(no subject)

[shadowsusannah.livejournal.com]

This is how much better Susannah's shot-in-the-head husband is: he went to a meeting with his publisher today. Now, all cards on the table, he did not fly himself down to the city, as he is fond of doing; Calyx sent someone up to Castle Rock. Eddie met him at Dud's, a terrible greasy hole of a bar which Eddie insists has the best burgers in town (no), and now they are snowed in, since at about ten am it decided to start snowing and shows no intention of stopping short of the next Superbowl.

This would be fine, and in fact slightly hilarious (she told him just to have the publisher over to the house), except no one has been doing any shopping. Eddie was supposed to bring her back one of those (nasty) burgers. Three hours ago.

Susannah has a bowl of chili (paid for with Mastercard, along with her tab) and an old-style Coke float. You can't get the ice cream anymore; and for that matter, in Eddie Toren's world, you can't get the Coke. Good deal, overall.

Comments

[shadowsusannah.livejournal.com]

"Is he a person-shaped friend?" she asks. "Or another house?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"He is human."

He just--doesn't age.

[shadowsusannah.livejournal.com]

"Just checking."

"What are you going to do?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"I will get the data back."

And, you know, possibly attempt to destroy Eureka Gardens.

It depends.

[shadowsusannah.livejournal.com]

"It it dangerous?" Only curiousity. Mostly.

[cutting_edgex23]

X offers a shrug.

"There are scientists."

Beat.

"But I am very hard to kill."

[shadowsusannah.livejournal.com]

"Is Jamie?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X's expression sharpens, hardens, shuts down.

"I will keep him safe."

[shadowsusannah.livejournal.com]

"All right," she says, conciliatory. It's her decision, and his.

[cutting_edgex23]

X relaxes a little after a moment.

A very little.

"He is my friend."

She doesn't know how else to explain it.

[shadowsusannah.livejournal.com]

She nods. "And it's his decision to go. Your job to keep him safe. So you do the job." She shrugs. "That's all."

Of course, you have to know that you can do the job--be able to gauge that. She doesn't know enough about X to know if she does.

But Jamie Hamilton is not her responsibility; X is saying she wants to make him hers.

[cutting_edgex23]

X just watches Susannah, silent.

Then--

"Yes."

That's pretty much it.