dress on?” he inquired, one eyebrow raised.
“You were amazing tonight,” she said.
“I know.”
She laughed at that. “Not exactly the modest one, are you.”
“Modesty is overrated.”
“I bet.” She extended a hand. “I’m Vivian. Vivian Mercer.”
Merlin stared at her for a moment, regarding her suspiciously. Then he shook the extended hand curtly. “Merlin,” he said.
“Not ‘Merlin Junior’? That’s how they bill you.”
“I know how they bill me. It was my idea. See a child billing himself ‘Merlin,’ and it’s preposterous. Everyone knows Merlin is an elderly man with a long white beard. But I call myself ‘Merlin Junior,’ and that makes it seem more reasonable to people somehow.”
“And do you care what people think?”
“Not particularly. Or…at all, really.”
“Then why…?”
“Because it pleases me to do so,” he said, sounding a bit cross. “I’m not accustomed to having to explain myself. Now did you come over to harass me or…?”
“No! No, not at all!” She looked concerned, but then smiled widely, and Merlin had to admit to himself that she did indeed have a dazzling smile. “I was just…well, see, I’m a bit of an amateur magician myself, and I was just wondering if you might give me the slightest hint of how you did some of the tricks you performed tonight…”
“Ah! Well, wonder no more.”
“You will?”
“Not if you were the last woman on Earth…which, by the way, wouldn’t be that much of a hardship if you asked me.”
“Wow.” Vivian sat back in her chair. “You don’t seem to have a high opinion of women.”
“I’m eight years old. I’m not supposed to. Although, for what it’s worth, I don’t have much of a high opinion of practically anybody.”
She suddenly reached over and took his hand, staring at his palm. He tried to pull away, greatly irritated. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“You have an amazing life line,” she said, her eyebrows raised so high they were practically intersecting. “It’s what I thought.”
“What is?”
“You have a very old soul.”
Merlin yanked his hand away, shaking it off as if he’d shoved it into something unpleasant. “Leave my soul out of this. In fact, leave me out of this.”
“Hey, Junior!” It was Flo, and Merlin had never been so happy to see the waitress in his life. She was standing next to Vivian, scowling, as she addressed her comment to Merlin. “This lady bothering you, kid?”
“Yeah. She is, actually.”
Her hip outthrust, Flo said tartly, “You got nothing better to do than bust a kid’s chops, sweetheart? Don’t you think maybe you should pick on somebody your own size…or generation, for that matter?”
“I wasn’t meaning to pick on him,” Vivian assured her. “I’m just an admirer.”
“Well, he’s a little young for you, sweetheart, so I think it’d be better if you admired him from afar, okay?”
“But I was just—”
“Okay?” Flo repeated in a way that indicated any answer that was other than what she wanted wasn’t going to be accepted.
Vivian looked as if she was going to offer further protest, but then simply nodded, and said, “Okay.” She rose, put out a hand, and said to Merlin, “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you,” said Merlin, raising neither hand from the table to shake hers.
Her hand dangled there in midair for a moment, then she lowered it and forced a smile. Her gaze wandered over to Merlin’s glass. “By the way,” she said loudly enough for Flo to hear, “I don’t think the authorities would approve of you serving alcohol to a minor.”
“What?” Flo demanded. “What are you talking about? What are you trying to start? I gave him water.”
“Looks like wine to me.”
“Junior, let me see that.”
Merlin had quickly scooped up the glass in his hand when Vivian spoke. He muttered something under his breath and then handed Flo the glass. Flo stared at it for a moment,
“You were amazing tonight,” she said.
“I know.”
She laughed at that. “Not exactly the modest one, are you.”
“Modesty is overrated.”
“I bet.” She extended a hand. “I’m Vivian. Vivian Mercer.”
Merlin stared at her for a moment, regarding her suspiciously. Then he shook the extended hand curtly. “Merlin,” he said.
“Not ‘Merlin Junior’? That’s how they bill you.”
“I know how they bill me. It was my idea. See a child billing himself ‘Merlin,’ and it’s preposterous. Everyone knows Merlin is an elderly man with a long white beard. But I call myself ‘Merlin Junior,’ and that makes it seem more reasonable to people somehow.”
“And do you care what people think?”
“Not particularly. Or…at all, really.”
“Then why…?”
“Because it pleases me to do so,” he said, sounding a bit cross. “I’m not accustomed to having to explain myself. Now did you come over to harass me or…?”
“No! No, not at all!” She looked concerned, but then smiled widely, and Merlin had to admit to himself that she did indeed have a dazzling smile. “I was just…well, see, I’m a bit of an amateur magician myself, and I was just wondering if you might give me the slightest hint of how you did some of the tricks you performed tonight…”
“Ah! Well, wonder no more.”
“You will?”
“Not if you were the last woman on Earth…which, by the way, wouldn’t be that much of a hardship if you asked me.”
“Wow.” Vivian sat back in her chair. “You don’t seem to have a high opinion of women.”
“I’m eight years old. I’m not supposed to. Although, for what it’s worth, I don’t have much of a high opinion of practically anybody.”
She suddenly reached over and took his hand, staring at his palm. He tried to pull away, greatly irritated. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“You have an amazing life line,” she said, her eyebrows raised so high they were practically intersecting. “It’s what I thought.”
“What is?”
“You have a very old soul.”
Merlin yanked his hand away, shaking it off as if he’d shoved it into something unpleasant. “Leave my soul out of this. In fact, leave me out of this.”
“Hey, Junior!” It was Flo, and Merlin had never been so happy to see the waitress in his life. She was standing next to Vivian, scowling, as she addressed her comment to Merlin. “This lady bothering you, kid?”
“Yeah. She is, actually.”
Her hip outthrust, Flo said tartly, “You got nothing better to do than bust a kid’s chops, sweetheart? Don’t you think maybe you should pick on somebody your own size…or generation, for that matter?”
“I wasn’t meaning to pick on him,” Vivian assured her. “I’m just an admirer.”
“Well, he’s a little young for you, sweetheart, so I think it’d be better if you admired him from afar, okay?”
“But I was just—”
“Okay?” Flo repeated in a way that indicated any answer that was other than what she wanted wasn’t going to be accepted.
Vivian looked as if she was going to offer further protest, but then simply nodded, and said, “Okay.” She rose, put out a hand, and said to Merlin, “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you,” said Merlin, raising neither hand from the table to shake hers.
Her hand dangled there in midair for a moment, then she lowered it and forced a smile. Her gaze wandered over to Merlin’s glass. “By the way,” she said loudly enough for Flo to hear, “I don’t think the authorities would approve of you serving alcohol to a minor.”
“What?” Flo demanded. “What are you talking about? What are you trying to start? I gave him water.”
“Looks like wine to me.”
“Junior, let me see that.”
Merlin had quickly scooped up the glass in his hand when Vivian spoke. He muttered something under his breath and then handed Flo the glass. Flo stared at it for a moment,
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