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I will.Wouldn t miss the chance to sample your friend s masterwork.She forced a smile, and the talk turned to other things.The basement was already full when Eric and Hosea came down, balancing two large cookie sheetscovered with warm, golden-brown pasties.Alex was there, talking computers with Paul, and Margot andCaity were spreading a paper tablecloth over the top of the washing machines, converting them to amakeshift buffet for the evening.The basement of Guardian House ran the entire length of the building.Part of it was walled off, formingthe  magical bunker that Toni had told Eric about in his first days in the building, and there was even anapartment down here a small studio, its only access to the outside world a high narrow strip ofwindows along one wall.No one lived there; it d been vacant since her predecessor s time, Toni had toldhim once, and was now used for storage.Eric introduced Hosea to the others.Tatiana in full war paint and more trailing shawls than IsadoraDuncan camped and vamped at him, cooing about  big, strong men until Hosea actually blushed.Seeing that, she relented, and went off to get them drinks from the bar-by-courtesy, though aside from acouple of bottles of wine, there was nothing stronger than fruit punch there.By the time Ria arrived, the party was in full swing.Someone had brought down a boombox, and aWorld Music sampler mostly ignored vied for attention with the fragmented sounds of variousmusicians trading licks.The live music usually came later in the evening, when everyone had mellowed outand finished exchanging gossip and news.Hosea s pasties had vanished early on, but Toni had broughtempañadas a Puerto Rican -specialty and Paul had brought a couple gallons of the Famous Punch (amixture of exotic tropical fruit juices, savory and non-alcoholic).Eric had a glass of it in his hand when he felt Ria arrive, and went upstairs to guide her down. Cozy, she said, looking around the basement. Done in early catacomb?She was wearing a pale gray silk business suit and looked like the well-tailored heroine of an AlfredHitchcock movie.She had on a pair of green jade earrings that played up the green of her eyes, and herice-blonde hair was held back by a wide clip of the same material. Think of it as a trendy after-hours club, Eric said cheerfully. C mon.I ll get you a drink. I brought my own, Ria said, brandishing a large bottle of white wine. After the day I ve had, I coulduse a drink. Trouble? Eric said, leading her over toward the buffet. More in the line of chickens coming home to roost.You remember Kayla, Elizabet s student? How is she? Eric asked. Starting school at Columbia this fall.And living with me while she does.Eric was startled into laughter. The punkette and the Uptown Lady how d you get rooked into thatone?Ria looked faintly cross. Elizabet asked me, as a favor.She doesn t want Kayla living in the dorm, andwants somebody local keeping an eye on her.L.A. s a long way from New York. And you re elected, Eric said. I volunteered, Ria corrected him. But as for what I m going to do with her when I get her here.She sighed, shrugging. How bad can it be? But I ve got to say, what I know about teenagers you couldengrave on the head of a very small pin. Well, she s not exactly your ordinary teenager, Eric said, imagining Kayla in Ria s posh uptownapartment.Let s just hope she doesn t decide to redecorate. Kayla s a good kid.And like you said:how bad can it be? I m sure I ll find out, Ria said darkly. And pretty soon, too: Elizabet s going to send her out here assoon as she can get a cheap flight so she can settle in and get her shields up to speed.Though Los Angeles was a major city, it was far more sprawling than New York was.Manhattan spopulation density would pose special problems for an Empath and Healer. You know you can count on me for help.Babysitting, and so forth. He expertly peeled the wrapper offthe neck of the bottle and twisted the cork out, pouring a plastic cup half-full for Ria. I ll remember that, Ria said. And if you re good, I won t tell Kayla that s what you said. Truce! Eric cried, throwing up his hands in mock surrender. The last thing I want is to have PunkyBrewster mad at me.C mon, I ll introduce you around.The tenants were mostly cool there were only a couple of remarks of the  you re that Ria Llewellyn?sort and finally Eric steered her over to where Hosea was.He was leaning against the wall, his banjo slung across his chest, intently trading riffs with Bill, a guitaristand sometime member of various Soho bands.The two of them waited politely until the musicians had finished, then Eric caught Hosea s eye. Hosea,Bill I d like you to meet Ria Llewellyn.She s a friend of mine.There was a moment as Hosea and Ria sized each other up, each recognizing the power in the other.Then Hosea held out his hand. How do you do, Miss Llewellyn.Eric s said a bit about you, all good. Pleased to meet you, Ria said. Are you still looking for an apartment? Yes, ma am, Hosea said. But at the prices you cityfolk are charging, you d think I wanted to buy theplace, not just live there.Even the most run-down studio apartment in a bad Manhattan neighborhood rented for $600 800 amonth, and some Gothamites were paying a couple thousand a month for a place smaller than Eric sliving room. I may have a solution, at least a temporary one.LlewellCo is going to be putting up some new low-costhousing on the Lower East Side as an anchor point for redevelopment of some pretty grungyneighborhoods.We re relocating the current tenants, of course, but it s going to be November or so-before the building s actually condemned.Meanwhile, the place is standing half empty.I d been going toput in a security guard idle real estate being the devil s workshop but if you d like to move in andkeep an eye on the place until we raze it, you d have a place to stay free and I wouldn t have toworry about squatters moving in and making trouble for the remaining tenants. She smiled hopefully atHosea.Wow.She sure played that one right, Eric thought in admiration.He knew Hosea wouldn t evenconsider taking charity, but Ria d figured out a way to offer him a free apartment that he d still be payingfor, in a sense and she wasn t lying when she said she d need someone looking after the place.He watched Hosea carefully turning the offer over in his mind, considering it from all angles.Finally hesmiled. That d be a kindness, Miss Llewellyn [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]