Meanwhile…
Above…
The sea
Not far from the coast of New Thrimp
A world as yet unnamed
-Holly-
‘Begging your pardoning for the disturbing of your conversing, Your Grace,’ the man trilled. He bowed theatrically before the feet of the Goblin. The sounds of joyful shouting and clinking bottles carried over from the other end of the ship.
‘My Lord,’ Gennara raised one eyebrow, but her voice was warm. ‘Your countenance alone is quite disturbing enough. I fail to imagine anything you might say that could disturb me to any greater degree than that to which I am already disturbed.’
‘Erm.’ the man replied, uncertainly. ‘Your Grace?’
Holly—whom Gennarra had casually lifted and rotated so that they now sat facing one another on the Goblin’s back—looked down and recognised the man as the one who had earlier suggested Belle stand under Marco with a bucket.
‘What I mean to say is that you may speak, Lord Certainflex.’
He grinned. He looked entirely normal, with a round, everyday sort of face and no apparent ‘betterments’ to his body. Holly found that just as unsettling as Lady Subtletouch’s hands, if not moreso—it meant that whatever he had done to himself was hidden from view. His Polity-given name—Certainflex—offerred little clue as to his specialisation.
‘Ahem,’ he began. ‘It would be an honour and a delight, far greater than anything we rabble deserve, if Your Grace would consider descending from her exalted position atop her most noble beast and deign, even if but momentarily, to participate in a spot of revelry with her humble underlings.’ He knelt and offered up a hand to her. She eyed it with affront.
‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘It would.’
Lord Certainflex blinked in confusion.
‘My Lord, it should be readily apparent to one with your unquestionable powers of observation that I am currently quite consciously and deliberately not engaged in, as you put it, a spot of revelry.’
‘Yes, Your Grace.’
‘And one with your unquestionable powers of reasoning should not be overburdened to therefore infer that I do not, at this moment, desire to be engaged in said spot of revelry.’
‘Yes, Your Grace.’
‘Should I feel a sudden and overwhelming compulsion towards a spot of revelry, My Lord, you have my assurance that I shall address it myself. Indeed, I shall seek you out in person and alert you to the fact.’
‘Yes, Your Grace.’
‘Until such a time, however, My Lord, I would beg of you a courtesy.’
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‘Your Grace?’
‘The courtesy of your absence.’
‘Ah. Yes, Your Grace.’ He inclined his head towards Holly. ‘My Lady.’
‘And you will remember your manners. Miss Healey has no title.’
‘My apologies.’ He nodded to Holly once more. ‘Miss.’
He went to retreat, but Gennara called him back. ‘And Roddenly?’
‘Your Grace?’
‘Remind the chaps that we have delicate company on board. Miss Healey is to be welcomed warmly, but with due respect and propriety. In fact, I shall hold you personally responsible for her good treatment. Ensure that you attend to her needs, and by that I do not intend some foul euphemism, I refer solely to the wellbeing, both physical and mental, of a sensitive young woman. She is not to witness anything… distressing.’
The man grinned again, waggling his eyebrows. ‘If our honoured guest is so easily scandalised, Your Grace, might I suggest that it may be necessary to acquaint her with scandal at the earliest opportunity, to ensure her ongoing comfort in our midst.’
‘No.’ Gennara waved him away.
‘Um,’ said Holly.
‘Don’t worry,’ Gennara smiled. ‘You’re perfectly safe up here with me.’
‘Oh,’ said Holly. ‘Good, I mean. Great. But does that mean I need to… er, stay, up here?’
‘No. So long as you aware that when I put you down, the people will be eager to get to know their new hero.’
Holly grimaced and Gennara chuckled at her discomfort. ‘Roddenly will look after you. They all will. We have no alcohol for you, I’m afraid, though that is probably for the best. I may be able to dig out a coil of Amberlace—’
‘No,’ said Holly immediately, and Gennara nodded her understanding.
‘Then go. You should socialise with your new people before the Lilymilk gets to them and they become… less conversational, shall we say? Follow only two rules: the first is just a suggestion, you being a full-grown woman’—Gennara raised an eyebrow in a manner that was anything but subtle, causing Holly to blush—‘don’t… entangle yourself too far beyond ‘how do you do,’ if you find my meaning. We of the Polity are known for our affection and affection can be enticing, especially in times of high emotion. But we are also known for our vigour and, not to put too fine a point on it, we are less fragile than you, and we heal better. Perhaps on some carefree, idle Sunday you might find someone to help you explore those particular waters with a healthy balance of joy and caution but today, I fear, caution will have been cast overboard and none of my crew are to be entrusted with anything delicate. Which leads me to the second rule.’
Her expression hardened, just a touch. A slight edge entered her voice.
‘Do not touch the Lilymilk.’
Holly blinked. Of course she wasn’t going to touch the Lilymilk—she hadn’t come this far only to poison herself. ‘I have witnessed first-hand the deaths of laypeople poisoned by it. I will describe them to you as a deterrent. Bodies dried out and twisted; skin thickened like leather, pulled tight as though sucked in from the inside, streaked with veins of purple; bones broken by the contractions of their own muscles. I will not see that happen to you. You may be curious as to its effects and wonder whether the tiniest sip would harm you. It will. Do not touch the Lilymilk.’
‘Yes, Your Grace,’ Holly said. Gennara burst out laughing.
‘One of us already!’ she cried in delight. ‘You’re going to fit in beautifully. But, Miss Healey.’ She raised one hand, bedecked in rings of black oak and bright precious stones, to cup Holly’s cheek. She froze; Gennara’s thumb traced her cheekbone and she couldn’t tell whether the gesture was threat or affection, but it held her in place as effectively as being skewered by a harpoon.
‘Seriously,’ she said, her voice soft. ‘What you did tonight… I can’t imagine how that must have been for you. To betray another, however you may feel about them, and however good your reasons, is an enormous thing for one with morals, which you clearly do. It speaks volumes for your quality of character that you struggled with it, even knowing it was right. You’re putting a beautifully brave face on it but I know you must be hurting. If you want to talk about it, or if you need some time by yourself, just let me know. I’ll be here, and sober.’
‘Oh,’ said Holly. Feelings threatened to bubble up but she forced them back down, resisting the urge to lean her face into the hand and take the comfort it offered. She couldn’t let the mask slip now. ‘You don’t have to do that,’ she said.
‘Yes,’ said Gennara, looking into her face. ‘I do. You’re one of mine now. That means I look after you.’
Holly could only nod.
‘Go on then. Run along and play.’ With that she placed her hands around Holly’s waist and effortlessly hoisted her down the the floor as the Goblin lowered itself to its knees to ease her dismounting. As Holly walked hesitantly towards the sounds of celebration, Gennara called after her: ‘If you need me, just shout. I’ll come running.’