Diana sat before Lois’ grave, holding her sketch pad before her. She knew she would never be a great artist, but she could copy a scene from real life if she had the time and the motivation.
And this project was close to her heart. Her mother, the queen, had listened to Diana’s urgings to commemorate Lois’ life with a special feast day. Diana did not believe she would have succeeded had not four other Amazons reinforced her report and presented the same suggestion to the throne. Diana was fortunate that the four, all of whom were part of the royal guard, had agreed with her opinion that the Amazons celebrate the life of a woman who was not one of their own.
That had been almost a year before. Now Diana was working on a design of a banner for the second feast, one which would tell in more detail just whose life was being celebrated and why. It was something she had not shared with Clark, nor did she plan to do so.
And then Clark said, “Hello, Diana. I haven’t seen you since the last League meeting.”
She tried not to jump from her seat, but he chuckled as she flipped the sketchbook shut. Clark and Bruce were the only two men in the world who could sneak up on her like that.
“Hello, Clark. I hope you have been well.”
“I have. That’s a very nice outfit you have on. Of course, it’s not your usual garb.”
She stood and smoothed the purple calf-length coat. “Thank you. I was concerned that I might be recognized, so I attempted to disguise myself.”
He smiled back at her. “And the rakish wide-brimmed hat worn at that jaunty angle? Reminds me of someone.”
She knew he was teasing her, and she took it as a good sign. “Several have informed me that I resemble a woman named Carmen San Diego. I assume she is some sort of celebrity, but I have not yet found an address for her, nor have I met her, so I cannot – why are you laughing?”
He covered his mouth. “Carmen San Diego is a character in a geography-based game intended for young people. Jon never got into it, but Marta thinks it’s great fun. She loves to play it with her grandparents and she usually wins.”
Diana pressed her teeth together. “I resemble a fictional person?”
“Only because you’re wearing that particular coat and hat. For what it’s worth, I happen to think it looks good on you.”
“Thank you.” Mollified, she hesitated, then said, “You are surely here to visit Lois’ final resting place. I have no wish to disturb you or interfere with your – your customs, so I will leave you now.”
He shook his head. “You don’t have to go. I’m not going to do or say anything that would embarrass myself or anyone else. Please, go on with your drawing.”
She went still. “You were not intended to see that.”
He pointed to his glasses. “I have a really good prescription.”
Ah. He was teasing her again. It would be rude to return a rebuff. “Very well. I thank you for your permission to remain. I shall endeavor not to disturb you.”
He nodded. “You’ll have to tell me about that drawing someday.”
She canted her head to one side. “Perhaps I shall, Clark.”
He nodded and walked to the side of the headstone, then knelt and put one hand on it as if for balance. She heard him softly say, “I’m here, Lois.”
Despite his assurance that she was not intruding, she felt as if she should depart. Then she realized that capturing this scene was the way to the heart of the Amazons – a man kneeling beside his wife’s grave, not in agony of loss but in celebration of her life. It would surely touch all of their spirits as it now touched hers. No one in Themyscira could refrain from shedding tears over such a life lived so well. Lois Lane would be celebrated and praised, and surely many Amazons would dedicate their lives to the betterment of both their own society and of the society of man’s world.
Diana sat silently and resumed sketching. Even as her pencil flew over the paper and the sight of Clark and his love for Lois flowed onto the paper, she knew it was the best thing she had ever drawn, or would ever draw.
*****
Jon knocked softly on his sister’s door. “Mart? You awake?”
“Come on in.”
He slipped in and closed the door. Marta was sitting on the bed, looking through a photo album. “You know we have all those on the family server, don’t you?”
She didn’t look at him. “I like to touch the book. Sometimes it feels almost like – like Mom is still here.” She slowly folded it shut. “And then I remember what happened a year ago.” A sigh escaped her lips. “And Daddy’s so lonely. He misses her as much as I do.”
Jon sat on the beanbag chair across against the wall. “That’s what I want to talk to you about.”
She moved the book to her bedside table. “Can you be more specific?”
“Sure. But it’s a touchy subject for me and I don’t want to rush into it too fast.”
“How touchy are we talking about?”
“Very.”
“So what are we talking about?”
Here comes the explosion. “A new wife for Dad.”
Jon had anticipated his sister throwing things at him, running out of the house at near super-speed, jumping on him and hitting him with real anger, or even screaming at the top of her lungs and threatening him with bodily harm. But she fooled him completely.
She sighed and nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that too. Any ideas?”
“You mean like candidates for our new mommy? No. I wanted to talk to you about the concept first.”
“You mean you wanted me to talk you into thinking it was a good idea.”
He ducked his head. “Yeah. Intellectually, I know Dad will probably marry again someday, but I’m not sure I’m emotionally ready for it right now. Or that I’ll be ready any time soon.”
“Me neither. So what do you suggest?”
“You’re a smart kid, Mart. I was hoping you might have something.”
“Huh. That’s a surprise, you asking me for advice.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not as in touch with my feelings as you are.”
“How about Dad’s feelings? Are you in touch with them?”
Her question surprised him, but it shouldn’t have. Given his sister’s emotional link with their mother, it would have been a natural thing to assume that he had a similar link to their father.
Sometimes he thought he did. Sometimes he knew when his dad had been on a tough Superman mission before the rest of the family did. Sometimes he knew when, as a reporter or an editor, his father had run across a difficult or trying story where he couldn’t fix the problem or help the people involved other than reporting the news. It just didn’t seem to be as strong a link as Mom and Marta’s link had been.
“Kinda,” he answered Marta. “I know he’s started laughing occasionally. And Uncle Jimmy took us to a baseball game last week, and Dad seemed to have a lot of fun. But that’s beside the point. Do you have any suggestions for helping Dad find a new wife when he’s ready to start looking?”
She frowned in thought for a long moment, then said, “I don’t think we should help him look. But I do think we should help him screen them.”
“Screen them how?”
“Well, how about this? If he brings some woman home to meet us, I give her a hard time and you play peacemaker. That way we both get to evaluate her, and if I can scare her off by myself she doesn’t need to be part of this family.”
“Hey! Are you saying we’d frighten the Addams Family?”
She gave him a lopsided grin. “We probably could if we put our minds to it. What do you think of that arrangement?”
He nodded. “Good idea. Let’s shake on it.”
*****
Wonder Woman and Catwoman landed softly in the evening shadows outside Dallas Alley and stepped back against the wall. Satisfied that no one was watching, Diana spun in place for a moment, then stopped.
“Keep watch while I change,” said Selina. “I can’t do that super-spin thing like you and Spitcurl.”
Diana frowned. “Who is Spitcurl?”
“The Big Blue Boy Scout.”
“Who – oh, you mean Superman.”
“Who else? I like your outfit, by the way. What are those boots made of, calfskin?”
Diana was pleased that the other woman approved of her attire. “Thank you. They are sharkskin, actually, from animals raised and kept for the Amazons’ use. But should anyone inside ask, I will say that they are calfskin. I am aware that many people in man’s world do not understand the difference between wild sharks and domesticated ones.”
Selina threaded her belt through her jeans and shrugged. “Not sure I do either, but I’m glad you’re not taking them out of the Atlantic ecosystem.”
“Amazons do not take a life, even an animal life, without a valid reason.” Diana frowned. “Selina, are you certain that these clothes are appropriate for this venue?”
Selina sighed. “For the sixth time, Diana, they’re fine! If you see dress slacks in this club, you can be sure the wearer is a dumb cop of some kind. Everyone else, including the smart cops, will be wearing jeans, and most of them will have Stetsons on, too.”
Diana ran her fingers through her hair. “Would it not be better if we wore similar headgear?”
Selina’s hands found her hips. “You tried on a Stetson. You wore it like it was a tiara. No good. Me, I don’t much care for cowboy hats or for limiting my field of vision. No hats tonight.”
“As you say. You have more experience in this sort of thing.”
Selina stomped her left foot once and tugged at the boot top, then slid her jeans down over the boot. “Okay, that’s good. You ready?”
Diana frowned. “Tell me once more why we are here and not in either Metropolis or Gotham.”
Selina sighed again, then lifted her hand and began counting on her fingers. “One: If you want genuine country, western, western swing, or country rock music, you can’t get it from a house band in either Metropolis or Gotham. Those guys are good but they just don’t have the right kind of soul. You might as well look for Motown in some little bar in New Mexico. Two: You need a night out on the town and more first-hand information about how real people have fun than you can get from reading books or talking to me. Three: No one knows us here. We’re anonymous women just looking for dance partners and good country music. Four: Mary Chapin Carpenter is not appearing in Metropolis or Gotham. She’s here and I want to hear her perform live. A greatest hits CD just isn’t the same thing.”
“Bruce told me some weeks ago that one cannot find authentic Tex-Mex food in North Dakota. Is your reasoning analogous to that?”
Diana wondered why the corner of Selina’s mouth twitched, then she decided to ignore it. “Yes,” Selina answered. “That’s correct. Now let’s get in there before all the good tables are taken.”
*****
To her surprise, Diana discovered that she enjoyed country music, or at least she enjoyed the music she was hearing. Mary Chapin Carpenter was a talented blonde with a pleasing appearance, a powerful and textured voice, and what Selina had described as a “rockin’ band” playing in support of her vocalizations. She wondered if her mother would approve of the songs, then she decided that she would purchase a selection of the artist’s recordings and present them to her staff as gifts. Hippolyta would certainly be brought up short by “Passionate Kisses,” a tune which had startled Diana at first but which she quickly grew to like.
She took another sip of her beverage and smiled. Whatever else a “Hurricane Warning” was, it tasted wonderfully sweet.
Selina was, at the moment, busy dancing something called the “two-step” with a young man wearing the uniform of a “drugstore cowboy,” which Selina had explained meant a man who dressed as a ranch worker but was almost surely an accountant or computer programmer or some other office worker. The two of them seemed to flow well together, and both of them seemed to be enjoying themselves. Diana smiled and tapped her foot on the floor to the rhythm of the song.
As the tune ended and the audience applauded loudly, a tall slender man stepped up to Diana’s table. “Ma’am, would you like to dance this next dance with me? I’d sure take it as a personal favor if you would.”
She blinked twice. “Ah – I thank you for the invitation, sir, but I am not certain I know these steps well enough.”
He held out his hand and smiled widely. “Can’t know that unless you try.”
She was torn. On one hand, she really knew nothing about the steps in these dances, and she did not wish to embarrass either herself or Selina. On the other hand, the man was as tall as she, appeared mature and composed, and she found that she wanted to give herself permission to have fun tonight.
Yet she did not wish to spend the dance stepping on the man’s toes. “Perhaps I am not the best choice—”
She got not farther as Selina suddenly appeared at her side and pulled her upright. “Come on, Diana! Loosen up and give the man a dance! Ain’t that what we’re here for?”
It took Diana two seconds to decide that yes, having fun was what they had come here to experience. “Very well, sir. But I warn you that I truly do not know this style of dancing well.”
“Your name’s Diana?” She returned his smile and nodded. “My name’s Jerry, and I’ll have you to two-steppin’ before you know it.”
The band began playing a syncopated four-beat and Jerry whirled her onto the floor. By the time the chorus began, she’d caught the rhythm of “I Feel Lucky” and was following Jerry around as they had rehearsed the dance beforehand. She was able to translate some of her Amazon folk dance steps into movements akin to the steps other women in the club were making, and by the time the song ended Jerry pulled her close and spun her around and laughed in her ear.
“What are you saying, you don’t know these steps? You’re terrific!”
“Thank you, Jerry. Shall we try the next one also?”
The drums began, followed by the fiddle and lead guitar. Jerry took her hands and showed her the basics of the fast two-step and she caught them almost immediately. They danced and skipped and spun across the floor, and Diana realized that she was having real fun for the first time in a very long time, and she was more than glad that Selina had insisted that she come to Dallas. She was sorry when they finished singing about the “Twist and Shout.”
“Are you tired?” Jerry asked.
“No! I believe I could dance to this music all evening!”
Jerry laughed. “I’m not as energetic as you are. How about one more and we take a short break?”
“If that is your wish. Oh, they are starting again! Is it permitted for me to attempt some other dance moves?”
“Whatever your feet desire, Diana! Let’s go!”
This time the drums began, followed by the piano and the lead guitar. Diana got on her toes and spun with the beat as if this were an interpretive ballet, then she stepped in a circle in a combination of an Amazon hunting dance and the hip-shaking displays she had seen from some of the other women in the club. She didn’t know how it looked, but it felt good.
Jerry laughed aloud and followed her as well as he could, and sometime during the second verse he caught Diana and led her into a cross between the two-step she had just learned and something resembling a polka. They missed a step at least every other measure, but Diana didn’t care. She was having fun!
At the end of the song, instead of following the advice of the singer to shut up and kiss her, he let her slip out so that her hands were in his as the spun around leaning back. When the music finally stopped, he pulled her to him and hugged her briefly. Astounded, Diana could only return the hug.
“The band is taking a break, Diana. Let’s go see if your friend is thirsty, okay?” Jerry asked.
Diana laughed. “That is a good idea. I find that I desire liquid refreshment myself.”
They walked to the table, and Jerry surprised her by pulling out her chair for her. “Thank you,” she said, then turned to the other couple. “Selina, you were quite right about this venue. It has been a most enjoyable evening thus far.”
Selina stuck her hand out. “Hi, I’m Selina. And your name is?”
“Sorry, ma’am, I’m Jerry. Your friend is a wonderful dancer. I could hardly keep up with her.”
Selina smiled. “She’s a better dancer than she told me, too. Oh, before I forget, this youngster here is Matt. Matt, be polite and shake hands with Jerry and Diana.”
Matt stuck his hand out and shook hands unenthusiastically. “Hi.”
“Howdy, Matt. Ms. Selina, your friend Diana is quite a dancer.”
Selina smiled. “You already said that.”
“It bears repeatin’. I can’t believe how fast she picked up those steps. And whatever she was doing on that last tune was downright inspired!”
“Don’t tell me, tell her. Those were her feet out there.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as a man who seemed to have imbibed a good deal of liquid courage walked in their direction, his thumbs in his belt loops and his face set in an expression he probably believed was charming. Before he came within a few feet, however, another man stepped in front of him and spoke urgently in his ear.
The first man’s countenance fell and he turned away more quickly than he had approached. Diana wondered what that was about for a moment, then turned back in on the conversation.
“No,” Selina said, “Matt didn’t insult me. He just put his hand where it wasn’t supposed to go.”
“Oh?” Jerry said. “I don’t imagine he plans to do that again, does he?”
The pitch and tone of Jerry’s voice had changed. It was lower, almost menacing, and his pronunciation was more precise than before. Diana looked closer at Jerry, trying to recognize him, but decided anew that she’d never seen him before.
Selina laughed, her voice quicksilver and cotton candy. “No. We had a discussion about it and we both decided that we were dance partners and nothing else.”
Jerry’s smile softened his expression. “That’s the ticket, Matt. Like me and Diana here. Maybe we’ll be friends someday, maybe we’ll never see each other again, but I’ll always remember being out-danced here tonight. Hey, is anyone thirsty? I’ll stand for one round of refills for each of us.”
Diana smiled. “That is kind of you, Jerry. I believe I would like another ‘Hurricane Warning’.”
Jerry’s eyes widened. “Uh – sure. Ms. Selina, what would you like?”
She laughed again. “Just call me Selina. Or Lina. I’ll have another Sam Adams.”
“Sure enough. Matt, how about you?”
Matt turned up his beer bottle and drained the last few drops. “How about a Lone Star?”
Jerry stood. “Coming up. Matt, why don’t you come with me and help me carry the drinks back to the table?”
Matt’s hat nodded and he stood. “Sure.”
As they strode to the bar, Diana said, “Has Matt created problems for you?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle. How about Jerry? He try to kiss you yet?”
Diana blinked. “Why – no. He has behaved as a gentleman with me.”
“Good. Incidentally, you have the option to slug him if he gets too personal with you.”
“I do not believe I will need to resort to such action. But why did you not tell me that earlier?”
Selina smiled. “I didn’t think you’d get hit on at all, and if you did I didn’t think you’d respond. You’re full of surprises.”
Diana frowned, confused by the idiom. “I’m sorry, what is being ‘hit on?’ Is a prelude to combat?”
Selina guffawed. “No, no! It’s a prelude to inviting you to spend the night with a guy.”
“Oh. Well, no, Jerry has made no such suggestion to me.”
“I wouldn’t expect him to. I didn’t want him to know I’d been doing research on him, but I found out that he owns this place.”
“Really? He owns Dallas Alley?”
“Not all of it, no. But he does own Bud’s, which is where we are. That’s why that one guy headed off his buddy a few minutes ago. Jerry wants all his patrons to have fun, but he doesn’t like for people to try to split up couples or friends. He’s been known to throw out some troublemakers and even ban a few.”
“I see. Then it is an honor for him to dance with one of his patrons?”
Selina looked around the room and smiled. “I don’t know about ‘honor,’ but they tell me that he doesn’t like to see women sitting alone. He likes to make sure they feel welcome. On top of that, I think he likes you.”
“As a good dancer, you mean.”
“Well, that too. But he figured out that you’re not from around here and that you’re not a hooker looking for a mark – he tosses those girls as soon as he sees them – but that you needed to have a little fun tonight. And he’s had a good time too.”
“Oh.” Diana was suddenly struck by a disturbing thought. “Selina – does he wish to pursue a romantic relationship with me?”
Selina laughed again. “No. His wife is the bookkeeper for this place, and I doubt she’d tolerate anyone horning in on her territory.”
“Jerry is married?” Selina nodded. “And his wife does not care that he sometimes dances with the female patrons?”
“As long as the women don’t get the wrong idea, no, she doesn’t care. Besides, it boosts his business if the women who come here without a guy know they’ll be left alone if that’s what they want.”
“I see.” She looked toward the bar to see Jerry returning with three drinks on a small tray.
He put the tray down and passed out the drinks. “Selina, Matt asked me to apologize for him. He just remembered that he had a very important appointment in Grand Prairie tonight.”
Selina smiled. “Poor guy. I didn’t mean to scare him that badly.”
“If he did something he shouldn’t have, you were right to scare him.” Jerry turned to Diana. “You know, Diana, this here ‘Hurricane Warning’ is a right powerful drink. Most people don’t do so well with just one of them under their belt.”
“I presume that was why you were surprised to hear me request it.”
“Yup. I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression of us Dallas cowboys.”
“Oh, I would imagine that the people of Dallas are much like people anywhere. Some are very good, some are very bad, some are bad if they believe they will not be found out, and most are what a friend of mine called ‘passively good.’ They mind their own business and in general behave themselves.”
“Yeah, but that ain’t enough. I used to be one of those passive people till a couple of years ago. This place was a lot rougher that it is now, and I let it happen. Then I heard about a lady who was a crusader for good, and hearin’ all she did made me want to be a better man in every way. I been trying, and I think I’ve done some good.”
From the bandstand came the soft sound of an organ, then a piano, then the drummer added soft cymbals to the sound. Diana listened for a moment, then asked, “Who is this lady to whom you refer? I think I would like to meet her.”
Jerry looked at her sadly. “I wish you could. Matter of fact, I wish I could. Her name was Lois Lane. I’m a little surprised y’all ain’t heard o’ her, but maybe bein’ from someplace else you ain’t had the chance.”
Diana froze. Lois’ influence had reached all the way to the middle of the nation? She had known that many were greatly impressed by Lois’ life and that many lives had been changed through her example, but the extent and reach of Lois’ influence startled her.
Selina must have seen Diana’s shock. “Jerry, we don’t want to hold you here. I’m sure you have other things you could be doing. You don’t have to baby-sit us.”
Her smile took the sting from her words. Jerry nodded and touched the brim of his hat. “That’s true, ma’am, I do, but I also didn’t want to leave you two ladies alone.”
“We’ll be fine, I promise.”
He rose gracefully. “In that case, I’ll go on my way. You ladies have fun, okay? And please stay as long as you want.”
As Jerry strode away, Diana listened as Mary Chapin Carpenter began singing a plaintive melody concerning the steadfastness of a lover departing on a journey. She promised to return to her love, no matter how long she was away or how long she was gone.
The song reminded her of the powerful love between Clark and Lois.
Diana leaned closer to her friend. “Selina, I believe I would like to leave now. Would you prefer to remain?”
Selina’s hand found Diana’s and gently squeezed it. “This night is for you. You can do anything you want. If you’re ready to go, we’ll go.”
Just then the lyric “You’ve been a friend to me” came from the band stand, then a melancholy saxophone wept over the piano and synthesizer. Diana returned Selina’s grasp and nodded. “I believe it is time. I have had a great deal of fun and I have learned something very important.”
“Then let’s go. I’ll meet you by the front door. I have to visit the ladies’ room first.”
Diana smiled and nodded. “I will savor this beverage for a few more moments, then I will make my way to the alcove where the band’s recordings are for sale. And you need not worry that I cannot pay. I brought American money with me tonight.”
Selina chuckled. “Yeah, this isn’t the Iceberg. I don’t have a tab here.”
Diana sipped her drink as Selina wound her way to the restroom. It was still delicious, yet it now tasted of distance. She didn’t understand that. Distance from what? Or from whom?
She rose and made her way around the dance floor to the band’s product table where she picked out eight discs, including the “Greatest Hits” disc which Selina had derided mildly when they had arrived. She paid for her purchase, pocketed the change, and waited for her friend near the entrance.
Her friend. The phrase had a very nice ring to it.
*****
Diana was making her third annual pilgrimage to Lois’ grave, and she smiled to herself. Her mother had proposed a mass gathering at the gravesite to join those who chose to celebrate Lois’ life, but Diana had protested that people in the United States did not normally participate in such rituals. Yet here she was, walking slowly through the cemetery toward a celebration of her own.
She had met Clark two years before quite by accident as she sketched Lois’ grave. The next year she had approached as he stood beside the headstone, and he had waited with her as she sat and pondered what she had learned about Lois. She would not have believed that any woman living in man’s world would affect her so deeply.
This year she actually hoped to see Clark. The two of them had worked together as super-powered heroes on several occasions, and they were both involved with Bruce Wayne’s plans to formalize the Justice League, rather than leaving it as a loose confederation of heroes. Diana was not as eager to see that come to fruition as Clark was, but she didn’t oppose it.
She found that she truly wanted to see him. To the Amazons, a man was not supposed to be a close friend or confidant. But Diana had learned that not only was Clark reliable and discreet, he was a source of wisdom and advice. And he understood people in a way Diana almost envied.
She made the final turn on the sidewalk and looked at the headstone. It was as it had been, save for a slight amount of weathering. But that was to be expected.
What was not expected was the sight of Clark sitting on a nearby bench with his face in his hands, his shoulders almost trembling with tension.
She approached him cautiously. “Clark? What is wrong? Are you and your children well?”
He raised his head but didn’t look at her. “I – I don’t know if I can do this.”
She gently sat on the far end of the bench. “You have helped me a great deal, my friend, and I would like to help you. Can you tell me of the ‘this’ which you feel you may not be able to accomplish?”
He turned bleary, damp eyes to her. “I’m a father. I’m general editor of the Daily Planet. I’m Superman. I’m Clark Kent. I don’t know—” he sat up and wrapped his arms around himself. “I don’t think I can be all of those people any more. I don’t know what to do. Everything takes longer than I want it to. The kids need a mother figure in their lives but I can’t even think about dating because I don’t have the time and I really don’t want to look at another woman. The kids need me, the paper needs me, the world needs me, Sam died a couple of months ago and Ellen needs me, I don’t have time for myself and I can’t remember the last time I saw a movie or went to a ball game or even watched one on TV. I’m stretched too thin, Diana. I don’t have any more to give.”
He bent over again and his body jerked as if he were crying. She didn’t know what to do. She’d never seen the strongest man in the world so weak and helpless, not even under the influence of kryptonite. Were that the problem, she could take the green crystal away and ease his pain – but there was no way for her to remove this pain from him. She didn’t know what to do.
But her friend was hurting badly. She had to try.
“Clark – I am not trained to – no, let me begin again.” She scooted closer. “You are my friend, and I am pained to see you in agony for any reason. And I am ashamed that you did not feel free to contact me earlier. That is my fault, and I apologize for this now.”
“Not your fault. You didn’t know.”
“True. But I should have made it clear that you could speak openly and freely with me about such things, and I have failed you in that regard.”
She gently laid her hand on his shoulder. “Clark, I wish that I could cast my lasso upon you and force you to see the truth, that you are a good man who is doing the best he can under possibly the most trying circumstances he might face. You have many people who care deeply about you and who would assist you in your time of need. Your children, by all accounts that I have heard, are excellent young people who love and respect you and who are surely hurting because they cannot but see your agony. This time in your life is a hard one, my friend, but you can face it and defeat it.”
She took a deep breath and let it out. Then a thought came to her and she stood. “In fact, I will help you now.”
“What? How – what are you going to do?”
Instead of answering him, she reached into her pocket and pulled out an earpiece which looked like a Bluetooth phone extension. It was really a direct satellite line to Bruce Wayne’s private cell phone, one of eight units in the world equipped with the necessary security protocols to connect to the other units like it.
“Direct connect to Bruce Wayne,” she said. “Personal emergency.”
Clark rose beside her. “What? No! Don’t call Bruce! This isn’t that kind of emergency!”
She reached up and pressed the mute button. “It is true that lives on this planet is not being threatened, but this situation is important enough for him to be aware of it. He will not permit this state of affairs to continue any more than I will.”
The speaker crackled to life in her ear. “Bruce Wayne. Diana, what’s going on?”
“Bruce, Clark needs us. He is having a personal crisis and requires the assistance of his friends.”
She heard him sigh in her ear. “Princess, this is an emergency channel. None of us are supposed to use it for personal favors.”
Steel crept into her voice. “This is not a personal favor. The man whom you have called your best friend is in need and you are in a position to assist him. You will now do so.”
“Even if that’s true, I’ve got business to take care of here in—“
“I would not have called you had it not been true.”
“I believe you, but I still can’t just drop everything with no notice. Wayne Enterprises is a multinational—”
“You will do this for Clark, Bruce, and you will do it now, or you will feel my pique.”
There was a pause, then Bruce said lightly, “Your pique, not your anger?”
“Anger would be the next level. You do not wish to experience that.”
“What would my experiencing your pique entail?”
“I would begin with a call to Selina.”
There was another pause. When Bruce spoke again, there was no humor in his voice. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“Not only would I do so, her private number is on my speed dial.”
Another pause, this one shorter. “Deal. I’ll be at Clark’s house in three hours. And if Selina wants to come, I’ll bring her to entertain the kids.”
“Good. Please make certain he attends whatever athletic contest is in season while you are here. Diana out.”
She removed the earpiece and returned it to her pocket. She looked at Clark, who had an odd expression on his face.
“Bruce will arrive at your home within three hours, Clark. It might be best if you were there to greet him.”
Clark nodded slowly. “I’m glad you directed that energy at him and not at me. I don’t know if I could take it right now.”
She almost melted at his tone, then stiffened her spine and almost smiled. “You could indeed have taken all that and much more. You are the strongest man I have ever known.”
“Thank you.” He glanced at his watch and sighed. “The kids are due back from their school field trip in about an hour. I have to pick up Ellie from day care, and I should have a snack ready for them so they don’t start eating the furniture.”
She reached out and took his hand in hers to shake it. “I wish you well, Clark. I hope you and Bruce have a very enjoyable visit together.”
She shook his hand with both of hers, feeling the strength and power flow back into his fingers, and she knew he would be well.
She turned to go, then hesitated. “One more thing. Bruce may be accompanied by Selina, so what she calls ‘zany hijinks’ may very well ensue.”
His eyes changed shape behind his glasses. “Oh, boy. Last time she visited, Marta ended up climbing every tree in the neighborhood. Scared some of the adults pretty badly when their kids tried to follow her.”
Diana almost laughed. “Then consider yourself warned. We will meet again, I am certain. Goodbye for now.”
She turned and walked away, pleased that she had helped him. Already his voice was lighter, his eyes were clearer, and he appeared to carry less of the world on his shoulders. Bruce’s visit would give him the freedom to laugh, and contact with Selina would make him smile. Her unconventional approach to life would demonstrate to Clark that there was still reason to look forward to the future with anticipation.
If all of this did not take place, Bruce would surely feel her pique.
*****
Late that evening, as Diana sifted through the late night after-office paperwork with which every diplomat must deal, her phone rang. “Hello?”
“Hey, Shorty! Missed you today. I think you would have enjoyed yourself.”
She smiled. “Hello, Selina. Did Clark and Bruce have a good time together?”
“Yeah, they did. Didn’t go to a ball game, though. They ended up in some ship museum on the Virginia coast and looked at old sailing ships all afternoon. Bruce and Spitcurl both came back smiling.”
“I am pleased that they had a pleasant day together. What did you do?”
“Oh, I took the kids to the mall for a while and then we found a little museum of locks.”
Diana frowned in confusion. “What kind of locks?”
“The kind that don’t keep people like me out.”
“Oh.” She pondered that statement for a moment, then had a bad thought. “Selina, please do not tell me that you taught Marta how to pick a lock.”
“Of course not.”
“Good. I was concerned that you—”
“I just lectured them on the weaknesses of various key locking systems and told them about the lock-picking championships in Holland and Germany and how easy it really is to get into places people don’t want you to be in without using their special abilities.”
Diana closed her eyes. “Selina, please do not think that I am angry with you – or even displeased – but perhaps it would be best if Clark did not know of this particular escapade.”
“Clark made me promise not to climb any trees or take them prowling in Gotham, so I had to do something with them! And it’s not like I took them through a hotel and left all the doors standing open.”
“I only hope that Jon and Marta do not decide to employ their new-found knowledge in a way that might embarrass their father.”
Diana heard the teasing tone come into Selina’s voice. “Interesting that you make not embarrassing Clark your most urgent objection to my educational choices. And what harm could it do? They can look through the doors if they want to see what’s there. Do you know, I think little Ellie understood almost as much of what I was saying as the other two? She listened as hard as the others combined.”
“Yes, and if there is a toddler-driven crime wave in Metropolis, Clark will blame me for you being with the children and teaching them about such things!”
Selina’s answering laugh was almost a cackle. “I doubt that Ellie’s siblings would let her put any stunts like that. Anyway, I got to go. Just wanted to touch base with you and fill you in so Bruce wouldn’t have to.”
“What? He does not wish to – Selina, is Bruce vexed with me?”
“No. He just didn’t want to feel your pique, whatever that means.”
This time Diana laughed. “I am certain he will tell you what it means when the two of you are safe in Gotham.”
“Safe, huh? This I gotta hear. G’night, Shorty. We’ll talk again soon.”
