couldn't think of anything to say, so she just watched Verdu. She'd never seen a Tugrulian before, but knew from so many childhood stories that they were supposed to be unpredictable, brutal people. For years, all Tugrulians had been banned from the Republic. But the Empire continually sent spies and saboteurs. Yet here sat the Tugrulian, welcome at the table of this crew and placed in a position of authority on an airship. He was right about her; she was frightened. She was becoming, however, more confused. She wanted the dark man to keep talking, hoping some judgment about him would come to her.
“What's the Empire like?” she asked.
“Vile,” he said with a mirthless grin.
Kingston started to clear away the dishes and sang as he worked. His voice rang rich and throaty against the pots and platters hanging in the small galley. The sound of water running into a sink mixed with Kingston's song in a soothing, homey way.
Fenimore and Verdu, moving as one, leaned back against a bulkhead and listened to the cook's melody. At first Chenda tried to convince herself that it was just a coincidence that Fenimore and Verdu were trading breaths again, one inhaling as the other exhaled, but after a moment, they started blinking at the same time, too.
“OK, that's creepy.” Chenda said to herself, and then realized in horror that she'd spoken aloud.
Fenimore looked at her curiously. “What's creepy?”
Chenda died a little bit inside because of her own rudeness. “I'm so sorry,” she said. “I've never seen any two people share a space the way you do.”
Fenimore and Verdu looked at each other and then back at Chenda, who babbled on, "How do you do that? Mirroring and intersecting the way you do?”
“Sorry,” Fenimore said. “We don't follow you.”
Verdu turned to Fenimore, “Whatever does she mean?”
Chenda bit her lip. “Honestly? You have no idea? I can't be the only one that sees it. Or maybe I don't see it. Yes. I must be mistaken.”
Kingston shouted from beside the sink. “For the gods' sakes, would you let the child off the stinkin' hook, you monsters!”
Fenimore and Verdu's faces cracked into matching smiles and they laughed at Chenda's discomfort. They were quite different and yet remarkably similar. Verdu's dark features looked fierce, where Fenimore's tender appearance signaled grace. Dark echoed light. Smoldering brown mirrored bright smoky gray.
Verdu answered for the pair, “Shame on us for teasing you. We know we do it, we just can't figure out how we do it. It's been this way since I came on the ship five years ago. Any time we are in the same room, we balance. We sort of operate as if we have one mind. And, yes, it is a little creepy, but we cope.”
“Mostly because fighting the tandem turned out to be very messy.” Fenimore answered. “We spilled things and fell down a lot.”
“Fascinating,” Chenda said.
“Ain't it just?” Kingston said as he came back to the table with a damp rag and began to scrub the pale wood clean. “It becomes less fascinating after a bit, and don't play cards with 'em. They cheat.”
Fenimore leaned toward Kingston, and Verdu's body followed his friend's.
“If we get the medic kit,” Fenimore asked, “do you think you can take a look at Chen's hands? She's got some burns there.”
Kingston glanced down at Chenda's dirty bandages and made a disapproving face. “Of course, but you all sit. I'll be right back directly with what I'll be needin'.” He slipped out the door.
Verdu assessed Chenda's unease and said, “There were truths and lies in my friend's introduction of me, but there are usually two truths and a lie in most of the words people say. I was born in Kotal, but I am about as Tugrulian as you are. And my name, Kotal, is not for the Imperial City, but for my Great-Great-Great Grandfather, The First Emperor Kotal Verinian. But since I find the whole business of being Tugrulian distasteful, I just call myself Verdu.”
“That's
“What's the Empire like?” she asked.
“Vile,” he said with a mirthless grin.
Kingston started to clear away the dishes and sang as he worked. His voice rang rich and throaty against the pots and platters hanging in the small galley. The sound of water running into a sink mixed with Kingston's song in a soothing, homey way.
Fenimore and Verdu, moving as one, leaned back against a bulkhead and listened to the cook's melody. At first Chenda tried to convince herself that it was just a coincidence that Fenimore and Verdu were trading breaths again, one inhaling as the other exhaled, but after a moment, they started blinking at the same time, too.
“OK, that's creepy.” Chenda said to herself, and then realized in horror that she'd spoken aloud.
Fenimore looked at her curiously. “What's creepy?”
Chenda died a little bit inside because of her own rudeness. “I'm so sorry,” she said. “I've never seen any two people share a space the way you do.”
Fenimore and Verdu looked at each other and then back at Chenda, who babbled on, "How do you do that? Mirroring and intersecting the way you do?”
“Sorry,” Fenimore said. “We don't follow you.”
Verdu turned to Fenimore, “Whatever does she mean?”
Chenda bit her lip. “Honestly? You have no idea? I can't be the only one that sees it. Or maybe I don't see it. Yes. I must be mistaken.”
Kingston shouted from beside the sink. “For the gods' sakes, would you let the child off the stinkin' hook, you monsters!”
Fenimore and Verdu's faces cracked into matching smiles and they laughed at Chenda's discomfort. They were quite different and yet remarkably similar. Verdu's dark features looked fierce, where Fenimore's tender appearance signaled grace. Dark echoed light. Smoldering brown mirrored bright smoky gray.
Verdu answered for the pair, “Shame on us for teasing you. We know we do it, we just can't figure out how we do it. It's been this way since I came on the ship five years ago. Any time we are in the same room, we balance. We sort of operate as if we have one mind. And, yes, it is a little creepy, but we cope.”
“Mostly because fighting the tandem turned out to be very messy.” Fenimore answered. “We spilled things and fell down a lot.”
“Fascinating,” Chenda said.
“Ain't it just?” Kingston said as he came back to the table with a damp rag and began to scrub the pale wood clean. “It becomes less fascinating after a bit, and don't play cards with 'em. They cheat.”
Fenimore leaned toward Kingston, and Verdu's body followed his friend's.
“If we get the medic kit,” Fenimore asked, “do you think you can take a look at Chen's hands? She's got some burns there.”
Kingston glanced down at Chenda's dirty bandages and made a disapproving face. “Of course, but you all sit. I'll be right back directly with what I'll be needin'.” He slipped out the door.
Verdu assessed Chenda's unease and said, “There were truths and lies in my friend's introduction of me, but there are usually two truths and a lie in most of the words people say. I was born in Kotal, but I am about as Tugrulian as you are. And my name, Kotal, is not for the Imperial City, but for my Great-Great-Great Grandfather, The First Emperor Kotal Verinian. But since I find the whole business of being Tugrulian distasteful, I just call myself Verdu.”
“That's
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