Midnight Sun (123 page)

Hilde
blushed
.
“
Thanks,
it's
only
a
couple
of
years.
You're
very
pretty
too.
”

“
Don't
lie
me,
”
Suki
scolded
.
“
Jimmy
just
blind,
but
he
good
husband
and
he
like
kimchi
,
so
I
keep
him.
”

“
Marcus's
wife
is
Korean
too,
”
Hilde
said,
deflecting
the
intimidating
direct
attention.

Suki's
eyes
brightened
.
“
Yah?
She
makee
kimchi
po
you
too?
”

“
Not
really
—we
usually
buy
it
from
the
store.
She
’
s
adopted,
grew
up
here
in
Alaska.
”

“
Too
bad
. You
come
my
house,
Jimmy
you
drinkee
beeyuh
and
I
teach
you
wipe
how
makee
kimchi.
I
makee
bess
kimchi,
bess
you
evah
tase,
gayentee!
”

Marcus
smiled
at
the
thought
of
Lonnie
learning
to
make
kimchi
from
this
firebrand
of
a
woman.

“
I
’
m
sure
she
’
d
love
that
,
ma
’
am,
”
he
said.

“
You
betcha,
”
she
replied.

“
We
’
d
better
let
them
get
back
to
work,
”
Jim
said
.

“
Work?
”
Suki
blurted.
“
You
seeket
subis?
You
peziden
bodigod?
”

“
Not
exactly,
”
Mike
said,
“
but
we
are
working
with
them
at
the
moment.
”

“
Jimmy,
you
friends
all
tup
guys
like
dis?
Maybe
you
get
us
pron
low
sheet,
heh?
” Suki said
, her
eyes wide in anticipation.

“Get you what?” Hilde
asked
.

“Front row seats,” Jim translated

“
Sure,
”
Hilde
said
.
“
You
’
d
better
head
up
now
,
though.
”

“
Hurry
up
,
Jimmy
.
”
Suki
grabbed
her
husband
and
pulled
his
arm
toward
the
stage
.
“
We
got
pron
low
sheet
ip
we
go
now.
”

“
Looks
like
I
gotta
make
my
yobo
happy,
”
Jim
said.
“
See
you
guys
later.
”

Marcus
barely
suppressed
bursting
into
laughter
as
he
watched
the
tough
retired
Navy
chief
warrant
officer
get
dragged
toward
the
stage
by
his
tougher
wife.

“
Match
made
in
heaven,
that,
”
he
said.
“
I
don
’
t
think
anyone
else
could
’
ve
tamed
Jim
Walker
like
that
ajumma
could.
”

“
Scary,
”
Mike
said
.

Crowds
were
now
flowing
into
the
park,
making
their
way
toward
the
stage
to
get
a
spot
to
watch
the
speeches
by
some
of
the
most
powerful
men
in
the
world.

By
ten
a.m.,
the
park
was
packed
by
thousands
of
onlookers.
Reporters
and
television
crews
hedged
the
crowd
along
the
sides.
Cameras
fixed
their
fields
of
view
toward
the
stage
and
the
small
podium
with
the
presidential
seal
affixed
to
its
front.
 
Although
the
president
would
not
be
arriving
for
another
hour
,
the
park
was
already
full.
Access
to
the
park
was
closed
off,
no
more
spectators
allowed
through
the
security
cordon.
If
Farrah
and
Kharzai
were
coming,
they
were
already
onsite.