Chapter 6
Lois and the others finished their shopping at The Boutique
and were just paying when Luthor and his henchmen showed up.
"Well, let' see what you got!"
Ben put his hand on Kitty's dress box when she went to open it.
"It's very bad luck, Mr. Luthor, for the groom to see the
bride's wedding dress before the wedding. My father did and he
dropped dead on his wedding night, right after...you know! Mom
never got over it. I wouldn't want that to happen, Mr.
Luthor!"
Luthor gave a big grin. "Quite right, Ben!" he grinned,
trying to keep his laughter down to a snicker. "OH! You'd
better call the hospital. I think there's some good news. How
about some lunch? I've got a private room at The DaVincis. I've
heard he's got fresh scallops."
"You're paying!" Lois answered. "I sure wish that
Darklight guy was around," Luthor muttered. "There's
something I'd like to talk to him about."
"Darklight?" Lois asked. Luthor smiled. "I'm sure
you'll meet him," he teased, as they got into the limo.
Suddenly Luthor stumbled and there was a loud "ding!"
as a good sized hole appeared in the parking sign beside him.
Luthor bolted into the limo and snapped "Go!" He had to
pull himself into the seat and buckle up as the limo sped through
traffic. "That was a lucky slip!" he remarked. "I
wonder who that was?"
"That wasn't a slip, Mr. Luthor!" Vic commented from
the front seat. "I was watching your shadow. Something
pushed you. You couldn't see it, but you could see it's shadow.
It had wings! You could see them clear as anything! After it
pushed you it took off!"
"I'm sure you saw something, Vic," Luthor answered,
"probably the shadow of a bird much higher than we were.
Shadows can play strange tricks."
"If you say so, Mr. Luthor," Vic answered. They reached
the restaurant and were just about done their meal when the
proprietor came in. "Sorry I'm late!" he remarked.
"Is everything satisfactory?"
"As always!" Luthor praised. "What delayed
you?"
"Damndest thing!" the old gentleman answered. "I
was visiting my business partner and this guy came crashing
through the window, which is pretty hard because his office is on
the eighty-second floor! They say he came off the roof and was on
a rope. When it came taught it slammed him into the window.
Wasn't very pretty."
"That would be The Stanwidth Building," Luthor put in,
"the east side."
"Why, yes!" the proprietor answered, "But I didn't
know I mentioned that! Well, if everything's all right, I'll be
off!" The proprietor hurried out. "We'd better get
going," Luthor insisted, "slightly up the street and
across from The Boutique."
Lois remarked "I don't think somebody's going to be taking
another shot at you. This Darklight you mentioned?" Luthor
shook hi head. "No, I think he's like the man in blue. He
would've taken him alive. Somebody gave that man a long drop on a
short rope. Well, I'll find out who he was and trace him back. I
don't like being shot at. Oh! We've got to think of a home! I
mean, some place for a permanent residence for Kitty. Though
she'll be traveling a lot...school for the children and all
that!"
"There's a place for sale," Lois put in, "just
down from us, two houses. Might be a little big but you'll have a
lot of staff."
"And on the river!" Luthor muttered. "I think I
know that house! It was built by a rum runner in the '30s. Yes,
that might be just the place!" "
This might be embarrassing," Lois continued, "Kitty
told me about it. She says it's one of the cute little things
about you that she likes. She can tell what kind of a mood you're
in because you hum classical music in your sleep! Is it all right
for me to write that?"
"Well, of course, Miss Lane!" Luthor answered.
"The public needs to know that even I have my little
idiosyncrasies!" Kitty giggled, and they made their way to
another airport, where a good sized private jet sat waiting.
"We could drive," Luthor remarked, "but it's only
about a half hour flight. I've got a nice plane rented for the
evening. Then we can get all decked out and join the wedding. We
have some extra clothes for you. I keep them handy in case we run
into you."
Lois smiled. "Of course you know my sizes!" she joked.
"Of course!" Luthor answered.
"It's amazing!" Kitty remarked, "he can look at
any man or, any woman, and give you their exact clothes size!
It's like he can measure them in his mind! He's never wrong! It's
scary! It would be a great carny trick!" "I don't
doubt it!" Lois commented.
The plane rose skyward and the strange adventure continued. But
Lois noticed Luthor looked troubled. She had never seen him quite
like this. He had always been over confident, but now he seemed
almost frightened!
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