diff --git a/chapters/chapter-25.md b/chapters/chapter-25.md index f2cf9b6..a7e57e4 100644 --- a/chapters/chapter-25.md +++ b/chapters/chapter-25.md @@ -166,37 +166,55 @@ Ragon groaned. "Oh, that would be horrible. I'm still dreaming of hearing your p "He killed his best friend's wife, remember. Nasty, nasty man. Be careful, Lin. Be really careful, he won't hestiate to hurt you if come up on him." -Ragon started to say something but then his eyes glanced up. Sharply inhaling, he stood up abruptly just as Brook slapped her hand on the table next to Linsan. +Ragon started to say something but then his eyes glanced up. Sharply inhaling, he stood up abruptly just as Brook slapped her hand on the table next to Linsan. She was wearing a dark green gloves with the fingertips exposed. To Linsan's surprise, Brook's fingernails had been painted to match. -"Get up! We need to get out of this damn place and find my buggy!" she snapped. +"Get up! We need to get out of this damn place and find my buggy! No one is bothering to help me," she snapped. -Linsan jumped before turning to look up at her. "Brook, I think---" +Linsan jumped before turning to look up at her. She wasn't surprised to see that Brook was wearing an elegant evening dress but the contrast between her companion's outfit and everyone else was startling. Brook's dress looked more like the ones in the paintings, with ruffles and delicate embroidery. It was coordinated with her gloves and her fingernails. She even wore a hair piece with a bit of lace that covered part of her face and her dark curls. -Brook's face was twisted in a scowl. "I don't care about your stupid friends with the instruments. We need to get to Dorsen and Sons and see if they found those damn---" She cut herself off. +The words died in Linsan's throat. -Ragon stood up and held out his hand. "Excuse me." +Compared to the other women in the pub, Linsan was overdressed. Linsan had noticed it before but the contrast was almost painful. + +Brook held out her hand with an exasperated scoff. "Well? Get up." + +Linsan looked back. "We should wait. The lines will clear out soon enough and we can get going." + +The green glove tightened into a fist on the table. "I have no interest "You just want to spend more time with these... tuneless..." She shook her fist as she struggled with the word. "... ragamuffins!" + +Wendil's jaw drop in shocked. + +Ragon just smirked. + +Brook leaned over and hissed, "Get up and help me get my damn car. We need to get to Dorsen and Sons and see if they found those damn---" She cut herself off and looked sharply at the other people at the table. + +Ragon smoothly stood up and held out his hand. "Excuse me. You can call me---" Brook settled a withering glare at him and his hand. -He pulled his hand back and then set down. He gave Linsan a sympathetic look. "I can see why you didn't want to spend the night with her. I bet she bites in her sleep." +He pulled his hand back and then set down. He gave Linsan a sympathetic look. "I can see why you didn't want to spend the night with her. I bet she bites in her sleep. Or at least kicks." -There was a stunned silence. +There was a stunned silence around the table. -Linsan looked up to see Brook's cheeks were colored underneath her scowl. Then she turned away. "Ragon, just tell her." +Linsan looked up to see Brook's cheeks were colored underneath her scowl. Then she turned away. "Ragon, just tell her what you told me." Ragon crossed his arms over his chest. "Please?" -He rolled his eyes and then sighed. "Fine." Rolling his head to the side, he stared at Brook. "Tiblin and his friends would never go to Dorsen's. Not after Gebaw got fired from there." +He rolled his eyes and then sighed. "Fine." Rolling his head to the side, he stared at Brook. "Tiblin and his friends would never go to Dorsen's. Not after Gebaw got fired from there when---" -"How would you know?" Brook's voice cut through the din. +"How would you know that?" Brook's voice cut him off. -"I work there, Snake Tongue. And if you closed your mouth and---" +Ragon snapped his finger and held up his hand. "Listen, Snake Tongue". + +Brooke drew herself up, a look of outrage on her face. + +"I work at Dorsen's. If you are capable of closing your pretty mouth and listening, maybe I---" Wendil smacked Ragon. -He glared at her but then continued. "Besides, if they were going anywhere, they would head straight for Geb's barn. It's about a day's walk off the main road leading to Moon Waters to one of the smaller villages." +He glared at her but then continued. He appeared to calm down. "If they were going anywhere with a shiny car like Lin described, they would head straight for Geb's barn. It's about a day's walk off the main road leading to Moon Waters to one of the smaller villages." Brook glared at Linsan who ducked her head. @@ -206,7 +224,7 @@ Ragon smiled. "Sit." "No." -"Well, then I guess you're going to miss it." Ragon smiled. It looked cheerful but there was a hardness in his eyes. +"Well, then I guess you're going to miss it, snake in ruffles." Ragon smiled. It looked cheerful but there was a hardness in his eyes. "Ragon," said both Wendil and Linsan. @@ -234,17 +252,17 @@ He grinned and held up his empty glass. "A lager then? Or do you prefer somethin Brook made a face before she pulled out a seat between Linsan and Wendil. Primly, she sat down. "Tea, and black and strong as they'll make it." -Wendil leaned forward. "Grabil or Tinkoil style. Or something more exotic like Asanogi?" +Wendil leaned forward. "Grabil or Tinkoil style. Or something more exotic like Nasanogin?" -"*Asanōgi*," Brook said prolonging the vowel, "with a lot of cream and sugar." +"*Asanōgi*," Brook said prolonging the vowel. It also began and ended with a vowel, which gave it a jarring sound when every name Linsan had heard had consonants. "I like it with a lot of cream and sugar." Linsan looked at the two. Wendil grinned and tapped her hat. "I serve tea to my customers. They like to hear the exotic styles." -Brook seemed to relax. "Millinery?" When Wendil nodded, Brook held out a gloved hand. "May I see?" +Brook seemed to relax. Her eyes scanned over Wendil for a moment. "Millinery?" When Wendil nodded, Brook held out a gloved hand. "May I see?" -Wendil seemed to glow as she took off her hat and handed it over. +Wendil's smile glowed as she took off her hat and handed it over. Inspecting it carefully for a moment, Brook relaxed even more before she handed it back. "Very well," she said, "I'll play. Tell me more."