SCENE THIRTEEN the same day, Baltimore State Asylum, acute ward
"What was it you wanted to say to us, Doctor?" Artie asked, his curiosity stronger than his bone weariness just now.
Miguel frowned and looked away for a moment, to where, just inside the door of the acute ward, Baronet stood watch over Shad'o, who lay curled up asleep on Cyrano's lap. Meanwhile that Veteran played a game of cheSswith De Guiche and that D Company member kept an eye on their quad's Witness.
"I'm not sure I would go so far as to say I wish to say this. I've never particularly enjoyed making such admissions, as you may well understand. Antoinette has however pointed out the benefit, if not the outright requirement, for such things in the raising of one's offspring. So you may want to thank ma cher femme and my little son Micah for this, when that opportunity arises. However, it now seems I perhaps was in error, insofar as some of the charges I leveled against Mr. Gordon during our recent ... discussion. And if that is the case, then I must as a reasonable person, offer my ... apologies."
Artemus was staring again, this time at the small doctor, his dark-bright eyes wide with surprise. Then he turned to glance at Jemmy, only to find a taut grin on the Raleigh native's face. "Jemison, old man, if you don't mind, would you stop grinning for a moment and tell me if you just heard what I just heard the good doctor saying?"
Jemmy struggled to look somber and finally just nodded. He wasn't about to lecture these two former adversaries again on the benefits of cooperation between them. He wasn't about to do that, until and unless they made it impossible, again, to get anything accomplished while they went through another such wrangle.
"Well that's very gracious of you, Doctor." Artie told Miguel.
"Perhaps so. In any case, I have something to add." Miguel insisted. "It may be, I say it may even be, I was in error to some extent, in suggesting a compassionate impersonation on your part of, for example, Stephen Arthur West, would not benefit the Torrys. You knew the elder West, I believe, Mr. Gordon, having met him not long after the War ended?"
"Well, thank you, Doctor. I appreciate that. And it may be, it just may be, that I and my "Cossack's temper", as my grandfather often called it, went a little bit over the top, earlier. And yes, as a matter of fact, I met Stephen West before that, and visited him, along with James, once Norfolk was retaken. That was in May, in the second summer of the War. So I knew him for a little more than five years time. And he, Jim's father, I mean, was an authentic gentleman, a soft spoken, extremely bright, and truly gentle soul. He was already a good friend of both Mac's, Frank Harper, and James Richmond's. So I know without any doubt, and it's had me a bit torn, that I could "bring" Stephen West here for his … sons, if only to … give them some level of comfort…" Artie shrugged, sitting down on one of the other cots in the playroom.
"That being said, I have to say I never met the man until the summer of "62, after Norfolk was back in Union hands. And that was twenty-two years after Jim was born. So there's always going to be the chance … as in any portrayal of a real person… that I could get something terribly wrong. And what I could get most wrong is my reason for saying "no" to the whole idea. And that's my other argument against this: The other reason I've not made this suggestion myself, before now, as I may have mentioned when my memory began to clear up, I realized I bear a rather marked physical resemblance to… "
"To Stephan Aynsley, you've said that more than once, Artemus." Jemison finished, getting the actor's attention. "But, if that resemblance was as strong as you think, wouldn't at least one of Torry's sighted brothers have raised a ruckus, seeing you here?"
"I don't know. I don't pretend to understand all this, even now." Artie protested. "What if some of them are still too scared to speak up about just that? What if their patterning is still there, the patterning that had Jim…"
"Artie, what's wrong?" Jemmy asked, when the older man stopped and went wide eyed with dismay.
"Wrong? What could be wrong, Jemison, old man? I only just now recalled something else I should never have been able to forget for an instant! I only just remembered why I can't even think about enacting Stephen West for these… these children. And it's something else that happened the week before Jim went to see President Grant, that day in Baltimore, three years ago. It makes it an absolute no-go for me to impersonate his father.´ Artie frowned, shaking his head despite how badly it was still aching.
" Artemus, could you elucidate on that somewhat, please?" Miguel asked. " I don't believe you and I have discussed the events of that week in any detail."
"No, no, we haven't. And for good reason. It was a train wreck throughout! It was nearly as much a disaster as the day Jim met with the Man." Artie sighed, and went on. "We were talking, we were trying to figure out what really happened to him all the time he was gone, you see? At least when Jim could get past the patterning, we were. And at one point that I should have remembered all this time, as if it were yesterday, Jim turned to me, and I knew then, as well as I know now it was James talking to me, not Courier, not… anyone else.
Jim said "… I'm not a little boy in short pants any longer, partner! I'm full grown, a fully-fledged Major, and I know what I'm doing. I know what I'm saying! And even though I don't have my father any longer, that doesn't mean I need or want to be patronized this way! And I absolutely DO NOT NEED ANOTHER POPPA! … PLEASE, ARTIE, DON't, DON't "POPPA" ME, RIGHT NOW! JUST DON't!" So, then I knew Jim was worried half out of his mind what would happen if I pushed any further on just that point. It was in his face and his eyes and his whole posture. He was deathly afraid of what might happen…"
"You almost got that right, PlayActor, but not quite." Courier called out and got all three colleagues looking his way as he strode towards them, shaking his head. "You came close, though, I'll give you that much."
"Well, then maybe you can set me straight on it, Courier." Artie frowned. "What did I miss? Where did I go off my marks, just then?"
"Well, not surprising, since you're only guessing." The D Company member smirked. "That's where you're likely to come up short a lot, you see. We always know exactly what's goin' on in Oldest' mind. We kinda have to, seeing as how we call it Home. So, what did you get wrong? That's simple! OLDEST KNEW, all of V Company and us Ds KNEW what would for CERTAIN SURE happen when you got stupid enough to push that "Poppa" routine too hard! KABOOM! THAT's WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED! CURTAINS! FINIS! NO MORE FAKE POPPA, NO MORE PATRONIZING OLD MAN, NO MORE PLAYACTOR! AND OLDEST KNEW IT! So he pushed me and the rest of D Company out of his way real hard, for a moment. And Oldest got that warning out before you could make that mistake once too often. So, you're still here. So, maybe you should remember to thank Oldest, sometime, when he's up to recalling it, that is!"
"I'll do just that." Artie nodded, still eyeing the young brother skeptically. "I surely will. I always try to remember to thank my partner for saving my life. But now I'm curious. Why would you bother to correct me on that, or anything else, Courier, old friend? Why wouldn't you just sit back and get a good laugh when we trip over our feet here, trying to help?"
"D Company always pays its debts, Old Man, down to the penny." Courier replied, scowling, and turned away.
"…Pays its debts?" Artie echoed and then grinned as wide as the Golden Gate. "What debts… oh, oh, you mean the roster, the cipher? That was your way of saying thanks for my figuring that out? Sorry, old bean, you're thanking the wrong man. It was Jim West who taught me that reverse-numeric, how to make it work and how to break it. So, maybe you should remember to thank James, sometime, when he's more awake. And maybe you should think about helping us now, to get more questions answered, so you can pay D Company's debts, down to the penny, like you said."
"Figure he's got ye penned on that one, Cour!" Youngest Jaimey called out, laughing, rushing over to join the group, with a very sleepy eyed Babyboy up on one shoulder."Figure Artie's got ye figured but good, this time. He had ye figured pretty good that last time, too. He just didn't know the whole deal, then. Now he does! Now they all do and we're a lot better off, was ye to ask W Company, was ye to ask V Company and L too, seems to me! D Company always pays its debts, down t'th' penny, what's that about, anyway, are ye tryin' to say th'rest of us don't?"
"Haven't exactly heard W OR V Companies volunteering any damn all answers here!" Courier growled. 'matter of fact, we didn't hear any of W or V Company come up with writing out that roster! Oh, that's right, nearly forgot! All of W got knocked out, just coming on to take the Watch last night, and V… gueSs they were all somewhere off in dreamland too, about then!"
"Younges' J, Couri!!! Yous be no more of fightin' dat ways! Yous stops ri" nows!" Babyboy ordered quite sternly, considering he seemed to be no more than two years of age. "Yous no be wakdied up us'ns guddes, veryiest own tiredy Ol'es! Yous hep us'ns guddes'frens, us'ns veryiest fyn Jemmee-Cous, us'ns veryiest bestest Mee-gel an'us'ns veryiest guddes 'temus Poppa wen thems be ask!"
"But YJ started it, BB!" Courier complained, his voice sounding far younger and more plaintive than any of them had heard from him before now. "W has Watch and still he comes at me, plaguing and pestering!"
"Yeah, we've got Watch, that's why I come over, BB!" Youngest Jaimey protested, just as sharply. "Cour was the one started things. He was over here, stirrin'things up! Figure D Company does that when they get bored, bein' off duty! Figure they can't find anything better to do! Figure they shoulda been called T Company for all the danged Trouble they're so good at findin, runnin' smack into, and makin'!"
"And you're all being insubordinate and entirely out of order, fellas." A weary, warmly rueful older voice, responded, bringing everyone's gaze back to the cot in the far corner of the room. Once again, Jim perched on the edge there, sleepily grinning in the direction of the small group, like a long-suffering father figure or commander, or both. "And you pulled me right out of th' mudslide again, for which I'd like to say I'm truly grateful. I'd like to say I'm truly grateful. But I was asleep! And I think I'm pretty far behind on my sleeping, just lately. And unleSs I've got it all whopper-jawed six ways from Sunday, V Company's gonna have Watch next, or maybe right after D… Dunno… Why do I always get that backwards?"
"Oldest, 'm not even sure how you have all that figured a bit, much leSs that close. But you were right the second time, there." Youngest Jaimey answered. "D Company comes on Watch after W, and V Company comes on Watch after D. Then we start all over, with L Company coming on Watch after V, and W Company coming on after the Ls. It's this way: Ls Watch for Vs, Vs Watch for Ds, Ds Watch for Ws, and Ws Watch for Ls. Get that?"
"Right this minute, yeah, I think so." Jim nodded. "Can't say for how long, though. Seems like I've got some pretty fair sized gaps and misfires all along the line when it comes to what I can keep hold of. And even those don't seem to stay in the same spots, not all the time!"
"Younges' yous set mees down nows wif us'ns Ol'es!" Babyboy demanded, and the WitneSsmoved to obey with all due haste, settling the child beside Jim. "An' Ol'es, yous no "posed t'bein all waked up nows. Yous posed t' be nows many much asleep! Wees told dems no waked you ups!" Babyboy then turned to scold the soldier-agent, shaking one small finger at Jim.
"Now, now, LT, you know I can sleep at the drop of a hat, anywhere anytime… mostly. Learned that trick up at the Point, as they'd call drills and inspections on us, especially on the plebes, whensoever they wanted! And I just … I thought I'd best help stop YJ and Cour's squabbling, so you could get some sleep too. That's all." Jim answered, grinning in the little boy's direction, and shrugging with a typically Westian innocent air.
"Torry?" Jemison asked, dumbfounded rushing back to his cousin's side. "Torry, Cousin, you're …awake?"
"Well, I am now! Jemmy? Say, when did you get here? Oh, wait, you woke me up, a little while back, too. No wonder I'm not caught up on my sleep, yet!" Jim laughed, his blind green eyes restlessly blinking. Then he reached in the direction of his Raleigh cousin's voice, and pulled Jemison into a familial hug. Jemmy hugged back and then craned his neck back to look a question at Miguel and Artie both. Artie shrugged, just as bewildered as the North Carolinian, but Miguel seemed to have something to add.
"Major West, you do to be seem very much awake and alert. And as much as I'd prefer you also "catch up" on your rest, I do have one question." The small doctor said, making his way acroSsthe room with the help of his canes and a quick lift from Artie.
"Just one question, Doctor? That's not like you at all." Jim chuckled, yawning. "But, hey, shoot… Well, no, don't shoot. I'm not … not even the messenger here. That'd be Courier, you see. And Courier, by the way, you're wrong, and you dang well know it. Youngest J didn't start that last skirmish at all. You did, and you'd do better to just admit it. He's got Watch and its really bad form to start up trouble for him that way. Also, Babyboy was just settling in, coming off Watch. And I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it was a really bad one. So getting a ruckus going is not helping him, very much either. And he's our L, … we're all supposed to be more Watchful of him, and you know that too, Youngest. And finally, I'm not altogether sure, but I think we've got enough problems without this … clan warfare around here."
"You could say that, PlayActor just … plagues me something fierce, sometimes, so I … " Courier started to protest.
"…Plague him, right back again? Yeah get that, figure that, Cour. Stop it, okay? Artie's my partner. And he's … not bad at it." Jim cut him off, but then smiled tiredly.
"… I'm …not bad at it?" Artie echoed, still a bit stunned. "Well, thanks, James, neither are you."
"Just trying to keep your ego from swelling to fill the whole, entire train, Artemus, that's all." Jim quipped. "Cour, Artemus is the best friend and best partner I've ever had. Now, are you happy, partner?"
"Bemused might be a better word for how I am right now, James. Doctor… you had a question for this …plaguing partner of mine, I thought?" Artie chuckled.
"Yes." Miguel nodded. "Major, if you don't mind telling us, I think Artemus, Jemison and I would all very much like to know how you came to be so well…aware of your … brothers, and in such detail."
"I don't know." Jim shrugged and sighed. "… No, no, I mean that. I don't know how I know … But, Courier, and Youngest, and Littlest … well, we're … linked is the best way I can put it. And that spreads out to include all the quads, all the groups of four in the Companies. We … We're …sort of a … a team… or a troop or… well, I can't explain it much better than that… We always have been … sort of a package deal, far as I can tell. And that wasn't much of an explanation at all, was it? And I'm thinking that mudslide's on its way back… just any minute. So… what else can I … try to tell you?"
"Oh any number of things, Major, most of which we'll get to when you're more rested." Miguel answered. "I'm learning more, and more in this regard, all the time. But you've mentioned this 'mudslide" at least once before now, is that what it feels like when you lose consciousness of your surroundings, and your …Cohorts?"
"Pretty much feels like swimming upstream in a mudslide, or trying to go out and swim the ponies across the channel when out of nowhere, the weather turns rough." Jim nodded, wearily rubbing his forehead. "It's … like knowing you're about to have your feet go out from under you, and you can't catch your balance… Artie, you remember, we were out in the Tenderloin that time. And there was an earthquake? It's like that, sometimes, too."
" Yeah, I remember." Artie agreed, putting one hand on Jim's shoulder. "We probably looked like we'd gone out on a week long bender. The whole City probably looked that way, for about…fifteen seconds. But you're alright now, James. You are, really. Just take it easy and we'll… be okay."
"Am I alright, Doctor? What do you say to that? " Jim demanded, albeit very tiredly now. "And how about you, Jemmy? Cause I'm about to go under again, and frankly, that doesn't make me so sure. Oh, and would somebody PLEASE crack a window? I felt like …nearly choking, when I came around before! There was something …purely awful…"
"I say you're in fact showing quite remarkable improvement, Torry." Miguel answered, watching as Jim turned to lay down on his side again. "And you need more rest."
"…Wait, wait… you … you just called me… Torry…" Jim muttered. "Where did you pick up my bab… my family name?"
"From you, Cousin." Jemmy chuckled, pulling a cover up over Jim's legs. "Miguel told me all about the time you regaled him for hours with family stories, including how Great Aunt Jean gave you your nickname. And you are getting better, Torry. That's nothing but true. And you know I don't lie to my patients."
"Yeah, surely! You never told a fella it's not gonna hurt a bit, or it tastes like licorice, or it'll be over in just a second. Doctors!" Jim murmured and seemed to doze off.
"Cousins!" Jemmy scoffed.
"Patients!" Miguel added.
"Partners!" Artie groaned, starting to laugh, and then abruptly he grew somber again, holding his forehead once more, as if it was in danger of splitting. For another long moment now the former actor turned away from his colleagues, shaking his head and muttering forlornly. Then Artemus turned his wide, dark gaze back to Miguel and seemed to be struggling to hold back an outburst of some kind.
"Was there something you wanted to ask about this latest exchange with Major West, Mr. Gordon?" Miguel asked, sensing an abrupt shift in Artemus' demeanor.
"Artemus, if something is troubling you…" Jemmy offered, trying to deflect what looked to be another confrontation between his two older colleagues.
"Troubling me? What on earth should be troubling me, Jemmy?" Artie demanded, scowling and backing away from the Raleigh born doctor. "Why should anything that's happened here be troubling anyone? I can't imagine why you'd even ask! Wait, wait, maybe I can. Maybe its because I just heard someone who looks and sounds and reacts entirely like my partner, Jim West, talking about being one these Companies! I just heard that …someone talking about that as calmly as if he was discussing the weather, when by any and every measure I know of he should be as worried, as confused, and frankly as scared by it as I am again, right now this minute! I just saw and heard … someone I can't even think of as my friend and my partner, because he's … he's not Jim any more than any of the rest of them are! So there's nothing to be done for Jim West now, is there? Because there's no Jim West here at all any more, is there! There are only so many scores and dozen of puzzle pieces, fractions and fragments and figments, here now!"
"I came here thinking I'd finally be helping my best friend get well, get back to himself. I came here hoping Jim would somehow get past the ordeal he's been put through for years now. But that's never going to happen, is it? That was never even possible, was it? You can stop lying about that now, Doctor, I've got it, at long last! I know the truth of the matter! I can't help James, now! Nobody can! He's gone for good, just like I thought! Well that being the case so am I! I'm done with all of this, now! I've officially had it!" Artie shouted and marched out of the "playroom', through the infirmary, and down the hall outside to the lift.
"Artemus!" Jim called out, his eyes snapping open as he sat up again. "Artemus, get the devil back in here! I'm still here! And I'm still your partner, and your senior officer, Mister! So you'd better get moving back in here, and on the double quick! Artemus! Damn, why'd he have to go off half-cocked like that again! Damn, Jemmy, why didn't you stop Artie from blowing his stack that way? It's bad for his heart!"
"Cousin, you know him better than I do, so you already know the answer. There is nothing and no one in the world who can call a halt on Artie's temper once it goes up like those sky rockets announcing 'the ball's about to open' during the War! Ever try stopping a sky rocket, once it was lit, Torry? You only get your fingertips singed! Now, if you think you can stop your partner from marching right out of here, I'd be glad to help, as long as you've got …" Jemmy protested,
"A stone-capped redoubt to duck behind, immediately after I stop him?" Jim chuckled. "Actually I tried to get Artie to invent a portable one for the Wanderer, and an even smaller one I could pack in my saddlebags. He said he didn't need to. He said he'd already sound proofed and bullet proofed his whole cabin, so he'd be perfectly safe the next time I lost my temper. Well, now you know what I put up with, all that while. I suppose you already knew, Doctor, but Jemmy's led a fairly quiet life until just lately, being as he's of the Friendly Persuasion. Okay, somebody point me in the right direction… Well, c'mon, I happen to be stone-blind here, which way's the door?"
"Oldest, it was us that really got ol' Artie so mad." YJ offered glumly. "So maybe it should be Cour and me that go on out after him, now."
"It wasn't you, Jaimey. It was … the whole shootin' match here. And it was me, running my mouth about the Companies and the Watch, before I engaged my brain, you might say. "Jim answered, turning towards the Witness, and shaking his head. "And besides, you've got The Watch, remember? You've gotta stay put. Babyboy is already beside himself with all this hollering and carrying on. All the Ls are. You've gotta stay by him, and you already know that, you should, better than I do. I'm only a lowly 4th Company type, but you're a 2nd."
"Well, it's not like you could be a Second or Third, or First, now is it?" Courier jibed, and got Jim's blinking, flickering blind gaze more in his direction.
"And if I could be, I surely wouldn't choose D Company right now, not with the way you've been letting it go almost to pieces, Cour." Jim answered, frowning. "Not only that, you need to learn some real respect for people you might not happen to like, when they've earned it. And Artie's earned it, a zillion times, just counting how often he saved our mutual backsides! He's got pride of place anywhere he wants it, as far as I'm concerned, and that's with no offense meant to you, Doctor."
"None taken, Major." Miguel agreed. "I don't hear the lift moving, perhaps Jemison should direct you to the corridor to find out if our colleague's fallen asleep out there. He was quite exhausted. Indeed, so are we all, which more than accounts, I would say, for the general shortneSs of temper."
"Ol'es!" Babyboy called out, his bright eyes brighter still with tears now. "Ol'es yous please go wif us'ns Jemmee, Dockter an fyn us'ns temus Poppa! Him's no so many maddy, him's veryiest saddy! Yous go plees nows… go fyn hims, an be talkinup wif hims! Hims does be veryiest guddes' temus Poppa!"
"And he's remembering when I told him not to do just that!" Jim nodded, frowning. "That wasn't well done of you, Courier, to throw that in Artemus' face. You and I and Artie had a time of it that week, and things could have turned out a hell of a lot worse than they did! D Company did a fine job of getting us all in trouble up to our necks, that time. All Artie did was try pulling us out! In fact in all the time we worked together that was the main thing Artie did, get us all out of trouble!
So maybe you should have listened to him then! And maybe you're the one who should be thanking my partner for what he tried to do again, that time, saving our backsides, I mean. You know as well as I do, how many times he did that, back in the War, and I know how many times he's done it since. It's like a bad habit I'm damned glad he has, and you should be damned glad of it too! Jem, I'm about to blow my stack in front of the Ls, and I don't want to. Get me out to that hallway now, will you, Cousin? Maybe you'd better come with, I don't think Artie's out there sleeping… you know?"
"Get that, Torry. Figured that." Jemmy answered and moved to help Jim stand up. Then they threaded the maze of tables and cots in the playroom, with some helpful steering from Jaimey, some glum suggestions from Courier, and some good advice from Littlest. Jemmy stayed in the doorway, when he noted the former actor sitting against the wall, beside the lift.
"He's still frowning. But he seems all right, otherwise, Torry. You've got about eight or nine paces down the hall to your left to reach him." Jemmy said and watched Jim make his way, with the help of a cane he'd borrowed from Miguel.
"Artemus, I know you're still out here, cause the lift didn't start up." Jim called. "Artemus, you're gonna talk to me. And it's gonna be now, partner, cause as soon as we're done talking, you're hitting the rack. You're all in, you're exhausted, in fact, if your voice is any indication. And by the way, about the reason you're so worn out, rode hard and all that… I wanted to say something first … "
"I'd rather you wouldn't." Artie said, finally answering, just as Jim reached him.
"I know. You always hate it whenever I say this. But I'm still gonna say it: Thanks, Artie." Jim replied.
"I don't hate it when my partner says that. I like to be appreciated by the people I work with as much as the next guy, I guess. But I don't want to hear thanks from a stranger. And that's you, so just turn around, take nine paces back the way you came. I'm in no mood to talk to anyone here. I'm in no mood to talk to strangers, for certain."
"I'm not a stranger. I'm your badly messed up, a little bit crazy, stone-blind partner." Jim answered, in the same stubborn tone Artie was using. "Only I gueSs I'm not your partner any more, since I'm not exactly up to par. And if you wanta be angry with that, hey, I'll join you. I don't much like it, myself. But I don't see how,… Sorry, bad pun… I don't know if I believe anyone can fix my eyes now. So I guess you'd better find a new partner, Artemus, if you haven't already brought Ori Hoynes up to speed. This kind of work, you need a good partner and he's … not bad, for a giant, black haired tombstone from San Antonio by way of Dublin."
"Ori's fine. He's doing great. But he's got a partner, a young fellow from somewhere near Worcester, Massachusetts, named Chris McIntire, if I remember it right." Artie answered, still not looking at Jim. He couldn't. The way he'd stormed out of the "prize room', and the reason were both too raw, still.
"Which you do, of course. You've got one of those memories, that catch and hold just about everything… " Jim offered, leaning against the wall on the other side of the lift.
"It's usually called a photographic memory, for that very reason, but the clinical term is eidetic. If I see something, I remember it, and usually if I hear something, it works that way too. And if I concentrate on something I'll probably remember it till I drop dead! Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes…" Artie shrugged.
"Not so much." Jim suggested. "Right. That's something I've found with … that's something I've found happens in my … situation. If I've forgotten something, and I'm not sure I want to recall it, that's how sure I can be that one of the D's or W's will remind me."
"I don't want to talk about that …situation!" Artie warned him. "I've never understood it at all, not even when I thought surely I did. And just now, I don't really want to! It's not even in the realm of possibility, as far as I can see! No, no, it's not possible. One human mind can't be broken in that many pieces!"
"Forty-seven pieces?" Jim asked, seizing the opening he got. "As a matter of fact, yes, it can…"
"Don't you mean four times forty-seven?" Artemus demanded, finally looking up and across at the younger man. "We read the whole bloody be damned roster and that's how many names there were… one hundred and eighty eight to be precise! And that's simply not …"
"…Possible, yeah. You're right about that." Jim answered, knowing that would stop the older man short.
"What in the very devil are you talking about?" Artie demanded. " I deciphered that ledger page myself and I saw each of those names. And if that weren't enough, when we read the damn thing, each of those names turned up another …"
"Brother. We're brothers, Artemus, all of us. But, and this is what you need to listen to right now, what you need to hear. What we call The Watch has also been called The Four, and you'll hear the Ls use that term more than the younger Companies do, in fact. And that's because from the very beginning till now, there were always four … faces, four forms and four … outward appearances for each one of the core, the brother-selves or … or spirits, as you might hear the Ws and some of the Vs call …ourselves. We're not separate beings. We couldn't be divided up that far, and survive, you're right. It's not even remotely possible for one human psyche to split much more than this… and leave any trace, or any spirit behind. " Jim went on, hoping against hope his partner was really listening.
"And that's why you see the different ages amongst the brothers… my brothers… It's just another layer of protective coloring… another set of earthworks…We've been living this way for so long, only a few of the Ls really remember anything else, anything different. We've done this to survive, not to hurt or to lie to anyone, ever. We've done this to fight back in the only way we were left, with the only weapons we had. All that we are, all that was any part of us would have died, more than thirty years ago, Artemus, if we hadn't… become the Four. You did a terrific job, by the way, with that cipher… The Ds weren't sure anyone could break it, and it had to be hard …to break, for our safety. You did great, Artie. We weren't sure, the Vs, that is, not sure at all you'd see how it worked. You're really good with ciphers but…"
"Nonsense!" Artie scoffed, not wanting to be in this conversation but too tired to get up and leave, just now. "Once I took a good look and saw the reverse-reverse method you used … And didn't I just say I don't want to talk about this?"
"Yeah, yeah, you did. Only, we didn't believe you. I didn't believe you. And I was right, or you'd have been in that lift, down and out of here … a good ten minutes ago. So, you want to talk with me about this. In fact, you have a question you're burning to ask me, right now, this minute. So, go ahead, shoot." Jim insisted.
"Bad choice of words, pal. Or it would be, if I had my Colt! You think I've got a burning question?" Artie tried to laugh, and ended up just shrugging again. "You think there's something I'm dying to ask you?"
"Yeah." Jim answered, knowing full well how brevity would draw his partner out. Artie leaned his left elbow on his knee, and his forehead in his left hand now. For a long moment he studied the younger man's face while his thoughts whorled and roiled like a mountain stream. The younger man's shoulders were slumping with weariness too, reminding Artie that Jim couldn't have slept after the attack left him frozen in place. Jim's face was drawn, following his last bout of fever, and his eyes, despite their blindness, still showed a great deal of what went on behind them. Artemus Gordon knew that face as well as his own. Without question, this was the face of the man he'd partnered since the first winter of the War. It was older and wearier, with a fine collection of scars, especially those that now circled his bright, blind, green eyes. The already sharp features had been further sharpened by illneSs and neglect before Mac ever found him here. Creases showed more deeply acroSs his forehead and around his mouth than they ever had. This was Jim's face, and it showed Artie's dark, perceptive gaze every instant of his ordeal. This was Jim, and Artie did have a question that had to be asked.
"Why?" The former actor finally asked. "Why didn't you tell me what happened? Why didn't you tell me, your partner, and your best friend, what you'd gone through? Sorry, that was three questions, I guess."
"Well, it crossed my mind… It crossed our minds… more than a few times." Jim ruefully admitted, bending his knees and sliding down the wall to be more at a level with Artie. "And each of those times, Artemus, the consensus was… you'd never believe … us. Sorry, we knew you were going to ask… and that's the answer. We've never told anyone, ever. And it's almost funny now, to think about the reason for that…"
"Funny?" Artie echoed, bewildered again.
"Yeah. We were …afraid… We were always afraid we'd be … locked up for crazy." Jim finished, nodding and starting to laugh.
"And how's that working out for you, James?" Artie couldn't keep from asking, beginning to chuckle.
"Not… " Jim answered, just as he began to chortle. "Not very well, not just lately, Artie. May…Maybe … we should … try… a new tack…"
Artie didn't answer. He couldn't. He was roaring with laughter for the first time in he didn't know how long, and so was Jim. And as he went on laughing, somehow the world seemed to tilt back on its axis, the way it hadn't done lately, either. Then he looked back down the hall, and saw Miguel, balanced on Jemmy's strong right shoulder, laughing along with the partners. They were still in a lot of trouble, but they were laughing and making jokes about it, as always. And surely that counted for something on their side of the ledger.
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