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on。 〃What is this all about？〃 he demanded。
〃That's what I want to know；〃 said Miranda。
〃Take it up with Cavendish； whatever it is。〃 He made a show of trying to leave； but the Captain had sent two of his biggest men。 They loomed at the door。
〃Sit；〃 said the Captain。
Then Ochs caught sight of the television screen by Miranda's elbow。 The stranger was sitting on a metal bed in a stainless steel cell。 A small noise eked from Ochs's nostrils。 The red blotches on his polished head drained pale。 〃Swift；〃 he whispered。 〃But he's dead。〃
Miranda felt a shock of happiness； wicked and relieved at the same time。 Ochs was afraid。 And the stranger had been honest at least about his name。 〃We were discussing you；〃 she said。
〃What in God's name is he doing here？〃
〃He brought the Smithsonian specimens that you said don't exist；〃 she said。 〃I wanted to hear your side of it。〃
〃My side of what？〃 said Ochs。 The blood returned to his face。 But his bluster was gone。 〃He's a convicted murderer。 A cannibal。 Yes； it's true； in this day and age。 It all came out in his trial。 He tried to kill me。 They jailed him in Kathmandu。 You must have read about it。〃
The seamy； tabloid details rushed to her。 This was that man？ But she recalled； even before the plague transcended it； doubting the story could be true in all its parts。 It had seemed too sordid； too fantastic to be real。
〃He's hunting me；〃 said Ochs。 〃He wants revenge。〃
〃That's not what he told us；〃 she managed to say。 Ochs's fear was so。。。delicious。
The precision…trimmed goatee twitched。 〃What did he tell you？ Jerusalem； is that it？〃
〃Tell me；〃 said Miranda。Jerusalem？ This was like feeding quarters into a video game。 Ochs was practically playing himself。
〃He was one of my students。 An idiot； really。 Every department has one； the lost soul scraping for identity。 I stuck him out in the desert where he couldn't embarrass himself。〃
〃Jerusalem；〃 she repeated。
〃He heard about the Golgotha find。 He called me。 The earthquake had just hit。 A quick buck； he said。〃
〃You robbed the Golgotha site？〃 Until this moment； she'd never known it had been robbed。
〃What could I do？ I went to stop him。 He was married to my sister。 I wasn't trying to protect him； only my family。 My department。〃
〃That's not what he said。〃 She didn't know what else to say。 Feed the quarters in。
〃I didn't push him。 He fell；〃 Ochs snarled。 〃I was trying to catch him。〃
Was he talking about Jerusalem？ The Captain knew more about it than she did。 〃You left him；〃 he said。 〃In the mountains。〃
Ochs came closer to the screen。 Nathan Lee could have been waiting for a bus to arrive。 〃How did he get out？〃 he muttered to himself。 〃He's here？〃
〃He says he wants his daughter；〃 said the Captain。
〃She's not here。〃
〃Where is she？〃
Miranda was grateful for the Captain's presence。 He was driving to the heart of the matter。 They had found the saddlebags in the tree。 Their part of the bargain was to provide the man his daughter； or clues。 But Ochs was too clever； or frightened。
〃He's dead；〃 said Ochs。 〃Tell him that。 We told her he died。〃
〃Tell him yourself；〃 said the Captain。 It was all the leverage he had； a bully threat。
〃I'm not going in there。〃
And that was the end of it。 They couldn't force Ochs to speak。 And Miranda didn't have the nerve to throw Ochs into the same cell with his enemy。 Slowly Ochs emerged from his confusion。 He began to prehend their deception。
〃Is that it？〃 he said。 〃That's all you had？〃 He bent and smeared his thumb across Nathan Lee's image on the screen。
〃I'm keeping him；〃 Miranda suddenly spoke。
The Captain looked at her。 Ochs was contemptuous。 〃It will never work；〃 he said。 〃The council will throw him to the dogs。〃 The council was Cavendish。
〃Essential personnel。〃 She made it up as she went along。 〃The Year Zero remains。 Golgotha。 Forensics。〃
It came to her。 She could draw the line。 Maybe she couldn't take back all the territory Cavendish had seized over the years。 But she could fortify the safe haven she had begun to build here。 It needed a guardian； someone who struck fear into her enemies； or at least into this one bully。 It was a start。 With Nathan Lee Swift in her keeping； Ochs would think twice before descending upon them。 No more raids； she thought。 No more terror tactics。 She would force it with her father； if it came to that。 Cavendish； be damned。
〃I'm very clear about this；〃 she told Ochs。
〃We'll see about that；〃 he said。
Miranda did something she'd never done to anyone。 She slapped him。 It wasn't much of a slap； but Ochs looked shot。 He blinked。 He prehended。
〃Yes；〃 she told him。
18
The Mission
THELASTDAYS OFJULY
I'm not a child；〃 Miranda warned him。 〃I know what you want。 Don't get any ideas。〃 They had emerged from Alpha Lab's maze of basements。 It was a New Mexican morning； blue sky； yellow sun。 She was strange to him。 Her loping stride made Nathan Lee feel tardy。 He hurried to keep up。
The hillside was crowded with buildings； trailers； even a big red…and…white circus tent with a fading Barnum and Bailey on one side。 A painted sign in front of the tent read CENTER FORNONLINEARSTUDIES。 Another sign declared EQUATION OFSTATE。Where on earth am I？ he thought。
She reminded him of a rancher's bride in some old B…movie； tall and lean in a man's Levis and a checkered red shirt。 Her ponytail hung through the hole at the back of her baseball cap。 It saidJackson Lab； Of Mice and Men。 Her eyes unsettled him。 They were green as sea ice。
Electric golf carts darted past them。 Campus types…amazons in jog bras； bearded whiz kids； wide…bottomed brainiacs…flashed by on battery…propelled scooters or on roller blades or bicycles。 They passed buildings with exotic names： PLASMATHEORY； HOSTPATHOGEN； PRIONS； LIVERFUNCTION。 He pointed at a building： THEORETICALBIOLOGY。 〃Your dragons and sea monsters？〃 he said。
She blinked。 She got it。 Humor。 Onward。Wrong address； he thought to himself。
〃You want Ochs；〃 she continued。 〃Forget him。 He's part of the regime。 You need to know that。 You're safe for now。 I can clear you for T/A3； my technical area； that's it。 You'll be provided food and lodging。 But South Sector's off…limits。 Go there； and you'll never e back。〃
South Sector。He filed it away。 Ochs's home。
She stayed a full step ahead of him。 He couldn't seem to catch up。 Biohazard symbols were posted everywhere； so prevalent they had bee part of the landscape。 Local artists had customized the menacing three…pronged 〃flower〃 into beautiful arabesques and harmless graffiti。 The warnings had bee decoration； the perils had bee part of their lifestyle。
〃Where are we going？〃 he asked。
〃Lunch。 You look like a poster boy for yoga。〃
〃I'm going to need to talk with him；〃 he said。
〃That's what I'm saying；〃 she said。 〃Don't。〃
〃Then I might as well leave。〃 He was testing the limits。 Hers； his； he couldn't say。
〃You could；〃 she said。 〃Or you could give it a little time。〃 Her ponytail chased her shoulders。
〃There's not much time out there。〃
She stopped。 He sidestepped the collision。 She threw her hand towards a squat building。 〃Nirvana。 One of our superputers。 In the old days it stored an HIV database。 Now we run code on it with Corfu data。 If I had my way； we'd still have the Blue Mountain。 But Cavendish took it with him into South Sector。 I tried to stop him。 It's four times more powerful。 Do you understand what I'm saying？ There's a limit to my power。〃
They crossed a bridge named Omega； which spanned a small canyon。 Ahead lay the city； no great beauty； but bustling and alive。 A white van pulled alongside them。 It had black tinted windows； and Nathan Lee saw his own reflection。 Miranda didn't waste a glance on it。 After ten seconds； the van drove on。
〃Los Alamos used to be a very safe town；〃 she mented。 〃Then it grew up。〃
Partway across the bridge； the snow began falling。 The flakes fell out of a blue sky； and Nathan Lee stopped to let them gather on his palms。 The flakes were white and warm。 He looked around； and no one seemed to notice。
Miranda came back to him。 〃Ashes；〃 she said。 Her baseball cap and shoulders were sprinkled with it。
Nathan Lee pinched the ash between his fingers。 He smelled the breeze。 〃A forest fire？〃 he said。
〃Burn day；〃 she told him。
〃Garbage？〃
〃Medical refuse；〃 she said。 〃Intellectual debris。 Don't worry。 It can't hurt you。 The incinerators burn hot。 Two thousand degrees Fahrenheit； something like that。〃
She turned and went on。 He brushed his hands clean； and continued the chase。
They entered a large cafeteria perched on the edge of the canyon。 The view was five…star； the ambience was pure junior high school。 There were boisterous cliques and bookworms jabbing the open page and partners bent over their homework。 He saw plates with meatloaf and pan pizza and squares of red jello。 There was even a soda machine with Pepsi or Coke； regular or diet。 You could forget the rest of the world in here。 Maybe that was the idea。
Suddenly he was famished。 He didn't belong here； but all of a sudden he was hungry for this place。 The room bulged with sunlight。 The chrome surfaces sparkled。 The people were at peace。
Even standing still at the end of the line； Mi