here.”
The others all grinned, and Joe looked at them in
perplexity, wondering what he was missing.
“Let’s go and EAT,” Tarsen yelled, turning a handspring.
Nan got up fast and joined Sarilda and Kevriac, but not
before Joe caught a glimpse of her face. Like she was secretly pleased about
something.
So Blackeye really did bow to her, Joe thought. Why? Why
just to her and not to him? As he flexed his aching arm, he realized he hadn’t
seen Nan’s sword fighting lesson. Maybe she was a lot better than me , he
thought dismally. She can hardly have been worse.
He decided he’d ask Tarsen if he’d get up early and give him
a little extra practice in the morning, and followed the others into the
hideout.
o0o
Nan watched Joe talking to Tarsen about sword fighting, and
felt relief balloon inside. She’d seen his surprise when Blackeye made that
bow—and she’d gotten away from him as quickly as she could, hoping he wouldn’t
ask any nosy questions.
Sometime I’m going to have to tell him about my lie, she
thought. But he’s going to laugh—and worse, he’s going to want to know why I
did it. She shivered, fighting off the old bitterness. That’s past now. Nobody
can make me talk about Them anymore.
She followed the others into the big room with all the rugs
and pillows. She was tired. It had been a long, hard day—several times she’d
almost given up, but she kept reminding herself that they’d expect extra effort
from a princess. At everything they’d done, Joe was faster and stronger. Only
once had she done better, when they’d climbed up those nasty, barnacle-sharp
rocks. Nan had found that she was more agile—at least now she was. By tomorrow,
who knew what would happen.
She was not particularly worried. They want us here, she
thought as she sank happily onto one of the big pillows. It felt good to know
that they’d been accepted, despite the fact that they were nowhere near as
trained as the gang at the stuff they’d done today.
Kevriac gave her a shy smile. A smile for a princess. She
wondered if just Nan would have gotten the same reaction, then thrust that idea away with loathing. I’m no longer Just Nan . Thank goodness.
She straightened her tired body just a little, and tried to
look alert. A princess would never betray tiredness.
“So what’s this Todan guy like?” Joe asked then. “Besides
being a scumbag?”
The word made it through, though it sounded weird.
Tarsen snickered. “Scumbag! Mudslinker is what we often call
him.” He looked up and smacked his hands together. “Here’s the grub—at last.”
Sarilda and Tarly came out of a room Nan hadn’t seen yet.
Sarilda walked slowly, carrying a big tureen, and Tarly bore a tray piled high
with a food that looked like green carrots.
Tarsen leaped across the table to grab a stack of shallow
bowls. He passed these out to everyone, and Sarilda ladled out a thick brown
soup into each bowl. It smelled like onions and peppers.
Nan stuck her spoon in and stirred it around, waiting until
the steam dissipated. She noticed Joe cautiously inspecting the lumps in his
soup. A wave of scorn swept through Nan. What did he expect, American foods? You’d
think since we made it here he’d be glad to eat whatever they eat, or at least
try to get used to it .
Nan tasted the soup. It was hot and savory. By contrast, the
green-carrot things were crunchy and tart. Watching Joe carefully test a bite,
and the unmistakable relief in his eyes when he discovered that he liked the
soup, Nan figured he’d never been forced to eat what was in front of him,
whether he liked it or not. He’s spoiled rotten.
Or maybe that wasn’t completely true. The thing that was
true, and that hurt the most, was the idea that someone in his life had
actually cared what he liked to eat.
o0o
The next few days passed like a blur.
Blackeye’s gang were expecting other members to show up with
food, as theirs was getting scanty. Joe’s offerings were gladly
The others all grinned, and Joe looked at them in
perplexity, wondering what he was missing.
“Let’s go and EAT,” Tarsen yelled, turning a handspring.
Nan got up fast and joined Sarilda and Kevriac, but not
before Joe caught a glimpse of her face. Like she was secretly pleased about
something.
So Blackeye really did bow to her, Joe thought. Why? Why
just to her and not to him? As he flexed his aching arm, he realized he hadn’t
seen Nan’s sword fighting lesson. Maybe she was a lot better than me , he
thought dismally. She can hardly have been worse.
He decided he’d ask Tarsen if he’d get up early and give him
a little extra practice in the morning, and followed the others into the
hideout.
o0o
Nan watched Joe talking to Tarsen about sword fighting, and
felt relief balloon inside. She’d seen his surprise when Blackeye made that
bow—and she’d gotten away from him as quickly as she could, hoping he wouldn’t
ask any nosy questions.
Sometime I’m going to have to tell him about my lie, she
thought. But he’s going to laugh—and worse, he’s going to want to know why I
did it. She shivered, fighting off the old bitterness. That’s past now. Nobody
can make me talk about Them anymore.
She followed the others into the big room with all the rugs
and pillows. She was tired. It had been a long, hard day—several times she’d
almost given up, but she kept reminding herself that they’d expect extra effort
from a princess. At everything they’d done, Joe was faster and stronger. Only
once had she done better, when they’d climbed up those nasty, barnacle-sharp
rocks. Nan had found that she was more agile—at least now she was. By tomorrow,
who knew what would happen.
She was not particularly worried. They want us here, she
thought as she sank happily onto one of the big pillows. It felt good to know
that they’d been accepted, despite the fact that they were nowhere near as
trained as the gang at the stuff they’d done today.
Kevriac gave her a shy smile. A smile for a princess. She
wondered if just Nan would have gotten the same reaction, then thrust that idea away with loathing. I’m no longer Just Nan . Thank goodness.
She straightened her tired body just a little, and tried to
look alert. A princess would never betray tiredness.
“So what’s this Todan guy like?” Joe asked then. “Besides
being a scumbag?”
The word made it through, though it sounded weird.
Tarsen snickered. “Scumbag! Mudslinker is what we often call
him.” He looked up and smacked his hands together. “Here’s the grub—at last.”
Sarilda and Tarly came out of a room Nan hadn’t seen yet.
Sarilda walked slowly, carrying a big tureen, and Tarly bore a tray piled high
with a food that looked like green carrots.
Tarsen leaped across the table to grab a stack of shallow
bowls. He passed these out to everyone, and Sarilda ladled out a thick brown
soup into each bowl. It smelled like onions and peppers.
Nan stuck her spoon in and stirred it around, waiting until
the steam dissipated. She noticed Joe cautiously inspecting the lumps in his
soup. A wave of scorn swept through Nan. What did he expect, American foods? You’d
think since we made it here he’d be glad to eat whatever they eat, or at least
try to get used to it .
Nan tasted the soup. It was hot and savory. By contrast, the
green-carrot things were crunchy and tart. Watching Joe carefully test a bite,
and the unmistakable relief in his eyes when he discovered that he liked the
soup, Nan figured he’d never been forced to eat what was in front of him,
whether he liked it or not. He’s spoiled rotten.
Or maybe that wasn’t completely true. The thing that was
true, and that hurt the most, was the idea that someone in his life had
actually cared what he liked to eat.
o0o
The next few days passed like a blur.
Blackeye’s gang were expecting other members to show up with
food, as theirs was getting scanty. Joe’s offerings were gladly
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