Instinct” and “Misery.” She felt him scrutinizing her, trying to solve her riddle, as he bit into the peach he had been holding distractedly as they talked. As he ate it, his teeth tearing the delicate 58
skin and sinking into the tender flesh, the golden juices wetting his lips, Devan was dismayed to feel herself flush. The image of him committing that terribly intimate act had forced itself into her mind. She could almost feel his mouth on her. She had the feeling that Vaughn was deliberately being suggestive as he devoured his morsel of fruit.
Flushed and nervous she got up from the table. He saw, but did not understand her sudden discomfort.
“I’ll wash up if you’re finished.”
She took his plate, then went to the sink
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