Chapter 20: At the Gate

Leland was at the gate at a quarter to six, alone, in a clean gray jacket, holding a folder.

The sun was not up yet.

Nolan walked down the gravel with Lydia beside him and Joan a step behind, and the three of them stopped on the near side of the cattle grid.

"I'd like to talk," Leland said. "Privately would be best, but I'll take what I can get."

"You called the press," Joan said.

"My lawyer did. It's a courtesy. A statement at six, whatever it says."

He opened the folder.

"I'm prepared to apologize. Publicly, tonight. I'll say I overstated my role in the filter.

All that's needed is both our names on the Deep Field paper.

And Nolan says the Institute's programme supported his work."

"No," Nolan said.

"You haven't heard the rest."

"Don't need to."

Leland turned to Lydia.

He did it gently, as he did everything.

"Lydia. Think. Your father will take you back the minute this is settled.

He told me so in the car. You'd have the lab, the seat, everything.

And you'd have me, the way it was always meant to go."

"Leland."

"I'm the one who made you a scientist. I read your first paper when no one else would. I put your name on my first grant."

Nolan felt Lydia go still.

"You put my name second," she said. "On a grant you wrote my paper's results into. I found the draft last winter."

Leland's face did not change.

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