The Strangeness Within Pt. 02

.........*** Chapter 6 ***.........

"No sé Tú!" Javier crooned, worse than the last time. Esther laughed even harder from the passenger seat.

The road stretched ahead of them, a two-lane state highway without much traffic. Miles of brown plowed fields mixed with the deep green of a few early winter crops. Javier had never driven this far up the state, but he had to admit it all looked pretty much the same once you got into the enormous bowl of the Central Valley. Even the radio all sounded the same. But he was unexpectedly happy. The bright sun, Esther's laughter, the open road — he didn't want it to end.

They stopped for gas in a little farming town. Javier went in to ask for the women's restroom key for Esther, who was almost too nervous to leave the car. He sometimes forgot how closed-off her life experience had been so far. Javier chatted in Spanish, making up a story about his nervous Anglo girlfriend here in deep farming country, and got a knowing smile from the bored cashier as she handed him the key. They could do this. He'd always known how to talk to people, if he just paid attention.

Esther made a face when she emerged from the bathroom.

"That was the worst restroom I've ever seen," she said. "The sink didn't even work."

"I bought hand wipes," Javier said sympathetically. He was starting to get worried about how Esther would manage if they had to live more roughly. But then he remembered her expression that one morning, dressed in just a towel, covered in her own blood, yet with her pride still intact. He smiled.

Esther was a fantastic navigator once she'd studied the map a while. But she'd never learned to drive, and the heavy traffic as they approached their destination was exhausting for Javier.

"It's too late in the day," he said as they finally reached the corner of Stanford campus. He'd hoped it would feel like more of an arrival than this. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Can we walk around at least?" Esther asked. "We could see the library. That way we can be all set for the morning."

It was exhilarating to walk hand in hand with her. In the lowering light they could almost be any pair of young college students, and Javier indulged himself in the fantasy. They found a sign with a campus map and Esther memorized where the math department and the library were.

"It's so beautiful," Esther said as they walked. Javier could see the money everywhere. Esther should be attending here, with the brightest and the best. Not begging for help because it was the only place they could think of.

They picked out the library meeting spot and then returned to the car. Esther was exhausted from all the walking by the time they arrived.

"I have to find somewhere to park overnight where they won't hassle us," he told Esther, who nodded and slumped further into her seat.

They were well out of town on a dead-end off the freeway before he felt secure about that. He could already tell they weren't going to be able to spend much time in nice suburbs.

"I'll just sleep here in my seat," she said. "I practically dozed off already."

Javier had already flattened the back seat, and he'd hoped maybe they could squeeze together in the long space. Memories of doing that with Clara floated up, of the creative positions they'd tried. He had to admit it had been really good sex. He didn't exactly miss Clara, but he couldn't deny the way his dick hardened at the memories.

"Too cramped for me up here," he admitted, getting out of the car and wriggling into the back. Soon he was stretched out on his sleeping bag, his head as close as he could get to Esther. He pulled off his pants and lay still, hand resting on his hard dick. It didn't feel right to do anything with Esther right there. But as her breath deepened, he found himself stroking lightly, thinking about last night. About learning more of what unexpected things gave Esther pleasure. And maybe her small hand, or her mouth, touching him just so ...

* * *

"I thought I was going to burst," admitted Esther when she emerged from the bathroom. Javier had made do with some scrubby bushes off the road, but Esther couldn't bring herself to try that, and she'd waited until they got to campus. It was so much easier for boys.

They were hungry, grubby, and a little cranky. It hadn't been a very comfortable night, and Esther didn't think she'd try sleeping in the seat again. But Javier didn't seem that much better off. She'd heard him tossing and grunting a few times during the night. At least he didn't snore.

Now came the really scary part. She'd agreed to wait out of sight while Javier went to figure out the department mail system. The last thing she needed was to run into Professor Patel or his colleague before they'd prepared.

"OK," he said when he returned. He had a big reusable envelope and some sheets of paper. "Just tell me what to write."

'Dear Raj,' she dictated. 'I received a reply from that school librarian I told you about. He said the books they're deciding about are these:'

She rattled off her own list of textbooks, in the same order she'd said during her meeting with the professors.

'I'll be looking through them in the library study room on the third floor. Please come by any time this morning if you have ideas. Best wishes, Anatoly.'

"All right," said Javier. "I assume the Professors will know what this means."

"They will," she said.

"And you're absolutely sure about them?"

"Father said I had to trust someone," she said. "I knew to trust you, and I was right. And I choose to trust them. Professor Patel in particular. There was something in his eyes."

* * *

"Where are they?" Esther said nervously. They'd been pretending to work in the study room for over two hours. "What if they're already watching the professors? What if they found out about the offer they gave me? Maybe we weren't careful enough."

"Maybe he just hasn't checked his mail yet," Javier said. "I know I dropped it in the right bin, but there were a couple other things in there already." But he could feel his leg shaking. In the light of day the students around them seemed so mature, so intent about their studies. He was sure everyone knew they didn't belong here.

Esther suddenly smiled, and Javier looked up to see a very young professor matching Patel's description and carrying a couple books. He was alone and he looked nervous.

"Ms. Thompson," he said when he closed the door. He didn't look surprised to see her, or for that matter entirely happy. He glanced meaningfully at Javier.

"This is Javier," she said. "My closest friend. Thank you so much for coming, Professor Patel."

They were silent for a bit.

"I knew the note was not from my colleague, of course," the professor said. "It could only have been from you. And I had to ask myself why you would arrange such a convoluted meeting. Did you drive all the way here?"

They nodded.

"Ms. Thompson," he said uncomfortably. "I did not involve my colleague, because I could only imagine you thought you were in some kind of trouble. Perhaps you are correct, in which case I would prefer Anatoly not be involved, as he has his own responsibilities. And perhaps you are mistaken, which I fervently hope, and then I can help you fix up whatever difficulties your spontaneous trip might have produced. Now, suppose you explain to me why you have come."

Esther nodded seriously, and Javier relaxed. It was a fair and generous reply.

Javier let Esther tell the tale. She recited it exactly as they had agreed, down to the word, with all the relevant details they could think of, including her parents' worries. Of her own peculiarities, however, she only referred to her unusual memory and mathematical abilities.

Patel stared at her with an unblinking intensity through her story, never interrupting. At the end he sat back, not looking at either of them.

"It is an incredible tale," he said. "And I'm glad to hear you are worried about overinterpreting the evidence. But I'm afraid there are two reasons I'm hesitant to dismiss all of your concerns. Yesterday, I was visited by two men, one of whom was Fred Daniels. I had never met them before, though they seemed to have a legitimate association with the scholarship committee. Now, right after I left you two days ago I made my little report by telephone, saying simply that I was fully satisfied, and that you were a very bright student. I expected that to be that last of it."

"The two visitors yesterday wanted far more information. Some kind of quantification of how unusual you were, the extent of your abilities. Everything about my visit with you, including anything odd I noticed, and any promises I had made. I disliked everything about the interaction, which felt like an interrogation. So I feigned ambivalence about your talents, and I did not disclose our offer to you. Anatoly agreed with me on all of this when I talked to him. We didn't know what to make of it."

"But your story makes more sense of it, supposing he is part of some aggressive intelligence recruiting effort. Doing background checks. Perhaps they were even so bold as to watch your house, and they discovered your father's death in the process. Daniels was an obnoxious, pushy man, but it's a giant leap from there to cold-blooded killer."

Javier tried to relax. Perhaps the professor was right. It was all so far-fetched.

"What was your second reason for worry?" Esther asked.

Professor Patel sighed and rubbed his face.

"Would you mind giving us a few minutes, Javier?"

Esther squeezed Javier's hand and he reluctantly left the room.

* * *

"You remind me of someone," the professor said to Esther. "I attended college in London, and I had a classmate named Lukas. You must understand, until university I had a lifetime being told how precocious I was, having my mathematical intuition marveled over. No young Indian boy like me was unaware of Ramanujan's story. I did not entirely believe the flattering comparisons, and meeting Lukas was the final straw, because he truly was brilliant in a different way from anyone I have met. Until you."

He rubbed his eyes again and Esther realized he was trying not to cry.

"I believe that with training your mathematical talents will outstrip even those Lukas had. And the strange thing is, you look like him. Not in the way of family resemblance, but certain features. What was subtle in Lukas is more obvious in you: your mismatched eyes, and something in the shape of your face."

"What happened to him?" Esther asked nervously.

"I would have followed him anywhere," the professor said distantly. "Though he always seemed to be keeping just out of my reach. I was to join him in Chicago for a summer program. When I arrived they told me he had disappeared after the first day. I have never heard of him again, and I have looked very hard."

Esther swallowed uncomfortably.

"Please do not be offended when I ask this," said the professor eventually. "Are there other unusual things about you or your life that might make you nervous about attracting interest? Things that could justify your parents' worries?"

Esther looked into his eyes. She had to trust him. Slowly she nodded.

"I will not ask you for any details," Professor Patel said. He sat still for a long time, thinking. Then he noticed something and his eyes widened. Esther had nervously doodled a little design on the table with her pencil.

"Lukas did that from time to time," he said with wonder. "Something like it, anyway. What does it mean?"

"I don't know," said Esther. "It helps me think."

The professor nodded. "He never explained," he said. "And now the coincidences are simply too strong. Something happened to Lukas, you see. I'm sure of it. And if I have a chance to prevent that from happening to another person — oh, I would do anything. Someone has a powerful interest in your fate, Esther, and you deserve better. So much better."

He wiped his eyes and Esther reached to hold his hand. It should have been strange to comfort him like this, and yet it wasn't strange at all. He smiled sadly at her.

"How close are you to Javier?" he asked.

"Closer than anyone," she said. "He's my childhood friend, and more than that now. I've trusted him with most of my secrets. Eventually, maybe all of them."

"Then I envy you both," said the professor. "Lukas never found it in himself to give so much trust. At least not to me. You can tell Javier my story, and I will give you what little help I can. Now, let me ask you: if I lent you this book, do you think you could memorize it? Well enough to remember where every word on every page is?"

He pulled out a thick biography of the mathematician he had mentioned, Ramanujan.

She nodded.

"Are you able to do it by tomorrow?"

"Yes," she said. "Though it can take me much longer to fully understand a text, even if it is in my head."

"In this case understanding is not necessary," the professor smiled. "Though it is a good story, if a sad one. Now, I must do some errands. Suppose we three meet tomorrow morning, in the room one floor below. I will explain about the book. And let us all continue to be as circumspect as we can. I worry now that even I may be being watched."

"Professor," Esther blurted as he stood up. "What am I? Do you know?"

He shook his head. "Not what, Esther. Never that. You're a person with some unusual characteristics, some of which my old friend shared. I suspect that what little else I could say about Lukas wouldn't clarify that any more. Perhaps there are more like you or perhaps not. In the end I don't think it matters. We are all of us strange, in ways that others seldom understand."

* * *

When the professor had been gone for a good while, Javier and Esther made their own exit.

"What if we've put him in danger?" Esther asked. "We should spend as little time here as we can."

Javier nodded, his mind still roiling over Professor Patel's revelations. And he couldn't help but worry terribly about Mamá. Had Daniels worked out by now that they'd fled together? The less Mamá knew about where they were, the better. But she would be so worried.

He bought them sandwiches with one of Esther's large bills. The cashier looked at him with amusement and he shrugged as she made change.

"Grandfather's weird," he said. "I think he has a whole drawer of those to dole out every birthday."

"Happy birthday," she winked. She was maybe a year or two older than him, and really cute. Dyed blond hair and a little nose ring. A tattoo extending down to her breasts, further than he could see in her low-cut T-shirt. He flashed his best smile, and it looked like she was going to flirt some more. But he had to go.

They drove to an emptier place, up in the rolling hills. Javier wasn't sure it was actually safer, but he felt comfortable with all this space around. And Esther thought it was beautiful.

After finishing her sandwich she joined him to lie in the back of the station wagon, lounging in her gym clothes and reading her book with deliberate speed.

When he interrupted her she was testy about it. Apparently even for her, what she was doing took careful concentration. He had no idea why the professor was having her do this.

So he looked at the hills, the butterflies outside, and Esther.

Her baggy shirt gaped just slightly. Not enough to see down it, not that he should be doing that anyway. It wasn't like with the cashier and her deep cleavage, the tattoo she'd clearly wanted his eye to follow. He'd never seen a naked girl with tattoos, and suddenly he found the idea terribly enticing. She'd been wearing dark red lipstick, almost purple, and something about the way she'd pursed her lips had made him think she knew exactly how to use them -

"What?" Esther grumped. "Do I have dirt on my face or something? It's distracting to have you stare like that."

"Sorry," said Javier. And he was doubly sorry for where his fantasies had been going. The only person he wanted to fantasize about was right here with him. He was just frustrated, that was all, and none of it was Esther's fault. Anyway, sex was the last thing he should be thinking about.

She was wiping sweat periodically from her forehead in an irritable gesture. It was stuffy in the car, but it wasn't really any better outside. A warm day for so late in the fall.

Finally Esther closed the book, closed her eyes, and sighed.

"All right," she said. "It's done. Can you reach my scratch paper?"

Javier quickly handed over her pad and pencil, and she began to sketch with her eyes closed. As always the lines and curves didn't add up to a coherent picture, but there was something unsettling about it.

After some time she put her pencil down, wiped her face again, and focused on Javier.

"I was rude to you," she said. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"It's OK," said Javier. "I didn't realize how much concentration this took for you."

"I don't generally memorize books visually," she said. "It's easier to remember the contents without the outer structure, if that makes any sense."

"I think it does," said Javier. "And that barely qualified as rude. Considering the way we're sharing space like this, I think we're doing pretty well."

"I feel so dirty," said Esther. "I should at least change clothes. I wish I had something cooler to wear."

"Go ahead and dig," said Javier, pulling over his bag. "Anything you think fits."

Eventually she found another T-shirt and a tiny old pair of his shorts, looking at them skeptically. Javier swallowed and smiled encouragingly.

"Could you give me some privacy?" she asked. "Maybe, uh, stand guard outside."

"Of course," said Javier, sliding out of the car. It was getting dark earlier these days, the hills turning pink and gold with the low sunlight. He closed the door and listened to the sounds from the distant highway. Airplanes overhead. He twitched nervously, but of course you could only be so paranoid. If bad guys were circling in planes looking for his car, it was already too late. Still, maybe he'd have to get rid of his car and find a replacement. That was a depressing thought.

"OK," said Esther as she opened the door. "Don't laugh."

"Never," he promised, wriggling back in next to her.

Even on her they were short little shorts, almost disappearing under his old T-shirt. He'd never seen so much of her legs. The hair he remembered grew quite thick up higher on her thighs.

"I'm so hairy, I know," she said nervously. "I tried to shave once, but it grows fast, and my skin doesn't -"

"You're beautiful," he said, gently patting her knee. She sighed.

Javier lay down and had to move some clothes. Esther's discarded clothes, including her underwear and bra. Esther grabbed them from him, clutching them in her hands and trembling like a scared animal.

"Esther," he said. "Do you need more space?"

She shook her head.

"I'm exhausted," she admitted. "And dirty, and overheated, and scared. I need a nap. Maybe you could just hold me. And, uh, stroke me."

She blushed, knowing he knew what she was asking.

When they'd gotten into an awkward embrace on their sides, she bent her head against his chest. Her hair was all mussed, stringy with dried sweat. She smelled earthy, and clean despite her complaints. He stroked her gently the way she liked and she relaxed a little. Javier was feeling drowsy himself. Esther was worth all the patience in the world.

One hand had drifted a little too low and he brushed the side of her buttock. She jerked slightly and he hurriedly moved it back. She was so slight. Hardly a curve, but it was incredibly enticing in her own way. He imagined kissing her strange nipples, his mouth closing over most of her breast, his hands rubbing her back, slipping further down. His dick throbbed painfully. She would be so tight down there. He'd have to be so slow.