They'd stopped for a few things at an auto supply store, and were now back at the RV park where Ilmare kept her camper. She sang to herself quietly as she made their evening meal. She wasn't certain of it, but she was pretty sure that he'd never had a vegetable stir fry before. Elohan worked up front, making a change to the wiring of the vehicle lighting.
"Do you really think that she will abide by your offer?"
He shrugged, "One can never tell with them, Ilmare. Mostly, you cannot trust them absolutely. If you try, many will disappoint you. It is their way. But if you assume that they will all try to trick or cheat you, there will always be one now and again who is true.
I have always tried to learn what I could of each one of those who take control of the company. I know that Janet can be ruthless, she has been well-taught in their schools, but also she has learned at the hands of her father. She is very young for this, but she is in the family line, and her father died early, so she assumed control. I cannot say what she will do, and so we must be prepared for something anyway." He looked up at her, "I know only..."
Ilmare laughed, "I know what you know, Elohan. Janet Dejardin fell in love with Jack at the first sight she had of him. She is a good businesswoman, for she held it close to her heart, but it cannot be hidden from my eyes."
He shrugged as they sat down to eat, "That is sad for her, I cannot help who she falls for."
----------------
The camper drove along deserted roads later on. Ilmare drove as he directed her and continued to thank her for the meal and the surprise that it was for him. He asked her what her favorite thing to eat was. He wanted somehow to return the favor very soon.
They talked as she drove on, until at one point, as they approached a turn off onto a little-used gravel road, he reached over and flicked the switch that he'd installed on the dashboard earlier. With the exception of the dashboard's dim glow, all of the camper's lights went out, and she turned down the rutted path. A few hundred yards in, she pointed and stopped.
There in the darkness facing them, sat a coal-black Acura ZDX near the weeded-over drive they were headed for. He didn't follow automotive trends, but he had no doubt this was the newest model available.
Ilmare smiled as she noticed the slope of the road downward, and began to coast forward in neutral. She glided to a stop a meter away from the Acura's bumper. They could hear the muffled music from its sound system where they sat.
Elohan walked to the rear door and got out. When Ilmare saw him beside the driver's door, she flicked the new switch again, and hit the high beams.
Janet almost hit her head on the ceiling in surprise, but before she could do much else, Elohan opened her door. She recognized him, and shut off the ignition, "Jesus you scared me! Look, can we talk?"
"What about?" he said, "How in a very few steps you would already break my conditions?"
She shook her head, "Why do you think I was sitting inside my car, outside the property line? I didn't know if you were here, but I hoped to see you again. If you're going inside now, may I come along? I've never seen it, and I've been thinking things over, Jack. I think I can do better than just give you three months of time, but I'd like for you to hear me out. Please?"
He thought about it. "Fine," he said, "Climb up in the passenger side of the camper. My companion's name is Elly."
He walked to the driver's door and Janet heard their brief conversation as she stepped over to the passenger side. She realized that she hadn't understood one word of it. Elly turned to her and nodded, so Janet climbed in. Elohan walked to the rusted gate and opened it for them. The camper began to grind its way along, pushing down the tall weeds. They watched his back in the headlights until he waved backward to them and Elly hit the switch again to kill the lights.
"What's he doing?"
"He's tryin' to get his night vision back to look for trouble spots for us. Doesn't look like there's been any vehicles here in a good long while," Elly said as Janet stared at her, "You can see here?"
Elly smirked and glanced over, "Um, we're good at that. I'm not from around here. Guess you can tell. But he is. Been here forever waiting while I've been forever looking. What do you want here anyway? I thought Jack spelled it out pretty plain."
"I want to see the place if it's ok with you two, and I want to tell you something. I called the number that he called me on, and found that it was a payphone. That's not going to do at all for what I want to talk about, so I thought I'd try coming out here, but staying in my car because of what I'd agreed to."
"Uh-huh," Elly said, stopping while they watched him remove a fallen tree across the path.
"He's a lot stronger than he looks," Janet said, "That's not giving him much trouble."
"He's a lot of things more than he looks," Elly remarked, "I'd heard about him back home from one of his clan, but we surprise each other about every five minutes, him and me.
Look uh, Janet, if you're here because you can't believe that all he wants is time and nothing else, you're wasting a fine evening. Same goes if you're here to shorten it up any. You heard him right. You just have to sit tight for three months and it's all yours. We'll be gone and we won't ever come back here."
They pulled up in front of a large dark building. Elohan began to speak to something at the top of the door.
"What's he saying?"
