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〃You said you had an idea。〃
〃Tomorrow。〃 Another step backward。
She changed her mind。 〃Have you eaten？〃
〃Look；〃 he turned grave。 〃Business。 Dinner。 Not a good bination。 I picked a bad time。〃
〃Do you want some supper？〃 She enunciated it slowly。
He looked around。 No escape。
〃You're kind of offending me。〃
〃Yes；〃 he said。 〃Good。 Supper。〃
〃Fine；〃 she said。
He quit talking。
She led the way。 At the back door； he automatically took off his shoes。 〃No need；〃 she said； and left hers on。 He kept his off。 He had clean white socks。 His oxford shirt； two sizes too large from the warehouse； was clean and white； too。 The black jeans were not his size either。 He kept them cinched tight with an old leather belt。
It was getting dark inside。 She flicked on the light。 His eyes darted everywhere。 He took it all in； and for a moment Miranda felt on display。 The house was nothing more than a base camp for her office。 There wasn't a single piece of art anywhere； not even a calendar with flowers or puppies。 Genome charts； science articles； and spreadsheets were push…pinned to the dry wall or fixed to the refrigerator。 The kitchen table held two puters； side by side； both on。 Taped to the window； a map of chromosome 16 blocked the spectacular view。
〃Let's see what we've got；〃 she stated； and began hunting through her pantry and refrigerator。 She was； by habit； a cafeteria rat。 There was some powdered egg mix； a wedge of hard parmesan； a box of corn flakes； tomatoes from someone's garden； an onion； and an unopened case of last year's wine from one of the Taos vineyards。 The wine had been Elise's； part of her tiny Los Alamos inheritance that had passed on to Miranda。
〃Woof；〃 she announced。 〃The cupboards are bare。〃
〃Look；〃 he started。 Alarm bells； all over again。 Food； she registered； was a major issue for him。
On an impulse； she pulled the case of wine from the closet。 She handed him a corkscrew。 〃Open the box； pick a bottle；〃 she said。 〃We're having breakfast for dinner。 Omelettes Miranda。〃
He uncorked a bottle。 She set out two heavy glasses。 〃Sit；〃 she said。
While he perched on a stool at the peninsula； she tried to fake her way through the cooking。 She'd never learned how to cut an onion properly； though； and the knife bit her knuckle while she wept。 Soon Nathan Lee was on her side of the peninsula； and she was on the stool。
The wine was good for them。 Their awkwardness melted。 She teased him。 〃So how's it feel to be famous？〃
〃I wouldn't call it that；〃 he said。
〃e on； you're a legend。〃
The story of Tara's resurrection had spread throughout Los Alamos。 The redemption of a single castaway child in a castaway age seemed incidental； but to Miranda's surprise it mattered a great deal to people。
〃I'm not being modest；〃 he said。 〃It has nothing to do with me。〃
〃You're the hero。〃
〃That's my point；〃 he said。
〃Interpret；〃 she said。
〃Myth runs deep；〃 he said。 〃I did their penance。 I robbed the grave of a Neandertal queen。 I made my way here to serve her renewed being。 Extrapolate。 They got a hero who restores the dead to life。〃
〃Are you talking about the cloning？〃
〃It's bigger than that； I think。 They're virus hunters。 They want to save the world。〃
〃What's the penance part？〃
〃The queen of the dead beat me to a pulp。〃
He started to grin； but his lip split。 A bead of blood started up。 She handed him a square of toilet paper。 Kleenex was a thing of the past。
〃What about our little queen？〃 she said。
〃I see her everyday。 But I'm taking myself out of the food chain a little bit at a time。 There are a lot of people stepping in。 They're good with her。〃
Miranda didn't ask why he was stepping out of the girl's life。 It was self…evident。 He was in transit。 〃I hear the Captain's wife visits；〃 she said。
〃She's there for hours。 She brings the meals。 I guess she used to teach grade school。 Tara likes her。 That's putting it mildly。〃
〃The Enotes want to adopt her。〃
Nathan Lee glanced up from the cutting board； surprised。
〃I guess maybe that's a secret；〃 Miranda said。
Nathan Lee nodded his head； getting used to the idea。 〃That might be good for her；〃 he decided。
〃It might be good for the Enotes；〃 said Miranda。 〃They need something to help fill the hole in their life。〃
〃How do you mean？〃 he said。 Nathan Lee kept his eyes on the tomato。 But his knife slowed down。
〃They haven't told you about their daughter？〃
His knife stopped。
〃She was a pilot in the Navy。 On one of those ships that never came home。〃
〃What ships？〃
〃You must have heard about them。 The mapping and search expeditions。 They went out to take stock of the planet； but no one made it home。 The satellites pick them up here and there。 Ghost ships circling in the ocean。 Like the Lost Dutchman。〃
Nathan Lee fell silent。 Miranda thought it must have to do with his own loss。 He looked haunted。
〃He was very proud of her；〃 she quickly summarized。
Nathan Lee stayed quiet。
〃Why don't I grate the cheese？〃 she offered。
〃Sure；〃 he said。
She changed the topic to the latest skirmishing。 〃The blood labs are at odds with the liver lab now。 Which is crippled by its enzyme departments。 Skin sabotaged Brain last week。 Hippocampus is arguing with Neocortex。 It's a farce；〃 she said。 〃The corpus is devouring itself。〃
Nathan Lee emerged from his thoughts。 〃I know；〃 he said。 〃I see it。 I hear it。 I was standing in line the other day。 Two guys behind me。 And they were admiring the virus。 One of them wondered why it chose such a flimsy thing as man。 They've fallen in love with it； you know。〃
〃What was that？〃
〃The virus；〃 he repeated。 〃People love it。 Not like；〃 he wagged his finger back and forth from her to him； 〃between people。 It's more like reverence。 They've subordinated themselves to it。 The virus is like a deity。 No one talks about it as an invader。〃 He took a big pinch of the Parmesan cheese from under her grater and sprinkled it across the omelette。
〃That's。。。wrong；〃 she said。 It was an awful notion。 Grotesque。 〃We haven't even seen the thing yet。 It's an idea。 Well； an expression。 We see its signature。〃
But he was right。 She saw it in an instant。They loved the thing that was killing them。
He didn't argue。 〃That's probably enough cheese；〃 he mented。
Miranda looked down； and she had furiously grated another small pile。 She lay the grater aside； and went around to her stool and glass of wine。
〃No one has seen what you've seen；〃 she said。 〃The plague is still unbelievable to us。〃
〃I haven't seen it either；〃 he reminded her。 〃Only the shockwaves。〃
〃After you got here；〃 she said； 〃I pulled up some of the satellite feeds。 I wanted to see what you came through。 From space； the continents are dark。 The lights are turned off。 It looks like we lost。〃
〃Don't say that。〃
〃Tell me about America。〃 Ever since his appearance out of nowhere； Miranda had wanted to ask him about the day…after world。 The question had seemed too personal； but now she realized it was only too personal to her。 She didn't want to know what it was like in her own country。 But part of her did。 The nation still teemed with people； and though it was no longer really a nation； it was still America。 Surely； she thought。
〃I've been here a month；〃 he said。 〃It's changed even more； I'm sure。〃
〃You don't have to talk about it。〃
He looked at her eyes。 He decided。 Very softly he said； 〃So green。〃
It hung a moment。Her eyes？ She looked away。 She reached for the bottle。
He went on。 〃I don't know what I expected。 A world of ash？ But it was summer down there。 The daisies and bluebonnets were in bloom。 I drove through hundreds of miles of them growing out of cracks in the highway。〃
He wiggled the frying pan。 〃One morning； I woke up and there must have been a hundred big hot air balloons riding overhead； people in wicker baskets。 Every color and pattern。 They shouted good morning to me。 They waved at me。 They were happy。〃
〃They were riding balloons？〃
〃It was pure whimsy。 It was like a picnic in the air。 I don't know where they think they were going。 I don't think they knew。 The wind just took them。〃 He shook his head； still astonished。
〃What about the fires？〃 she asked。 〃What about the cities？ Is it true about the Great Lakes war？〃 Toronto and Buffalo were said to be in an uneasy alliance against Montreal。 Quebec had blockaded the St。 Lawrence。 Detroit had launched its own fleet of privateers。 The nation had given way to city…states； to cabals of generals and senators。
〃I was warned to get around them；〃 he said。 〃You could see some of it from a distance； especially at night。 It must be over by now。〃
〃What could you see at night？〃 she pressed。 He was trying to keep this pleasant。 Now that she'd opened it up； she wanted to know the reality。
〃The prairie fires were awesome；〃 he offered。 〃They made it hard to sleep some nights； even with them fifty miles off。 They turned the whole horizon orange。 You could hear them far off。 They sounded like freight trains。〃
〃The cities；〃 she said。
〃The cities were bonfires。 I stayed far away from them。 I took the back roads。 I went slow。 There were snipers。 And nail boards to punch your tires。 And piano wire。〃
〃What for？〃
〃They string the wire a