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oom too。 So much for grand exits。
But Trevor didn't even look up。 〃I do want you here。 I think they do too。 Sit down。〃
〃Don't tell me what to…〃
〃Zach。〃 Now Trevor raised his head。 His face was haggard； his eyes had a dazed； shell…shocked gleam。 〃Don't give me any shit。 Please。 Just sit down and talk to me。〃
Unmollified but curious； Zach pulled out the other chair。 He didn't want to leave； but he hated being pushed away。 〃What do you want to talk about？〃
〃What did you see in there？〃
〃All kinds of shit。〃
〃Tell me。〃
Zach told him everything。 At the end of the telling he found himself angry again； but not at Trevor。 He was mad at the house； as mad as he had been when he broke the mirror。 Fuck its pathetic funhouse scares； fuck its cheap moral judgments。 He wanted to knock Trevor over the head； drag him out of here forever； then get on puserv and score two plane tickets to some remote sundrenched Caribbean island。
When Zach had finished talking； Trevor didn't say anything for a very long time。 His right hand lay flat on the tabletop； fingers splayed wide。 Cautiously； Zach put his own hand over it； and Trevor didn't pull away this time。
〃What did you see？〃 Zach asked finally。
Trevor stayed silent for so long that Zach thought he wasn't going to answer at all。 Then he looked up at Zach。 His pupils were enormous； and so very black against the paleness of his eyes。
〃My father；〃 he said。
Neither one of them felt like going back to sleep。 They stayed in the kitchen talking about other things； anything but the silent house around them。
Trevor was still visibly upset； so Zach tried to distract him； asking about ics he liked and hated； trying to get him to argue about politics。 （Zach believed in trying to undermine； subvert； and chivvy away the vast American power structure in as many tiny ways as possible； while Trevor opined that it was best to either go out and blow shit up or simply slip through the cracks and ignore the system altogether。） When Zach mentioned his idea of wiping clean the police records of every drug offender he could find； Trevor interrupted。 〃Could you 。 。 。〃
〃What？ You want to smoke another joint？〃
〃No。 Could you show me some of that puter stuff？〃
Zach smiled evilly； flexed his fingers in front of Trevor's face； and assumed a bogus Charlie Chan accent that had always driven Eddy into paroxysms of annoyance。 〃Where would honorable boyfriend like to go？ Citibank？ NASA？ The Pentagon？〃
〃You can break into the Pentagon？〃
〃Well； that'd take some work；〃 Zach admitted。 〃Hey； I know what。 Let's see if the power's really turned on！〃
〃You mean break into the electric pany？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃But if it's on； won't they notice and turn it off？〃
〃We're not gonna change anything。 That is； unless you want to。 We'll just take a look。 First we need a number。〃
Before Trevor could say anything； Zach had his laptop and cellular phone arranged and assembled on the table。 He dialed 411； waited； then spoke： 〃Raleigh 。 。 。 the number for Carolina Power & Light； please。〃 He scrawled it on one of his yellow Post…its and showed it to Trevor。
〃But isn't that just their office？〃
〃It isn't just anything。 It's a seed of information。 Now watch what we can grow from it。 Turn off that light。〃
Trevor got up and flipped the overhead switch。 Now the kitchen was lit only by the soft silver glow from the puter screen。 Zach dialed some more numbers。 Then his fingers flew over the keys with a rapid…fire staccato sound。 He pointed at the screen。 〃Check this out。〃
Trevor leaned over Zach's shoulder and saw：
：LOGIN： LA52
PASSWORD：
WC？RA
WC％
〃What's that？〃
〃COSMOS；〃 Zach said reverently。 〃AT&T's central data bank。〃
〃Wow。〃
〃Yeah。 So…〃 Zach typed a few more characters； then entered the phone number he'd gotten from directory assistance。 〃We get a list of all Carolina Power & Light numbers。 Including their puter dial…ups。 Including accounts。〃 Even as he spoke； this information was scrolling down the screen。
〃How did you get into COSMOS in the first place？〃
〃Stolen username and password。〃
〃Isn't that dangerous？〃
〃The guy I stole 'em from doesn't even know I exist。 All I stole was information。 It's still there for him to use。〃 Zach looked up from scribbling another number。 〃That's the beauty of cyberspace。 You can take all the information you want； and nobody loses anything。〃
〃Then how e you're in so much trouble？〃
〃Well； since They don't even like you ripping off information； just imagine how irate They get when you start siphoning money out of Their bank accounts。〃
〃They？〃
〃The Conspiracy；〃 said Zach darkly。 〃Hang on…〃 He was dialing again； then typing rapidly。 〃Okay！ We're in！〃
〃Now what？〃
〃Now I figure out how their system works。〃 Zach scowled at the screen； tapped a few keys； snarled his fingers into his hair and pulled it down over his face。 The light from the screen turned his face bluish…white； accentuated the hollows beneath his cheekbones and around his eyes。 〃You can do a search for either a name or an address。 Let's try McGee； Robert 。 。 。〃
〃I think the bills would've been in Momma's name。 Bobby's credit was pretty bad by the time we left Austin。〃
〃Okay 。 。 。 McGee； Rosena 。 。 。〃
〃How do you know my mother's name？〃
Zach looked up。 His eyes were wild； his mouth slightly open。 〃Huh？〃
〃I never told you her name。〃
〃Oh。 Well 。。。 I guess 。。。 uh 。。。 I guess I read those autopsy reports in your bag。〃
Trevor grabbed Zach's shoulder and shook it。 He felt Zach cringe a little； and the feeling was more gratifying than he wanted it to be。 〃Don't you have ANY FUCKING RESPECT FOR PRIVACY？〃
〃No。〃 Zach spread his hands helplessly。 〃I'm sorry； Trev； but I don't。 I was interested in you； and I wanted to know about you。 The information was there； so I looked。〃
〃I would have shown you…〃
〃You would now。 You wouldn't have yesterday。 And I wanted to know then。〃
〃Great。〃 Trevor shook his head。 〃Wele to the instant…gratification generation。〃
〃Guilty as charged。 You wanna look at these electric bills or not？〃
〃Did you find one？〃
〃Not yet。 Hang on 。。。 nope； nothing in either of your parents' names； or yours either。 But here's the account for the Sacred Yew。〃 Zach gave a long； low whistle of appreciation。 〃Outstanding balance of 258。50 。 。 。 let's shave off that zero； what do you say？〃
〃I don't think Kinsey would…〃
〃Too late。 25。85； that looks better。 Let's see 。。。 Buckett； Terry 。 。 。 no； he's all paid up。〃
〃I thought we weren't going to change anything！〃
〃Oh。〃 Zach looked up at Trevor； grinning like a possum。 〃I'm just raising a little hell。 You wanna see some real changes？〃
〃No！ Just find the damn house！〃
〃Okay； okay。 Don't get your panties in a knot 。 。 。 Rural Box 17； Violin Road； Missing Mile 。 。 。〃 Zach typed in the address。 〃Uh…huh 。 。 。 Service cut off 6/20/72。〃
〃So that means 。 。 。〃
〃That means the house is making its own juice。〃
The kitchen suddenly flooded with stark white light； and they instinctively clapped hands over their