her voice. “We found the Soulbinder and then there was Vorten, and—” Her voice choked off, and a flash of pain and sharp memory appeared in her eyes.
Maklavir put a hand on her arm. “I know,” he said softly, the first truly genuine words he had spoken in the conversation.
“Well,” said Kara again. “We have time now. Joseph is so sick he can barely get out of his bunk, and I thought....” She held out the book to Maklavir. “Well, I thought we could try. That you could teach me to read, I mean.” She gave an embarrassed smile. “As long as you promise not to breathe a word of it to Joseph. And I’ll find a lock for you, show you some of the basics.”
Maklavir got a sudden, sick look on his face. His eyes dropped down to the ground. “Kara, I—”
“I’ll make sure we split the time fifty-fifty,” said Kara with a small laugh. “I wouldn’t want you to—”
“The thing is, Kara,” interrupted Maklavir, “I just can’t—” he paused, uncertain how to continue. “That is to say, I don’t really have—”
The words drifted off into hanging space.
“Right,” said Kara after a moment. “Well, that was stupid of me.” She stood up from the crate quickly, ducking her head. “Of course you have things to do.” She took the book back.
Maklavir started to rise. “Look, Kara, I—”
“No,” said Kara quickly. “You don’t have to say anything, Maklavir. Really you don’t.” She gave a smile that didn’t quite hide the hurt in her eyes. “I—it was dumb of me. I shouldn’t have asked.” She turned her head quickly away. “Good luck with those trousers. I hope that you get them patched.”
Maklavir put the pants down. “Kara—”
She gave a quick shake of her head and another broad smile. “I’ll let you get back to it, then.” She turned for the stairs that led back up to the deck.
Maklavir grabbed her arms and pulled her back around.
Kara stared at him for a moment, surprised.
“Look,” said Maklavir in a low voice. “You’re right. I have been avoiding you. Joseph too. And I’ve been hiding down here in this dark, rat-infested hold. It’s just that I—” He choked on the last words, and quickly looked down at the deck.
“Maklavir,” said Kara softly. She took his hands off her arms and clutched his hands in her own. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
“Yes,” said Maklavir with a sad, strange smile. “I...know that I can tell you anything as a brother telling a sister.”
Kara cocked her head slightly.
“I’m working through some things,” Maklavir said. He didn’t meet Kara’s eyes. “Some...emotional garbage. It’s nothing, really. I just need some time. And space.”
Kara glanced around them. “And that’s why you’re down in the hold of the ship?”
Maklavir nodded. “That’s why I’m down in the hold of the ship.”
For a moment neither of them said anything.
Kara leaned forward and gave Maklavir a quick kiss on the cheek.
The diplomat burned red. He still didn’t meet her eyes.
“I understand,” Kara said. She squeezed his hands. “And if you need to talk, you know where I am.”
Maklavir nodded, but didn’t reply.
Kara turned for the stairs.
Maklavir sank back down onto the crate. He looked down ruefully at the half-patched trousers.
Kara stopped and turned. “Maklavir?”
He glanced up.
“I—” the redhead paused. Her cheeks flushed pink. “I never did say thank you. For what you did, I mean. Back in Vorten.” She tottered a bit as the ship rolled suddenly. “Joseph told me that you...well, that you left a lot behind. A house, servants, a job as a barrister and diplomat.” She braced herself against one of the wooden beams. “Veritas, even.”
“Ah, yes,” said Maklavir with a melancholy smile. “I do miss that horse. Hopefully he has a good new owner now.”
“And all of it for me.”
Maklavir looked her directly in the eyes. “And I would do it all over again in a heartbeat,
Maklavir put a hand on her arm. “I know,” he said softly, the first truly genuine words he had spoken in the conversation.
“Well,” said Kara again. “We have time now. Joseph is so sick he can barely get out of his bunk, and I thought....” She held out the book to Maklavir. “Well, I thought we could try. That you could teach me to read, I mean.” She gave an embarrassed smile. “As long as you promise not to breathe a word of it to Joseph. And I’ll find a lock for you, show you some of the basics.”
Maklavir got a sudden, sick look on his face. His eyes dropped down to the ground. “Kara, I—”
“I’ll make sure we split the time fifty-fifty,” said Kara with a small laugh. “I wouldn’t want you to—”
“The thing is, Kara,” interrupted Maklavir, “I just can’t—” he paused, uncertain how to continue. “That is to say, I don’t really have—”
The words drifted off into hanging space.
“Right,” said Kara after a moment. “Well, that was stupid of me.” She stood up from the crate quickly, ducking her head. “Of course you have things to do.” She took the book back.
Maklavir started to rise. “Look, Kara, I—”
“No,” said Kara quickly. “You don’t have to say anything, Maklavir. Really you don’t.” She gave a smile that didn’t quite hide the hurt in her eyes. “I—it was dumb of me. I shouldn’t have asked.” She turned her head quickly away. “Good luck with those trousers. I hope that you get them patched.”
Maklavir put the pants down. “Kara—”
She gave a quick shake of her head and another broad smile. “I’ll let you get back to it, then.” She turned for the stairs that led back up to the deck.
Maklavir grabbed her arms and pulled her back around.
Kara stared at him for a moment, surprised.
“Look,” said Maklavir in a low voice. “You’re right. I have been avoiding you. Joseph too. And I’ve been hiding down here in this dark, rat-infested hold. It’s just that I—” He choked on the last words, and quickly looked down at the deck.
“Maklavir,” said Kara softly. She took his hands off her arms and clutched his hands in her own. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
“Yes,” said Maklavir with a sad, strange smile. “I...know that I can tell you anything as a brother telling a sister.”
Kara cocked her head slightly.
“I’m working through some things,” Maklavir said. He didn’t meet Kara’s eyes. “Some...emotional garbage. It’s nothing, really. I just need some time. And space.”
Kara glanced around them. “And that’s why you’re down in the hold of the ship?”
Maklavir nodded. “That’s why I’m down in the hold of the ship.”
For a moment neither of them said anything.
Kara leaned forward and gave Maklavir a quick kiss on the cheek.
The diplomat burned red. He still didn’t meet her eyes.
“I understand,” Kara said. She squeezed his hands. “And if you need to talk, you know where I am.”
Maklavir nodded, but didn’t reply.
Kara turned for the stairs.
Maklavir sank back down onto the crate. He looked down ruefully at the half-patched trousers.
Kara stopped and turned. “Maklavir?”
He glanced up.
“I—” the redhead paused. Her cheeks flushed pink. “I never did say thank you. For what you did, I mean. Back in Vorten.” She tottered a bit as the ship rolled suddenly. “Joseph told me that you...well, that you left a lot behind. A house, servants, a job as a barrister and diplomat.” She braced herself against one of the wooden beams. “Veritas, even.”
“Ah, yes,” said Maklavir with a melancholy smile. “I do miss that horse. Hopefully he has a good new owner now.”
“And all of it for me.”
Maklavir looked her directly in the eyes. “And I would do it all over again in a heartbeat,
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