peered
into a simmering pot and sniffed. "Smells good. What's for dinner,
Hiawatha?"

"Nothing fancy. Steak, potatoes, green beans, apple pie and coffee."

Ben's mouth watered. "You know, sometimes I wonder whether one of your
ancestors didn't come out of New England. Your menus always seem to
coincide with my ideas of a perfect meal." He noted the two places set
at the table. Ben glanced out the galley port into the headlight-striped
darkness. Traffic was still light. In the distance, the night sky glowed
with the lights of Chambersburg, north of the thruway.

"We might as well pull up for dinner," he said. "It's pretty slow out
there."

Kelly shoved dishes over and began laying out a third setting. About
half the time on patrol, the crew ate in shifts on the go, with one of
the patrol troopers in the cab at all times. When traffic permitted,
they pulled off to the service strip and ate together. With the
communications system always in service, control stations could reach
them anywhere in the big vehicle.

The sergeant stepped into the cab and tapped Ferguson on the shoulder.
"Dinnertime, Clay. Pull her over and we'll try some of your gracious
living."

"Light the candles and pour the wine," Clay quipped, "I'll be with you
in a second."

Car 56 swung out to the edge of the police lane and slowed down. Clay
eased the car onto the strip and stopped. He checked the radiodometer
and called in. "Pitt Control, this is Car 56 at Marker 158. Dinner is
being served in the dining car to the rear. Please do not disturb."

"Affirmative, Car 56," Pittsburgh Control responded. "Eat heartily, it
may be going out of style." Clay grinned and flipped the radio to
remote and headed for the galley.

* * * * *

Seated around the little table, the trio cut into their steaks. Parked
at the north edge of the police lane, the patrol car was just a few
feet from the green lane divider strip and cars and cargo carriers
flashed by as they ate.

Clay chewed on a sliver of steak and looked at Kelly. "I'd marry you,
Pocahontas, if you'd ever learn to cook steaks like beef instead of
curing them like your ancestral buffalo robes. When are you going to
learn that good beef has to be bloody to be edible?"

The girl glared at him. "If that's what it takes to make it edible,
you're going to be an epicurean delight in just about one second if I
hear another word about my cooking. And that's also the second