“Are you still awake?”
“Yes,” Connor replied. “I couldn't sleep.”
Beth's face was shadowy in soft white light as she turned to him, lifting herself onto an elbow. Her other forearm rested across his chest. She stared at him, inches away.
“What is it?” she whispered.
Connor touched her cheek, smiling. “It's nothing.”
“Yes, it is.” Awakening quickly. “It's something.”
Connor sniffed, leaning his head back against the pillow. She continued to stare at him. “It's nothing, really,” he said softly. “I was just thinking of maybe leaving this place a little early. Maybe quitting.”
Even in the dark he could read the surprise on her face. “Well, you know I'd love that,” she replied. “And Jordan would love it. He's never even known what a real home is. But I'm more interested in why you suddenly want to leave. What's disturbing you?”
“I'm just tired of this place,” Connor said easily. “I'm thinking that maybe we've already got enough money to buy us a place. Maybe even a farm. Somewhere in the country. A place where Jordan can have a real life. Maybe it's time we moved on.”
“Are you serious? We'll just leave?”
“Sure,” Connor said, smiling. “We'll just leave. They can always find somebody else to do my job. I don't mean anything to them. They've got lots of money.”
She laughed. “Well then, when I go into work I might as well get on the NAV-COM satellite hookup with New York. I'll need to make contact with Mother back in Kentucky and let her know we're coming.”
Connor looked narrowly. “Your mother?”
Beth's laugh was beautiful. “Come on, Connor. You know that you love her. The two of you get along great. And we wouldn't have to live with her for that long, anyway. Maybe a couple of months. And living on a real farm would be great for Jordan.” She stared. “He doesn't need to stay here any longer, anyway. This is no place for a little boy.”
“Yeah, I know. I worry about him a lot.”
“I know you do. And sometimes ... sometimes I think that you worry too much. Jordan knows how much you love him, Connor. He knows that you love him more than anything else in the world. You're always telling him, and showing him. And he remembers all of it. I don't think there's ever been a little boy who had a more loving father.”
Connor stared at the ceiling. He was touched, and yet something cut deep into his heart with the words. The shadows leaped suddenly to life, crawling, writhing. Connor felt his face harden, knowing that whatever had haunted him through the long night was awakening more and more with the approaching dawn, or day.
Beth's gaze narrowed. “What is it? You're worried about something.”
“No,” Connor responded quietly, shaking his head. “I'm not worried about anything. I'm just getting tired of this place. The ice. The cold. Nothing to do but work. Jordan doesn't have anybody to play with. And I'm pretty certain that we've made enough money to buy us a little place. Maybe not the kind of place we really wanted. But good enough. And I can always find another job when we get back to the States. Make up the rest.”
Silence.
“Would you ever worry about Thor?” she asked finally, falling into her tendency to talk of friendships whenever he mentioned moving. “He'll be all alone without you as a friend.”
“Thor will be all right,” Connor said softly. “He told me some things last night. He's not going to be here forever. He'll probably be leaving this place pretty soon, too.”
“He seems very lonely.”
Connor was silent a moment. “He is, I think.”
“But why? You’re his friend and he visits you all the time. It doesn't seem like ... like he should be so lonely.”
Connor remembered the conversation, the depth and almost mythic power that had been captured in the ice-green eyes, the noble visage. “Thor's lonely,” he said, “because there's no one else like him.”
Beth grimaced. “That's so sad. He's such a wonderful person.”
“Yes,” Connor said softly, gently removing her hand from his chest. He sat upon the edge of the bed. “Yes, he is.”
“Are you getting up already?” she asked.
“Yeah, I need to get started.”
“But you haven't slept all night. You can’t go all day without sleep.”
Connor smiled back. “I'll be all right, Beth. I'm just going to get an early start. There's something I've got to do.”
“What?” She was suspicious. “What do you have to do?”
“Nothing important,” he said, smiling down. He gently kissed her cheek. “I've just got to go down into the cavern to check something out.”