Silver Linings

though it looked terrific when it first went up. It was a fact of life in the business. Only the truly good stuff looked terrific five, ten, or a hundred years later.
    Mattie halted at the open door of one of the offices and glanced inside. Two people were seated at two large desks, a young man and a woman of about fifty. There was a desktop computer on each desk. Around the room was an array of state-of-the-art office equipment: Fax machines, exotic telephones, laser printers, and assorted computer peripherals. There was also a lot of paper stacked up on various surfaces. Modern machines seemed to generate more paper than the old ones.
    The attractive, well-groomed young man at the first desk looked up and saw Mattie standing in the doorway.
    “May I help you?” he inquired in plumy accents.
    “I just dropped by to see Hugh, that is, uh, Mr. Abbott, if he's in,” Mattie said, moving slowly into the office. She felt oddly ill at ease and realized it was because it was very difficult to imagine Hugh working in such sophisticated surroundings. It just wasn't him , somehow.
    “Mr. Abbott is very busy,” the young man said smoothly. “Did you have an appointment?”
    “No, no, that's all right,” Mattie said quickly. “If he's busy, don't bother him. I happened to be in the building, and I thought I'd say hello while I was here.”
    “I'll be glad to give him your name and see if he can find time for you,” the young man offered.
    “Mattie Sharpe. But, really, it's okay. Don't worry about it. I'll just run along. Here, you can give him this, if you will.” She held out the paper bag she was holding in one hand. “He forgot it this morning. On purpose, I suspect.”
    “Miss Sharpe.” The name obviously clicked immediately. The young man, who had been reaching out to take the paper bag, dropped his hand and smiled. “One moment please.” The secretary pressed the intercom button on his desk and started to speak into it.
    At that moment the door of the inner office was yanked open, and Hugh stuck his head out. “Gary or Jenny, one of you bring me that report on the Rome office, will you? And make it quick, I haven't got all day.”
    “I've got it right here, Mr. Abbott,” the woman said calmly, reaching for a thick folder on her desk.
    “Great. Thanks.” Hugh held out his hand as the secretary got to her feet.
    “Excuse me, Mr. Abbott,” Gary said. “You have a visitor.”
    “Not now, Gary, I'm busy.” Hugh started to flip through the folder. “I told you I don't have time to see anyone until this afternoon.” He looked up and spotted Mattie standing near the secretary's desk. “Hey, it's you, babe. Didn't see you there.”
    “Probably because my suit is the same color as the carpeting,” Mattie grumbled, glancing down at her beigy-brown attire.
    “Well, I'll admit you do stand out better in red,” Hugh said with a grin. “Come on in.” His easy smile changed abruptly to a scowl as he examined her more closely. “What happened to you, anyway? You look like hell.”
    “Thank you. The suit isn't that bad, is it?”
    “Forget the damned suit. You're white as a sheet.” Hugh closed the door behind her and waved her to a chair near the floor-to-ceiling windows. “You look the way you did when we went through those caves on Purgatory.”
    “The elevator was a bit crowded,” Mattie explained as she sat down. She gazed around at the plush surroundings, taking in the polished wooden desk, the thick carpeting, and the designer chairs. “Nice office. Not a girlie calendar in sight.”
    “Don't worry. I've ordered a few to put up around the room to make myself feel more at home. What are you doing here?”
    “A royal summons. My aunt phoned me up this morning and said she wanted to see me. Said she could fit me in around ten o'clock.”
    “This is Thursday. She always has a massage at ten o'clock downstairs in the health club on Thursdays.” Hugh sprawled in the big, elegant executive chair and put his booted feet up on the gleaming surface of the desk.
    “Right. She's invited me to join her. She says we can talk while we're getting massaged.”
    “What are you two going to talk about?” Hugh asked with narrowed eyes.
    “You, probably. That's what most people seem to want to discuss with me lately. I just stopped off here to give you this.” Mattie opened her brown paper bag and drew out a container of thick, brightly colored juice. “You ran off and left it behind this