for an earring. No big deal, and all our guests get em.”
“I’m no guest,” Luke said, backing up. “I’m a prisoner. And you’re not putting anything in my ear.”
“I am, though,” Tony said, still grinning. Still looking like the guy who would help little kids on the bunny slopes before trying to kill James Bond with a poison dart. “Look, it’s no more than a pinch. So make it easy on both of us. Sit in the chair, it’ll be over in seven seconds. Gladys will give you a bunch of tokens when you leave. Make it hard and you still get the chip, but no tokens. What do you say?”
“I’m not sitting in that chair.” Luke felt trembly all over, but his voice sounded strong enough.
Tony sighed. He set the chip insertion gadget carefully on the counter, walked to where Luke stood, and put his hands on his hips. Now he looked solemn, almost sorrowful. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
His ears were ringing from the open-handed slap almost before he was aware Tony’s right hand had left his hip. Luke staggered back a step and stared at the big man with wide, stunned eyes. His father had paddled him once (gently) for playing with matches when he was four or five, but he had never been slapped in the face before. His cheek was burning, and he still couldn’t believe it had happened.
“That hurt a lot more than an earlobe pinch,” Tony said. The grin was gone. “Want another? Happy to oblige. You kids who think you own the world. Man oh man.”
For the first time, Luke noticed there was a small blue bruise on Tony’s chin, and a small cut on his left jaw. He thought of the fresh bruise on Nicky Wilholm’s face. He wished he had the guts to do the same, but he didn’t. The truth was, he didn’t know how to fight. If he tried, Tony would probably slap him all over the room.
“You ready to get in the chair?”
Luke got in the chair.
“Are you going to behave, or do I need the straps?”
“I’ll behave.”
He did, and Tony was right. The earlobe pinch wasn’t as bad as the slap, possibly because he was ready for it, possibly because it felt like a medical procedure rather than an assault. When it was done, Tony went to a sterilizer and produced a hypodermic needle. “Round two, champ.”
“What’s in that?” Luke asked.
“None of your beeswax.”
“If it’s going into me, it is my beeswax.”
Tony sighed. “Straps or no straps? Your choice.”
He thought of George saying pick your battles. “No straps.”
“Good lad. Just a little sting and done.”
It was more than a little sting. Not agony, but a pretty big sting, just the same. Luke’s arm went hot all the way down to his wrist, as if he had a fever in that one part of him, then it felt normal again.
Tony put on a Band-Aid Clear Spot, then swiveled the chair so it faced a white wall. “Now close your eyes.”
Luke closed them.
“Do you hear anything?”
“Like what?”
“Stop asking questions and answer mine. Do you hear anything?”
“Be quiet and let me listen.”
Tony was quiet. Luke listened.
“Someone walked by out there in the hall. And someone laughed. I think it was Gladys.”
“Nothing else?”
“No.”
“Okay, you’re doing good. Now I want you to count to twenty, then open your eyes.”
Luke counted and opened.
“What do you see?”
“The wall.”
“Nothing else?”
Luke thought Tony almost had to be talking about the dots. When you see em, say so, George had told him. When you don’t, say that. Don’t lie. They know.
“Nothing else.”
“Sure?”
“Yes.”
Tony slapped him on the back, making Luke jump. “Okay, champ, we’re done here. I’ll give you some ice for that ear. You have yourself a great day.”
8
Gladys was waiting for him when Tony showed him out of Room B-31. She was smiling her cheerful professional hostess smile. “How did you do, Luke?”
Tony answered for him. “He did fine. Good kid.”
“It’s what we specialize in,” Gladys almost sang. “Have a good day, Tony.”
“You too, Glad.”
She led Luke back to the elevator, chattering away merrily. He had no idea what she was talking about. His arm only hurt a little, but he was holding the cold-pack to his ear, which throbbed. The slap had been worse than either. For all kinds of reasons.
Gladys escorted him to his room along the industrial green corridor, past the poster Kalisha had been sitting under, past the one reading JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE, and finally to the room that looked like