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e； and Jack replied； truthfully； that he had。 Now that it's over。 He found a seat in the mobile lounge； and his family joined him。
〃Next time we go across； that's how we do it；〃 Ryan announced quietly。
〃Why？ Did you like it？〃 Cathy was surprised。
〃You better believe I like it。 You only have to be up there half as long。〃 Jack laughed； mainly at himself。 As with every flight he took； being back on the ground alive carried its own thrill。 He had survived what was patently an unnatural act； and the exhilaration of being alive； and home； gave him a quiet glow of his own。 The stride of passengers off an airplane is always jauntier than the stride on。 The lounge pulled away。 The Concorde looked very pretty indeed as they drew away from it and turned toward the terminal。
〃How much money did you spend on clothes？〃 Jack asked as the lounge stopped at the arrival gate。 His wife just handed him the form。 〃That much？〃
〃Well； why not？〃 Cathy grinned。 〃I can pay for it out of my money； can't I？〃
〃Sure； babe。〃
〃And that's three suits for you； too。 Jack；〃 his wife informed him。
〃What？ How did you 〃
〃When the tailor set you up for the tux； I had him do three suits。 Your arms are the same length； Jack。 They'll fit； as soon as we get that damned cast off you； that is。〃
Another nice thing about the Concorde： the airliner carried so few people； pared to a wide…body； that getting the luggage back was a snap。 Cathy got a wheeled cart which Sally insisted on pushing while Jack retrieved their bags。 The last obstacle was customs； where they paid over three hundred dollars' worth of penance for Cathy's purchases。 Less than thirty minutes after leaving the aircraft。 Jack proceeded to his left out the door； helping Sally with the luggage cart。
〃Jack！〃 It was a big man； taller than Jack's six…one； and broader across the shoulders。 He walked badly due to a prosthetic leg that extended above where he had once had a left knee； a gift from a drunken driver。 His artificial left foot was a squared…off aluminum band instead of something that looked human。 Oliver Wendell Tyler found it easier to walk on。 But his hand was pletely normal； if rather large。 He grabbed Ryan's and squeezed。 〃Wele home； buddy！〃
〃How's it goin'； Skip？〃 Jack disengaged his hand from the grip of a former offensive tackle and mentally counted his fingers。 Skip Tyler was a close friend who never fully appreciated his strength。
〃Good。 Hi； Cathy。〃 His wife got a kiss。 〃And how's Sally？〃
〃Fine。〃 She held up her arms； and got herself picked up as desired。 Only briefly； though； Sally wriggled free to get back to the luggage cart。
〃What are you doing here？〃 Jack asked。 Oh； Cathy must have called 。 。 。
〃Don't worry about the car；〃 Dr。 Tyler said。 〃Jean and I retrieved it for you； and dropped it off home。 We decided we'd pick you up in ours more room。 She's getting it now。〃
〃Taking a day off； eh？〃
〃Something like that。 Hell； Jack； Billings has been covering your classes for a couple of weeks。 Why can't I take an afternoon off？〃 A skycap approached them； but Tyler waved him off。
〃How's Jean？〃 Cathy asked。
〃Six more weeks。〃
〃It'll be a little longer for us；〃 Cathy announced。
〃Really？〃 Tyler's face lit up。 〃Outstanding！〃
It was cool； with a bright autumn sun； as they left the terminal。 Jean Tyler was already pulling up with the Tyler family's full…size Chevy wagon。 Dark…haired； tall； and willowy； Jean was pregnant with their third and fourth children。 The sonogram had confirmed the twins right before the Ryans had left for England。 Her otherwise slender frame would have seemed grotesque with the bulge of the babies except for the glow on her face。 Cathy went right to her as she got out of the car and said something。 Jack knew what it was immediately their wives immediately hugged： Me； too。 Skip wrenched the tailgate open and tossed the luggage inside like so many sheets of paper。
〃I gotta admire your timing。 Jack。 You made it back almost in time for Christmas break；〃 Skip observed as everyone got in the car。
〃I didn't exactly plan it that way；〃 Jack objected。
〃How's the shoulder？〃
〃Better'n it was； guy。〃
〃I believe it；〃 Tyler laughed as he pulled away from the terminal。 〃I was surprised they got you on the Concorde。 How'd you like it？〃
〃It's over a lot faster。〃
〃Yeah； that's what they say。〃
〃How are things going at school？〃
〃Ah； nothing ever changes。 You heard about The Game？〃 Tyler's head came around。
〃No； as a matter of fact。〃 How did I ever forget about that？
〃Absolutely great。 Five points down with three minutes left； we recover a fumble on our twelve。 Thompson finally gets it untracked and starts hitting sideline patterns boom； boom； boom； eight…ten yards a pop。 Then he pulls a draw play that gets us to the thirty。 Army changes its defense； right？ So we go to a spread。 I'm up in the press box； and I see their strong…side safety is favoring the outside figures we gotta stop the clock and we call a post for the tight end。 Like a charm！ Thompson couldn't have handed him the ball any better！ Twenty…one to nineteen。 What a way to end the season。〃
Tyler was an Annapolis graduate who'd made second…string All…American at offensive tackle before entering the submarine service。 Three years before； when he'd been on the threshold of his own mand a drunk driver had left him without half his leg。 Amazingly； Skip hadn't looked back。 After taking his doctorate in engineering from MIT； he'd joined the faculty at Annapolis； where he was also able to scout and do a little coaching in the football program。 Jack wondered how much happier Jean was now。 A lovely girl who had once worked as a legal secretary； she must have resented Skip's enforced absences on submarine duty。 Now she had him home surely he wasn't straying far； it seemed that Jean was always pregnant and they were rarely separated。 Even when they walked in the shopping malls。 Skip and Jean held hands。 If anyone found it humorous； he kept his peace about it。
〃What are you doing about a Christmas tree。 Jack？〃
〃I haven't thought about it；〃 Ryan admitted。
〃I found a place where we can cut 'em fresh。 I'm going over tomorrow。 Wanna e？〃
〃Sure。 We have some shopping to do； too；〃 he added quietly。
〃Boy； you've really been out of it。 Cathy called last week。 Jean and I finished up the； uh； the important part。 Didn't she tell you？〃
〃No。〃 Ryan turned to see his wife smile at him。 Gotcha！ 〃Thanks； Skip。〃
〃Ah。〃 Tyler waved his hand as they pulled onto the D。C。 beltway。 〃We're going up to Jean's family's place last chance for her to travel before the twins arrive。 And Professor Billings says you have a little work waiting for you。〃
A little； Ryan thought。 More like two months' worth。
〃When are you going to be able to start back to work？〃
〃It'll have to wait until he gets the cast off；〃 Cathy answered for Jack。 〃I'll be taking Jack to Baltimore tomorrow to see about that。 We'll get Professor Hawley to check him out。〃
〃No sense hurrying with that kind of injury；〃 Skip acknowledged。 He had ample personal experience with that sort of thing。 〃Robby says hi。 He couldn't make it。 He's down at Pax River today on a flight simulator； learning to be an airedale again。 Rob and Sissy are doing fine； they were just over the house night before last。 You picked a good weather day； too。 Rained most of last week。〃
Home； Jack told himself as he listened。 Back to the mundane； day…to…day crap that grates on you so much until somebody takes it away from you。 It was so nice to be back to a situation where rain was a major annoyance； and one's day was marked by waking up； working； eating； and going back to bed。 Catching things on television； and football games。 The ics in the daily paper。 Helping his wife with the wash。 Curling up with a book and a glass of wine after Sally was put to bed。 Jack promised himself that he'd never find this a dull existence again。 He'd just spent over a month on the fast track； and was grateful that he'd left it three thousand miles behind him。
〃Good evening； Mr。 Cooley。〃 Kevin O'Donnell looked up from his