ticipate　anything；　either。　Maybe；　if　I　were　very；　very；　very

lucky；　I　would　somehow　be　able

to　save　Edward。　But　I　wasn't　so　stupid　as　to　think　that　saving　him　would　mean

that　I　could　stay　with　him。

I　was　no　different；　no　more　special　than　I'd　been　before。　There　would　be　no

new　reason　for　him　to　want

me　now。　Seeing　him　and　losing　him　again

I　fought　back　against　the　pain。　This　was　the　price　I　had　to　pay　to　save　his

life。　I　would　pay　it。

They　showed　a　movie；　and　my　neighbor　got　headphones。　Sometimes　I　watched　the

figures　moving

across　the　little　screen；　but　I　couldn't　even　tell　if　the　movie　was　supposed

to　be　a　romance　or　a　horror

film。

After　an　eternity；　the　plane　began　to　descend　toward　New　York　City。　Alice

remained　in　her　trance。　I

dithered；　reaching　out　to　touch　her；　only　to　pull　my　hand　back　again。　This

happened　a　dozen　times　before

the　plane　touched　town　with　a　jarring　impact。

〃Alice；〃　I　finally　said。　〃Alice；　we　have　to　go。〃

I　touched　her　arm。

Her　eyes　came　open　very　slowly。　She　shook　her　head　from　side　to　side　for　a

moment。

〃Anything　new？〃　I　asked　in　a　low　voice；　conscious　of　the　man　listening　on　the

other　side　of　me。

〃Not　exactly；〃　she　breathed　in　a　voice　I　could　barely　catch。　〃He's　getting

closer。　He's　deciding　how　he's

going　to　ask。〃

We　had　to　run　for　our　connection；　but　that　was　good—better　than　having　to

wait。　As　soon　as　the　plane

was　in　the　air；　Alice　closed　her　eyes　and　slid　back　into　the　same　stupor　as

before。　I　waited　as　patiently　as

I　could。　When　it　was　dark　again；　I　opened　the　window　to　stare　out　into　the

flat　black　that　was　no