Astounding! (9 page)

“No problem. I’ve got some stuff to do here anyway. Just call when you’re recomposed.”

After disconnecting the call, Carter put down his phone and finished packing the box. That was the last of his books—the rest were already down in the basement storage area he’d rented from his landlord. The storage area was a lot cheaper than the apartment, which Carter had paid for only through the end of the month. He’d already told the landlord that if he hadn’t returned by then, the apartment and all the crap inside it were all hers. She might be able to get a few bucks off Craigslist for some of the furnishings, but Carter suspected most of the stuff would end up hauled away to the Salvation Army or somewhere. He didn’t care. His battered old suitcase contained the only possessions that meant anything to him, aside from his books.

When Freddy rang again almost three hours later, he sounded much more relaxed. “God, I love naps,” he said by way of greeting. “I fully intend to nap daily during our travels.”

“As long as you don’t do it when you’re behind the wheel, I have no objection.”

“Good. So come have dinner with us. We’re going to eat somewhere with a bay view because Keith thinks looking at water makes things taste better.”

“He’s not going to be too happy in Yosemite.”

“We’ll fill a bucket.” Freddy yelped and then laughed a little breathlessly. “We’re at the Monaco. Meet us here?”

Carter laughed because he had known Freddy would choose the Monaco. It overlooked the central library building, which had an interesting architectural design and was, more importantly, full of books. Freddy was the only person Carter knew who loved books more than he did. Although, come to think of it, John Harper was a close contender.

“I’ll be there in a bit,” Carter said.

He took the bus downtown. The only other passengers were a pair of teenagers who practically sat in each other’s laps, a tired-looking older man, and a ragged woman of indeterminate age who muttered to herself the entire way. Carter watched them all, aware that each had his or her own story, as did the handsome young bus driver with the seemingly permanent scowl. Freddy could imagine what those stories might be, could write them into something fascinating. But not Carter. He could only wonder.

He called Freddy from the hotel lobby, and within a few minutes, Freddy and Keith appeared. They gave him warm hugs and then stood back to look at him. Freddy wore his usual uniform of gray sweater and brown corduroys, while Keith was dressed in jeans and a Batman tee. Keith pulled out his phone and startled Carter by taking a picture of him.

“You look great,” said Freddy. “New exercise routine?” Freddy looked the same as he had for years: short, round, hairy. A particularly nasty reviewer had once referred to him as a troll who baited his slavering followers by murdering their favorite characters. Freddy had written in response,
I am deeply offended by your assertions, sir. I identify as a gnome.

Now, Carter grinned. “Less booze, more movement.”

“Well, it suits you.” Then Freddy narrowed his eyes. “But why the self-improvement? Love?”

An unexpected image of a naked John Harper flashed through Carter’s brain. “Nope. I was just getting a little tired of the old me.”

Keith smiled at him. “Does the new you want us to set you up with the desk clerk? He’s kinda dreamy.” In case Carter had missed his point, Keith pointed at the man currently checking in some guests. He was cute. As if the thought had just occurred to him, Keith took a photo of the desk clerk too.

But Carter shook his head. “Not tonight. Tonight I’m all yours.”

“Well, that’s good too,” Keith replied.

Carter had met Keith a couple of times before and liked him a lot. He was from one of those states in the middle of the country. Iowa? Maybe Ohio. He used to be a dental hygienist, and Carter was willing to bet he’d been good at it, because Keith was gentle, amiable, and enthusiastic, albeit with a tendency to Instagram everything. Several years earlier he’d moderated a panel at some con and met Freddy. They’d hit it off immediately. Freddy had called Carter the next day, nearly breathless over Keith, and Carter had been glad. Freddy deserved a soul mate.

The three of them piled into a cab for the short ride to the restaurant. Freddy paid. They ate a nice meal, reminiscing about old adventures while watching the lights sparkle on the water. Afterward, they went to a nearby bar, a noisy place with overpriced drinks. Freddy and Keith had beers, but Carter ordered coffee and didn’t feel too deprived. He was happy enough with his friends’ company.

“I’m really feeling excited about this RV,” Freddy said, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve always wanted to hog the road and frustrate other drivers.”

“It’s good to have goals,” Carter intoned.

“Yep. But I was thinking. The behemoth has a trailer hitch. We can tow your car if you want. Might come in handy for short runs.”

Carter looked at him placidly. “I sold my car the other day.” He hadn’t gotten much for it. But at least now he had a couple thousand bucks to his name, so he wouldn’t have to completely mooch off Freddy. It would have been towed anyway if he’d left it on the street for the uncertain length of their travels.

Freddy and Keith exchanged quick worried glances. “That sounds a little drastic,” Freddy said quietly.

“Not really. I’ve been holding on too long to things that have outlived their usefulness.”

“Like
Astounding!
?”

It didn’t even hurt to think about it anymore. Well, not too badly, anyway. “The final issue comes out next week.”

“Jesus, Car. I’m—”

“Don’t. Should have pulled the plug a long time ago. We all know that. Anyway, this last issue will be a doozy. You’re leading. And I’ve got kind of a… surprise to finish her up.”

“A surprise?” asked Freddy, who still appeared concerned.

“Something unexpected and possibly memorable. Something I know will make at least one person really happy.” And that wasn’t so bad, was it? Bringing joy to one sweet madman’s life?

Keith reached over to give his hand a quick squeeze. “So what are you going to do now?”

“I’m going on a road trip with my best friends.” And he leaned back, stretched out his legs, and gave them a relaxed smile.

“H
OLY
CRAP
.
That thing is as big as a bus.” Keith gaped at the enormous white RV while clicking photos of it.

Freddy clapped him on the back. “We can pretend we’re rock stars on tour.”

“But how do you steer one of those things?”

“Just like a car, honey. Anyway, Carter and I have experience. We both had jobs as delivery drivers for a furniture store.”

Keith already looked skeptical, so Carter didn’t inform him that the job had lasted only a few weeks, by which point they’d each collided with two parked cars. And their routes had been confined to city streets. They hadn’t had to pilot the truck up twisty mountain roads.

“It must get crappy gas mileage,” Keith said.

The rental agent looked a little uncomfortable with men calling each other honey, but he managed a wan smile. “It gets about eight miles per gallon. But there’s a fifty-gallon tank, so you don’t have to fill up too often. And you’re gonna appreciate that V-10 engine when you’re heading uphill.”

Despite the pep talk, Keith didn’t look pleased. But his demeanor changed when they entered the vehicle and he spied all the cupboards and built-in storage nooks. He happily poked around, opening and closing things, checking out the kitchenette, and snapping more photos, while the rental agent droned on about all the controls. There were a lot of them—for lights and stabilizers, for cameras and fuel and Christ knew what else. Freddy paid closer attention than Carter, cackling over the buttons and dials. “It’s like being a jet pilot!”

Eventually the agent seemed satisfied that they weren’t going to crash his expensive toy. He wished them safe travels and wandered off, leaving Keith and Freddy to unpack their extensive collection of suitcases and stow everything away. Carter had only the one bag, so his unpacking took no time at all. He was a little envious of his friends, who would get to share the big bed in the back room of the RV. The ugly dinette seat unfolded into a smaller bed where Carter would be sleeping. Handy if he got hungry or thirsty, he supposed; he could probably reach the fridge without getting off the mattress.

With Freddy behind the wheel, Keith riding shotgun, and Carter at the dinette behind them, they slowly rolled out of the parking lot. The agent waved as they passed.

The world looked different from Carter’s high perch. The RV rental place was north of town, which meant they passed back through the city on their way south. He felt an odd pang seeing the familiar buildings, the landscape in which he’d spent most of his life. As they inched down the freeway, Seattle already felt like a place he’d lived in long ago.

Keith was in a chatty mood. He commented on the passengers in the cars alongside them and waved at truck drivers. He urged Freddy to make up little stories about them. He gently interrogated Carter about previous vacations he had taken and waxed fondly about his childhood trips to theme parks.

He was in the middle of a tale about his brother’s aversion to Mickey Mouse when they crossed the river and entered Portland. Carter stopped the story by raising his hand. “Hey, Freddy?” he said. “Take the next exit.”

“Can you wait about thirty minutes? I was planning to pull off at a rest stop south of town. Easier than dealing with city streets.”

“I need… I need to see someone.”

Keith swiveled around in his seat to stare. “See someone?”

“Please. Just take the next exit.”

Without further comment, Freddy followed Carter’s terse directions, driving them through a light industrial area and then past modest old houses in varying stages of repair. He had a little difficulty maneuvering the RV around the traffic circle, but at least he found room to park right across from the yellow clapboard duplex. Freddy turned off the engine, and for an eternity or two, all three of them sat in silence.

Finally Freddy scooted around and sat sideways. “Care to explain, Car?”

Carter pinched his lips together. He didn’t think he
could
explain. He hadn’t planned this, and if his subconscious had a plan, it wasn’t eager to share it with him. “I want to talk to someone,” he mumbled.

“Someone?”

“I just…. Could you guys just wait here? I won’t take long.” He didn’t even know if John was home.

Freddy’s bushy eyebrows drew into that worried V again, but he nodded. “Sure. Take your time. I might even take a micronap.”

With a grateful nod to them both, Carter disembarked. He ended up standing at John’s door for a while, feeling like an idiot, until at last his hand grew impatient and rang the bell.

John wore a sea-green polo shirt and a pair of khaki trousers. His hair was neatly plastered into place and his eyes were very wide. “Carter?” he said, as if he thought he might be hallucinating.

Carter had nothing clever to say. “Hi.”

They stared at each other.

John recovered first, shaking himself slightly and trying a tentative smile. “Please. Come in.” He stood back a little to make room.

“I can’t. I’m, uh, just passing through. With friends.” Carter waved at the RV, wondering vaguely if Keith and Freddy were watching him through the windows. He couldn’t tell from this angle. “I just wanted to say hello.”

“Oh. That’s… that’s nice. Where are you going?”

“California.”

John nodded as if that explained everything. “Ah.” Then he winced slightly and scratched behind an ear. “The, uh, magazine….”

“It’ll be out next week. With your story in it, just like I promised.”

John’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Thank you.”

“I, uh, I really hope things work out for you.”

“I know you do. Thank you for this. You didn’t have to help me. Most people wouldn’t have.”

Carter shrugged uncomfortably. “Most people have more to lose than I do. Anyway, I better get going.” But he paused on the doorstep, and maybe John took that as an invitation, because almost before Carter knew it, he was wrapped in a strong, mint-scented embrace. He didn’t understand how John’s arms could feel so familiar when they’d only spent that one night together. Carter didn’t want to pull away.

When John nuzzled at his hair, Carter lost his sanity.

“Come with us,” Carter said.

John dropped his arms and moved slightly backward, his eyes round. “What?”

“Come with us. We’re going to Yosemite and then… well, I’m not sure where we’re heading after that. Maybe you can help us decide.”

“But….” John looked over Carter’s shoulder toward the RV and swallowed. “You’re with your friends.”

“They said I could invite someone. And, well, I guess you and I are sort of friends now too.”

John smiled widely, revealing straight white teeth that Tab Hunter would have envied. “You mean it? It’s okay?”

Actually, Carter was having second thoughts. After all, he barely knew this man, and one of the things he
did
know was that John was more than a little… eccentric. But Carter couldn’t back out now, not with John beaming at him like a little kid on his way to Disneyland. “It’d be fun,” Carter said. “Can you get away?”

“I…. Yes. Of course.” But John frowned. “The magazine….”

“It’s ready for printing. Your, um, people. Can they find you if you’re not home?” He didn’t feel as silly as he ought to have, alluding to John’s alien fantasies.

“Yes. And thank you for humoring me.”

Carter squirmed a little. “So go pack your shit and let’s hit the road.”