Unintended Consequences

factory in New Jersey. It needs a few holes in the bodywork filled and painted, but the Kevlar panels stopped everything. A pity about the driver.”
    “He had the window down,” Stone said.
    “That’s what I heard. You’ll have the vehicle back late this afternoon without a scratch on it.”
    “Lance will be so pleased,” Stone said. “He’s besotted with your van.”
    “I wish he could do a commercial for us,” Mike said. “We’ll do very well on sales to the government, even without that. I’ve had a lot of pictures taken of the van before we started repairing it.”
    “You may get an offer from Marcel for Strategic Services,” Stone said. “Even though I’ve told him you won’t sell.”
    “Good. That will give me some idea of what we’re worth.”
    Stone hung up and called Dino. “I’m getting out of town for the weekend,” he said. “You and Viv want to come up to Maine?”
    “Viv’s working,” Dino said. “She’s gotta travel somewhere with a client, but I’m in.”
    “My house at two on Friday?”
    “I’ll see if I can give myself the afternoon off.”

48
    S tone had a day in the house with no company, except Joan. Marcel and Helga did the auto show and didn’t get home until late. Helene made dinner.
    •   •   •
    E verybody ready to leave for Maine tomorrow at two?” he asked his guests.
    “I’m always ready to travel,” Marcel said.
    “What sort of clothes will I need for Maine?” Helga asked.
    “
Very
casual,” Stone replied. “You’ll need a sweater in the evenings, and maybe in the daytime, too, and a light jacket, just in case.”
    “Will we be swimming?” Helga asked. “I didn’t bring my bikini.”
    “Not unless you like your water temperature in the forties.”
    “How much is that in centigrade?”
    “I have no idea, but it’s cold enough to freeze body parts. You would not enjoy your swim, although we would enjoy seeing you in a bikini.”
    “I’ll do some shopping tomorrow morning, just in case,” Helga said.
    “Whatever you wish.”
    •   •   •
    A t two the following afternoon the van awaited, and Stanley rang the bell and told them the luggage had been loaded. They made it into the van without being fired on, and Stone gave the driver his instructions.
    “Are we not driving?” Helga asked.
    “No, that would take about eight hours, including a ferry ride to the island. I have an airplane at Teterboro, where you landed when you arrived.”
    “Ah,” she said.
    Half an hour later they passed through the security gate and pulled up to Stone’s Citation Mustang.
    “How cute!” Helga said, getting out of the van and regarding the little jet. “Is there room for all of us?”
    “There is,” Stone said. Dino loaded the luggage while Stone did a preflight inspection, then settled Helga and Marcel in the cabin of the airplane.
    “Where are the pilots?” Helga asked.
    “You’re looking at him,” Stone replied.
    “Just you?”
    “Dino will help.”
    He showed them the earphones for music, then closed the cabin door and began working his way through the checklist, while Dino watched carefully, as he always did, to see that Stone missed nothing.
    Stone got a clearance, then taxied to Runway 1. There was a short wait while another airplane landed. Stone did his final checklist, then was cleared for takeoff. He taxied onto the runway, stopped, set the heading and pitot head and switched on the relevant light switches, then he pushed the throttles forward and watched the airspeed as they accelerated. He rotated, climbed to seven hundred feet, then switched on the autopilot. He said goodbye to Teterboro tower and switched to the departure frequency, then was given a climb by New York Departure, then cleared to his first waypoint. Twenty minutes later they were at flight level 310, where Stone leveled the airplane and switched on music for the passengers.
    Helga got up and came forward. “This is very interesting,” she said.
    Stone asked Dino to switch places with her, and she sat down in the copilot’s seat.
    “I hope Dino won’t be offended to give me his seat,” she said.
    “Once Dino has willed us into the air without crashing, he’s happy to leave the cockpit,” Stone said. He began explaining the three large color displays that told them everything about the condition of the airplane and their route.
    “This is where we’re headed,” Stone said, showing her Islesboro on the large map display.
    “And