"But it's our world now," Sam said, looking perplexed again. "Kammani has been called to rule it and we are all called to help her."
Wonderful, Shar thought, Magic tonic and divine sex, that's how they're going to rule the world. She looked at Sam again and realized that it wasn't a completly bad idea.
"Okay." She kept her eyes on his shirt in case he could look into her eyes and read her mind, and then she realized she was staring at the embroidered name above his jacket."Dick?"
Sam looked down at his shirt."Lisa gave me this. She said it was fitting."
"Oh." Change the subject. "So explain to me why Abby and Daisy have powers and I don't -"
"Sam!"
Shar looked to see her grad student Leesa coming toward them, a goody grin on her pretty face, and the other shoe dropped. Shar glared at Sam "That Leesa?"
Sam looked at Leesa while she pushed past the people to get to the table."I think so"
"Oh, for the love of god -" Sam smiled at her. "Not you," Shar said, " Another god. Any other god."
Leesa arrived beaming, "Sam ! " then she noticed Shar and lost some of her bounce," And Professor Summers."
Sam nodded to her then said to Shar, " I must have another cookie. I will bring you one also." He got up and walked into the kitchen, Wolfie at his heels.
Leesa watched him go, " He's not, like, your boyfriend , is he?" Do I look like someone who would have a god for a boyfriend? " Because he was smiling at you, " Leesa said. " Like he knows you. Really well."
"That was in another life," Shar said. " Now about that thesis you owe me."
"Ohmigod, you were married." There was real sympathy in Leesa's voice. "It must have been terrible when he left you."
" I left him," Shar said loosing her grip on reality,although she certainly would have left him, since he'd have been cheating on her right and left. The bastard. " Now about finishing your thesis..." Leesa looked past her and Shar followed her eyes to the doorway where Sam was talking to Wolfie, looking magnificent and sweet as he conversed seriously with her dachshhund. Shar turned away, hoping she didn't look as dopey as Leesa did, only to see Ray standing by the table.
" Is that Sam?" he asked, staring at the doorway,too.
" What are all you people doing here?" Shar asked, and then realized the coffehouse was now packed with people who were paying to be there. She looked around and saw Bun and Gen waving to her, Mina scowling alone in the corner, the woman in the gray cardigan with Elbow-Patches guy -
" Everybody's here," Leesa said. " Well, anybody who's anybody." She looked at Ray, puzzled. " And some other people."
" That's Sam." Ray said." I don't understand this, Shar. You just met him. What do you even know about him?"
" A lot." Leesa said to Ray." She was married to him."
"Married?" Ray stared down at Shar, stunned. " When were you married?"
There's a good question, Shar thought, that's why fantasizing in front of others is a bad idea." Uh, when I was on that dig in Ur."
"That dig was only six months."Ray said, suspicious now.
"Well, it was a damn good six months,"Shar said, and then Sam came back and sat down at the table with Wolfie beside him.
"Wolfie wants to go out with me," Sam said, handing her a butter cookie.
" You're going to take him bar-crawling?" Shar said, appalled.
"No," Sam said,"I must find Kammani."
She started to say no and then realized that Sam was going to find Kammani sooner or later, so it might as well be with Wolfie. Wolf's long-term recall probably wasn't great, but he was still eyes in the other camp. And Sam would never let anyone hurt him. She looked down at Wolfie. "You want to go, baby?"
"Noisy," Wolfie said, scrambling to one side as somebody almost stepped on him.
"Okay, you go with Sam then." She ruffled the fur behind his ears." Show him the way to the temple."
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Shar, you're acting like you can understand that dog." Ray said.
"She can "Sam said, looking at him as if he were an idiot.
Shar sighted.
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