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We took a break for lunch. Albert stayed behind in the lab, so it was just the professor and me. He walked me across campus to a Chinese takeout place.
We picked up a couple of teriyaki rice bowls, and then the professor and Bess and I found a place to sit outside. It was sunny out there, but cold. I was happy for my new sweatshirt and the ski jacket.
The professor and I batted around some more theories for a while, but then I decided I’d rather venture into another topic. Something I’ve been curious about for quite a while now.
“If you don’t mind my asking,” I said, “whatever happened between you and Professor Hawkins?”
“What makes you think anything happened?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Just the way he talked about you in his book.”
“Hmm.” For a minute I thought that was all he w
