on the bed.
“I like him, you know.”
We scooted and rolled and got tangled in the fancy sheets and finally established a more or less comfortable position with me on my back and Darla on her side facing me.
“He’s a barrel of laughs, that Evis.”
She tweaked my nose gently. “He’s a good friend. And a gentleman. Not the pretend kind. He’s rich but he works hard. Halfdead but he’s got a big heart.”
“He’s a man of paradoxes, all right.”
“You can put that hand right back where it came from, mister. You’re here to recuperate.”
“I find that recuperative.”
“I’ll call for leeches. You know I will.”
I sighed. She smiled in weary victory.
“You know Gertriss is sweet on him, and vice versa.”
“Why does everyone say that like I’m going to be shocked? I was a finder while Evis was in knee-pants and you were learning accounting. I can tell when the wind blows, you know.” I tapped my temple. “Smarts, that’s what I’ve got.”
Darla snuggled closer.
“Gertriss is worried about what you’re going to say.”
“I’m not going to say a damned thing. What she and Evis get up to is their business, none of mine.”
“That’s not really true, darling. She wants your blessing. She needs it. So does Evis, you know.”
“He’s got it and he knows it.”
“Does he?”
“I said it plain and simple. He knows.”
“Be a dear and say it to Gertriss too, won’t you?” I swear she batted her eyes. “For me?”
“I thought we’d established that hands were to stay outside the sheets.”
“Yours, perhaps. Not mine.”
I did sleep.
Eventually.
Morning came, bringing with it the smiles and fresh-scrubbed faces of the Avalante day staff and the grumbled greetings and dark glasses of the Avalante halfdead who worked the day shift.
Darla and I picked scrambled eggs out of the same enormous breakfast plate and speculated just how far underground we were. I’d forgotten to count stair landings on our way down, and Darla had been too busy watching me for signs of imminent demise to even realize we were descending.
Doctors came and poked and prodded and frowned and whispered. I was finally pronounced healthy and whole after the obligatory physician’s lecture on the evils of alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle.
At last, the somber-faced physicians filed out, and I rose from my sickbed, a man ready to face a second helping of breakfast.
Alas, Darla and the Avalante day staff had other plans for me. We were to be moved to the Queen, we were, before the noon.
“Your wife’s clothes and accoutrements, as well as your own garments, are being conveyed to the Queen as we speak,” quoth Mr. Bevins, who was obviously unaware of my high favor within Avalante since he made it clear that no garment I was likely to own was worthy of being incinerated, much less conveyed. “We will be leaving within the hour. I suggest you make yourself ready.”
I gave Darla my famous raised eyebrow questioning glance. “Dear, when did we get accoutrements, and won’t they chase the cat?”
Mr. Bevins inflated. “ Good day , sir.”
He had the grace not to slam the door behind him.
Darla found a water closet. Faucets squealed as she bemoaned the state of her hair.
I tiptoed to the door, opened it a crack, and listened.
I heard nothing. The absence of sound was utter and complete. I revised my initial estimate, putting us at least a hundred feet below the morning sun.
Darla wrapped her arms around my shoulders.
“I’ve never even been on a boat,” she said. “Do you think it will have proper bathrooms?”
I shook my head. “Holes in the deck, I imagine. We’ll sleep wrapped in scraps of sail. But it won’t matter since we’ll be exhausted from rowing all day.”
She laughed, her breath warm on the back of my neck.
“You’ve never been on a boat either, have you?”
“Of course I have. I know all about boats. Port, starboard, aft, sinking. We’ll have
“I like him, you know.”
We scooted and rolled and got tangled in the fancy sheets and finally established a more or less comfortable position with me on my back and Darla on her side facing me.
“He’s a barrel of laughs, that Evis.”
She tweaked my nose gently. “He’s a good friend. And a gentleman. Not the pretend kind. He’s rich but he works hard. Halfdead but he’s got a big heart.”
“He’s a man of paradoxes, all right.”
“You can put that hand right back where it came from, mister. You’re here to recuperate.”
“I find that recuperative.”
“I’ll call for leeches. You know I will.”
I sighed. She smiled in weary victory.
“You know Gertriss is sweet on him, and vice versa.”
“Why does everyone say that like I’m going to be shocked? I was a finder while Evis was in knee-pants and you were learning accounting. I can tell when the wind blows, you know.” I tapped my temple. “Smarts, that’s what I’ve got.”
Darla snuggled closer.
“Gertriss is worried about what you’re going to say.”
“I’m not going to say a damned thing. What she and Evis get up to is their business, none of mine.”
“That’s not really true, darling. She wants your blessing. She needs it. So does Evis, you know.”
“He’s got it and he knows it.”
“Does he?”
“I said it plain and simple. He knows.”
“Be a dear and say it to Gertriss too, won’t you?” I swear she batted her eyes. “For me?”
“I thought we’d established that hands were to stay outside the sheets.”
“Yours, perhaps. Not mine.”
I did sleep.
Eventually.
Morning came, bringing with it the smiles and fresh-scrubbed faces of the Avalante day staff and the grumbled greetings and dark glasses of the Avalante halfdead who worked the day shift.
Darla and I picked scrambled eggs out of the same enormous breakfast plate and speculated just how far underground we were. I’d forgotten to count stair landings on our way down, and Darla had been too busy watching me for signs of imminent demise to even realize we were descending.
Doctors came and poked and prodded and frowned and whispered. I was finally pronounced healthy and whole after the obligatory physician’s lecture on the evils of alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle.
At last, the somber-faced physicians filed out, and I rose from my sickbed, a man ready to face a second helping of breakfast.
Alas, Darla and the Avalante day staff had other plans for me. We were to be moved to the Queen, we were, before the noon.
“Your wife’s clothes and accoutrements, as well as your own garments, are being conveyed to the Queen as we speak,” quoth Mr. Bevins, who was obviously unaware of my high favor within Avalante since he made it clear that no garment I was likely to own was worthy of being incinerated, much less conveyed. “We will be leaving within the hour. I suggest you make yourself ready.”
I gave Darla my famous raised eyebrow questioning glance. “Dear, when did we get accoutrements, and won’t they chase the cat?”
Mr. Bevins inflated. “ Good day , sir.”
He had the grace not to slam the door behind him.
Darla found a water closet. Faucets squealed as she bemoaned the state of her hair.
I tiptoed to the door, opened it a crack, and listened.
I heard nothing. The absence of sound was utter and complete. I revised my initial estimate, putting us at least a hundred feet below the morning sun.
Darla wrapped her arms around my shoulders.
“I’ve never even been on a boat,” she said. “Do you think it will have proper bathrooms?”
I shook my head. “Holes in the deck, I imagine. We’ll sleep wrapped in scraps of sail. But it won’t matter since we’ll be exhausted from rowing all day.”
She laughed, her breath warm on the back of my neck.
“You’ve never been on a boat either, have you?”
“Of course I have. I know all about boats. Port, starboard, aft, sinking. We’ll have
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