old Alander she knew, drawn up and proper. “Dosia? Here? Well, why don’t we go in and have a drink and you can tell me the whole story. There must be a story.”
He didn’t wait for an answer. He took a ring of keys from inside his vest and let them in. The shelves, she saw now, were indeed full of books—hundreds, thousands. Esmerine had only ever seen one book at a time before. Of course all those books Alan brought had to come from somewhere, but she never realized …
Alan hung his hat on a peg, atop a black cloak already hanging there. He scratched his back on the door frame. He straightened out a few books on a display table. She watched all this without a word, wondering if he’d ever stop moving. It was almost like he was avoiding her.
Finally. He nudged a chair toward her and sank into the other himself, taking the book out from his vest.
He watched her limp to the chair, a funny expression in his eyes, like pity—or guilt …? She didn’t want Alan to pity her, like she pitied the beggars on the street. He had seen her walk before, on the islands, and even work her way up trees, and he hadn’t pitied her then. She suddenly felt stupid.
He looked out the windows, fixating on a girl trying to urge a pig down the street with little success. “What happened to your sister?”
She had long imagined this moment, when she would see Alander again. They would tell each other everything, say things like:
I’ve never forgotten you.
Nor I you.
Her memories of him had been so different. Maybe he just wasn’t suited to the city, she decided. It seemed like he had something else on his mind.
She didn’t really want to tell him anything now. She instantly sensed that she would only be a burden to him. Yet, something had to be said. “Yes, Dosia … well, we think she’s been taken by a human man. She was a siren.”
“And you came after her?” he said, turning back to her sharply. “If she’s bound to a human man, you can’t do anything for her.”
“At the very least I need to bring word of her back home.”
“Would you really be content just to bring word?” Alander asked, in the snappish tone she remembered all too well when something irritated him. She wondered suddenly why she ever wanted to see him again.
“Look, Alander, it’s Dosia. I have to try. If I never even tried … She’d do the same for me.”
Alander looked restless sitting down. “Well.” He tapped his thumbs together. “I understand …”
“Do you?” She tried not to sound especially hopeful.
“Where are you staying? For how long?”
“Nowhere … yet.” She tried to smile, like she had it all planned. “I have this statue to trade for lodgings.”
He squinted. “Let me see.”
She passed it to him, and he frowned. “It’s one of us.”
“Well, yes.”
“It looks … rather like it’s from the Second Imperial period. My father collects these. Strange thing for a mermaid to have.”
“I don’t know. Dosia gave it to me.”
He put it down, still regarding it. “You’ll have to take it to market and trade for coins, then make your way to an inn, and then go who knows where looking for your sister.”
“I can walk,” she said, sounding much more capable than she felt.
“In a manner of speaking.” He looked up as two girls stepped inside the shop. “How can I help you ladies?”
They turned their bonneted heads to one another, giggling. One shook her head.
“We have a new pamphlet by Hauzdeen,” Alander said.
“Hauzdeen?” one of the girls said, fluttering dark eyelashes. “I don’t think I’ve read anything he’s written.”
“It’s a bit controversial, but his arguments are very well posed, and I think any reasonable person will see he considers both sides,” he said, thankfully unmoved, Esmerine thought, by the plump and healthy girl whose big blue eyes matched her dress. “I’m sure you’ll find it enriching.”
“I have all the enriching I need,” the other girl
He didn’t wait for an answer. He took a ring of keys from inside his vest and let them in. The shelves, she saw now, were indeed full of books—hundreds, thousands. Esmerine had only ever seen one book at a time before. Of course all those books Alan brought had to come from somewhere, but she never realized …
Alan hung his hat on a peg, atop a black cloak already hanging there. He scratched his back on the door frame. He straightened out a few books on a display table. She watched all this without a word, wondering if he’d ever stop moving. It was almost like he was avoiding her.
Finally. He nudged a chair toward her and sank into the other himself, taking the book out from his vest.
He watched her limp to the chair, a funny expression in his eyes, like pity—or guilt …? She didn’t want Alan to pity her, like she pitied the beggars on the street. He had seen her walk before, on the islands, and even work her way up trees, and he hadn’t pitied her then. She suddenly felt stupid.
He looked out the windows, fixating on a girl trying to urge a pig down the street with little success. “What happened to your sister?”
She had long imagined this moment, when she would see Alander again. They would tell each other everything, say things like:
I’ve never forgotten you.
Nor I you.
Her memories of him had been so different. Maybe he just wasn’t suited to the city, she decided. It seemed like he had something else on his mind.
She didn’t really want to tell him anything now. She instantly sensed that she would only be a burden to him. Yet, something had to be said. “Yes, Dosia … well, we think she’s been taken by a human man. She was a siren.”
“And you came after her?” he said, turning back to her sharply. “If she’s bound to a human man, you can’t do anything for her.”
“At the very least I need to bring word of her back home.”
“Would you really be content just to bring word?” Alander asked, in the snappish tone she remembered all too well when something irritated him. She wondered suddenly why she ever wanted to see him again.
“Look, Alander, it’s Dosia. I have to try. If I never even tried … She’d do the same for me.”
Alander looked restless sitting down. “Well.” He tapped his thumbs together. “I understand …”
“Do you?” She tried not to sound especially hopeful.
“Where are you staying? For how long?”
“Nowhere … yet.” She tried to smile, like she had it all planned. “I have this statue to trade for lodgings.”
He squinted. “Let me see.”
She passed it to him, and he frowned. “It’s one of us.”
“Well, yes.”
“It looks … rather like it’s from the Second Imperial period. My father collects these. Strange thing for a mermaid to have.”
“I don’t know. Dosia gave it to me.”
He put it down, still regarding it. “You’ll have to take it to market and trade for coins, then make your way to an inn, and then go who knows where looking for your sister.”
“I can walk,” she said, sounding much more capable than she felt.
“In a manner of speaking.” He looked up as two girls stepped inside the shop. “How can I help you ladies?”
They turned their bonneted heads to one another, giggling. One shook her head.
“We have a new pamphlet by Hauzdeen,” Alander said.
“Hauzdeen?” one of the girls said, fluttering dark eyelashes. “I don’t think I’ve read anything he’s written.”
“It’s a bit controversial, but his arguments are very well posed, and I think any reasonable person will see he considers both sides,” he said, thankfully unmoved, Esmerine thought, by the plump and healthy girl whose big blue eyes matched her dress. “I’m sure you’ll find it enriching.”
“I have all the enriching I need,” the other girl
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