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'
don't get off at Prince Rupert. In a couple of hours Ill have my instructions.
He
'
"
softened a bit, realizing how harsh he was sounding. Look, itll be all right.
We
"
'
wont abandon you or lock you away or anything. It's just that well, there are
'
things I can't discuss right now until I get word from my own people. As soon
as I know, Ill tell you O.K.?
'
"
Dory frowned. "Im not sure I like being the property of the U.S.
'
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government," she said with a trace of annoy-ance. Im not even a citizen.
" '
"
"
Right now you are both non-persons, he pointed out. You, Ms. Tomlinson, "
"
can hardly go home and pick up where you left off. Youre a thirteen-year-old
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Indian. And you, Gonser whatll you do? You can t
'
be her, body or not, but you can't just go off and be somebody else,
either, because the person you appear to be legally ex-ists. Please just
trust me for a few hours. I'm not the enemy.
"
I looked at Dory and she at me and we gave almost simultaneous sighs and
shrugs. Parch was right we were stuck, at least temporarily.
"
All right well play it your way for now, Dory said. I assume, though, that
'
"
"
your government is now picking up the tab?"
He grinned. "Expense account. Youre welcome to these two cabins, of
'
course, and if you need any money just ask one of the boys."
There was a knock at the door. He opened it, said a few words, then turned
back to us. "We're coming in to Prince Rupert, he told us. Im going to be
busy
"
" '
for a while. Stay here or walk around all you want. Well talk when I'm
through."
'
And, with that, he was gone. For the first time since the switch we were
alone.
Dory got off the bed and stood facing me. She turned up her nose a little and
looked around. "Everything's so much higher all of a sudden."
I nodded. I know what you mean. Oh, hell, Dory, I feel so guilty about all
"
this. Ive mucked up your life like they mucked up mine."
'
She smiled up at me. "Look, thats going to get us nowhere. We're stuck and
'
that's that. I thought about it just now in the way Parch said its a war. That
old
'
woman was going to shoot you, maybe both of us. In a way we were lucky, I
guess. Maybe one day they can put things back again at least for me.
Until then lets ac-cept the fact that were innocent victims and go on from
there. She
'
'
"
paused a moment, looking at me with a somewhat critical eye. In the meantime,
"
maybe I can make a real woman out of you.
"
I laughed in spite of myself. "What on earth do you mean?
"
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"
The way youre standing. The way you walk. I put a lot of work into building
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that body and I'm going to see that its taken care of and treated right while
Im
'
'
not in it. In the meantime, lets go get something to eat.
'
"
I just stared at her, openmouthed. She was some kind of woman, I decided anew.
I envied her confidence and resilience. She opened the door and saw the guard
stand-ing there. "Hey! We're going to eat, she told him. "Parch said to tap
"
you for the money."
The man stared a little, a bit put off by this tiny girl giving him orders,
but he took out his wallet and gave her a bill. She looked at it, then said,
"Uh uh. More.
None of that cafeteria crap. Were going to the main dining room.
'
"
We talked mostly about inconsequential things through the meal, a very good
one in the big, fancy dining room wit