Death Dream (66 page)

"You think so?"

"I know it."

Inwardly Dan wondered how either one of them going to like the life he saw ahead. All the intrigues and power plays of Washington. He wondered if he could survive in that jungle. But he said nothing of that to his wife. He simply held her, knowing that no matter what the world threw at them, as long as they could be together they would be strong enough to face it. He clung to her and she held him tightly.

After a long while he said, "I guess I ought to see Jace."

Susan said nothing.

"He's here in the hospital, isn't he?"

"Yes," she answered. "But . . ."

"What is it?"

"You'd better see for yourself."

It took almost half an hour of cajoling nurses and calling in three different doctors and arguing with the federal agents guarding his door, but finally Dan was lifted into a wheelchair and allowed to go up to the top floor of the hospital where they were keeping Jace.

"I'm not an invalid," Dan grumbled to Susan, walking beside him. "I can walk on my own two feet."

"Don't be difficult, dear," said Susan. One of the agents was pushing the wheelchair, the other walked ahead of them, like a big blocky football player in street clothes clearing their path.

Dan was still complaining when they wheeled him through the door of Jace's private room. "I still don't see why—"

Jace lay on the bed, uncovered, clothed in a green hospital gown, curled into a fetal ball, knees pulled up to his chin, skinny arms wrapped around his shins, eyes squeezed tightly shut. His nose was taped; an ugly bluish bruise spread across his forehead. A feeding tube was connected to one arm. Sensors were plastered to his chest and back, trailing thin wires to the monitoring equipment stacked on one side of the railed bed.

"Jesus Christ," Dan gasped.

"He's been like that since they pulled him out of the simulation chamber," Susan said.

"That's why Smith said I wouldn't have to worry about him," said Dan. "He's in a catatonic trance, for God's sake."

"The doctors said there's no telling how long he'll stay this way. No one's able to reach him."

"I can." Dan felt tears in his eyes. Looking up at Susan, he said, "Call Gary Chan. Tell him to get one of the minis up here. And a set of gloves and helmet."

Jace knew he had been bad and now they were going to punish him for it. But he had fooled them all and run far, far away where nobody could find him. It was lonely, though. There was nobody here, nothing at all except endless darkness.

"Can you hear me, Jace?"

That was Dan's voice. Jace froze like a rabbit caught in a car's headlights. Don't answer! Don't move! Don't even breathe. Stay quiet and he can't find you. Stay quiet and he'll go away.

"I'm putting on one of the programs we found at your bungalow, Jace." Dan sounded worried, concerned. But Jace knew it was a trap. They're all against me. All of them, even Dan. There's nobody in the whole world who cares about me. Nobody in the whole universe.

"I'm starting the program now, Jace. I hope it makes you happy. I hope you'll want to talk to me when it's finished."

Never, Jace answered silently. I'm all alone in my own world and it's a better world than the one outside. Lonely but better. Cold but better. Dark but—

The darkness shifted, lightened. Jace squinted into the gray dawn and saw his old friends, the robots. And their evil masters, the slimy aliens who had enslaved them. He raised his right hand and the purifying sword of energy glowed brightly.

The battle was long and hard but at its end Jace was victorious. The slain enemy aliens lay in piles all around him. The robots bowed at his feet.

"This is only the first battle of many," Jace warned them. "The war will be long and hard. But we will win! Our victory is inevitable."

And then he saw the coldly beautiful queen standing before him. His mother stretched out her arms to him. His mother smiled at him and Jace felt his heart break with happiness.

I'll never leave this world, he told himself. I'll stay here always and always and ever.

EPILOGUE

Dan coughed nervously as Susan straightened his tie. For the past two weeks she had dressed him and undressed him, pulling his sleeves over his bandaged hands, tying his shoelaces, combing his hair. She would let no one else do it.

Dan felt like a helpless idiot, an invalid. He did not mind the undressing so much, though. Susan turned it into a game that they both enjoyed.

But now he felt so tense that the first warning rasp of a wheeze scratched inside his chest. Not now! he commanded himself. Relax.

Good advice, he said to himself as Susan patted at a cowlick.

"Stop fussing," he grumbled.

She inspected him from head to toe. Dan did the same for her.

"I think this is the first time you've worn a dress since we moved to Florida, " he said, grinning at her.

It had been a wild two weeks. Dan was still not certain that Vickie could hold on as the new president of ParaReality, but so far the investors had not demanded her resignation. Gary Chan had taken the leadership of the technical staff; that side of the work was going ahead as smoothly as could be expected. But the rest of it—

Chuck Smith entered the room. He looked nervous. "I hope you know what you're doing, Santorini," said Smith."

Dan made a smile for him. "So do I."

The other door to the anteroom opened and a secretary beckoned to them.

With Smith in the lead and Susan beside him, Damon Santorini stepped into the Oval Office.