Jack waved his arms in the air. "Enough of this male bonding. You need to stop saying that or you're going to start believing it. I'm your best friend. Actually, I'm your only friend aside from Yoko. I still don't know what she sees in you."

"Shut up, Jack. It's way too early to be having this stupid conversation. Class starts in forty minutes. I still think you should tell Bert and not blindside him."

"If we do that, he won't react the way we want him to. It has to look real. Look, Harry, we beat this to death last night, we're not changing course now. It's too late."

"I'd feel a hell of a lot better if Charles knew about this cockamamie plan of yours. I was really looking forward to going to the mountain today. Think about this scenario, Jack. We step out of that cable car, and there's Charles and Kathryn waiting for us. I'd sooner face a firing squad. You can't mess with her, man. Then you know damn well the rest of those women are going to side with Kathryn, and before either one of us can blink, we'll both be rolling down the mountain, and I didn't even get to what Charles is going to do." Harry took great pleasure at the look of terror on his friend's face.

"It will be okay when we explain," Jack mumbled.

"You really are a dumb shit, Jack. I can't believe I hang out with you. Didn't you hear what I said? Kathryn is going to kill us. Then you better think about what Nikki is going to do. Those women are glued to one another. You and me, Jack, we're just window dressing. Those women have it going on, and they scare the living shit out of me. If they don't scare you, then you have a few screws loose up there," Harry said, clipping Jack on the side of the head.

Jack snorted, but he had the grace to look uneasy. "Isn't that damn tea ready yet?"

"Fix it yourself," Harry sniped.

"'Fix it yourself,'" Jack said, mimicking his friend. "You are the crankiest son of a bitch I've ever met." Before Jack could take a second breath, he was on the mat, flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him. He'd never seen the lightning swing of Harry's foot.

Jack rolled over on the mat, his hands clutching his stomach. "You feel better now that you vented?" he managed to gasp.

Harry sniffed. "You make my brain ache, and my hair hurts when I'm around you. No, I don't feel one bit better." He reached down to grasp Jack's hand and pull him to his feet. It was Harry's way of apologizing. Jack accepted the apology.