Balance of Power [antikvár]

Monday, 4:55 p.m. Madrid, Spain"You were way out of line," Martha Mackall said. She was openly disgusted with the young woman standing beside her and it took a moment for her to calm down. Then she bent close to Aideen's ear so the other passengers wouldn't hear. "You were out of line and reckless. You know what's at stake here. To be distracted like that is inexcusable."The statuesque Martha and her slight assistant, Ai-deen Marley were holding a pole in the aisle near the front door of the bus. Aideen's full, round cheeks nearly as red as her long hair, she tore absently at the moist towelette she clutched in her right hand."Do you disagree?" Martha asked."No," Aideen said."I mean, good lord!""I said no," Aideen repeated. "I don't disagree. I was wrong. Totally and completely wrong."Aideen believed it, too. She had behaved impulsively in a situation that she probably should have ignored. But like Aideen's own overreaction a few minutes before, this dressing-down from Martha was excessive and punitive. In the two months since