“Gregory thinks that about his gums, too. But it makes me nervous. If someone can heal you—well, they must have some kind of power over you, mustn’t they? That scares me too.”

“Come on! Healing a headache can’t be all that bad,” George said, jokingly. Then with a playful leer: “What’s the secret he discovered?”

“It isn’t funny,” she said glumly. “And something else. He’s only been at the Center three months, since I was appointed. His records say he committed himself. His parents are dead. I don’t know where he came from, what section of the country or anything. I just think it’s damn weird.”

They stood in the summer night darkness, watching the traffic speed by the parking lot. The air was somewhat cooler; Josephine pulled her summer jacket tighter, and George’s legs were getting goose pimples, the tiny hairs sticking up like wires. “Damn, I’m getting chilly,” he said. “I don’t know what the hell to do with Window. We have to get him back before eleven, though, didn’t you say?”

Josephine blushed. “Actually, I signed him out as a guest at your place to cover his absence,” she said. “I mean, he’s a man … I didn’t want to sign him out to my place, because people might talk.”

“You’re devious,” George said, grinning. “What are you saying? We should take him to my place? I mean, we’re covered.”

She nodded.

“I hope Jean doesn’t decide to surprise me, and show up. The fewer who know about this, the better,” replied George, looking worried.

“You mean, you haven’t told your wife?” Josephine asked, disapprovingly.

“Told her? Hell, I haven’t seen her in three days. She and the kids are at the cottage,” George answered. His eyes widened. For the first time he found himself wondering about that old arrangement. “They go every summer,” he said, almost defensively.

In his mind’s eye he saw his wife’s face, and at the same time he was uncomfortably aware of his growing pleasure with Josephine Blithe’s company. “Uh. We better go get the others and get out of here, then.”

“Mmm,” she answered. “There’s something else. I don’t know what happened to you in there, but I had some changes in perception that I’d assign to drugs, except that I didn’t have any. God, my peers would think I was out of my mind if they heard this!”

“Peer power, huh?” George replied, but he was growing more aware of her closeness, so he swung around almost brusquely and opened the door.

Seven’s face told George that something was happening; he’d never seen Seven look so serious before. Gregory Diggs was obviously listening intently to whatever was going on. George pulled out Josephine’s chair for her (for the first time) and sat down himself.