smile.
“Never mind.” Her voice was curt.
“But if I can lend my assistance—”
“No.” She shook her head. “Thanks anyway.”
Pity. ’Twould be an interesting game to discover what article the damsel did without that distressed her so.
“I’ll deal with Merlin when I see him.”
“As you wish.”
She eyed him curiously. “This doesn’t throw you at all, does it?”
“Throw me?”
“Bother you? Upset you? A strange woman pops up out of nowhere, with clothes you’ve never seen before, using words you’ve never heard and you just take it all in stride. How come?”
“Your speech is indeed odd, my lady.” He shrugged. “As is your manner. Still, when one is used to the ways of wizards, one accepts, nay expects, the unusual.”
“Well, I’ll never accept it. We don’t have wizards where I come from.”
“No wizards? But then you must have sorcerers of some kind?”
She shook her head.
“Magicians?”
“Nope. No wizards, no sorcerers and the only magicians I know of get TV specials or play Vegas if they’re good, kids’ parties if they’re not.”
TV specials? Vegas? The unfamiliar terms danced in his head. He was not an idiot—nay, he prided himself on his intelligence, yet with every word, thiswoman muddled his mind. Perhaps he was right to begin with. Perhaps she was addle brained. He chose his words with care. “How can this be?”
She raised her shoulders in a casual gesture of dismissal. “We don’t need them.”
“Surely in your land ordinary mortals are not bestowed with the gift of magic?”
“Of course not. We don’t believe in magic. A card trick or two but no magic.” A superior smile quirked her lips.
“I cannot accept such a thing. ’Tis impossible. How can such a land survive without wizards to help slay your dragons or defend your people?” He narrowed his eyes. “From where do you hail?”
“The U.S., United States. Nebraska, originally.”
“I have not heard of such a place,” he said slowly.
“That’s a surprise.” She laughed. ’Twas a lovely sound. Not the sound of a woman mad. Still…“It’s pretty far from here. Head north, hang a left at the ocean and aim toward the setting sun. Eventually, you’ll hit it.”
“’Tis nothing past the horizon but the end of the world.”
“I know I’m going to kick myself for asking this one, but ‘the end of the world’? Are you kidding?”
“Kidding?”
“Joking? Jesting?” She sighed. “If I’m going to have to explain every little word to you, we’ll never get anywhere.”
“I am not a fool, Lady Tessa.” He considered her for a long moment. If indeed she was unused to magic, had her encounter with Merlin left her confused? Would this bewilderment then pass? He certainly hoped so.The thought was preferable to the idea that the wizard had left him to care for a creature as demented as she was lovely. He resolved to be kinder and gentler to the lady.
“’Tis a fact, my lady.” He spoke with the care he would show a small child. “Beyond the horizon, the world ends. The oceans themselves empty over a great waterfall guarded by the dragons and serpents of the seas.”
“Oh, come on, get real.”
“No one has ever returned from such a voyage,” he said carefully.
“I hate the Middle Ages.” She groaned and pulled a deep breath. “Get ready for a shock, pal.” She glanced from side to side as if to ensure their privacy. “There is no waterfall. No dragons. No serpents. The earth does not end. The world is round. Like a big ball.”
He stared for a long moment than burst into laughter. “Now I know you jest.”
“It’s no joke. Seriously, the world is a ball, a globe spinning through space, circling the sun. That’s it. Period.”
“By all that is holy, woman, mad or not, you are an entertaining female.” He grinned down at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “So tell me this, fair Tessa, if it is as you say, a spinning ball, why do we not fall
“Never mind.” Her voice was curt.
“But if I can lend my assistance—”
“No.” She shook her head. “Thanks anyway.”
Pity. ’Twould be an interesting game to discover what article the damsel did without that distressed her so.
“I’ll deal with Merlin when I see him.”
“As you wish.”
She eyed him curiously. “This doesn’t throw you at all, does it?”
“Throw me?”
“Bother you? Upset you? A strange woman pops up out of nowhere, with clothes you’ve never seen before, using words you’ve never heard and you just take it all in stride. How come?”
“Your speech is indeed odd, my lady.” He shrugged. “As is your manner. Still, when one is used to the ways of wizards, one accepts, nay expects, the unusual.”
“Well, I’ll never accept it. We don’t have wizards where I come from.”
“No wizards? But then you must have sorcerers of some kind?”
She shook her head.
“Magicians?”
“Nope. No wizards, no sorcerers and the only magicians I know of get TV specials or play Vegas if they’re good, kids’ parties if they’re not.”
TV specials? Vegas? The unfamiliar terms danced in his head. He was not an idiot—nay, he prided himself on his intelligence, yet with every word, thiswoman muddled his mind. Perhaps he was right to begin with. Perhaps she was addle brained. He chose his words with care. “How can this be?”
She raised her shoulders in a casual gesture of dismissal. “We don’t need them.”
“Surely in your land ordinary mortals are not bestowed with the gift of magic?”
“Of course not. We don’t believe in magic. A card trick or two but no magic.” A superior smile quirked her lips.
“I cannot accept such a thing. ’Tis impossible. How can such a land survive without wizards to help slay your dragons or defend your people?” He narrowed his eyes. “From where do you hail?”
“The U.S., United States. Nebraska, originally.”
“I have not heard of such a place,” he said slowly.
“That’s a surprise.” She laughed. ’Twas a lovely sound. Not the sound of a woman mad. Still…“It’s pretty far from here. Head north, hang a left at the ocean and aim toward the setting sun. Eventually, you’ll hit it.”
“’Tis nothing past the horizon but the end of the world.”
“I know I’m going to kick myself for asking this one, but ‘the end of the world’? Are you kidding?”
“Kidding?”
“Joking? Jesting?” She sighed. “If I’m going to have to explain every little word to you, we’ll never get anywhere.”
“I am not a fool, Lady Tessa.” He considered her for a long moment. If indeed she was unused to magic, had her encounter with Merlin left her confused? Would this bewilderment then pass? He certainly hoped so.The thought was preferable to the idea that the wizard had left him to care for a creature as demented as she was lovely. He resolved to be kinder and gentler to the lady.
“’Tis a fact, my lady.” He spoke with the care he would show a small child. “Beyond the horizon, the world ends. The oceans themselves empty over a great waterfall guarded by the dragons and serpents of the seas.”
“Oh, come on, get real.”
“No one has ever returned from such a voyage,” he said carefully.
“I hate the Middle Ages.” She groaned and pulled a deep breath. “Get ready for a shock, pal.” She glanced from side to side as if to ensure their privacy. “There is no waterfall. No dragons. No serpents. The earth does not end. The world is round. Like a big ball.”
He stared for a long moment than burst into laughter. “Now I know you jest.”
“It’s no joke. Seriously, the world is a ball, a globe spinning through space, circling the sun. That’s it. Period.”
“By all that is holy, woman, mad or not, you are an entertaining female.” He grinned down at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “So tell me this, fair Tessa, if it is as you say, a spinning ball, why do we not fall
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