and I never noticed it until now. Do you see the fountain? And the turtle sculpture?"
He did. And although Susannah hadn't told them this part of her story, Roland knew she had been here-along with Mia, daughter of none-and sat on the bench closest to the turtle's wet shell. He could almost see her there.
"I'd like to go in," she said timidly. "May we? Is there time?"
"Yes," he said, and followed her through the little iron gate.
FOUR
The pocket park was peaceful, but not entirely quiet.
"Do you hear people singing?" Mrs. Tassenbaum asked in a voice that was hardly more than a whisper. "A chorus from somewhere?"
"Bet your bottom dollar," Roland answered, and was sorry immediately. He'd learned the phrase from Eddie, and saying it hurt. He walked to the turtle and dropped on one knee to examine it more closely. There was a tiny piece gone from the beak, leaving a break like a missing tooth. On the back was a scratch in the shape of a question mark, and fading pink letters.
"What does it say?" she asked. "Something about a turde, but that's all I can make out."
"'see the TURTLE of enormous girth.'" He knew this without reading it.
"What does it mean?"
Roland stood up. "It's too much to go into. Would you like to wait for me while I go in there?" He nodded in the direction of the tower with its black glass windows glittering in the sun.
"Yes," she said. "I would. I'll just sit on the bench in the sunshine and wait for you. It's... refreshing. Does that sound crazy?"
"No," he said. "If someone whose looks you don't trust should speak to you, Irene-I think it unlikely, because this is a safe place, but it's certainly possible-concentrate just as hard as you can, and call for me."
Her eyes widened. "Are you talking ESP?"
He didn't know what ESP stood for, but he understood what she meant, and nodded.
"You'd hear that? Hear me?"
He couldn't say for sure that he would. The building might be equipped with damping devices, like the thinking-caps the can-toi wore, that would make it impossible.
"I might. And as I say, trouble's unlikely. This is a safe place."
She looked at the turde, its shell gleaming with spray from the fountain. "It is, isn't it?" She started to smile, then stopped.
"You'll come back, won't you? You wouldn't dump me without at least..." She shrugged one shoulder. The gesture made her look very young. "Without at least saying goodbye?"
"Never in life. And my business in yonder tower shouldn't take long." In fact it was hardly business at all... unless, that was, whoever was currently running the Tet Corporation had some with him. "We have another place to go, and it's there Oy and I would take our leave of you."
"Okay," she said, and sat on the bench with the bumbler at her feet. The end of it was damp and she was wearing a new pair of slacks (bought in the same quick shopping-run that had netted Roland's new shirt and jeans), but this didn't bother her.
They would dry quickly on such a warm, sunny day, and she found she wanted to be near the turtle sculpture. To study its tiny, timeless black eyes while she listened to those sweet voices.
She thought that would be very restful. It was not a word she usually thought of in connection with New York, but this was a very un-New York place, with its feel of quiet and peace. She thought she might bring David here, diat if they could sit on this bench he might hear the story of her missing three days without thinking her insane. Or too insane.
Roland started away, moving easily-moving like a man who could walk for days and weeks without ever varying his pace. I wouldn't like to have him on my trail, she thought, and shivered a little at the idea. He reached the iron gate through which he would pass to the sidewalk, then turned to her once more. He spoke in a soft singsong.
"See the TURTLE of enormous girth!
On his shell he holds the earth.
His thought is slow but always kind;
He holds us all within his mind.
On his back all vows are made;
He sees the truth but mayn't aid.
He loves the land and loves the sea,
And even loves a child like me."
Then he left her, moving swiftly and cleanly, not looking back. She sat on the bench and watched him wait with the others clustered on the corner for the WALK light,