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."Looks a littledifferent, doesn't she?"Bach had to agree.They had glimpsed her in other cameras as she went about her business.Then,about an hour ago, she had entered her mother's room again.From there, she had gone to her ownroom, and when she emerged, she was a different girl.Her hair was washed and combed.She wore adress that seemed to have started off as a woman's blouse.The sleeves had been cut off and bits of ithad been inexpertly taken in.There was red polish on her nails.Her face was heavily made up.Itwas overdone, and completely wrong for someone of her apparent age, but it was not the wild,almost tribal paint she had worn before.Charlie was seated behind a huge wooden desk, facing the camera."Good morning, Anna and Megan," she said, solemnly.file:///G|/rah/John%20Varley%20-%20Blue%20Champagne.htm (124 of 255) [2/17/2004 10:34:59 AM]Blue Champagne"Good morning, Charlie," Galloway said."I'm sorry I shouted at you," Charlie said.Her hands were folded carefully in front of her.There wasa sheet of paper just to the left of them; other than that, the desk was bare."I was confused andupset, and I needed some time to think about the things you said.""That's all right," Bach told her.She did her best to conceal a yawn.She and Galloway had beenawake for a day and a half.There had been a few catnaps, but they were always interrupted bysightings of Charlie."I've talked things over with Tik-Tok," Charlie went on."And I turned my mother off.You wereright.She was dead, anyway."Bach could think of nothing to say to that.She glanced at Galloway, but could read nothing in theother woman's face."I've decided what I want to do," Charlie said."But first I ""Charlie," Galloway said, quickly, "could you show me what you have there on the table?"There was a brief silence in the room.Several people turned to look at Galloway, but nobody saidanything.Bach was about to, but Galloway was making a motion with her hand, under the table,where no one but Bach was likely to see it.Bach decided to let it ride for the moment.Charlie was looking embarrassed.She reached for the paper, glanced at it, then looked back at thecamera."I drew this picture for you," she said."Because I was sorry I shouted.""Could I see it?"Charlie jumped down off the chair and came around to hold the picture up.She seemed proud of it,and she had every right to be.Here at last was visual proof that Charlie was not what she seemed tobe.No eight-year-old could have drawn this fine pencil portrait of a Sheltie."This is for Anna," she said."That's very nice, Charlie," Galloway said."I'd like one, too.""I'll draw you one!" Charlie said happily.and ran out of the picture.There was angry shouting for a few moments.Galloway stood her ground, explaining that she hadonly been trying to cement the friendship, and how was she to know Charlie would run off like that?Even Hoeffer was emboldened enough to take a few shots, pointing out logically, in Bach'sopinion that time was running out and if anything was to be done about her situation every secondwas valuable.file:///G|/rah/John%20Varley%20-%20Blue%20Champagne.htm (125 of 255) [2/17/2004 10:34:59 AM]Blue Champagne"All right, all right, so I made a mistake.I promise I'll be more careful next time.Anna, I hope you'llcall me when she comes back." And with that, she picked up her cane and trudged from the room.Bach was surprised.It didn't seem like Galloway to leave the story before it was over, even ifnothing was happening.But she was too tired to worry about it.She leaned back in her chair, closedher eyes, and was asleep in less than a minute.Charlie was hard at work on the picture for Megan when Tik-Tok interrupted her.She looked up inannoyance."Can't you see I'm busy?""I'm sorry, but this can't wait.There's a telephone call