The chapter opens
with Erika leaving her office in a stunning sun suit. It's a one
piece low-neckline, high hemmed, cotton garment; it looks like the
bottom part is a pair of shorts. I'm telling you this because I had
to ask google. Anyway, Erika, Glen, Catrina, and Douglas (the
Montroses) are going sight-seeing. Also, Glen is an awesome lover,
they've had a few nights together, and person at night, but during
the day he is gloomy because the show is not coming along well. This
upsets Erika too, but she doesn't know how to help.
The first sight the
group sees is a replica of Deliverance, the first boat that
brought some English people to Bermuda because of a storm. Erika
read up on it, so she knows more about it than anyone else. Earlier
Glen taunted her that she didn't know anything about Bermuda. She
sure showed him!
After they leave
the ship, they go to the ducking stools and stocks to take some
pictures. Nothing like some torture/disciplinary bits of history as
a backdrop for a picture! When Glen hands off his camera, Douglas
protests that he is at “aim-and-press-the-button” level of
cameras. My first thought: “Yeah, point and shoot cameras exist.
A lot of people use those.” Then Glen says that the film
automatically advances. Oh, yeah. This book was published in 1985.
So, Glen and Erika take a picture, and then Erika takes a picture of
Catrina and Douglas. They can at least look like a happy couple, I
guess.
The four of them
look at a few more things and get lunch. After lunch, Erika and
Catrina leave the men there and they go look in some stores. On the
way back from buying stuff, they see a shady spot and take a rest.
Then Catrina starts grilling Erika about her relationship with Glen.
Catrina lets us know that Erika is in love and speculates on Erika's
and Glen's life together. She says if Erika starts dreaming about it
too much, she can just remember that Glen would be a terrible husband
and that Erika could never trust him. Yet, he does really seem to
like her... Thanks a lot Catrina. You know just what to say to
comfort a girl.
After Catrina's
poorly executed reassurances, the women rejoin the men, I assume.
The book jumps from Erika telling Catrina to forget it, and standing
up, to Erika driving them all back to the Moongate just before
cocktail hour. The three civvies can go in their everyday clothes,
but Erika has to go change since she's the manager. While she's
putting on a favorite dress that she knows Glen will like, Erika
meditates on their relationship for a bit. She thinks that she's
drawn like a moth to the flame, and continues with, “She shrank
from the thought that eventually the moth brings about its own
destruction.” Wow, I'm impressed. This metaphor lasted for two
stages. Well done, Nancy John. I mean, Erika being in love with
Glen will work out for her at the end of the book, but things might
get pretty bad before then.
Oh hey there Felix
and Joni. What are you doing here? Oh, cock-blocking Glen so he can
get his work done. I see. Most of the conversation is Catrina
gushing about feeling like she's part of this show and wanting to
know how the process works. Glen composes and writes lyrics in any
order, by the way. So, while most people head in for dinner, Erika
goes to her office to get some work done. By the way, Mr. Ephron is
a dick. He's a hotel guest who's way too picky about everything to
show that he's got money and expects the best. I mention this only
because I think it'll come up again.
Dinner ends and
Erika hears people wandering around the hotel, having fun. She's
waiting for a call or an appearance from Glen, but neither
materializes. Eventually, she decides to just go visit him in his
villa. She starts sneaking there, all sneakily, when she hears Glen
and Felix arguing. She stops and starts to turn around, when she
hears her name. Glen says it's none of Felix's business if he has a
thing going with Erika. Felix says he doesn't care, it'll make great
publicity for the show. Erika's “a classy English rose”, so
she's different than his other women. Joni says she she totally sees
that there's something between Glen and Erika, and that Erika seems
to think so. Glen says that he just sees her for drinks sometimes,
and went sightseeing in a group with her today, and that's all, no
matter what Erika thinks. After hearing this, Erika runs across the
lawn, pissed off and wanting to weep.
Glen was protecting
her from the press, but I'll bet he didn't want her hearing that.
He's totally into her, but I guess she doesn't trust that. So, my
prediction for the next chapter... Erika will call Glen a big
stupid-head and burst into tears. Glen will try to soothe her, but
she won't believe him and then she'll run away. Also, someone will
have used the power of the Moongate to wish for world domination and,
as part of that, Bermuda will be drowned in a tidal wave. I think
this one's right on the money.
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