Maybe it was the cool wind coming through the open window, or maybe the voices from downstairs, but I woke at 2:00 a.m.
"Plenty of rope." Suddenly the sleep fell away. It was Kang's voice.
"I want him to have plenty of rope. Just let him roam."
"You're the boss." The desk clerk must have been asleep as well, because his voice had the irritated edge of someone who did not want to be awake.
"Say that one more time and I'll get you transferred. Far out into the countryside. Without books." Kang's voice didn't change pitch, and I was willing to bet that his face didn't betray any emotion. "And tell Grandma Pak to forget she ever saw him."
I sat up in bed.
"Don't worry about her."
"I worry about everyone." Finally, Kang's voice went up a notch, then fell back to normal. "That's my job. It's my calling. It makes me happy. If you haven't noticed, I have perfected worry to a fine art.
The front door slammed, and a car started up. It was an old Nissan, from the sound of it, badly in need of parts. So, Kang knew Grandma Pak. I wondered if she sent him to the Lotus. I wondered if he had filled out a registration form.