she might have had some better ideas. She was known for that, after all. But the truth was, whenever Sky was around, Alex felt like he wasn’t concentrating enough on being the leader of Artimé. And it was when he wasn’t concentrating enough that mistakes were made. It was a serious problem.
“Blurgh,” he muttered, thinking not for the first time that maybe mages just weren’t cut out for having relationships—not romantic ones, anyway. Alex hoped Sky wasn’t hurt that he hadn’t asked her to help. He decided that if he just didn’t mention the whale and acted really busy and focused on the quest to rescue Sky’s mother, all these awkward feelings about Sky, and about his mistakes with Spike, would go away soon enough.
Simber had witnessed the entire Spike saga from shore, of course. Eventually he’d been joined by Sean, who’d gone out for a late-night walk, as he often did. Simber tried to explain to Sean what was happening to Alex, but he didn’t actually know all the details, so he made them up, much to Sean’s delight. The two had waited patiently on shore as Alex swam back alone. The giant cat had held his tongue, hard as it sometimes was, so at least Alex had that relief. Sean just laughed once heknew the whale was all right, and he promised not to say anything to embarrass Alex.
In spite of the darkness, Alex had remained on the shore, watching out over the water. At first he had thought the whale might come back, but after several hours reality set in, and eventually Alex had stopped looking out to sea to watch for his shiny creation. He’d gotten up and went inside to bed.
It was so strange how much Alex cared about the whale, even felt he knew the whale personally, but the whale knew little or nothing of her own creator, or how much work he’d put into her to make her just so. Would she even know him if they met again? Alex doubted it.
But there was plenty of work to be done to distract Alex from Spike’s short life in Artimé. It was time to pack up the pirate ship and get everybody on board with the plan.
Alex walked down the boys’ hallway to Samheed’s room and knocked.
Samheed opened the door to let Alex inside.
“Hello, Alex Stowe,” said Samheed’s blackboard, Stuart. “It’s especially nice to see you.”
“Nice to see you, too, Stu,” Alex said. “Clive says hello.”
Clive hadn’t said hello, but Alex knew Clive would be annoyed by Alex’s saying it, so he did.
Stuart looked suspicious. “Oh, really?” He pressed his face out a little farther to get a better look at Alex.
“Oh, yes,” Alex said. “He thinks you’re pretty neat. He told me the other day how much he admires you.”
At this, Stuart looked almost frightened. “Oh. Dear me. I have to go.” He slid back and disappeared into the blackboard.
Samheed raised an eyebrow and whispered, “Clive didn’t say any of that, did he?”
“Nope.”
“What is it with those two?”
Alex shrugged. “No idea. Maybe they’re too alike to be friends.”
“Unlike us.”
Alex laughed. “Right.” He flopped onto Samheed’s couch and pulled the list of Artiméans from his robe pocket. “Okay, see what you think.” He handed it to Samheed.
Sam sat in the chair, put his feet on the coffee table, and picked up a pen. His brow furrowed and he chewed on the end of the pen as he read.
When he was finished, he looked up. “So Mr. Appleblossom and Ms. Morning are staying here to keep watch over the Warbler kids. Are they going to take off their neck things?”
“I thought it would be fine to do that. What do you think?”
“Oh, yeah, totally fine. I don’t think those kids have any secret plan at all to do anything to us. I believe what they say about their parents tricking Eagala. Problem is, she won’t make that mistake again.”
“Yeah.” Alex jiggled his foot. “I worry that she’ll attack again to get the children back. What if she comes when we’re gone?”
“We can’t sit around
“Blurgh,” he muttered, thinking not for the first time that maybe mages just weren’t cut out for having relationships—not romantic ones, anyway. Alex hoped Sky wasn’t hurt that he hadn’t asked her to help. He decided that if he just didn’t mention the whale and acted really busy and focused on the quest to rescue Sky’s mother, all these awkward feelings about Sky, and about his mistakes with Spike, would go away soon enough.
Simber had witnessed the entire Spike saga from shore, of course. Eventually he’d been joined by Sean, who’d gone out for a late-night walk, as he often did. Simber tried to explain to Sean what was happening to Alex, but he didn’t actually know all the details, so he made them up, much to Sean’s delight. The two had waited patiently on shore as Alex swam back alone. The giant cat had held his tongue, hard as it sometimes was, so at least Alex had that relief. Sean just laughed once heknew the whale was all right, and he promised not to say anything to embarrass Alex.
In spite of the darkness, Alex had remained on the shore, watching out over the water. At first he had thought the whale might come back, but after several hours reality set in, and eventually Alex had stopped looking out to sea to watch for his shiny creation. He’d gotten up and went inside to bed.
It was so strange how much Alex cared about the whale, even felt he knew the whale personally, but the whale knew little or nothing of her own creator, or how much work he’d put into her to make her just so. Would she even know him if they met again? Alex doubted it.
But there was plenty of work to be done to distract Alex from Spike’s short life in Artimé. It was time to pack up the pirate ship and get everybody on board with the plan.
Alex walked down the boys’ hallway to Samheed’s room and knocked.
Samheed opened the door to let Alex inside.
“Hello, Alex Stowe,” said Samheed’s blackboard, Stuart. “It’s especially nice to see you.”
“Nice to see you, too, Stu,” Alex said. “Clive says hello.”
Clive hadn’t said hello, but Alex knew Clive would be annoyed by Alex’s saying it, so he did.
Stuart looked suspicious. “Oh, really?” He pressed his face out a little farther to get a better look at Alex.
“Oh, yes,” Alex said. “He thinks you’re pretty neat. He told me the other day how much he admires you.”
At this, Stuart looked almost frightened. “Oh. Dear me. I have to go.” He slid back and disappeared into the blackboard.
Samheed raised an eyebrow and whispered, “Clive didn’t say any of that, did he?”
“Nope.”
“What is it with those two?”
Alex shrugged. “No idea. Maybe they’re too alike to be friends.”
“Unlike us.”
Alex laughed. “Right.” He flopped onto Samheed’s couch and pulled the list of Artiméans from his robe pocket. “Okay, see what you think.” He handed it to Samheed.
Sam sat in the chair, put his feet on the coffee table, and picked up a pen. His brow furrowed and he chewed on the end of the pen as he read.
When he was finished, he looked up. “So Mr. Appleblossom and Ms. Morning are staying here to keep watch over the Warbler kids. Are they going to take off their neck things?”
“I thought it would be fine to do that. What do you think?”
“Oh, yeah, totally fine. I don’t think those kids have any secret plan at all to do anything to us. I believe what they say about their parents tricking Eagala. Problem is, she won’t make that mistake again.”
“Yeah.” Alex jiggled his foot. “I worry that she’ll attack again to get the children back. What if she comes when we’re gone?”
“We can’t sit around
Similar Books
