Wedding Rearrangement: 2/?
by Nan Smith
Previously:
"Oh," Lois said. She cleared her throat. "How's your telescopic vision coming along?"
"It's better. Still not back to where it was before the cage."
"Have any of your other powers come back?"
"Hearing -- some, anyway. I want to go out into the barn and see if I can lift some of Dad's farm machinery where no passersby can see me. That should tell me where I am, physically."
"How about flying?" she asked.
He closed his eyes and she held her breath. He opened his eyes and shook his head. "Not yet."
"Well, give it a little more time," she said. "It will come back."
"I think you're probably right," he said. "I sure hope you are."
"I am. Give it time." She slipped her hand into his. "You keep telling me to have patience and stay out of the investigation in Metropolis, and I'm telling you the same thing about your powers. It's not easy for either of us but it's important. Superman will be back -- and so will Mad Dog Lane. Eventually."
**********
And now, Part 2:
"Good. As soon as you have the papers drawn up, I'll fax a copy to Lois so she can look it over and make any corrections. Right." Perry White put down the phone and picked up the copy of the Metropolis Star that lay on his desk. A photo of Lois taken for her wedding announcement with Lex Luthor was prominently displayed on the front page, along with the caption: "The Ultimate Gold Digger?" The other paper had obviously given up all pretense of objectivity. The editor of the Star had a bone to pick with Lois dating back two years and the man was playing it for all it was worth. It was going to be eminently satisfying to watch him try to save face when the headline hit the Planet announcing the donation of virtually the entire fortune to the Superman Foundation, minus whatever amount it took to compensate employees who had been impacted by the destruction of the Daily Planet. For just a few seconds, Perry allowed himself to dwell pleasurably on the thought. Scoring a few points over his old rival wouldn't hurt his feelings either, but mostly he was looking forward to it because of Lois and on basic principle. The kind of shenanigans that the Star was engaging in was what gave honest newspapers a bad name. People got the idea that all of them had an agenda, instead of simply being in the business of reporting the news accurately and fairly, so that the public could make up their own minds.
It had turned out that Lois's inheritance of Luthor's legitimate financial assets was larger than they had thought at first. At least, no one had been able to prove that certain questionable parts of his immense wealth had not been acquired legally and the legitimate amount of the man's fortune totaled in the neighborhood of twenty-seven billion. Although a very large chunk of his assets were just as unquestionably gained through illegal means, the thirteen and a half billion that was Lois's share was no small sum to simply give away. Personally, Perry wasn't certain that he could do it if it were his instead of Lois's. On the other hand, he could understand her reasons. Lois wasn't the kind of person who could comfortably live behind electric fences and patrolling Dobermans for the rest of her life.
Jack Brown crossed the Pit and stopped to speak to Jimmy Olsen by the copy machine. Those two boys were a dreadful duo, he thought with some amusement, but they were a formidable team. When he wanted something done a little outside the normal channels, he hadn't found anybody better, except possibly Lane and Kent. They'd been very busy during the last day.
There was a knock on his door and he sighed in resignation. It was that psychiatrist again. The woman had somehow convinced Mr. Stern that some of the Daily Planet's employees might be suffering from stress and that having a staff psychiatrist available might improve the mental health and thereby the productiveness of the staff. Perry wasn't nearly as sure of it as Mr. Stern seemed to be, but he hadn't been given a choice.
"Come in," he called.
Arianna Carlin was a very beautiful woman, probably, Perry judged, in her early- to mid-thirties. Not only was she a doctor of psychiatry, she was also the author of several books and wrote a syndicated column for newspapers all across the country. She stepped through the door, smiling sweetly at him.
"I was wondering," she said. "I know that you can't give any information out about the location of Lois Luthor and Clark Kent, but since they're both listed as employees, surely they have to return to work eventually. I'm very eager to speak with them -- especially Mrs. Luthor. The trauma that she has endured can't help but have an effect on her emotional health. Surely you can give me some information about that?"
She paused, an expectant smile hovering on her lips.
Perry resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. "Lois *Lane*," he emphasized, "is taking an extended sabbatical. She and Kent will be returning after some of the media circus has died down. I'm afraid I can't tell you any more than that."
Dr. Carlin frowned. "Surely, she understands her new situation," she said. "She's become a very wealthy woman. Frankly, I don't understand how she can possibly be an effective reporter, given the circumstances."
Perry shook his head. "Why don't you let Lois and me worry about it, Doctor," he said. "I'm afraid I can't discuss Lois with anyone at the present time."
"I'm only concerned over how her new situation will affect her and the Daily Planet," she said. "Her refusal to use Lex ... Luthor's name only emphasizes the fact that she has failed to accept the fact that she's his wife. Or widow," she added, belatedly. "That kind of denial seems to indicate bigger problems that I'm very anxious to help her explore."
"Regardless of that," Perry said mildly, "I think you'd do better counseling the people here. After Lois gets back is more than time to decide what -- if anything -- needs to be done."
"I suppose you're right," the psychiatrist said, "but I take my responsibilities very seriously."
"I'm sure you do," Perry said. "However, that's for later. Is there anything else?"
"No," Dr. Carlin said. "Do you have an approximate date for her return, or a way to contact her?"
"The answer to the first question is I'm afraid not," Perry said. "As for getting hold of her, I believe she and Kent are on a cruise ship, but I don't know which one and I'm told they're registered under pseudonyms to keep the press off their backs. She's contacted me twice, so far, to have someone feed her fish and to let me know that she and Kent were all right, after their adventure in the mountains."
"Oh," Dr. Carlin said. She put a hand on the doorknob. "I'll be in my office if anyone wishes to speak to me." She smiled fractionally. "I wish that you would speak to your staff, Perry. None of them have taken advantage of my availability, so far."
Perry could understand that. "I'll mention it in the morning briefing," he said.
"Thank you," Arianna said.
Perry looked thoughtfully after Dr. Carlin as the door closed behind her. He might be mistaken, but he hadn't become editor of the Daily Planet because he could yodel and if she hadn't been handing him a load of bullsh ... uh, psychobabble, then he was Elvis's first cousin once removed. Well, the thought of Dr. Carlin being involved in the attempt on Lois's life wasn't a pleasant one but she seemed a little too interested in the whereabouts of Lois and Clark for Perry's peace of mind. After a long moment spent frowning at the closed door, he got to his feet. He'd been a pretty decent investigative reporter not all that long ago. It was time to put a little of his old knowledge to work. Maybe it was just his overactive imagination, but considering the apparent attempts on Lois's life, he wasn't willing to simply let it slide. Better to be sure. If his instinct was right, Arianna Carlin wouldn't be the first person to put money ahead of reputation and ethics, after all. If she had been planted here in the office to try to find out where Lois was hiding, he -- and Henderson -- needed to know it. Making up his mind, Perry went to the door and pushed it open.
"Olsen!" he barked. "In my office, now!"
**********
"Somehow I thought of a barn as different," Lois said, wrinkling her nose slightly. There was a definite aroma of animals in the big building, in spite of the fact that the door was wide open. "I expected it to be full of cows and chickens or something."
"The cows are out in the field right now," Clark pointed out. "They don't stay in the barn 24/7. And neither do the chickens. Besides, we have a hen house." He made his way past the tractor. "Dad keeps his tools and stuff back here." He pointed to one of the three storerooms near the rear of the barn. "There's feed in that one. Dad said he had to go into town to get a new belt for the tractor. The old one is worn."
"Do tractors wear belts?" Lois asked. She glanced up at the faint scrabbling sound of claws in time to see an orange cat leap gracefully from one wooden beam to another and vanish into the loft.
"This one is for the fan," Clark said. After a moment's consideration, Lois dismissed the mental picture of a revolving fan.
"I guess you don't mean the kind of fan for cooling people off," she said. "I don't know a lot about tractors."
"No; this is the kind of fan for cooling the engine off," Clark said. "Pretty much the same as for a car engine. Last time I was here, a couple of weeks ago, he was talking about the tractor's motor overheating." He guided her past stacked bales of hay, around several bags that probably held feed, and opened one of the splintery wooden doors. "Watch your step. There's a lot of stuff in here to trip over."
"What are you looking for?" Lois asked.
"Something heavy but not too heavy," Clark said. "I want to see if my strength is coming back at all."
"Well, how about that big iron thing," Lois said, pointing. "That looks pretty heavy."
Clark appeared to examine the big object carefully. "Okay, I guess it will do for starters." He bent, trying to get a good grip. "Stay back. If I drop it, I don't want it to land on your foot."
"What is it?" she asked curiously.
"It's the engine block to Dad's old tractor," Clark said. "It's been in the barn so long I'd forgotten about it."
Lois watched as he bent at the knees, gripped the thing, and heaved. The solid chunk of iron came up off the floor but Lois could see the muscles bulge in his arms and thighs, and sweat broke out on his face. After a moment, he lowered it to the floor again and wiped his forehead on his sleeve. "Whew!"
"You did it!" Lois said.
"Yeah, but I had to work," Clark said. "I'm not back yet."
"How much does that thing weigh?" Lois asked, glancing at it. A big chunk of iron that size had to be pretty heavy.
"Only about five hundred pounds," Clark said, sounding discouraged.
"*Only* five hundred pounds? Clark, do you know how many normal men can lift five hundred pounds like that? The only people who can lift stuff that heavy are professional weight lifters. I'd say you're doing pretty well!"
"I lifted it when I was fifteen," Clark said. "That's why it's in here instead of out in the main barn. Dad wanted it out of the way. It was easier then."
"Okay," Lois said, "but you hadn't been in a Kryptonite cage for hours and hours, and picked up a case of Kryptonite poisoning when you were fifteen. The point is, you're a lot stronger than you were only a couple of days ago. Your powers are coming back. It's just going to take time." She put a hand on his arm. "Like you always tell me; you have to have patience. If I can stay here in Kansas, away from an investigation that I'm itching to dive into, you can wait a little while to become Superman again, can't you?"
He looked down at her and she saw the faintly sulky look on his face relax into a smile. "I guess you've got a point," he admitted. "I guess I'm acting like a spoiled little kid, aren't I?"
"Well ... maybe just a little," she said. She slipped her arms around his waist. "Look at it this way. If we can't get involved in the investigation, we can take a little time off and ..." She hesitated before summoning up the nerve to say it, "just be in love."
His face softened at her words. "You know, I haven't heard a better idea for a long time," he said. "And Mom and Dad won't be back for a while yet."
"Gee, I hadn't thought of that," Lois said ironically.
He grinned. "I'll bet. It's too bad I can't take you over to Lover's Lane tonight, but it probably wouldn't be too good an idea. There's too much chance someone would see us. Rachel's deputies check the place pretty often, for obvious reasons."
"Oh? Where's Lover's Lane around here?"
"Tuttle Park." He put his arms around her as well. "It's over on the east side of the town."
"Well, we could have your dad drive us there and we could go walking," Lois suggested. "You can show me all the places that her deputies don't go."
"Nope; not a good idea," he said firmly. "Tuttle Park has a poison ivy problem. They try to clear it out every winter and it comes back as thick as ever every spring. I wouldn't want you to have to spend the next couple of weeks recovering."
"Definitely not," Lois said. An idea occurred to her. "Was that how Lana got her poison ivy?"
"You mean when I took Rachel to the prom?" He chuckled. "Probably; but I didn't take her there. Rachel's cousin Vern had a real bad case at the same time. He missed the prom, too. I always figured that they'd been out there together."
"Was that why you and Lana broke up?"
He shook his head. "No. You have to know Lana. She and I were friends but we weren't really suited for each other. Besides, I had a scholarship at Midwest U and Lana was headed out to Berkeley. We just kind of drifted apart after high school. We stayed friends but we never had any serious intentions of getting married."
"I wonder if she thought so," Lois said.
"Oh, sure," Clark said. "Lana had visions of becoming a business executive with a penthouse apartment and tons of prestige in the business world, and a lowly journalist wouldn't have suited her image."
"I happen to like your image," Lois said. "There are things more important than prestige and penthouse apartments."
Clark grinned down at her. "Oh? And what would those be?"
"Well, let's see..."
**********
The sound of a vehicle pulling up outside the barn, some five minutes later, interrupted what was becoming a very interesting non-conversation. Lois had been just about to suggest that they move from the barn's storeroom into the house when Clark lifted his head and Lois became aware of the somewhat uneven sound of an engine and the crunch of tires on the ground outside. She was conscious of a definite sense of disappointment at the knowledge that Martha or Jonathan was back from town and began, rather resignedly, to move toward the main room of the barn.
Clark's hand on her arm stopped her. "That's not one of our cars. Stay here out of sight and I'll go see who it is."
She'd almost forgotten, for a few minutes, that she was a hunted woman, she thought wryly. If some news team had finally managed to locate the Kent farm, the last thing she wanted was to let them know that she was here.
The sound of the motor cut off. Clark picked up a shovel, mussed his hair slightly, pulled the tail of his shirt, that he had tucked into his waistband, out so that it hung loosely about his hips, and slouched out of the storeroom, swinging the door partially closed behind him.
"Hey you!" The voice was male and Lois didn't recognize it, which wasn't surprising. "Is this the Kent place?"
"Who are you?" Clark's voice asked.
"Ben Maher from the Topeka Intelligencer. I'm looking for Jonathan Kent. That wouldn't be you, would it?"
"Nope," Clark's voice said. "I'm Jake. I just work here."
"Well, is he around?"
"Nope," Clark said. "Him and Mrs. Kent're over at the Garrison place. They're butchering hogs this week. If you like, I'll tell him you were here."
"No; never mind." The man's voice dropped and Lois had to strain her ears to hear what he said. "I'm actually looking for their son -- a Clark Kent. You wouldn't know if he's here, would you?"
"Clark?" Clark said, sounding puzzled. "Far as I know, he ain't been here for months. He works for that big newspaper in Metropolis. The one that got blown up a couple of months back."
"I know. You sure you haven't seen him?"
"Yup." Lois could almost hear Clark nod. "Mr. Kent was talking about going to Metropolis next week to see him. He's gonna be paying me extra to take care of the place while him and the missus are gone."
"Well, do you mind if I look around the place a little, just to get a feel for it?"
Lois could almost hear the slow shake of Clark’s head. "’Fraid I can’t do that. Mr. Kent’d fire me on the spot. He’s got pedigreed chickens and cows, and a pedigreed stud bull and he’s worried about rustlers stealing ‘em. He don’t want no strangers wandering around his property. If’n he comes back and finds you where you ain’t supposed to be, he’ll probably let you have it with his shotgun. Loads it with rock salt. If you wanta talk to him, you better come back when he’s here." Lois resolutely clamped her mouth shut. Clark sounded like the hayseed she’d wanted to believe he was when he’d first come to work at the Planet. Superman might stand for truth and justice, and have that straightforward boy-next-door charm, but he was also a gifted actor.
"Well, do you know when he’ll be back?"
"Dunno." There was the effect of a shrug in Clark’s voice. "Butchering hogs usually takes all day. You could go over there, if you really wanta see him, though."
"Where's this place?"
"It's over at the Garrison farm. They got a little, one-horse hog operation. You want directions?"
The man sounded skeptical. "It's not over by that big swamp, is it?"
"Potter's Slough? Naw. You take the Whittaker cutoff ..."
Lois listened while Clark gave painstaking directions to the intrepid newsman and waited as the motor came on again. Gravel sprayed and she heard the roar of the engine diminishing. When the sound had died away completely, she emerged from the barn. "Isn't the owner of that place going to be a little confused when a newsman shows up there, looking for your father?"
"No," Clark said blandly. "The Garrison Hog Farm went out of business ten years ago. Besides, I sent him over toward Whittaker's Bog."
Lois began to laugh. "I thought Superman never lied," she sputtered.
"Superman didn't lie," Clark said innocently, but she noticed that the corners of his mouth were trying to turn up. "That was Jake. But now we'll have to decide where we're going to hide out tomorrow when the guy shows up again looking for my blood."
"We could bury him in your mom's garden," Lois suggested.
"No, I think I'll give Rachel a call so she'll be ready when Mr. Maher gets back into town," Clark said. "And we'll have to warn Dad. Now that Maher's found the place, the others are going to find it too."
**********
tbc
