I
like?” Tikka said. “I like that Lady Kirsten. She wouldn’t take any of the shit
you fling, and she’s pretty, for a Big. You should let her know you’re willing
to go to bed.”
Vandis shook his head.
They always did this. “I’m not, though. I’m fine being single, and now I do have kids of my own, right here.”
“It’s hardly the same.
What about you, Dingus?” Tikka prodded. “You must be seeing someone. So
handsome, and so nice with the baby! Raven’s tail, I can’t imagine you’re by
yourself.”
“Yes, ma’am, I am,” Dingus
said, eyes on the floor, face like a hot coal.
“Well! Well!” Tikka threw
up her hands.
A change of subject was
most definitely in order. “Kessa here took second place in the All-Order Arm
Wrestling,” Vandis offered.
“ Did you? Sweetie,
that’s wonderful!”
Kessa grinned and flexed
so her muscle popped out. Tikka made admiring sounds and reached up to feel,
and the women in the room fell to praising Kessa.
Dingus’s attention was
mostly on Hilo, to whom he fed tiny bits of fish and vegetables, and then
cherry pie when dessert came, but he kept glancing at Vandis and frowning.
Vandis allowed himself
one slice of pie and pretended it wasn’t happening. He ate quickly. If he
didn’t leave soon, he wouldn’t. As soon as the last bite slid down his throat,
he stood. “I hate to eat and run, but I need to get going. The sooner I leave,
the sooner I’ll be back,” he said, that last mostly for his Junior’s benefit.
“Behave yourself,” Kessa
joked, and he stooped to let her kiss his cheek.
“I will if you will. You
know the rules by now, don’t you?”
She smiled at him. “Don’t
take any crap, make sure they draw back stumps, and listen to Dingus.”
“And watch out for
pickpockets, wooden royals, and ‘No Bigs’ signs.”
“Yes, Vandis. Be safe,
okay?”
He nodded and squeezed
her shoulder. “Tikka, a minute, if you can spare one?”
“Of course. Let’s go up
to the shrine.”
Dingus looked distinctly
hurt, but Vandis tried to shake it off and followed Tikka through the levels of
her cozy, brightly-decorated house, up to the very top, a simple platform high
in the canopy with a little incense burner carved like the white oak and a
figurine of the Lady.
“Do you like my statue?”
Tikka asked, pointing out the figurine. “Neen’s partner Loo made it for me
before he went back to the Men’s House.”
“I do like it,” Vandis
said, stooping to admire the dark, polished wood. It looked a little more
Ishian than the Lady was wont, but She wouldn’t have minded.
“He’s Hilo’s father. Neen
decided she wanted a break, but she will mope and sigh. I hope she’ll
have him back for good. He was an excellent addition to the household, and so
good-looking, too.” She finished with a wicked grin so broad only an Ish could
have managed it.
Vandis shook his head,
grinning too. “You’re just a dirty old bird at bottom.”
“I’m enjoying old age. I
get to say things and people write them off because I am old.” She
rubbed her hands together gleefully. “Now, what would you like to say to me,
friend?”
“Thank you for doing
this. I really appreciate it. They shouldn’t need much from you.”
“Of course!” she said.
“But I feel as if you want to tell me something else. Is it about your Junior?
I noticed you didn’t say good-bye to him.”
“Will you send him up to
me? Dingus is… he’d rather hear good-byes in private, I think.”
“All right. I’ll send
him,” she agreed, and headed for the trapdoor.
“Write to me,” he said,
fidgeting. “If there’s anything I need to know.”
“I’ll do that,” she said,
nodding, and went down.
In a few minutes Dingus
unfolded his lanky body from the trapdoor and rose, glancing around before his
eyes settled on Vandis. “Thought you were pissed at me,” he muttered, sticking
his hands in his pockets.
“I wasn’t.” Vandis
scowled. “Why’d you think a
like?” Tikka said. “I like that Lady Kirsten. She wouldn’t take any of the shit
you fling, and she’s pretty, for a Big. You should let her know you’re willing
to go to bed.”
Vandis shook his head.
They always did this. “I’m not, though. I’m fine being single, and now I do have kids of my own, right here.”
“It’s hardly the same.
What about you, Dingus?” Tikka prodded. “You must be seeing someone. So
handsome, and so nice with the baby! Raven’s tail, I can’t imagine you’re by
yourself.”
“Yes, ma’am, I am,” Dingus
said, eyes on the floor, face like a hot coal.
“Well! Well!” Tikka threw
up her hands.
A change of subject was
most definitely in order. “Kessa here took second place in the All-Order Arm
Wrestling,” Vandis offered.
“ Did you? Sweetie,
that’s wonderful!”
Kessa grinned and flexed
so her muscle popped out. Tikka made admiring sounds and reached up to feel,
and the women in the room fell to praising Kessa.
Dingus’s attention was
mostly on Hilo, to whom he fed tiny bits of fish and vegetables, and then
cherry pie when dessert came, but he kept glancing at Vandis and frowning.
Vandis allowed himself
one slice of pie and pretended it wasn’t happening. He ate quickly. If he
didn’t leave soon, he wouldn’t. As soon as the last bite slid down his throat,
he stood. “I hate to eat and run, but I need to get going. The sooner I leave,
the sooner I’ll be back,” he said, that last mostly for his Junior’s benefit.
“Behave yourself,” Kessa
joked, and he stooped to let her kiss his cheek.
“I will if you will. You
know the rules by now, don’t you?”
She smiled at him. “Don’t
take any crap, make sure they draw back stumps, and listen to Dingus.”
“And watch out for
pickpockets, wooden royals, and ‘No Bigs’ signs.”
“Yes, Vandis. Be safe,
okay?”
He nodded and squeezed
her shoulder. “Tikka, a minute, if you can spare one?”
“Of course. Let’s go up
to the shrine.”
Dingus looked distinctly
hurt, but Vandis tried to shake it off and followed Tikka through the levels of
her cozy, brightly-decorated house, up to the very top, a simple platform high
in the canopy with a little incense burner carved like the white oak and a
figurine of the Lady.
“Do you like my statue?”
Tikka asked, pointing out the figurine. “Neen’s partner Loo made it for me
before he went back to the Men’s House.”
“I do like it,” Vandis
said, stooping to admire the dark, polished wood. It looked a little more
Ishian than the Lady was wont, but She wouldn’t have minded.
“He’s Hilo’s father. Neen
decided she wanted a break, but she will mope and sigh. I hope she’ll
have him back for good. He was an excellent addition to the household, and so
good-looking, too.” She finished with a wicked grin so broad only an Ish could
have managed it.
Vandis shook his head,
grinning too. “You’re just a dirty old bird at bottom.”
“I’m enjoying old age. I
get to say things and people write them off because I am old.” She
rubbed her hands together gleefully. “Now, what would you like to say to me,
friend?”
“Thank you for doing
this. I really appreciate it. They shouldn’t need much from you.”
“Of course!” she said.
“But I feel as if you want to tell me something else. Is it about your Junior?
I noticed you didn’t say good-bye to him.”
“Will you send him up to
me? Dingus is… he’d rather hear good-byes in private, I think.”
“All right. I’ll send
him,” she agreed, and headed for the trapdoor.
“Write to me,” he said,
fidgeting. “If there’s anything I need to know.”
“I’ll do that,” she said,
nodding, and went down.
In a few minutes Dingus
unfolded his lanky body from the trapdoor and rose, glancing around before his
eyes settled on Vandis. “Thought you were pissed at me,” he muttered, sticking
his hands in his pockets.
“I wasn’t.” Vandis
scowled. “Why’d you think a
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