Chapter 6

           TherestaurantinHagerstownhad"atmosphere"aswellasgoodfood,whichmeantthatithadtablesscatterednotonlyoveralawnleadingdowntotheedgeofalittlelakebutalsohadtablesintheboughsofthreeenormousoldtrees.Overallwasaforcefieldroofwhichkepttheoutdoorsdiningareaperpetuallysummereveninrainandsnow.

           Jillwantedtoeatupinthetrees,butBenignoredherandbribedthematred’hteltosetupatablenearthewaterinaspotofhischoice,thenorderedaportablestereotankplacedbytheirtable.

           Jillwasmiffed."Ben,whybothertocomehereandpaythesepricesifwecan’teatinthetreesandhavetoendurethathorriblejitterbox?"

           "Patience,littleone.Thetablesupinthetreesallhavemicrophonecircuits;theyhavetohavethemforservice.Thistableisnotgimmicked-Ihope-asIsawthewaitertakeitfromastackofunusedones.Asforthetank,notonlyisitun-Americanandprobablysubversivetoeatwithoutwatchingstereobutalsotheracketfromitwouldinterfereevenwithadirectionalmikeaimedatusfromadistance

           "Doyoureallythinktheymightbeshadowingus,Ben?"Jillshivered."Idon’tthinkI’mcutoutforalifeofcrime."

           "Pishandlikewisetush!WhenIwasworkingontheGeneralSyntheticsbriberyscandalsIneverslepttwiceinthesameplaceandatenothingbutpackagedfoodIhadboughtmyself.Afterawhileyougettolikeit-stimulatesthemetabolism."

           "Mymetabolismdoesn’tneedit,thankyou.AllIrequireisoneelderly,wealthyprivatepatient.