59 WAYS OF THE WORDS (2/2)
”Yeah, I guess you are right,” he hesitatingly nodded, ”but... it doesn't sound all that reassuring when it comes out through the mouth of someone who dances on toes from a minor scratch.”
”Hmph, I would make do with whatever I've got,” Sariyu poked her tongue into the cheek, ”You are the one not doing that. You've not put the rattail to use and made yourself an enemy out of the cat.”
”I didn't think the cat would come after me right away,” Lirzod said, his face paling slightly. ”Because of that, I had no other choice. I couldn't even sing the song that I have prepared for the cat.”
”Song?” Sariyu made strong eye contact. ”What song?”
”Ahem,” Lirzod cleared his throat, making Sariyu think 'oh, no,' but she wasn't ready to close her eyes and then came in Lirzod's way of words. ”Aye! Aye! Move your feet! Come to me, or go for a pee. O pretty kitty.” After finishing it, Lirzod's chest puffed up a bit. ”How was it? I wished to interact with the cat using that.” Sadness crept over his face and shrank his chest, ”Now we'll never know what the cat would've done. Maybe it would've gone out of the ring for a pee, or maybe—”
”Would have hanged itself,” Sariyu muttered under her breath, ”that's what it would have done.”
”Did you say something?”
”Ah, I was wondering whether or not Primera would have been proud of you if she were to be here.”
”Oh, that's nice of you, but it's all right,” Lirzod's complexion turned ruddy. ”We'll sing to her multiple versions of this song when we get back home.”
Sariyu's lips stretched into a smile while her eyes widened a bit. (Do that, and her ears will bleed for sure. I already feel some itching in my ears. Poor me.) Even though there was cotton in her purse, the damage to her ears was already done. ”Still and all, you look satisfied enough from the victory.”
”Victory…” Lirzod paused a moment while tapping his finger on chin. ”Wait, how much did you bet?”
”Two silver.”
”Oh, so you'll be getting twenty silver now. Give me half of it.”
”What?” Sariyu was bewildered. ”You've just won a fortune, and you want a split in mine, too?”
”Yep,” Lirzod quietly replied. ”That rule is for all, you know.”
Sariyu clenched her fists, ”You really are...”
”But you don't need to give it to me. Just give it to the booth owner, Viktor... if I remember his name right.”
”To him?” Sariyu was puzzled, ”for what?”
”He wanted to repair his face,” Lirzod said.
”You mean 'heal his face,'” she was a bit surprised but also felt doubtful as she remembered Viktor's face, ”Would ten silver be enough? That injury looked nasty.”
”If not, give him more.”
Sariyu ground her teeth. ”I'm not a cloud of coins to constantly shower money on all the needy I come across.” She controlled her urge from pinching Lirzod. ”That said, if you want me to be one, then first be an ocean and offer some vapor to the cloud.”
”You want me to put some wealth in your hands huh... Geez, you could have just said it straightforwardly.” Lirzod paused for a moment before sniffling sadly. ”Got it. Victory is sweetest not after the deft but diligent efforts. I was thinking of celebrating with you before the sweetness goes away, but you know, these deals don't help the cause at all.”
”I'm not falling for that.” Sariyu snorted and stayed silent for a moment. ”But it's still a surprise seeing you think back of a sentence or two from school. I hope no tsunami sinks our ship.”
”Hehe,” Lirzod rubbed his nose, ”what you've seen is nothing. I've barely scratched the surface of my remembrance. Wanna see more?”
”No thanks,” Sariyu lifted both of her palms and exposed them to him, ”I don't want to be swept under what comes next.”
”Haha… Mm?” Lirzod looked around for a few moments. ”Where's he?”
”He...” Sariyu realized that he was asking for Burton, but no more words came out of her mouth.
”He's probably hiding somewhere nearby because his wish didn't come true, and I won in the first attempt itself,” Lirzod said and laughed. ”How cunning of him! He knew it was better to stay out of my sight for now.”
”Y-Yeah.”
”All right, let's go and find out how much we've earned,” Lirzod said, trying to hold her hand, ”when he's back, we'll count the coins before him.”
”It's better to let him be,” Sariyu said, swiftly yet gently pushing his hand away, ”he can be more of a bully than you can ever be.” As they both walked together, she glanced at him. ”Putting Burton's matter aside, I think I've told you numerous times already to not hold my hand just for the hell of it. I don't want people to think improperly about us.”
”I still don't get why you make a big deal out of a simple holding of the hands,” Lirzod harrumphed. ”I wish Duera was here. She wouldn't ever sully my sentiments as you do.”
”Mm, you are right,” she gave him an icy glance. ”Maybe I should tell her to treat you more impartially in the future.”
”Hmph, why would she listen to you?”
”Did you forget that she answers to my house more than she does to yours?”
Lirzod shoulders slightly jerked, and he looked away. ”I don't know what you're talking about.”
Meanwhile, on the twentieth deck, inside the surveillance chamber, Gorka was watching the whole scene on a smokecast.
”Ow, those scratches burn like hell,” the buck-toothed boy felt bad for Lirzod, ”he'll feel the burns for many moons.”
Gorka was observing Bruiser—who, at the moment, was mindlessly clawing at everything that moved—with a blank expression, and he squinted his eyes and noticed that Bruiser's whiskers on one side of the mouth were missing in half. ”Mm… so that's how it is.”
”What are you analyzing, sir?” the buck-toothed boy couldn't help but inquire. ”Is it about that scar-faced boy?”
”Well, yes…” Gorka placed his hands on his back and smiled at ease. ”Every deck on this ship awaits for new blood to arise. It's good that his potential, apparent then, is clearer now.”