I was making an egg salad sandwich when Ruby backed through the swinging door into the kitchen, a blue plastic laundry basket in her arms. She wore a white blouse, fake pearls, sweatpants, socks, and slippers, and her hair rol looked freshly lacquered. Her appearance suggested a morning outing, folowed by a change from the waist down.

'Can I do that for you?' she asked.

'I'm fine.'

She set down the basket and walked to the sink, slippers flapping against her heels.

'I'm real sorry about your room.'

'I had nothing of value up there.'

'Someone must have come in while I was to market.' She picked up a dish towel, sniffed it. 'Sometimes I wonder what the world's coming to. The Lord—'

'These things happen.'

'We've never had stealing in this house.' She turned to me, the towel twisted between her hands. 'I don't blame you for being angry.

'I'm not angry at you.'

She took a quick breath, opened her mouth, closed it. I had the impression she was about to say something, changed her mind, wary of how the teling might impact her life.

Good. I was too strung out for sympathetic listening.

'Can I get you a drink?'

'Do you have lemonade?'

She tossed the towel into her basket and crossed to the refrigerator. Withdrawing a plastic pitcher, she filed a glass and set it next to my sandwich.

'And that television business and al.'

'Al through school, I was never once voted most popular.'

I smiled, not wanting Ruby to see how agitated I was. The gesture must have looked as strained as it felt.

'It isn't funny. You shouldn't let them do this.'

'I can't control the press, Ruby.'

She got a paper plate, placed my sandwich on it.

'Cookies?'

'Sure.'

She added three sugar cookies, then looked straight into my eyes.

'"Blessed are ye when men shal revile you, and persecute you, and shal say al manner of evil against you falsely."'

'The people who matter know these accusations are false.' Keep cool.

'Then maybe you need to be controling someone else.'

She hoisted the basket onto her hip and left without a backward glance.

Hoping for more rational conversation, I went outside to lunch with Boyd. I was not disappointed. The chow inhaled the cookies, then watched without comment as I ate Hoping for more rational conversation, I went outside to lunch with Boyd. I was not disappointed. The chow inhaled the cookies, then watched without comment as I ate the sandwich and considered my options.

===OO=OOO=OO===

Arriving at the garage, I learned that the problem with my car was minor, but a pump was required. The absent letter, either P or T, was in Ashevile, and would try to obtain the part. Assuming that mission went wel, repairs could be finished the next afternoon.