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Back The Last Christian
Chapters (58)
  1. Cover
  2. Other Books by This Author
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Prologue
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. Author’s Note

I froze. This year. My dad had tracked down this device for the sole purpose of saving one file. Why?

11

The tap came just as another groveling constituent asking for a legislative handout left Lauren’s office. It was Sabin. She entered their favorite VR meeting place, in Yosemite. Sabin kissed her. “Abby and I are in town. Would you like to join us for lunch?”

Lauren accessed the time on the Grid. “Eleven forty-five.” She hesitated. “I have a committee meeting at one o’clock. How close are you?”

“Downtown.”

Lauren was surprised. “What are you doing there?”

“Getting an evening gown for Abby.”

Lauren furrowed her brow. “For what?”

“The dinner party tomorrow night.”

“Dinner party?” She looked at him incredulously. “She is not coming to the dinner party.”

“Lauren, she has to. She’s your visiting relative, and all the guests know she’s staying with you. They’ll expect to meet her.”

“Sabin, she’ll say things that will mortify me.”

“She’ll say exactly the kinds of things this group would expect her to say. They’ll dismiss them. It won’t reflect on you. They might even find her quaint.”

“Quaint? Are you kidding?” She stood simmering.

“So…what’s your decision on lunch?”

Her glare provided the answer.

It was midnight when Kate’s old battery-powered Volvo pulled up in front of her house. She got out of the car, climbed the four steps to her front door, dropped her belongings in the entryway, and crashed onto her bed. Around three thirty, an incoming tap on the Grid integrated nicely into a dream she was having about Matt. By the time she awoke, the message was over. She glanced at her antique digital clock. Taps at this hour were never good news.

“Grid, who just left me a message?”

“You received a message from Abigail Caldwell.”

Abby. She was sorry she missed the tap. Abby probably could use a familiar face right about now.

“Please play the message.”

Abby’s image appeared on a visiscreen across the room. She was sitting on the side of a bed in a nicely decorated room. She looked tired.

“Hi, Kate. This is Abby. Maybe it’s too early to tap you. I apologize if I woke you up. I just wanted to let you know that I arrived here safely and have settled in at Lauren’s place. It’s quite nice. I guess everything here is quite nice. But I…” She glanced at the room around her. “I’m lost here. I don’t know what the next step is. I’m not sorry I came…It was the right thing to do. My resolve hasn’t softened, but I miss my village. I miss Miraba.”

Abby shivered. “It’s cold here. I always feel cold indoors, even wearing the sweater you got for me.” She gave a slight smile. “I miss the warmth of the jungle.”