Page 37 of Goodbye Girl

Amongus leaned in closer to the table. “I read about your testimonyat the hearing. You said you left MAP because they did some questionable things. Things much worse than hacking websites and spreading computer viruses.”

“It was true.”

“That’s my point,” said Amongus. “The London group is desperate. I hear something ‘much worse’ is coming.”

“Like what?” asked Imani. “Blocking traffic until Parliament does something about piracy?”

“Muchworse,” said Amongus. “MAP will cease to exist if these guys haul off and do the crazy shit they’re talking about.”

“You mean violence?” asked Theo.

“I mean nothing’s off the table,” said Amongus.

“Do you mean violence againstme?” asked Imani.

Amongus didn’t answer directly. “People remember what it was like ten, fifteen years ago, when piracy was out of control. They don’t want to go back to the bad old days.”

It sounded like a bluff to Theo. “Come on, dude. Now you’re just trying to scare her.”

“I’m just saying she’s been living in a penthouse apartment too long. It wouldn’t hurt to reconnect with the musicians on the street. Tell them this ‘go pirate’ campaign isn’t going to last forever. Convince them to wait it out.”

“I couldn’t go if I wanted to,” said Imani. “I surrendered my passport as a condition of bail.”

“Theo should go,” said Cy.

It was like the sage voice of the wise elder. No one spoke for a moment until Cy continued.

“Theo can handle himself better than anyone Imani knows. He can go in her place. But only if he has full authority to tell these boys that the end is in sight.”

Theo looked at Imani. “Amongus is right. This can’t go on forever.”

“You don’t have to get in the middle of this,” said Imani.

“I want to,” said Theo. “If I have your blessing.”

Imani glanced at Cy, who nodded his approval.

Imani extended her arm as straight as a sword, placed her hand onTheo’s right shoulder, and spoke like the queen of England: “I hereby knight thee Sir Theo Knight,” she said, moving her hand to his other shoulder, “ambassador of Imani.”

“I happily accept,” said Theo.

I think.

Jack and Andie were home by eleven thirty. Jack paid the babysitter, who apparently was no match for a seven-year-old. Righley was in their bed to greet them.

“I had a bad dream,” she said.

Jack looked at Andie and said, “I got this.”

She gave him a quick kiss and whispered, “I’m going to shower.”

Jack wasn’t sure if this was “date night” morphing into “sex night” or, even better, the complete abandonment of any rules about which night it was. Either way, he was happy. He gathered Righley in his arms, carried her back to her room, and tucked her into bed. She asked him to stay a little while, so he kicked off his shoes and lay beside her.

“I had a bad dream about pirates,” she said softly.

“Why were you dreaming about pirates?”

“Mommy said you missed my soccer game this morning because you were with a pirate.”

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