She laughed at him, suddenly gay and happy.
"But, Ash, a million times!"
"Tangled time," said Herkimer. "He's been away ten years."
"Oh," said Eva. "Oh, Ash, how horrible!"
He grinned at her. "Not too horrible. I had ten years of rest. Ten years of peace and quiet. Working on a farm, you know. It was a little rough at first, but I was actually sorry when I had to leave."
He held a chair for her, took one for himself between her and Herkimer.
They ate…ham and eggs, toast and marmalade, strong, black coffee. It was pleasant on the patio. In the trees above them birds quarreled amiably. In the clover at the edge of the bricks and stones that formed the paving, bees hummed among the blossoms.
"How do you like my place, Ash?" asked Eva.
"It's wonderful," he said, and then, as if the two ideas might be connected in some way, he said, "I saw Trevor yesterday. He took me to the mountaintop and showed me the universe."
Eva drew in her breath sharply, and Sutton looked up quickly from his plate. Herkimer was waiting, with drawn face, with fork poised in midair, halfway to his mouth.