Page 44 of Preying Game

“That’s what you want?” He felt like he was in suspended animation. It was what he wanted, with all his heart.

“Yes.”

Still, he had to say, “You don’t know me well enough to make that decision.”

“I think I do.”

“I think we need more time. And I’m hoping you can stay here with me. But this place is going to be very strange for you.”

He looked at the blue shirt she was wearing. “Maybe you want to put on some other clothes.”

“What am I going to wear?”

“I told you I’m with a security company. Decorah Security. I keep spare clothes in the car for when I need to be away from home. They won’t fit any better than what you’re wearing.”

“But they won’t be his.”

“Right.”

He brought her a tee shirt, a light jacket and sweatpants. “I’m sorry I can’t do anything about shoes. But a pair of thick socks will help.”

She climbed out, and he turned away while she pulled off the blue shirt and dressed.

“Okay.”

When he turned back, he said, “Very cute.”

“But you’re right, they’re too big.”

“Part of the cuteness.”

Suddenly he could see she was a little shy. It made him realize that she’d lived in an era before women’s lib and the sexual revolution. That was going to make her values a little different from his.

He dragged in a breath and let it out. “A lot will be familiar. Like those clothes. But in some ways you’re like Sleeping Beauty—without the sleep.”

“Like how?”

“We have all kinds of things you never imagined. Personal computers.” He laughed. “I think you didn’t have any computers at all.”

“Maybe big companies did. But I’m not sure what they are.”

“Machines that process information very fast. They used to take up a whole room. Now they fit into something like this.” He held up his cell phone. “It’s got a computer in it. A lot of things do. Cars. TV’s. Home security systems.” He laughed. “Even sewing machines.”

She nodded slowly. “What’s going to surprise me most?”

“Hum. Well, you can heat up food in a few minutes in a microwave. A lot of people order their clothes and anything else they need online and have it delivered.”

“Online?”

“Using high speed communications. Better than the Sears Catalogue—which is out of business. There are a lot of diseases that can be cured now.” He laughed. “From the sublime to the ridiculous, Elvis got to be a big star, but he got fat and died.”

“No!”

“A lot of people think he’s really alive and hiding somewhere. It’s a big folk legend. His home in Nashville is a shrine.” He thought for a moment. “And in other music news, Bob Dylan got the Nobel Prize for Literature.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Cross my heart and hope to die.”

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