question.â
âCanât you say âI have a questionâ?â
âDonât change the subject.â
âOkay. Prunes. What was the question, again?â
âYouâre being obdurate and obfuscatory!â
âIâm not! I donât think.â
âYouâre keeping something from me.â
âDried dates! Now Iâm mad!â
Then both would simply stop speakingâuntil one or the other started praying or crying about Pandy.
But on the afternoon of their fourth day aboard, Iole was being more persistent than usual.
âIâm one of your best friends, in case you werenât aware! Donât even think about denying it. And best friends are supposed to confide in each other.â
âYou donât have to know everything. Canât I just have a little secret to myself?â
âFine,â Iole said, then she paused. âI know what it is anyway.â
âWhat is it?â
âNever mind, I just know.â
Alcie was so disconcerted by this that she chased Iole all over the room, until the two girls began to laugh wildly. It was almost exhilarating to finally be able to release some of the anger and tension of the past few days, that Iole didnât even mind when Alcie ultimately tripped her, sending Iole sprawling onto one of the pallets, where Alcie sat on her back until she turned pink.
âYour hair is getting really long,â Alcie said.
âSo is yours. And youâre getting heavy. Really heavy.â Ioleâs words were muffled because she was facedown in the pallet linens.
Alcie began to absentmindedly braid Ioleâs dark brown hair while she sat on her, when suddenly the ship gave a tremendous lurch, followed by a long shudder and (they thought) a groan. Then silence. Then the old wood, all the beams, sidewalls, and floorboards at once, began to creak incessantly. Then silence.
Alcie leapt off of Ioleâs back. They both remained stock-still for a minute. Then they heard heavy footsteps in the corridor, which stopped just outside the door to Homerâs cabin, directly across from theirs. Homer had been out all day, Alcie was sure of it, and was just now returning to his cabin. Waiting a full ten seconds, Alcie opened the door and collided with Homer, standing in the doorframe. She felt the most astounding and unusual electric shock run through her body.
âUhââ
âUhââ
âOkay,â Iole said from behind, âour cabin. Hurry before anyone sees!â
Alcie and Iole picked the cushions off the floor and sat on one of the two small pallets in the cabin while Homer sat on the other, after turning it right-side up.
âDo you know what just happened?â Alcie asked.
âYes, do you know why the boat just lurched so violently?â Iole followed.
âWhy is everything overturned?â Homer asked, unaware of their questions. âWhat were you guys doing?â
âOh, that. Uh . . . exercising,â said Alcie. Iole just rubbed her sides.
âWell,â Homer whispered, âyou know Iâve, like, basically been in only two places since we were kidnapped: my cabin and the captainâs quarters.â
As Homer was talking, Alcie noticed that he wasnât really looking at them . . . his gaze was focused just past her and his voice, even in a whisper, seemed to catch in his throat.
âNow, I know Jealousy and Vanity are already in the box, that is if Pandy is still alive, and the box didnât get smashed or something.â
âMay I just say that you have the most delicate, sophisticated, and urbane way of putting things,â Iole said.
âBut you also said something,â Homer went on, completely oblivious, âabout having to find some lesser evils. And you didnât know where to look for them?â
âCorrect,â Iole said.
âWell, I was just looking at some scrolls in the captainâs cabin, and
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