own hair. Like the other girls of the Home, it had been cut short. Easier to manage, they had said. But now, after seeing this woman, she wanted to grow it like hers. She liked the woman’s eyes too—they were blue, just like hers, and gleamed in the light. Daddy’s eyes were green, and she liked that too. And she liked the woman’s face as well. It was longish, but not too long, with a thin straight nose. She liked her neck—long and strong, yet so feminine, like some fine unmarked glass. And finally, Robin decided she liked the woman after all.
And then the woman smiled at her. And Robin smiled back. Two pairs of cheeks dimpled at each other.
“Is Mr. Wolf Butcher home?” the woman inquired.
A questioning look came to Robin’s eyes.
“Oh...my name is Savannah Burns and I’m a friend of his,” she said, still smiling. “And you’d be?”
“I’m Robin Butcher and I’m also a friend of Mr. Wolf Butcher,” she said, automatically thrusting her chest out and standing to her full height.
And then Robin saw the woman’s gaze fall on her right arm. But it lingered there only a second and was hastily reverted back to her face, and Robin smiled somewhat wryly to herself.
“So nice to meet you, Robin,” the woman said, stepping forward and offering her left hand.
“Nice to meet you too, Miss,” Robin nodded, taking it. “Come, I’ll take you to Mr. Wolf Butcher.”
.
W olf looked levelly at Savannah. And she looked back at him. There was just a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.
The moments clicked by. The footsteps of an ant would have boomed across the room, such was the stillness.
At length, Wolf spoke. “Please...please sit,” he mumbled.
“It’s alright,” Savannah said.
Another period of odd silence followed as Wolf didn’t know what next to do, or say. He put an arm around Robin’s shoulder and felt reassured.
Robin glanced at Daddy, then at Savannah, then at Daddy again, and she understood.
“I’m going to grandpa,” she said.
Wolf panicked. No, don’t leave!
But she had already disengaged his arm from around her, gently but firmly, and was at the door. And before Wolf could say anything the door closed behind her.
He felt himself give a shudder as he turned back to Savannah. His fingers twitched by his trouser legs and he looked away.
Then he was angry at himself. Sweet shit, some droob you are, aren’t you?! And with that...
“This is a surprise!” he said, with sudden pluck.
“I know,” she said.
“They...they let you in? I mean...the security people?”
“Yes, they asked my name, then swiftly opened the gate,” she said, a slight surprise in her voice.
Oh, but they would—hadn’t he left clear and stern instructions many days ago that a woman of such a name was to be shown in without fuss.
“Yes,” he said.
“A very colorful room you have here,” she said, waving her hand, a tiny smile at the corners of her mouth.
“You like it?”
“Well...it’s...rather interesting.”
Wolf smiled. Not many people in this subtle-fixated world had the belly for resplendence. But at least here I should be allowed my tastes.
“Is this how superstars live?” she asked.
“What? … Oh. ... Well, I wouldn’t know. I’ve never socialized really,” he said. A flush had come to his cheeks. “But this is not a superstar’s room—this is a human being’s room.”
“Alright, if you say so,” she smiled. “I like this picture though,” she added, gazing indulgently at the big butterfly behind the bed. “Nice.”
Then she slowly turned back to Wolf. “I’m sorry I couldn’t meet your deadline,” she said. “I needed more time.”
“I understand,” he nodded. “And if I may say this again, I’m truly, truly sor...”
“Do not say it. No need...not anymore.”
“But please allow me...”
“Shhh!”
He gave a little giggle. “Okay, Miss.”
“Alright.”
“So...”
“Yes?”
“I mean...” He paused, shifting awkwardly. “Where do
And then the woman smiled at her. And Robin smiled back. Two pairs of cheeks dimpled at each other.
“Is Mr. Wolf Butcher home?” the woman inquired.
A questioning look came to Robin’s eyes.
“Oh...my name is Savannah Burns and I’m a friend of his,” she said, still smiling. “And you’d be?”
“I’m Robin Butcher and I’m also a friend of Mr. Wolf Butcher,” she said, automatically thrusting her chest out and standing to her full height.
And then Robin saw the woman’s gaze fall on her right arm. But it lingered there only a second and was hastily reverted back to her face, and Robin smiled somewhat wryly to herself.
“So nice to meet you, Robin,” the woman said, stepping forward and offering her left hand.
“Nice to meet you too, Miss,” Robin nodded, taking it. “Come, I’ll take you to Mr. Wolf Butcher.”
.
W olf looked levelly at Savannah. And she looked back at him. There was just a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.
The moments clicked by. The footsteps of an ant would have boomed across the room, such was the stillness.
At length, Wolf spoke. “Please...please sit,” he mumbled.
“It’s alright,” Savannah said.
Another period of odd silence followed as Wolf didn’t know what next to do, or say. He put an arm around Robin’s shoulder and felt reassured.
Robin glanced at Daddy, then at Savannah, then at Daddy again, and she understood.
“I’m going to grandpa,” she said.
Wolf panicked. No, don’t leave!
But she had already disengaged his arm from around her, gently but firmly, and was at the door. And before Wolf could say anything the door closed behind her.
He felt himself give a shudder as he turned back to Savannah. His fingers twitched by his trouser legs and he looked away.
Then he was angry at himself. Sweet shit, some droob you are, aren’t you?! And with that...
“This is a surprise!” he said, with sudden pluck.
“I know,” she said.
“They...they let you in? I mean...the security people?”
“Yes, they asked my name, then swiftly opened the gate,” she said, a slight surprise in her voice.
Oh, but they would—hadn’t he left clear and stern instructions many days ago that a woman of such a name was to be shown in without fuss.
“Yes,” he said.
“A very colorful room you have here,” she said, waving her hand, a tiny smile at the corners of her mouth.
“You like it?”
“Well...it’s...rather interesting.”
Wolf smiled. Not many people in this subtle-fixated world had the belly for resplendence. But at least here I should be allowed my tastes.
“Is this how superstars live?” she asked.
“What? … Oh. ... Well, I wouldn’t know. I’ve never socialized really,” he said. A flush had come to his cheeks. “But this is not a superstar’s room—this is a human being’s room.”
“Alright, if you say so,” she smiled. “I like this picture though,” she added, gazing indulgently at the big butterfly behind the bed. “Nice.”
Then she slowly turned back to Wolf. “I’m sorry I couldn’t meet your deadline,” she said. “I needed more time.”
“I understand,” he nodded. “And if I may say this again, I’m truly, truly sor...”
“Do not say it. No need...not anymore.”
“But please allow me...”
“Shhh!”
He gave a little giggle. “Okay, Miss.”
“Alright.”
“So...”
“Yes?”
“I mean...” He paused, shifting awkwardly. “Where do
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