Here came the women. ​

​     With Adam, there were always the women. First up. 

​     "Adam! Adam!"

     It was Abilene Wilder, one of the society sets most highly regarded hostesses. "Adam Forwarder, you naughty boy. How wonderful it is to see you."

     "It's a pleasure, Abilene." 

     She was an older woman, nearing sixty. Still, she grabbed Adam's arm to whisper into his ear, "If you have a moment later on, dear, perhaps we could..."

​     "There's nothing I would like more. My only problem is, I was invited here by Livia Montcrief personally. We're to meet privately a little later so..."

​     "Lucky lady."

​     "She insisted, frankly. She contacted me earlier this week." 

​     "After your little conference, then. She can't have you all night. That would be too selfish of her."

     "Well, we'll see what...oh my heavens." A half dozen women of all different ages and nationalities, although all of them were lovely and wore breathtakingly expensive evening gowns, ran up to him all at once like schoogirls. 

     "Adam! Adam!" they squealed. "We knew you'd come. We have your seat reserved. You're with us! Come! Come!" 

     "Well, I'm not sure I..."  

​     And that's when Livia Montcrief herself appeared. A tall, thin woman, Livia always dressed in black. The gown she wore that night flowed down her body to pool at her feet like spilled liquid licorice. Her hair, also, was very long and straight and black.

      When anyone ever saw her, they always thought the same thing: Morticia Addams. The woman looked exactly like the mother from the Addams family. The other women backed away as Livia neared Adam, as if Livia had some sort of wicked virus they had no intention of catching.   

     "Adam" she said, looping her arm in his. Her smile was so thin as to barely exist. "You can't imagine how wonderful it is to see you here."

     "This is quite a party you're having," Adam replied. "I can honestly tell you I've never seen anything quite like it." At least not here on Earth, he thought but did not say out loud. "You must have some real big brains working for you to come up with technology like this."

     If it was possible for Livia Montcrief to get even more pale than she already was, she did at that moment. For a second, Adam thought she might even faint. He reached out to steady her. "Livia, are you...?"

     "I've been so stupid, Adam. Ever since father died, I...we need to talk. Now. Immediately."

     "Now? I've barely arrived. Couldn't we...?" 

     It's a matter of life and death, and I don't mean just my life. I mean the lives of every person on this planet. Come, Adam. Come with me."

CONTINUE