Joyce saw him now.

For once, Donny didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything.

The only sound for a long minute was the sound of the old lion devouring its food.

Joyce was looking at the gun. “Do you even know how to use that?”

“No, but I bet I can figure it out.” He looked down at the weapon and realized he was aiming it at the President.

“You wanted him to get a life sentence,” said Joyce.

Donny looked at the scene. He half expected the President to beg for help. He barely even paid attention.

Donny looked at the photos on the wall. Wade, and all the others.

“Please just go,” said Joyce.

51

The last time Donny saw Joyce before her release, she was gardening in chains.

They had expanded the Superdome detention camp to envelop the small park across the street. There, they had installed a small experimental farm growing some new Tripto Labs varietals better suited to tropical climates. So when the guard let Donny through the gate, he stepped into a little orchard of orange trees. And in the middle stood Joyce, pruning one of the trees with shackles around her ankles. Three other prisoners were doing the same nearby, under the watch of an equal number of guards.

“Go ahead,” said the guard. “The boss said it’s okay.” Lawyers were not allowed inside the Superdome, but he had convinced one of the prosecutors to make this arrangement for him.

Joyce declined the hug, but she looked like she appreciated the visit.

“How are they?” said Donny, nodding at the oranges. They were small, and a little gnarly, but they still looked precious.

“We aren’t allowed to eat them,” said Joyce. “Only to tend them. And that’s considered a special perk.”

“You must be on good behavior.”

“As far as they know.” She looked over at the guards. When she had the attention of one, she pointed at the small picnic table in the clearing. The guard nodded, and they sat.

“I’m working on getting you out,” said Donny.

“How do you propose to swing that?”

“It’s not easy. Those ‘open letters’ you’ve been publishing got a lot of attention. Not just with people who are sympathetic to your position. Our position.”

She raised a tired, incredulous eyebrow.

“You’re on the Enemies List,” said Donny. “That’s a hard list to get off.”

“You mean that’s a hard list to get off alive. The other way is easy. And maybe easier on the soul.”

“I’m sorry about Wade.”

“What are you going to do about that?”

“We’re working on that too. Some colleagues in Austin are in touch with his family there. He had a wife and kids.”

“I know.”

“They’re looking at a wrongful-death case.”

“So the wife and kids and the lawyers can get some money out of the deal. Classy.”