NINETY-EIGHT: Graceful Sleep

NINETY-EIGHT: Graceful Sleep

“I got to send Ricci a V-dot. She’s out of here,” Burton stopped. “How long you been hiding her here?”

“She’s been here a couple of weeks. I haven’t been hiding her.”

“How come I haven’t seen her?”

“You have. She’s been around. You’ve talked to her.”

“Nonesense.  I would’ve recognized her.  I mean, she looks rough but no one can over look that skin.”

The moon was in full glow now.

“Maybe not during the day,” said Jude.  He also wondered if she’d been skin dancing but didn’t dare mention it. He was concerned that he hadn’t seen her before now.  He had pretty much kept to the horse and hadn’t ventured out until that morning when he decided to walk around the farm for the first time since he’d gotten there two weeks ago.

“How long you say she’s been here?”

“A couple of weeks.”

“Weeks!” he was beginning to panic. “I have not seen her until just now.  I’ll swear by it.”

“You had her slopping the pigs,” Jude was calm.

“I did no such thing!”

“Yes, you did,” said Jude. “Now, I think that’s something Ricci would like to know.”

“You wouldn’t. After all I’ve done for you.”

Jude was silent for a moment.

“You should remember, I work for Ricci, let me handle him. And the meantime, don’t send off any V-dots to Ricci.”

“It may not matter who’s nephew, son or whatever you are. And it may not matter that you’re Ricci’s spoiled little pet. If he doesn’t know she’s here -”

He looked around with a suspicious eye before continuing.

 “Do you think I was at that corner store every day by choice?” he smiled. “I’d rather be here than that stinking city. You’re not the only one who knows him. Ricci and I go way back.”

He stood looking at Arous again then turned to Jude.

“I’m not doing you any favors,” he said, then. “Ladoiselle Jellina will be here tomorrow.”

“What’s she coming out here for?” Jude seemed startled.

“What do I know? Heard that Ricci wasn’t too happy with you when you left,” then he smiled leaning into Jude. “Maybe Ricci already knows your girlfriend’s here.”

He turned to go, grumbling as he went. “Too bad she wasn’t killed in the earthquake. Fact, she’s Lunese? They don’t make the Graceful Sleep Laws for nothing.  Those laws should have been enforced when they first found her mother and none of this would’ve happened.  Though, she was a stunning woman.” Burton paused. Then his voice turned cold. “I heard the Mercy League went in there after the earthquake and helped out a bunch of the injured. They must not’ve found her. ”

The ensuing silence pulled Arous up to a sitting position.  The door cracked.

“Arous, are you awake?”

“The Mercy League?” Arous asked. “Aren’t the responsible for the Graceful Sleep laws?”

“Yeah.”

“It’ll all work out. I know,” said Arous.

“Jellina’s coming tomorrow.”

“Ricci and I . . .  we didn’t end on the best of terms,” said Arous.

“Neither did we,” said Jude. “Look.  Just stay here for the rest of today.  It’s about to storm and Burton won’t come back out here in the rain,” he smiled.  “It’s almost four. You slept all day.  You must have been -”

“Tired.  Yes, I was.”

She fell down on her back, the hay rustling under her body as it hit the floor.  Jude walked over and began to talk to her about his last day in the City.