“It’s unnatural,” Max ventured in reply. “It’s unnatural because she remembered the dog. It’s as if memories have been wiped out selectively. She remembers her mom, too. No, this is far more sinister than ‘weird’.”

Alex tended to agree. He liked Max’s analysis because it explained the hurtful fact that she had not remembered him.

They were sitting in the hotel lobby and Max had just been fuming because Michael, typically selfish, had gone off in the BMW without telling anyone. They were stuck for transport as a result.

“What are we going to do?” Alex sounded faintly hysterical: the problem of Maria’s memory lapse seemed insuperable and he felt they were at a total impasse.

Max looked languidly at him under hooded lids but was his usual calm and rational self. “I don’t know yet. We have a dilemma, that’s for sure. I mean, I have suggestions but I don’t know that you are going to fancy any of them.”

Alex barked a sound which passed for a cynical laugh. “Spit it out. I reckon any suggestions would be welcome.“

Max leaned forward to grab his glass of coke on the coffee table. “I think that the dilemma is a moral one, actually. Do we have the right to change Maria’s life from what it is to what it was? I mean, she’s happy, settled and there’s nothing wrong in her world. So we could just walk away and leave her in this idyllic situation. The other alternative is to give her back her memory which includes all the pain, of course.”

Alex could not control a snort. “Max, it’s a lot more complicated than that. She has a baby and you can’t be suggesting that we leave her in ignorance of that. Soon, she’ll meet her mom again, find out that the mysterious mystic is nothing less than Valenti and that she thinks she has a half-sister who’s her spitting image. That scenario seems decidedly sick to me.”

Isabel chipped in, almost unwillingly. “Of course we’re discussing all this without Michael. I’m sure that he’s got very definite ideas, none of which would include leaving Maria in ignorance.”

Max smiled a secret smile. “Well, Michael is not without options, either, you know. He could start all over again with Maria, kinda in the right way this time. If the chemistry remains unchanged and if he were patient then he could end up none the worse.”

“No. I do not like that option.” Alex could feel himself getting heated and knew instinctively that his aggression had not gone unnoticed. They would be ascribing reasons for this and probably the right ones at that. Isabel looked wounded.

“Where the HELL is Michael?” Max looked impatiently at his watch. “We should be planning the next move; we really only have one more opportunity to decide what we are going to do.”

“Max. You mentioned the other alternative…the one about giving Maria back her memories. Just how would you propose to do that?” This was from Alex, on the attack again.

“I think that part would be easy. Michael, Isabel and I have the power to do that. Each of us could connect with her and each of us could give her back our part in her life.”

“Does that mean I’m helpless to give her back our youth together?” Alex was frustrated with this conversation which did not offer him very much at all.

Isabel looked at him sympathetically. “I’ve never done it before, Alex, but if you could connect with me and then I connect with her then maybe…maybe I could be a sort of conduit between you two. It might work.”

Alex flashed her a grateful smile. “I’d be more than willing to try it.”

Max gulped back the remainder of his coke. “Our immediate problem is that we can’t really make any decisions without Michael. So where the hell is he? I just hope that he’s not rushed off to take some action without talking to us about it.” *** *** ***

Max had good reason to worry. Michael had gone to see Maria. The thought of yet another inactive day, left with uncertainty, a physical yearning to be with her and the prospect of waiting all day for that gratification had been too much. He popped his head round the nurses’ sitting room and caught her with her feet up on the coffee table reading a newspaper.

She looked surprised to see him. “Michael! Is there a problem with one of the patients?”

He had the grace to look ashamed and wondered how long this deception of his doctor façade would hold up. Not for long, he suspected: there would be talk among the others.

“No, I guessed you would be free now and wondered if you’d like to take a walk.”

She considered the idea carefully, then swung her feet down and folded the newspaper. “Yes, I guess we could.” She laughed. “I’m being a total couch potato!”

A couple of staff eyed them curiously as they walked companionably for the front door and Michael felt tense and ill at ease until he had manoevred her outside the building of this sinister place.

“How much free time do you have?” he asked abruptly, another idea forming crazily in his mind as he framed the question.

Slightly puzzled, she looked at her watch. “Oh, about half an hour I would guess. Why?”

“Well, I wondered if I could whisk you off to help me get a present for Alex’s mom. Ya know he leaves tomorrow…presents are not really my style.” He had the grace to look awkward and slightly ashamed.

He had timed the question so that they were now standing in the driveway and the BMW was right in front of them. She looked hesitant and not very pleased with the suggestion.

“Gee, I don’t know, Michael. Half an hour is not really long enough. Maybe we could do it later – when I’ ve finished my afternoon shift.”

“Please. We’ll fly there – honest. You can feed me some ideas while I drive.”

He opened the door and gave a little-boy grin which contrasted with the naked pleading on his face.

She looked at him carefully, then gave a slow sigh. “O.K. I know that we won’t be back in half-an-hour and I just know that I’ll be in trouble over this but…O.K. you’ve convinced me.”

With a worried look at her watch she hopped into the car and sat down heavily in the passenger seat.

“Let’s get going, then.” She waved frantically at Ernie as Michael reversed the car with a powerful thrust and accelerated then with a screech of tyres.

Ernie waved back, a look of love radiating his wrinkled face. He had no idea, at that point, that he would not see Maria again for a long time. *** *** ***

“Where the hell is he?” Max said irritably to Isabel. She shrugged her shoulders wearily; this was the kind of impetuous and irrational behaviour that they had come to expect from Michael.

“God, he drives me insane! I should have worked out that he’d do something nuts, something wild, to throw the whole thing into chaos. My bet is that he’s gone to see her without telling us; that he’s done something absolutely stupid, like kidnap her.”

“Give him a little credit, Max,” said Isabel calmly. “ We know that he’s wild to get Maria back but he wouldn’t put her into any danger. He’s not that stupid.”

At that moment the telephone in the bedroom rang with ominous shrillness. They looked at each other, frozen momentarily into inaction. Both knew that this would be no ordinary call.

Slowly, and with a sense of dread, Max picked up the receiver.

Michael sounded a little wild at the other end. “Maxwell? It’s me. Michael. Look, don’t blow your top but I’ve got her. I took her away at lunchtime and just couldn’t bring myself to take her back to that place. We’ve got to do something quickly.”

“Where are you?” Max asked tersely. He could hear the traffic like a rhythmic swarm of bees in the background.

“I’m in a public booth on the highway north of town. I can’t speak long. She’s worried now because I’ve made her late. She thinks I lied to her and have some evil intentions on her, or something. I’ll have to calm her down. Will you come?”

Max wanted to throttle him, yell down the phone, but he forced himself to stay calm. “Listen. You’ve got to keep her calm – and,“ he paused for a moment, thinking quickly. “For god’s sake, Michael, keep in control. Don’t go getting physical with her or blurting things out. If she does a bunk now we could well muck this thing up for good. Do you understand that?”

Michael did not respond for a moment and Max could hear him yelling something, presumably to Maria in the car. When he did speak he was panting heavily. “Got it. I’m not a complete fool, Maxwell. But I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bear to think of her in that place a minute longer. This whole memory thing just got to me. She remembered the dog, for chrissake!”

“Michael. Stay calm. You won’t keep Maria calm if you lose it. Alex and Isabel and I have been talking and making plans. You should have been here, too. Now you’ve botched the thing completely. I want you to find a motel and book in. We’ll bring your stuff. Now you’ll have to invent some reason for taking her out of work this afternoon. Tell her that Alex has heard from her mom. Something. Anything. Take her for tea in the motel restaurant. Keep her calm and wait for us. Have you got it?”

“Got it. Don’t worry. Just come. I can see a motel from here. Paradise Road. I’ll be there.” Michael barked this information tersely and then, just as abruptly, banged down the receiver.

Max cursed silently as the explosion in his ear re-inforced the impact of Michael’s impulsiveness. “Damn!” He hissed under his breath before turning in his normal cool way to Isabel who had been hanging on every fragmented word. “Iz, we must book out and get going. I hate to say it but your confidence in Michael’s judgement was slightly misplaced. He’s done it…grabbed her and run.“

Isabel folded her arms and rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

“I want you to pack Michael’s things and then your own. If you’ve got time after that, start on mine. Here’s my room key…In the meantime I’ll go settle the bill for all of us and find Alex…to tell him what’s happened. We’ve got to be quick ‘cos I’m afraid that Michael is on the point of botching it and if he can’t keep her for the next couple of hours then I can’t even guess what could happen.”

Max had been handing over his room key, locating his wallet and shrugging into a jacket as he spat out ideas to his sister. He was trying hard to suppress a feeling of alarm and dread. She had not returned to work…that would cause suspicion. If Maria had been brainwashed, tampered with, secluded in that hospital for some nefarious purpose then the Special Branch would waste no time in sending out a search and it would not take them long to lead to Alex, even the aliens and a rental BMW.

He took the lift down to the foyer and cast an eye over the lounge area. Alex was not there. He moved through to poke a head into the bar; there was Alex, talking to a slim small female with long dark hair who had her back to him. He thrust through a huddle of traveling salesman who were laughing noisily and swapping sales anecdotes and burst between Alex and his companion.

“Alex, douse the cigarette. Something’s happened…it’s Michael…serious…we must pack up and go. Leaving in five minutes…I’ll settle the bill…just get your things.”

Alex gave a gasp and looked helplessly at his companion, who was silently listening to Max’s garbled instructions. Something made Max follow his gaze; his heart jumped; his blood seemed to stand still. He found himself staring at Liz. *** *** ***

“Wait! Maria! What are you doing?” Michael sounded frantic as he rushed from the telephone booth and tried to intercept the blonde dynamo who had ejected herself from the car and was preparing to run.

“I…I don’t know what’s going on, Michael. I don’t know why you’ve dragged me out here. You’ve lied to me. I’ve got to get back to work; I told you that before. I’ve waited very patiently but…”

Michael pounded after her and grabbed her with one arm, then the other. He stood, panting, his face a contortion of pain and confusion, and stared at her helplessly. Whatever she read in his face frightened her and she shrank away from him, trying to pull her arms away, turning aside her face as if to avoid whatever he was going to say next.

*Use your powers* his brain told him loudly. *Don’t try to go the human way…to explain and rationalize. It just won’t work. It can’t.*

She gave a whimper as she realized that he had no intention of letting her go. Her body sagged and he was afraid that she was going to faint on him, right in front of him, there and then. But her spirit rallied and she turned her face to stare at him with her big blue-green eyes brimming with unshed tears and her mouth contorted into a frightened pout. Her voice was surprisingly strong as she tried to talk.

“I don’t know why you’re doing this. But you’re frightening me, Michael. What is it you want? I was a fool to trust you. I should have spoken earlier. God, I started to get nervous when we headed out of town. How are we going to get a present for Alex’s mom out of town? What a stupid fool I am…” She trailed off and one tear did escape and roll slowly down her cheek. She could not wipe it away but was aware of the cool wet trail of its passing. She flicked her head quickly.

Michael let go one arm and wiped the tear away with his thumb. He did it slowly, kindly, caressing her cheek as he did so. “Listen, Maria,” he spoke in a low voice, almost apologetically, “You really have no reason to be afraid of me..honest. I…I can’t explain everything now…but I’ve just phoned Alex…he’s on the way. You trust Alex, don’t you? Don’t you kinda remember Alex now, after the photographs?”

She gave an anguished cry, “I don’t remember Alex. I’m sorry. If I did I would say so. What do you want with me, Michael?”

He was at a loss. How could he tell her? What could he tell her? He drew a deep breath, giving himself time to think, to feel his way forward. “Come back with me to the car. See that motel? He gestured to the Paradise Road, a squat building surrounded by trees. “Just let me book in there, get myself a room, we’ll phone the nursing home to explain your absence and then I’ll tell you everything. I promise. Do this for me, please.” There was naked pleading in his voice and she could not but heed the urgency of it.

“You’re not going to hurt me?”

The irony of this innocent question made him want to bark a cynical laugh but he didn’t. He smiled what he hoped seemed to be an open, frank and caring smile. It seemed to work. Her face relaxed its expression.

“Maria…Maria…there’s no way in the world that I would want to hurt you. Quite the opposite.” He swallowed, causing a pain in his throat, before he muttered, as much to himself as to her “I care about you.”

It was too soon for this disclosure. The alarm instantly appeared on her face. “But you hardly know me! What are you talking about, Michael? Why are you doing this? Take me back to the hospital, please.” She started to struggle again in his arms and it was very evident to any interested onlooker that he was keeping her against her will.

Michael found himself pleading with her. He cursed himself for this; he hated a display of weakness to others, even to her. A rush of memories came unheralded. “Please, Maria. Listen to me. I’m really trying to help you. Just come back to the car. Don’t draw attention to us…you don’t know how much madness that would be.”

He was trying to propel her along but she was still resisting. “Michael. I don’t understand. What does any of this have to do with me? I don’t understand what you’re talking about. I don’t need help. I don’t need help. Are YOU in trouble?”

Michael had an unreasoning flash of Ernie, receiving his flower and of the young intern basking in the warm radiance of Maria’s attention. Then deeper and more painful recognition: Maria, the old Maria, who had helped him through so many crises. Maybe that was the way to go. Solicit her sympathy. Switch the emphasis. Perhaps that was the way to calm her down.

He stopped walking, turned to face her, and gave her a brooding look, one which the old Maria would have recognized and understood. It spoke of confusion, vulnerability, yearning and a desire to be loved. Maria caught her breath: she recognized all those things and a chord was stirred. He felt her trembling in his grasp and felt an uncontrollable desire to be absolutely honest and straight with her.

“I must say it. You might not understand me but I must say it, Maria. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. For getting you mixed up in my mess. For confusing you. For frightening you. But when I didn’t know where to turn or whom to ask for help – I thought of yesterday, when I first talked to you…d’ya remember? You were talking to Ernie and I thought: here is a girl with a big heart..maybe, just maybe, she’d be the one to help me.” Through this unusually long speech for Michael, a speech which articulated feelings so honestly, he continued to stare into her big eyes which looked at him without guile even if without trust.

She was alarmed but not for herself. As he had hoped, and from what he knew of his Maria, the old Maria who had given him all of herself in every way, fear was replaced by concern on her face. “What is it, Michael? Just answer some of my questions, will you? Just tell me something which makes sense.”

She was now allowing him to lead her towards the car without protest, even quickening her step as if to accelerate some solutions, assistance for him.

He had the grace to feel momentarily guilty for his deception and for the ease with which he could manipulate her feelings to gain control of the situation. He knew it was not right; he knew that old Maria, too, was so pliable in the same way: when he wanted her to give, she gave without question. It was taking from him that she had always found difficult, almost as difficult as he found the giving.

As he fiddled with the key in the passenger door of the car he knew that he no longer had to restrain her. He stood close to her for other reasons. He would not have been surprised if she had groped in her bag for her grief drops but she didn’t. She looked up at him, tranquil now, and put her hand over his as he inserted the door key. “It’ll be alright, Michael. What ever it is. Nothing is too difficult to put right, you know.“

He wanted to keep that physical contact forever, however insignificant, innocent. But he opened the door with a thrusting motion and helped her into the car. They drove in silence to the motel. Maria was prepared to wait patiently for the answers.

*** *** ***

Liz huddled in the back of the car with Alex and they whispered together. She had virtually said nothing to Max beyond greeting him. She was astute enough to realize that Maria was the focus at this time, even for Max. Her blood ran cold as Alex told her all the information they had to hand.

Max was like a block of granite behind the steering wheel. The calm exterior masked boiling emotions, directed mostly against Michael. The secret telephone call which had brought Liz to him was fuel for more anger against Michael. He had not wanted to meet Liz like this: a nonchalant greeting after which his energies were directed into putting plans into action. He felt that Alex and Isabel were dead weights to be moved at great cost and effort. He understood the unreasoning flash of jealousy that he knew Isabel was experiencing. The two humans, bonded since birth, were re-assuring themselves with physical contact. He almost hated Alex at that moment. It was difficult to reason that Alex had inherited the burden of comforting both Maria and Liz once they had left on their mission. It was irrational to begrudge the fact that he had done such a good job.

Max glanced at Isabel but her face was cold, distant, more than impassive. He caught her eye veering periodically to the rear view mirror. She was not considering the road behind.

“We’ve wasted time,” he said to her abruptly, looking instinctively at his watch as he did so. “All that time to get another rental, packing Michael’s things. I am praying that nothing else will go wrong. IS there anyone following us?”

Isabel had the grace to blush before being given a perfectly reasonable opportunity to look in the rear view mirror. “It’s difficult to tell, Max. That white Chevy has been behind us for the last five k’s.”

Alex spoke from the back. The rear view mirror would have revealed that Liz had fallen asleep on his shoulder and that his arm was curled protectively around her. “Well, this is the only route south; could mean anything. Max, I suggest that when we spot the hotel, we drive right past to throw the scent, then find a way of doubling back.”

Max could not bring himself to answer this in a spirit of generosity: that Alex’s idea was a good one. He merely grunted and peered himself at the rear view mirror. “I wonder what in god’s name Michael is up to at this moment. No. I don’t want to wonder. There’s enough to worry about.”

He was surprised when Isabel came again to Michael’s defence; she usually wasted no opportunity to be acerbic and critical where Michael was concerned. “He’ll cope, Max. Don’t create things to worry about. I’ve kinda sensed that Michael, of all of us, had the most reason to come back. He won’t mess up. He’s got too much at stake.”

Alex felt that it was as well that Liz was asleep for that remark. He carefully turned his head downwards to assure himself that this was so. Dark lashes were curled against her cheeks and her slight smile remained unaltered. He sighed with relief and contemplated Isabel’s remark as far as he was concerned. He knew he should feel guilt; he has been so obsessed with Maria that he had no time or inclination to examine his feelings for Isabel, or hers for him. Taken at face value, her remark let him off the hook and for the moment he felt a sense of relief. There would be a time to consider his own feelings.

“There it is!“ Isabel shouted tersely as the neon light flashed on and off, hiccupping into the darkening twilight. Max kept on driving; it was becoming more difficult to keep track of the white Chevy as the light faded. He looked at the dashboard and noted the mileage.

“Right. Now to lose them. I’m assuming the worst.” At the first opportunity, he veered left with a squeal of tires and then sharp right. They were wandering through suburbia, with large detached houses either side and poplar trees planted in regimented rows on the pavement.

“Look for a house in darkness, Max.” Alex was again prompting him from the back. “We’ll glide in and park in the driveway. See what happens.“ Max felt a flash of resentment again.

He took Alex’s advice, however, and at the first opportunity, slowed down and then ducked into the driveway of a pseudo Tudor dwelling with rhododendrons along the drive. The engine sighed into silence as Max switched off the ignition. Liz stirred slowly into consciousness.

“Are we there? Where are we?” She struggled to grasp the reality of the here and now, to comprehend all that Alex had told her in the car, to control feelings which she thought she had forgotten when they left and life had settled down into its old predictable routine.

“Shh!” Max spoke to her for the first time since their awkward greeting. They sat paralysed as the white Chevy whirred silently past.

“I think that the rhododenrons have hidden us.” Alex sighed with relief. “It doesn’t look good, though. What sort of coincidence is it that the car also needed a left and then a right?”

“I don’t know what Michael is up to but I reckon we’ve got to move on – and quickly,” said Max. “We wait here for five minutes then if it doesn’t show up we go back to the motel and move out. What do the rest of you think?”

“Either way we run a risk," said Alex equably. “They’ll be expecting us to run – as far as possible – so I don’t know what our best options are. On the other hand, we won’t be hidden for long in a cheap motel so close to the hospital. There’s the BMW, for one thing. They’ve probably got a handle on that now.”

“They obviously have made the association with you all, too,“ chipped in Liz in a reasonable tone. “If it is the Special Branch following us,” she had made the connection quickly as Max expected she would, “ they know that we’ll lead them to Maria. Maybe getting hold of us will be an added bonus.“ She gave a sudden shiver of fear and Alex gripped his arm more firmly round her shoulders for comfort. His gesture was not unnoticed by Max, whose lips tightened although he said nothing.

The statutory five minutes seemed an age. But the car did not return. Max furtively glided back down the driveway to retrace the route. They were all on edge for the short ride to the motel and Isabel had good reason now to keep her eyes firmly glued on the rear-view mirror.

“Park out of sight,” advised Alex and Max could not restrain himself from barking a reproof at that. “I’m not a complete fool, Alex, though thanks for the advice.” He drove to the rear of the motel and sandwiched the car between a Cadillac and a Ford pick-up. “Stay here, everybody. I’ll just go and get them.” He dashed out before Alex felt prompted to offer alternative advice.

The guy on reception looked like an alien, Max thought cynically. But the man had enough human intelligence to understand that Max wanted the man and girl who had booked in that afternoon. Max knew that he was arousing suspicion by paying for the room that instant but he had little alternative. Buying a map of the area was not the smartest thing to do either but they needed one.

He found his arm trembling as he knocked on 401. They were later than anticipated and he failed to work out how Michael had Maria holed up in a bedroom with any reasonable story. The door swung open slowly and Michael was there – gaunt with tiredness, tight lines seamed around his mouth.

“It’s O.K. Max. She’s here. Sleeping.” He gestured towards the bed where Maria lay curled up like kitten, her head with its blonde curls bent foetally towards her chest.

“We’ve got to go and I mean NOW. You’ve done some stupid things, Michael, but this rates among the worst. We’re being followed. What the hell did you think would happen when you practically abducted her in broad daylight?”

Although he had closed the door firmly and raised his voice, Maria did not stir. “I’m going to put her out – for a while. It’s easier. O.K. with you?” He did not wait for Michael’s answer but moved swiftly to the bed and put both hands against her temples. Maria made no movement. Max scooped her up into his arms and barked instructions. “Grab everything and come. Where’s the car? I’ll come with you. I’ve settled the bill but we don’t have much time. They’re right behind us. Here’s the map. You can read it when we’re in the car.”

Michael responded silently, scooping up Maria’s clothes which were already scattered round the room. He followed Max silently into the corridor before streaking ahead of Max to lead the way to the BMW.

Max tipped Maria gently into the back seat before turning away. “You drive. I’ll read the map. I’ll just tell the others to follow us. We’ll ditch the other car when we’re out of town. We’ve been followed.”

Michael turned the car and cruised behind Max. Max talked quickly to Alex, hopped in the car then the two cars silently glided into the road. Max was silently studying the map by the light of a small flashlight and Maria made no sound on the backseat. Michael’s nerves were as taut as tensile steel.

Although it seemed like hours, in reality within minutes they had left the lights behind. There was virtually no traffic approaching them either.

“See that clump of trees ahead?” Max gestured to the left. “Pull the car over and drive into the middle of it. Right off the road. We’ll dump the other car here. It’s safer to travel together, I reckon. Do it. Now.”

The darkness was total; the silence overwhelming. The engine burped in protest as Michael killed the ignition, then nothing.

Michael sat there as Max left to instruct the others. He sat there sharing silence with a senseless Maria and felt the car boot yanked upwards and bags being tumbled into the boot. Shared whispers, scurrying sounds. Haste.

Michael unwound himself, unwilling to face argument and recriminations from the others. Maria was his only thought, concern. He yanked open the back door and lifted the blonde angel onto his lap. Nothing else mattered to him at that moment. She melted against him, her head curling itself naturally into his neck, her body moulding itself against him, her sweet smell enveloping him. He held her tenderly, like a flower which should not be bruised. He was home and it felt good, whatever might happen now.

Liz slid in beside him and touched him on the shoulder. Her hair swung towards him as she stared through the darkness at the recumbent form of her friend. She leaned forwards to kiss him on the cheek, a reassuring pressure of lips before she did the same to Maria. “Thank you, Michael,“ she sighed his name, “for coming back…and for saving my friend.” Alex was squeezing in beside her and Isabel and Max commanded the front.

“Look at the map, Isabel,“ said Max tautly. He consulted the dashboard and started the engine. "Look for the smallest dot on the map about 400 k’s down this route. I don’t care where. Find the smallest byroad you can. Keep me awake.”

Those were the last words spoken. Liz folded herself against Alex and Michael could feel her tension in the darkness. Even Alex felt no need for words. After leaning over to feel Maria’s temple – a gesture which Michael wildly resented – he leaned back against the passenger window and generally made himself available as a cushioned rest for Liz. Michael felt his muscles relaxing as he and Maria shared warmth, as her soft flesh and muscle lay supine against his and the slow shallow breaths were expelled against his neck. He gripped her firmly, cushioning the swaying of the car, trying almost to graft her against him. He did not, could not sleep, but stayed awake, her guardian angel, her guardian alien, her alien lover. Her closeness brought back so many memories that he had deliberately suppressed, but particularly of that one and only night. She had shown him heaven that night; he had known hell since then but now…every stupid thing was worth it to be given this one transitory moment of heaven again. He buried his face in her fine hair, drinking her into his soul, his spirit, and brooded.

“Isabel, we have one hour of darkness left. We must find somewhere to stay and hide out within thirty minutes. Have you pinpointed a possibility?” Max could not afford the luxury of yawning but his slurred voice betrayed his tiredness.

“There’s a lake marked up ahead,“ Isabel said. “Probably about forty minutes away. There’s some sort of camp arrangement marked on the far side. Is that good enough?”

Max’s head nodded affirmation in the darkness. “Reckon that sounds good enough. If we can get a cabin, cottage, it’s best that we stick together now at all times. Until we figure out our next move. We stay there all day and then work on moving on tomorrow night. The lake gives us another option for a quick getaway if there’s trouble. Alex?”

Alex roused himself from his uncomfortable doze and tried to stretch cramped muscles without disturbing Liz, now sound asleep. “Yep?”

“When we find this place, I want you to get us a cabin and a boat, if that’s possible. We’ll stay in the car until we get the go-ahead from you. Better than all of us trooping in together. Don’t want anyone to see Maria. She won’t be conscious for another couple of hours.”

Silence assumed control again until the car started to bump over the dirt track leading around the edge of the lake. Max spoke again. “Isabel. Look on the map…what else is marked on the lake. Just in case.”

Isabel peered anxiously at the map, lifting it within inches of her face. “God. I don’t know. Nothing. Max. There’s nothing.”

“Right. Then during the day we move the car and hide it on the other side of the lake. We leave by boat, cross the lake to the car. Keep our options open.“

“Alex and I will help you with that,“ Liz said quietly, knowing inwardly that Michael would not be prevailed upon to leave Maria, even for an instant. He flashed her a quiet smile of gratitude.

The resort came into view, partly hidden among the trees which surrounded the lake. “This is good,” said Max with a quiet satisfaction. “This is very good. We’ve got cover. We’ve got a chance.” A grey light was slowly bringing their surroundings into view; the lake surface was unrippled, cold and steely in the early light of dawn. Mist hung pallidly, suspended above the lake. The trees shivered and whispered secrets to each other.

The resort was not well patronized… a couple of cars,still covered with dew, stood beside adjoining cabins. No people and no movement.

“We’re too early,” Max was thinking aloud now, on behalf of all of them. “Will this cause suspicion? What if they’re using the media? We haven’t booked; say this place is used by regulars. Owned by them, even? What then?”

Isabel shook her head, turning to her brother as she did so. “We can’t get cold feet now, Max. We’re here. There’s no white chevy behind us and we’ve bought ourselves some time. Don’t change the plan now.”

Alex spoke from the back to chime agreement; for once, Max was reassured by his support. “Don’t worry, Max. I’ll carry it off. Isabel can come with me. She’s a model citizen; her composure and all-togetherness will convince anybody. Coming, Isabel?”

Isabel was brushing her hair, styling it with the aid of the overhead mirror. She carefully applied some fresh lipstick and then unwound herself from the car. Alex joined her and lit a cigarette. Isabel frowned, opened her mouth to speak and then thought better of it.

The occupants of the car watched them walk with purpose towards the reception area. Alex flung an amorous arm across Isabel’s shoulder and grinned and laughed down at her. For her part, Isabel gazed up at him in warm response. It was like watching a silent movie. They rang the reception bell and within moments disappeared within.

Max spoke coldly into the silence. “So what did you tell her, Michael?”

Michael dragged himself unwillingly away from his sublimation in Maria’s warmth. He said, raggedly, “It was so easy, really, Maxwell. I told her the truth. I told her about my life crisis. That I was in love with a girl who didn’t know I existed; that I knew the girl to be in great danger…and that I was torn apart, not knowing what to do. That the problem was mine.”

“And she believed you.“ This was said flatly, as a statement.

“Yep. She believed me. I had forgotten quite how much Maria had always believed in me.” Michael swallowed on the idea and his voice broke. “I had forgotten quite how much Maria was prepared to give. Now tell me what a fool I was.” He delivered the last remark with great bitterness.

Liz spoke before Max had a chance to reply. “It’s O.K. Michael. What would have happened if you hadn’t come back? Hadn’t looked for her? It’s too horrible to think about. I can imagine, though. She may have never known…about Michaela, her mom…her whole life…”

She broke off because Alex and Isabel had re-appeared in the company of an old man who stood on the wooden veranda and was gesturing to a cottage way off at the end of the enclosure.

“Good old Alex,” Max said quietly to himself. “He’s chosen one of the remote ones. That’s good.” He knew that he was muttering, seemed unsociable to Liz. He was too tired to make much effort and his anger with Michael had suddenly evaporated with the relief that they were all still safe and together. Michael’s words had moved him; he didn’t want to think of it at that moment – why they had all come back and what they had hoped to realize. How naïve to imagine that they could stroll back into Roswell, New Mexico, and meet a new life at the Crashdown, built instantaneously on the rubble of the old life that they had left behind. He sighed into the silence.

Michael spoke. “I’m sorry, Maxwell. I know that I bungled it…that you probably had some very organized escape plan for this mess. I couldn’t help myself, ya know? This was real important for me. There’s nothing to stop you all taking off, - right now – and leave me to help Maria…the two of us can more easily disappear into nowhere than the six of us.”

Max laughed shortly. “Disappearing into nowhere is not an answer, Michael. That was your old solution and it never worked, don’t you remember? We’ve got to find an answer that gives Maria the freedom and safety of going home, knowing her baby, taking up a life of her choice, don’t you think?” He stared at Michael in the overhead mirror. Michael inclined his head to indicate the truth of that.

Alex was gesturing wildly in the direction of the cottage. He and Isabel did not return to the car but started to walk across, still giving the impression of an impassioned couple. Max waited for the old man to disappear within before he started the engine and headed in their direction. He moved the car behind the cottage, out of view. When the car slid to a stop there was a sense of anti-climax shared by all of them.

“Take Maria in first, Michael. We’ll organize the rest.” Max opened Michael’s door and helped him to carry out Maria, still lying limply in Michael’s arms. “She is O.K. isn’t she, Max? I mean – she’ll come to, soon, won’t she?”

Max treated his friend gently. “Don’t worry, Michael. Give her another two hours. Stay with her. I’ll guess that you need some sleep yourself.“

Alex and Isabel had opened the door and held it open for Michael to pass through. Liz waited to help with the luggage. She let her eyes rest gently and kindly upon Max. He realized that this was the first time they had been left alone together.

Max stretched his cramped limbs. “This was not how I imagined we would meet, Liz. This was not how it happened in my dreams. I was coming for you – I know you believe that – but Maria – that had to take priority. Do you understand that?”

“How can you ask?” Her eyes reproved him. “I would have been disappointed in you, Max, if you had left my friend to her fate, if you had left Michael to cope…just to come back to me. We always knew that time determined its own journey, didn’t we? You’re back. That’s all I need to know.” She lifted herself on her toes and pressed her lips to his mouth, gently but with ardour. “It seems that we can’t organize our lives without our aliens.” She whispered this against his cheek.

Max looked down at her with repressed passion and it showed in his voice as he replied to her, “I don’t forget that it was all our doing in the first place, Liz. We mucked up all your lives then – then walked away. I’m not proud of that. I’m not proud of knowing that Maria has endured great misery, pain, has lost a year of her life…because of us.”

She squeezed his arm then drew away to address the practical issues, like dragging the bags out of the car boot. She looked up at him through a curtain of fallen hair. “Don’t torture yourself, Max. Things happen. Maria was always the strongest of all of us. Her life was not ideal before, you know. Maria has earned so much inner strength by coping with pain, hard knocks. An’ she always bounces back. She acts the part so long it becomes a part of her. You mustn’t worry about Maria. Just tell us what to do.”

She didn’t wait for his reply but staggered towards the cottage door with armfuls of bags. Max slowly followed her.

No-one was in the mood to appreciate the prime view of the lake, which was already transforming from its steeliness to cold cobalt. Given time it would radiate bright blue.

Alex was fiddling with the gas stove. He glanced across at Max as he came through the door. “I collect a boat in an hour, Max. It’s all organized. Want some coffee? Some obliging soul has left a jar of Nescafe. You’ll have to take it black, though.“

Max shook his head slowly. “Coffee is the last thing I need. Alex, will you and Liz just look after things for a couple of hours? I reckon that Isabel and I must get some sleep.“

Liz walked through from the bedrooms at that moment and nodded emphatically. "Don’t worry, Max. Alex and I will pick up the boat and stash away the car. We’ll lock you all in; we did a reasonable job of sleeping the night away so we’re fresh to take over for a couple of hours.” She went through to the kitchen area to help Alex with the coffee.