Rigel was gone from thetable when they got there but Capella gave Lila a big hello and she flashed abig smile on him.

How are you, Bill? shesaid.

Capella said OK.

Where’s Richard? sheasked.

He went to play pool,Capella said.

She looked at Phædrusand said, Richard’s an old friend.

There was a pause when hedidn’t answer this.

Then she asked how far hewas going.

Phædrus said he wasn’tsure yet.

Lila said she was goingsouth for the winter.

She asked him where hewas from and Phædrus told her the Midwest. She didn’t have much interest inthat.

He told her about seeingsomeone like her before in the Midwest but she said she’d never been there.Lots of people look like me, she said.

After a while Capellaleft for the bar. Phædrus was alone with her, facing up to a kind ofemptiness. Something needed to be said but he didn’t know what to say. He couldsee it was beginning to bother her too. He wasn’t her type, she was beginningto see that, but the ale was helping. It obliterated the differences. Enoughale and everything got reduced to pure biology, where it belonged.

After a while Lila askedhim to dance. He said he didn’t and so they just sat there. But then the tallCanadian and his girlfriend got on the floor and started to dance again. Theywere good. They really moved together but when Phædrus looked over at Lila hesaw the same look she had when she first came in.

Her face had thatexplosive look again. That son-of-a-bitch! she said. He came with me. Heinvited me on this trip! And now he’s with her. God, that just kills me.