to collect yourself. I wonder if there’s been – if
there’s been some trauma. Maybe someone else in Heligaux knows you,
and that would help. We could, we could have the paper do a story
about you!”
“Hmmm,” said Arrowroot. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”
Tamani looked from one face to the other, clearly not
understanding.
“Do you have any idea where you’re staying tonight?” Danielle
asked. “Do you have a room here?”
“This room?” she asked, gesturing.
“Are you,” Danielle began, pausing. “Are you homeless?”
Tamani looked up, concentrating on the word.
“It means I have no home?”
“Yes,” Danielle said. “I’m sorry to ask, I know it’s none of my
business.”
“I had a home last night,” Tamani said.
“It was at Fort Shergawa,” Arrowroot said. “Not going back there
tonight, I don’t think.”
“No,” agreed Tamani. “A man there with a firearm tried to eat me,
so I took it and learned it and rendered it inoperable.”
“Now, really,” Arrowroot protested, “that poor fellow wasn’t
trying to eat you. He was just protecting Fort Shergawa.”
“Hold on,” Danielle interrupted, “are you saying you took a
soldier’s weapon this morning?”
“Yes,” Tamani replied, nodding. “He pointed his firearm at me and
walked toward me, but he didn’t have killing in his eyes at that
moment, so I disarmed him.”
“I heard it play out on the scanner this morning,” Arrowroot
said, eager to give Tamani some backup as she spoke again of
unbelievable things.
“Wow, you’re lucky you’re not in the brig over there,” said
Danielle. “How did you manage to –“
“What did you mean,” interrupted Guillaume. “What did you mean
about the killing, about killing in his eyes?”
Tamani answered in French, Guillaume replied in kind and Tamani
went blank, staring at him without speaking, her face once again
expressionless. Guillaume stared back, his face also difficult to
read.
“Translation?” Arrowroot requested.
Danielle leaned over to her father and whispered, “I think she
said something like ‘It’s the look someone gets just before they
kill,’ so Guillaume asked her if she’d seen it in person. And. And she
said yes.”
Tamani continued to stare in Guillaum’s direction, but she seemed
to be looking through him now, and he looked away awkwardly, turned
his eyes to Danielle and laughed nervously.
Tamani finally ended her reverie and looked at Danielle as well.
“It’s strange that you have two completely different ways to say
something,” she said. “This wasn’t expected.”
“Okay,” Danielle said simply. “Tell you what. We want you to stay
with us tonight, at my father’s house, and I’ll be there with you.
Daddy, are the bedrooms still inhabitable?
“Yours is fine, haven’t touched it,” Arrowroot replied. “What
other bedroom you talking about?”
“Robert’s,” Danielle said.
“Robert’s?” Arrowroot repeated.
“Yes, Robert’s room,” Danielle said. “It’s fit for human
habitation?”
“Oh, well, you know,” Arrowroot stammered.
“Good, that’s where Tamani will stay.”
“Huh,” Arrowroot observed, chewing.
The rest of the dinner passed uneventfully, Danielle
demonstrating how to eat with a knife and fork while Tamani watched
carefully. Guillaume seemed to regain his balance, making small talk
and laughing admiringly at Danielle as she lectured on basic table
manners.
“Okay, he loves her,” Arrowroot thought to himself. “And his
momma was poor. Can’t be all bad.”
Arrowroot paid for dinner and the four of them headed out into
the cold April night air.
Danielle and Guillaume were parked beside the hotel, so they
agreed to take Tamani home while Arrowroot walked across the Promenade
to retrieve his truck.
Despite the cold, it was a beautiful evening, clear and full of
stars, and Arrowroot walked slowly, enjoying the serenity of the empty
plaza and little parks. With everyone
there’s been some trauma. Maybe someone else in Heligaux knows you,
and that would help. We could, we could have the paper do a story
about you!”
“Hmmm,” said Arrowroot. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”
Tamani looked from one face to the other, clearly not
understanding.
“Do you have any idea where you’re staying tonight?” Danielle
asked. “Do you have a room here?”
“This room?” she asked, gesturing.
“Are you,” Danielle began, pausing. “Are you homeless?”
Tamani looked up, concentrating on the word.
“It means I have no home?”
“Yes,” Danielle said. “I’m sorry to ask, I know it’s none of my
business.”
“I had a home last night,” Tamani said.
“It was at Fort Shergawa,” Arrowroot said. “Not going back there
tonight, I don’t think.”
“No,” agreed Tamani. “A man there with a firearm tried to eat me,
so I took it and learned it and rendered it inoperable.”
“Now, really,” Arrowroot protested, “that poor fellow wasn’t
trying to eat you. He was just protecting Fort Shergawa.”
“Hold on,” Danielle interrupted, “are you saying you took a
soldier’s weapon this morning?”
“Yes,” Tamani replied, nodding. “He pointed his firearm at me and
walked toward me, but he didn’t have killing in his eyes at that
moment, so I disarmed him.”
“I heard it play out on the scanner this morning,” Arrowroot
said, eager to give Tamani some backup as she spoke again of
unbelievable things.
“Wow, you’re lucky you’re not in the brig over there,” said
Danielle. “How did you manage to –“
“What did you mean,” interrupted Guillaume. “What did you mean
about the killing, about killing in his eyes?”
Tamani answered in French, Guillaume replied in kind and Tamani
went blank, staring at him without speaking, her face once again
expressionless. Guillaume stared back, his face also difficult to
read.
“Translation?” Arrowroot requested.
Danielle leaned over to her father and whispered, “I think she
said something like ‘It’s the look someone gets just before they
kill,’ so Guillaume asked her if she’d seen it in person. And. And she
said yes.”
Tamani continued to stare in Guillaum’s direction, but she seemed
to be looking through him now, and he looked away awkwardly, turned
his eyes to Danielle and laughed nervously.
Tamani finally ended her reverie and looked at Danielle as well.
“It’s strange that you have two completely different ways to say
something,” she said. “This wasn’t expected.”
“Okay,” Danielle said simply. “Tell you what. We want you to stay
with us tonight, at my father’s house, and I’ll be there with you.
Daddy, are the bedrooms still inhabitable?
“Yours is fine, haven’t touched it,” Arrowroot replied. “What
other bedroom you talking about?”
“Robert’s,” Danielle said.
“Robert’s?” Arrowroot repeated.
“Yes, Robert’s room,” Danielle said. “It’s fit for human
habitation?”
“Oh, well, you know,” Arrowroot stammered.
“Good, that’s where Tamani will stay.”
“Huh,” Arrowroot observed, chewing.
The rest of the dinner passed uneventfully, Danielle
demonstrating how to eat with a knife and fork while Tamani watched
carefully. Guillaume seemed to regain his balance, making small talk
and laughing admiringly at Danielle as she lectured on basic table
manners.
“Okay, he loves her,” Arrowroot thought to himself. “And his
momma was poor. Can’t be all bad.”
Arrowroot paid for dinner and the four of them headed out into
the cold April night air.
Danielle and Guillaume were parked beside the hotel, so they
agreed to take Tamani home while Arrowroot walked across the Promenade
to retrieve his truck.
Despite the cold, it was a beautiful evening, clear and full of
stars, and Arrowroot walked slowly, enjoying the serenity of the empty
plaza and little parks. With everyone
Similar Books
