Read Online Seeking Crystal by Joss Stirling - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joss Stirling
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closed.
‘That’s an amazing place to work.’ Xav turned to go in completely the wrong direction. Rocco and I headed towards home, the beagle looking mournfully over his shoulder until Xav realized we weren’t with him.
‘I’m sure we came that way,’ he said, catching up with me and pointing to the other side of the bridge.
‘Maybe you did, but that isn’t the quickest way back. Follow me.’
My gift had proved useful in Venice in the first few months here, as the network of streets was bewildering. Still, it didn’t help with the sudden blind alleys or streets ending at a canal, which thwarted you from carrying on in a straight line; only local knowledge could solve that problem. Many streets here are so narrow you have to proceed single file, but on the maps they are drawn as main routes. Tourists can be forgiven for hesitating before marching along a path that in any other city would only lead into someone’s backyard or wheelie bins. I was rather pleased to be able to display my expertise to Xav, threading our way without making a single mistake, until we reached the Accademia Bridge, the southern-most of the three over the Grand Canal.
We paused at the top of the arch to admire the view. Even after more than a year in Venice I always stopped to remind myself of the incredible city that had become my home.
‘This place is extreme.’ Xav leant on the parapet, watching the gondoliers pass under with a cargo of Japanese tourists. I stood beside him. I love this view of the church of Santa Maria della Salute, the very one that I ran to daily. It sat at the end of the Grand Canal like a very fat question mark. While Venice is mainly about horizontals, long, low islands and winding river channels, here the view emphasized the verticals: tall palaces rising directly out of the jade green water, candy-striped mooring poles, wooden piles driven into lagoon mud. I’ve often thought it would make the good basis for an abstract fabric print—just the hint of Venetian colours and lines. I should sketch it sometime and show the signora.
‘So, how did the visit to the doctor go?’ Xav tapped the parapet restlessly.
‘It didn’t. I didn’t go.’ I tugged Rocco away from a fallen ice cream cone and started down the opposite slope of the bridge. ‘I’ve been feeling fine.’
‘You, Beauty, are enough to drive a boy to drastic measures.’
I let the pet name pass on this occasion; Lily and Signora Carriera had helped change my mind about that. ‘What can you do? It’s my body.’
‘I could tell your sister.’
‘And what happened to doctor-patient confidentiality? You may have the spidey sense, as you called it, but that comes with responsibility—I’ve seen the movie.’
‘Rocco, bite her. Someone needs to make her see reason.’
The beagle looked up at Xav, puzzled to hear his name.
‘Don’t bring him into it. That’s not fair.’
‘I seem to remember someone promising to see a doctor when they left Denver.’
‘Well, I changed my mind. Let it go.’
‘Will you let me take a closer look then?’ He made a step towards me but I dodged his touch.
‘So do you think Steve Hughes is the greatest actor of his generation or not? Personally I’m a big fan. I’m hoping we’ll get to meet him.’
‘Good try but changing the subject won’t work with me. You saw Rocco with that gold stuff in the store—that’s me with the little matter of someone’s health.’ He grinned, expecting me to appreciate the self-mockery.
I was not in the mood for his brand of charm. ‘I’m not a child; it’s my life: I can make my own decisions.’
‘Like that’s turning out so well for you.’
I felt he had just cut me off at the knees. Xav had teased me frequently but he’d never been cruel before. I looked away before he saw that he had upset me. ‘I repeat: it’s my life; if I want to make a mess of it then that’s my decision.’
He sighed, reaching out to me then dropping his arm when he
‘That’s an amazing place to work.’ Xav turned to go in completely the wrong direction. Rocco and I headed towards home, the beagle looking mournfully over his shoulder until Xav realized we weren’t with him.
‘I’m sure we came that way,’ he said, catching up with me and pointing to the other side of the bridge.
‘Maybe you did, but that isn’t the quickest way back. Follow me.’
My gift had proved useful in Venice in the first few months here, as the network of streets was bewildering. Still, it didn’t help with the sudden blind alleys or streets ending at a canal, which thwarted you from carrying on in a straight line; only local knowledge could solve that problem. Many streets here are so narrow you have to proceed single file, but on the maps they are drawn as main routes. Tourists can be forgiven for hesitating before marching along a path that in any other city would only lead into someone’s backyard or wheelie bins. I was rather pleased to be able to display my expertise to Xav, threading our way without making a single mistake, until we reached the Accademia Bridge, the southern-most of the three over the Grand Canal.
We paused at the top of the arch to admire the view. Even after more than a year in Venice I always stopped to remind myself of the incredible city that had become my home.
‘This place is extreme.’ Xav leant on the parapet, watching the gondoliers pass under with a cargo of Japanese tourists. I stood beside him. I love this view of the church of Santa Maria della Salute, the very one that I ran to daily. It sat at the end of the Grand Canal like a very fat question mark. While Venice is mainly about horizontals, long, low islands and winding river channels, here the view emphasized the verticals: tall palaces rising directly out of the jade green water, candy-striped mooring poles, wooden piles driven into lagoon mud. I’ve often thought it would make the good basis for an abstract fabric print—just the hint of Venetian colours and lines. I should sketch it sometime and show the signora.
‘So, how did the visit to the doctor go?’ Xav tapped the parapet restlessly.
‘It didn’t. I didn’t go.’ I tugged Rocco away from a fallen ice cream cone and started down the opposite slope of the bridge. ‘I’ve been feeling fine.’
‘You, Beauty, are enough to drive a boy to drastic measures.’
I let the pet name pass on this occasion; Lily and Signora Carriera had helped change my mind about that. ‘What can you do? It’s my body.’
‘I could tell your sister.’
‘And what happened to doctor-patient confidentiality? You may have the spidey sense, as you called it, but that comes with responsibility—I’ve seen the movie.’
‘Rocco, bite her. Someone needs to make her see reason.’
The beagle looked up at Xav, puzzled to hear his name.
‘Don’t bring him into it. That’s not fair.’
‘I seem to remember someone promising to see a doctor when they left Denver.’
‘Well, I changed my mind. Let it go.’
‘Will you let me take a closer look then?’ He made a step towards me but I dodged his touch.
‘So do you think Steve Hughes is the greatest actor of his generation or not? Personally I’m a big fan. I’m hoping we’ll get to meet him.’
‘Good try but changing the subject won’t work with me. You saw Rocco with that gold stuff in the store—that’s me with the little matter of someone’s health.’ He grinned, expecting me to appreciate the self-mockery.
I was not in the mood for his brand of charm. ‘I’m not a child; it’s my life: I can make my own decisions.’
‘Like that’s turning out so well for you.’
I felt he had just cut me off at the knees. Xav had teased me frequently but he’d never been cruel before. I looked away before he saw that he had upset me. ‘I repeat: it’s my life; if I want to make a mess of it then that’s my decision.’
He sighed, reaching out to me then dropping his arm when he
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