David left in the night. No one was likely to miss him, and if they did, they'd just be glad he was gone.
Getting to Capitol was the hard part; it took him a week. But getting in was hardly any problem at all, with Marge's help. He let his beard grow and, with the cast gone, dressed in an Elite uniform, and carrying the proper papers, it was a walk in the park.
Of course, one screw up and he was dead meat, but he didn't plan to screw up.
Jessica and Right returned to Capitol from their meeting with the hated Jago, and went straight to her office.
"Do we have to go straight back to work, Jessy?" Right asked, taking her hand.
"We've been gone for three days," she smiled at him. "Don't worry, Right. The beast has been taken care of, and we'll have lots of time on our hands."
She walked into her office, and instantly flew into a rage. "Where are they?"
Before Right could ask what, Jessica was at her desk. She punched her intercom button.
"Lieutenant! Send Zark in here on the double!"
"What's wrong?" Right asked.
"Look," she pointed to a blank spot on her shelf.
Right looked and nodded. "I wouldn't worry, Jessy," Right reassured her, "he probably just took your trophies because he was angry about being left behind. Remember that, unlike me, he is programmed not to displease you." Right flopped down in a chair.
Zark entered the room and moved towards Jessica as if she were a magnet, and he were steel. She held up her hand, stopping him cold.
"What's wrong?"
"You know what's wrong, Zark, and I don't think it's funny. Where are they?"
Zark's eyes followed her out flung arm to the empty spot on her shelf.
"I didn't take them," he said.
"Zark . . ."
"You know I didn't, Jessy," he said.
Jessica whirled on Right. He noticed the silence and looked up to find both Jessica and Zark giving him suspicious looks.
"Don't look at me," he said in disbelief. "I was with you."
"You could have had someone do it," Zark accused.
"Why?" Right asked.
"Jealousy," Zark suggested.
"As I said, Freak, I was with her."
"Enough!" Jessica screamed. "You two morons may not have done it, but someone did. I want a room-to-room search. I want them found, and I want whoever is responsible killed."
Zark and Right walked from Jessica's office. "Who do you think did it?" Right asked.
"Besides you and I, I don't know anyone who has a motive." Zark looked at Right and smiled. "Whoever it is, they have a stupid sense of humor."
"Maybe it's the Rebels. Those things would have meaning for them."
"Not likely. Capitol is top clearance. To get into Jessy's office on top of that . . ."
"You're right. But then, who could have taken them?" Right was thoughtful.
"Face it, Jessica is not too well loved among her staff. Any one of them has access to her office, and they all know that those were her prizes. What better way to get back at her?"
"But if they were smart, they would incinerate them." Right was thoughtful, then he smiled. "But the chain wouldn't burn."
They made immediately for the incinerator. Nothing. Nor did a room-to-room search turn up the missing items.
Jessica took the news better than either of them had expected, but she became consumed with paranoia, and a forlorn look entered her eyes.
She felt like she was walking a tightrope without a net.
It took David even longer to get back to the island.
Mickey was the first to greet him. "So, I see you're back," he said dully, and looked behind him. "Did you bring the Reliance to finish us off?"
David ignored his hateful words. "So, where is the platinum blonde goddess this fine day?"
Mickey clearly resented David's cheerfulness.
"Walking the wall, looking at her burned city and praying for death," Mickey said hatefully back, and stomped off.
"Thanks, Mickey," David was off.
Levits stopped him at the door. "Leave her alone, David. Haven't you done enough?"
"I fucked up, all right, Levits? I fucked up, and nothing I can do is going to change that. But, in this bag, I have something that I think is going to pour the self-confidence back into RJ. Are you going to stop me from trying? Look at her, Levits, could anything I do really hurt her at this point? Give me a chance to redeem myself. Haven't you ever fucked up? Haven't you ever done something you regretted? I have to live with what I did, Levits . . ."
Levits stopped listening and stared at the ground by his feet. Yes, he had done something that he regretted. He'd fucked up, and he knew the hell of living with that kind of mistake. What David had done wasn't really all that different. He looked up, David was waiting for his answer.
"Good luck," he said, and offered his hand.
David took it, and Levits moved so that David could pass.
"It's going to work, Levits. You'll see. It's got to work."
David approached RJ. She didn't turn to face him.
"What do you want, David?"
"Forgiveness in whatever form you can give it. I bring a peace offering." He set his backpack gently at her feet.
"I want nothing from you, David . . ."
"They don't belong to me, RJ. They belong to you."
Curiosity got the better of her. She picked up the bag, and opened it carefully. Her shock was so great that she almost dropped the bag. "Oh, dear God!" she breathed. She looked at David and smiled through her tears.
David felt his heart lighten, and breathed again.
RJ gently took Poley's head in one hand, and grasping her chain in the other, stood, laughed, and let go with a whoop that echoed in every hall and vibrated in every stone. Holding her precious items high, she started to dance and sing so joyfully that the lack of a tune didn't bother David in the least.
Levits ran out to see what all the commotion was about. One look, and he broke into tears.
"Come on, Levits! Join me! Dance with me! Shout!"
He didn't dream of declining, even though he felt like an idiot doing it.
"Come on, David," she offered. "Join us."
"Delighted," David said.
Topaz ran out, closely followed by Mickey. "What in heaven's name . . ." Then he saw. "Well, I'll be damned."
"Come on, Topaz! Come on Mickey! Join us!"
Neither of them hesitated. They danced and shouted together until they danced much of the hate and hurt out of their systems. Finally, they fell silent, exchanging looks that acknowledged their re-acceptance of the challenge. Once again they were determined. Once again they were one. RJ handed Poley's head to Topaz.
"Put my brother back together."
"Consider it done," Topaz said with a smile.
RJ wrapped the chain around her waist and started for the door.
"All right! Let's go kick some Reliance ass!"