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  Chapter Sixteen

  The party of course was a good one. Maribel and Jolene, after all, did parties for a living. They had lots of delicious hors d'oeuvres, including a range of exotic olives, tasty Asian chicken wings, miniature crab cakes, and crackers and cheeses. While the women were preparing these things, they kept sending Todd around the living room with trays. He felt more like an employee than a guest, and it was weird to be serving his house mates. Brian in particular kept taunting him, making him wait while he decided which treat he desired, then calling him back and changing his mind. That little routine kept Seth cracking up. He never got tired of the joke.

  Mikael had originally hung out with Argus, but Argus having nothing to say, and Mikael being something of a lady's man in his own mind at least, took to hovering around the passage to the kitchen, where he watched the young women at work. They shared a glance of agreement to ignore him, which he noticed, and did understand. He was the happiest one in the house, then, when Sylvia arrived. Although he had only mockingly suggested inviting her, he dashed up and welcomed her in, as if he were the gallant host. He even led her around, introducing her to all the others he didn't really know. He decided he would not leave her side, since she was the only game in town, so he didn't.

  He stuck right with her while she also attempted and failed to make a conversation with Argus, and he stayed by her side while she bantered a little with Brian and Seth. Brian as usual said something rude. In this case it was,

  "How do you get to be psychic anyway? Is there like a trade school or something for that?,” and when Sylvia replied that no, that actually she'd simply been born with it, but she did have a Master's Degree in Astrophysics from the University of Leeds, Mikael saw his opening and went for it.

  "That is quite a coincidence,” he told her. "I myself went to Leicester"

  "Really?" Sylvia finally took notice of him. "What did you major in there?"

  "Well, actually,” he said modestly, "I have a Ph D in Mathematics."

  Sylvia was not the only one startled. Argus had sort of been listening in, and piped up,

  "What are you doing in shipping receiving?"

  "I just like it,” Mikael told everyone. "I did not want to teach, so what else can you do? I did research a bit. I was lonely. I had chances to be working at Oxford, also St. Petersburg. I thought no. I will go to America."

  "What kind of research?" Sylvia wanted to know.

  "Quantum numbers,” he told her, and from then on he had won. Sylvia was fascinated with that area in particular, and soon they had left the others behind in complete and utter confusion. They drifted off to a corner to continue their chat, absorbed each other completely in science and were interrupted only by the occasional offerings of food, provided by Todd. At length Maribel and Jolene finished up in the kitchen, and came out and joined in the party.

  Brian and Seth had stocked up on beer and were listing their favorite musicians, in both chronological and alphabetical order. Todd hurried to catch up and pounded some brews. Maribel followed her pattern of a bottle of wine leading to a revival of historical dancing routines. Jolene made sure that everyone had something to do. The trouble for her was Argus, who didn't drink anything ever but water, who didn't look happy, and who was standing alone by the door leading out to the back yard. She could sense he was eyeing escape, so she singled him out for attention. Most people gave up on Argus after trying to drum up a talk, and failing.

  "You don't like to talk much, do you?" she asked him.

  "I guess not,” he said.

  "Were you always this way?" she wanted to know. Argus nodded.

  "But you seem to be always thinking a lot,” she went on, and although Argus shook his head in disagreement, she said,

  "What do you think about? That's what I want to know."

  "Nothing much,” Argus said. "I really don't think very much."

  "What about tonight?" she asked. "What do you think's going to happen? It's going to be time pretty soon."

  "I don't think anything will happen,” he said. "I'm starting to think it was all a big hoax."

  "But the clues,” Jolene said, "they're all adding up. To what I don't know, but to something."

  "Or to nothing,” he said. He was wishing he could just be more positive. It was nice, having Jolene to himself, nice to be close to her, to see her looking at him, to be looking at her, into her beautiful green eyes. He wanted to seem grateful and happy, he wanted to make her think he appreciated what she was doing for him.

  "It's a really nice party,” he said.

  "You don't mean it,” she said back. "I can see, you don't really like parties, do you?"

  "No,” he admitted, thinking "that didn't work.”

  "Well, I'm sorry,” she said, turning away, but she wasn't. Everyone else was having fun, and it was almost time to get going.

  "Hey everybody!,” she shouted, and shouted again to get their attention. "It's already ten thirty. We ought to be getting a move on" People started shuffling toward the front of the house when Maribel suddenly remembered the cake. In their hurry they forgot to light candles or sing. Instead, she just sliced up the thing and made Todd go around and hand everyone a plate. Seth was trying to organize cars and there was general confusion about where they were going and who would drive what and who would take who. Finally Sylvia announced, and Mikael took up the call, that she had a large VW Eurovan, and everyone could go with her in that. It was decided. They all pushed outside and piled in, with Argus and Brian and Seth in the back, Maribel and Todd and Jolene in the middle, Mikael in the front and Sylvia driving.