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he amended. "Take your time. When you have eaten, I will take you there myself
."
Young Anna had returned now, with warm water in a basin, and a collection of
bandages and unlabeled jars containing what Jerry presumed were household
remedies. She began tending to his arm, which required that he first take off
his coat. The old knife-cut in the sleeve, usually inconspicuous, became for
the moment plainly visible.
Booth impulsively got to his feet, taking his own coat off. "If you would
honor me, sir, by wearing mine. We appear to be of a size."
"That's not necessary, Mr. Booth."
"I repeat, I would be honored, sir, to have you accept it from me."
There was a proud, almost threatening urgency in the actor's voice.
"In that case, sir, I shall be honored to accept."
FIFTEEN
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Soon after Jerry had finished his supper, and thanked his hostess with what he
hoped was sufficient courtesy, he and Booth set out upon the darkened street.
Dogs in nearby yards barked at them mindlessly, undecided between offering
greetings or challenge.
Jerry now had an evil-smelling poultice bandaged to his left wrist, and was
wearing Booth's coat. The garment, of some beautiful soft tan fabric, was a
little loose in the shoulders but otherwise fit its
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Saberhagen, Fred - After the Fact new owner well enough. Booth meanwhile had
somewhat gingerly put on Jerry's coat.
Hardly had the kitchen door of Surrat's boarding house closed behind them when
Jerry recalled that the man called Paine, inside, was still in possession of
his, or rather Baker's, pistol. But Jerry said nothing. He wasn't going to go
back and ask for the weapon; he had never really trusted himself with firearms
and in fact was rather relieved to be without it.
"It is only a few blocks to your lodging for the night," Booth had informed
him courteously when they had reached the street. "If you are quite able to
walk?"
"Food and rest have marvelously restored me. Food and rest, and a sense of
being among friends once again. Please lead on."
They trudged west on H Street, Booth whistling a slow tune softly, and soon
passed the imposing structure of the Patent Office. A
conversational silence grew. Jerry kept expecting to be asked more details of
his escape, but it was not to be. Perhaps Booth was jealous of the daring
feat; or, perhaps, absorbed in his own plans.
Just when they had left the Patent Office behind, the streetlights dimmed
suddenly, brightened again briefly, dimmed and then went out.
"Nine o'clock," Booth commented succinctly, striding on. There was still some
faint light from the sky, and the occasional spill of illumination from the
window of a house. Enough light to see where you were going, generally, if you
were not too particular about what your boots stepped in.
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Saberhagen, Fred - After the Fact
Somewhere, not too far away, black-sounding voices were raised in a hymn. The
April night was very mild. Summer here, thought
Jerry, must be ungodly hot. He could remember it that way from his trip in the
nineteen-seventies.
Now Booth as he walked was pulling something out of his pocket, passing it to
Jerry. "Brandy?"
"Thank you," Jerry took a small nip and passed the flask back. They walked on,
Jerry listening, thinking, or trying to think. Tomorrow night, less than
twenty-four hours from now, he was quite possibly going to have to do
something nasty to this generous assassin who walked beside him now. Or Booth
would do something nasty to him. He, Jerry, would not be able to do much to
anyone else in
Ford's Theater tomorrow, he supposed, without derailing history.
Now Booth was saying in a low confiding voice: "Tomorrow, when you have
rested, I should like to have a confidential talk with you.
On the subject of what the true duty of a Confederate ought to be, at this
time, in this city."
"I shall be glad to have that talk, Mr. Booth. But I shall be better able to
give it the attention it deserves if I get some sleep first."
"Of course." They paced on another quarter of a block before Booth added: "It
is difficult, in this city, for a man who has a great enterprise in mind to
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find someone reliable to work with."
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