bad yourself," she said.

"Ah, well."

"More serious," she said, "more gray in your mustache, thinner."

"Time's getting shorter."

"Tell me about it. I'm so happy for Kate."

"Yes, this is a good thing. It is so nice for her to have you and Max
here. Did you see Maxie's giant sculpture?"

"He showed me the picture. I love it. I haven't been over to Vermont to
see his land, yet. So, what have you been up to?"

Joe straightened. "This and that. I'm pretty well settled in Hawaii. I
miss Portland sometimes, but . . . I've been writing a lot."

"Good," Ingrid said. "You always wanted to."

"And you?" Joe asked.

"Same old," she said cheerfully. "Selling quite a bit. I'm down to
teaching one class."

Joe bent over and looked at her earrings. A tiny woman swung from a
trapeze on one ear; an elephant waited patiently under the other.
"Pretty good," he said. "A circus."

"A golden circus," Ingrid said. "I made a series. The clown is my
favorite, but he's too sad for a wedding."

The chairs were filling. Joe took his seat next to Sally in the front
row. Ingrid sat behind them with Max. A bridesmaid, six months
pregnant, wearing a light blue flowered dress, stood prettily on the
bluff, her hands clasped around lace and a bouquet of white roses.
After some minutes of suspense, Kate and Jackson walked down the aisle.
Kate was lovely in white; Jackson wore a smashing gray suit. Sally
wiped away a tear. The minister smiled gravely. Vows were exchanged.
Spectacular rings, made by Jackson and a friend, were pushed on. Kate
and Jackson kissed. Cameras flashed. Simple and touching. A rainbow or
a pod of breaching orcas would have been too much.

They moved to the champagne table and drank toasts before departing in
a convoy for the yacht club in Friday Harbor. Designated cleaners
stayed behind; they would join them later.

In the club, a long table took up most of the main room. Vases of
flowers were regularly spaced along the white tablecloth. Places were
set for at least sixty people, name cards at each setting. In a corner
of the room, band instruments waited by empty stools.

Joe repaired to the bar in the next room. A short intense woman pouted
when he ordered Glenlivet. "That's so easy."

"Are you bored? Want to practice something complicated?"

"No, that's all right." She put the whiskey in front of him with a
quick smile. One Scotch and then wine. If he didn't go back to the hard
stuff after dinner, he'd s