They sat down to moose salad sandwiches and ate to the accompaniment of Katya banging her spoon against the tray of her high chair, scattering pureed moose salad all over Bobby's black T-shirt. "Goddamn!" he roared, dabbing ineffectually at his chest. "That's the second shirt today. I thought we was only supposed to be going through diapers by the dozen around here."

"Goddamn!" Katya said, and banged her spoon again.

"Goddamn!" Bobby said, a huge grin on his face. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes," Dinah said.

Bobby saw Dinah's expression and whispered to Katya, "Bad word, honey. Mommy pissed off. We'll talk later."

Katya laughed, a gurgled baby chuckle, and held out her arms. Her father swooped around the table and scooped her out of her chair, tossing her up in the air. Conversation deteriorated into Park gossip. Had they but known it a rehash of a similar conversation held not twelve miles down the road the night before, only Bobby had a lot more appreciation to express for Bernie's new barmaid. Dinah gave him a halfhearted swipe and he tucked Katya beneath one arm and scooped Dinah up in the other for a humming, prolonged kiss, which Jim observed with professional approval.

Dinah emerged from the embrace blushing, breathless, and laughing, and Bobby, satisfied, said, "She's a beauty, but cold."

It took Jim a moment to realize that Bobby was talking about the new barmaid. "Oh yeah? What, she said no to you?"

"Cheese it," Bobby hissed, jerking his head at Dinah.

"Sorry."

"I'll say. I don't know, I just don't warm up to her is all. She takes advantage. Dan walked into the Roadhouse the second day after she got there, and as soon as she got his job description, she made a beeline straight for him. Guy didn't have a chance."

"Poor guy," Jim said.

Bobby looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Up yours, Clark."

Bobby grinned. "Who else you talking to?"

Jim ticked down a mental list. "You, George, Billy, Auntie Vi. I think I'll head out to Bernie's, see what he says."

"Give my love to the new girl in town," Bobby said, and caught a wet sponge upside the head. "That does it, woman. Now it's war!"

5

An hour after opening time, the Roadhouse was still quiet, and Bernie had time to sit and listen. "Well," he said when Jim came to the end, "it'll sure as hell make my life easier."

"What do you think the general reaction will be?"

Bernie napped a hand. "Nothing to worry about. Hell, the bootleggers'll run for cover, the dopers will keep their heads low, and ordinary citizens might even think twice about whatever trouble they were planning on getting into. I don't see much but good coming out of it, Jim. And it won't raise my taxes, which always makes me happy."

"Nothing raises your taxes, Bernie; you do business in a federal park."

"Shows how much you know about being an employer," Bernie said. "I just took on a new server—"