The Plan is in Motion

Finally , this week is over. Through walkie-talkies, the throwaway cells, and the good old fashioned passed note, the seven of us might be able to get together this weekend undetected. I cannot write long, I have a lot of work ahead to prep for Sunday.

RayMan had lunch with us on Thursday. He talks really fast, sometimes it's hard to keep up with him. Since we always make sure to have other people at the table with us during lunch so it doesn't draw attention, we kept things on a very superficial level. The main topic was that the Secretary of Foreign medicines had gone to New Orleans to tell people to stay away from herbs. Julianne told us that is why she was going over old herbal files, she had been instructed to get some dirt on alternative medicines.

"It's hard," she was complaining, "I really couldn't find any, and when I sent my report two weeks ago saying that everything was clean except ephedra, they told me to go into a different file, it was on a different disc, that the new guy had just filed it. Remember RayMan?"

RayMan had nodded, his eyes darting to the door for just a flash.

"Anyway," she continued, " I started working on the new file, and there was ALL kinds of shit, on herbs like Kava, Chamomile, St. Johns Wort, Valarian Root, you name it. I have never read these reports before, and I was instructed to compile them into an outline for a statement. Now I hear about some big town hall meeting with the Secretary of Foreign Meds. It's weird." She shook her head and took a big bite of her sandwich. I looked over at RayMan and he was looking at her, a contemplative look on his face.

"You look familiar" he said. "Weren't you married to...."

"Yes, yes, yes" Julianne waved her hand back and forth like she was swatting a fly. "After my series went off the air in '96, I wanted to go through one day without people asking me that question, so I thought I would do this for a while. I didn't know they were going to give me a new name, new identity." She sighed. "I also didn't think I would be here for nine years. You're the first person to ask me that in a long time, RayMan."

"I was a big fan," he smiled back. "I always wondered where you went".

Julianne looked around, meeting all of our eyes only briefly.

"So did I," she answered, taking another bite of her sandwich.