Part 28 (1/2)
I hadn't paid attention. It was working. What did I care?
He withdrew. It wasn't me making it work. I wasn't back on automatic yet.
”I still have to think about it. Maybe the stuff Teacher brought isn't the real antidote.”
Possibly not. He was not deeply concerned about an antidote when he purchased the samsom weed.
”Typical of the breed.”
I let Dean serve me breakfast. Singe came in. She'd been outside. I felt the cold roll off her fur. She said, ”You need to take a look out there before it all goes away.”
I finished my mug, went and looked.
The world was gla.s.s. Or crystal. Actually, all coated with ice. So much ice that the weight had broken limbs off trees and pulled gutters off buildings. A kitten thought about going out with me but changed up as soon as he laid paws on ice. He jumped back, shook each paw in turn, indignant. ”Don't blame me. You're the one who wanted out.”
I surveyed my neighborhood. Nothing moved but a family of mountain dwarfs trudging up Macunado like this was just a brisk morning in the hills back home. It had been an age since I'd seen TunFaire this quiet.
I retreated from the cold. ”You're right, Singe. It's fairy-tale beautiful. And now it's starting to snow.” Which would make the ice even more treacherous by masking its wicked face.
Dean met me at the door to the Dead Man's room. He'd brought more tea. ”You'll need this.”
I accepted and went inside.
The faces in the crowd remained the same. Saucerhead was sprawled on his back, taking up a vast amount of floor s.p.a.ce, snoring. Brittigarn and Merry Sculdyte were in chairs, limp, under mental sedation. Morley was awake. But he's the sort of pervert who doesn't mind being in that state when the sun comes up.
”You still here?”
”You brought a blast of cold air in with you. Meaning you just looked outside.”
”It's pretty out there.”
”Pretty isn't a problem for you. You're already home.”
I raised an eyebrow.
”I'm nimble. But not nimble enough to make it to The Palms without breaking something.”
”I saw a family of dwarfs out front. They were managing.”
”This is skinny-dipping weather where they come from. And you said there aren't any dwarfs around anymore.”
”I said you don't see many. I just caught the not many on the move.”
”You may have to give up beer.”
”That's a zig when I expected you to zag. What brought that on?”
”Singe.”
”Oh.” It would be a problem if she became too dedicated to barley soup. ”You don't suppose all that smoke out there is because Sarge and Puddle burned your place down?”
”I have an abiding suspicion that people are firing up their fireplaces.”
”It isn't winter yet.” The sharp, softly bitter smell of woodsmoke is a sure sign of winter. More than snow is. People fire up their fireplaces only when they're sure that the cold has arrived for real.
Fuel is dear. Most of it is barged in from way upriver.
I noted the presence of several kittens. One had homesteaded Saucerhead's chest. Another had set up housekeeping in Merry Sculdyte's lap. The Dead Man didn't intimidate them anymore. They avoided BB, though. Despite his snoring. Morley observed, ”It won't be Sarge and Puddle who do me in. Neither one of them is smart enough to start a fire. The ones who worry me are the ones who think think they're smart enough.” they're smart enough.”
The Dead Man didn't acknowledge my arrival until then. How is your hand this morning? Are you ready to resume How is your hand this morning? Are you ready to resume?
I noted that I was favoring my left. ”It's stiff. I won't be able to do much.”
Find a trustworthy professional letter writer.
”Have you paid any attention to me and Morley?”
I try not to indulge in frivolity.
”The weather situation isn't frivolous.”
Oh, my.
He did seem surprised. The season sneaked up on me. The season sneaked up on me.
I felt him recalculating how long he'd been asleep. ”It's unseasonable. But severe.”
It is snowing heavily now. Once several inches acc.u.mulate, the footing will become less of a problem.
”h.e.l.l, there's an old pair of skates down in the bas.e.m.e.nt somewhere. I could dig them out. I could fix them up, sharpen them up, refurbish them up, put them on Morley...”
Morley said, ”Morley don't skate.”
”Oh?”
”I tried it once. See this scar? In my eyebrow? That's what hit the ice first. Split me right open. Why are you grinning?”
”Nothing, really.” I was just delighted to discover that I could do something he couldn't, well and with style.
We will make do until the footing improves.
I noted a twinkle from under BB's brows. He was awake but pretending not to be.