“Did I tell you I have business in the city in two weeks? Some boring investment trouble that mother wants me to see to personally. As long as I have to make the trip, though, I may as well stay a few days. With you, of course, unless there’s some sly bachelor reason you don’t want me in your quarters. Or if you can’t bother to clean them, then I’ll stay in a hotel. But of course I’d rather be with you.

“Corzehia is planning to be in the city for the rest of the summer, so I’m going to write her, as well. She’s having some big party that I think we can go to. Otherwise, you’ll have to think of entertainments for me. I’ll try to be easy to amuse.

“I’ll let you know when I’m to arrive. Put your lips to the paper right under my signature—that’s where I’ve left you a kiss. Analeesa”

Nolan read the letter a second time, then dutifully pressed his mouth to Leesa’s name. She wrote him at least once a week, letters much like this one, with little information, light humor, and easy affection. He wrote her back at least as often, though sometimes he was at a loss as to what to say. She cared very little about his job, though she always assured him she was pleased to hear how well he was doing. When he had formulated the gulden antibiotics and had reported Cerisa’s praise, Leesa had sent him a finely embroidered shirt as a celebratory gift. And yet, he could scarcely give her a day-by-day account of his activities at the lab; she could not possibly understand his pursuit and attack of cells and tissues. So news about the lab was minimal.

And he did not have much to tell her about his social life. A few times a week, he played curfball with men in the neighboring building, and sometimes they met to play cards or go for dinner. Now and then he lingered in the city after closing hours to attend the theater with Hiram or Melina. These events he could mention to Leesa, but he could hardly recount a stroke-by-stroke description of his curfball game or an item-by-item dissection of his meal. And she had no interest in the theater, so he rarely bothered to give her long reviews of these nights.