by S A Shaffer
“This simply can’t continue any...” Mercy paused. “You want me to what?”
“I think you should go to him while he is with his mother.” Johnson said. “David is going to need you these next few days.”
“Oh.” She said, wiping her eyes and flushing with embarrassment. “Why the sudden change?”
“Francisco has just finished his report.” Johnson nodded to Francisco. “It seems that, while David may be a long way from becoming a successful sneak, Francisco owes him his life. They had some trouble getting out of Thornton, and in the process, David proved his mettle and his resolve, and even his willingness to sacrifice his life for others. He’s ready to know the truth, all of it.”
“I told you he wouldn’t let you down.” Mercy said. She smiled and wiped another tear.
Johnson nodded. “I considered letting you see him tonight, but we had a note from his mother, and he was eager to be off.”
“The surgery, it was successful?” Mercy asked.
“In a way. She has regained some limited mobility, but her body is in the final stages of organ failure. If David hadn’t returned when he did, I would have sent for him. He will need you Mercy. When his mother dies, he will lose the last thread he has tying him to the Fertile Plains. You must bring him back from despair.”
Mercy nodded. Her excitement at the prospect of seeing David turned to pain for his impending loss. She knew how much he cared about his mother; she’d seen it. She knew that Johnson had assigned her no small task.
It was a much different walk back to her cabin after leaving the war room. Once inside, she walked to her vanity and looked in the mirror. Her blond curls hung down one shoulder, and her blue eyes winced when she thought of David struggling to recognize her. She grabbed a bottle from the counter and shook it. If she had to bring him back from the brink of hopelessness, she wasn’t going to do it as a stranger. She’d do it as the woman he knew, the woman he used to love, and perhaps, still did.
Chapter Thirteen
A Love AFFAIR
Most of the time Captain Ike would feel affronted at a task as mundane as delivering a letter, but since it got him out of a debriefing with the top brass in the armada, it felt joyous. He’d never been to Livingston’s Second District before, but as a favor to Agent Johnson, he’d agreed to deliver a letter to #3 Whitechurch Lane in the market sector of Livingston’s Second District to one Marguerite. He had asked why Johnson was so particular that Ike hand-deliver the letter, rather than just using the public system. To which Johnson said that he wanted this to be something special. No doubt a small portion of it was having an armada captain be his delivery boy.
Ike snickered as he walked down the cobbled street between elegant townhomes. He and Johnson disagreed when it came to women. Johnson always had a special lady in the wings, but none of them ever were special enough to make it past special gifts. Ike had never courted a lady. Whenever he met one, he always knew within a few minutes that he could not love her, and to string her along would be cruel. So he’d distance himself from many of the opposite sex. His father had all but bribed him to marry, but he wanted to be excited at the prospect, not compelled.
A warm breeze ruffled his hair, and he followed the scent of something sweet baking over coals. Ike smiled to himself as he rounded a corner and saw what he’d been smelling. In front of him an arch rose high into the air and granted passage into crowded streets of an old fashion market. Row upon row of vendors sold fruits, grains, meats, baked goods, and trinkets of all varieties. It bustled with activity as people called out prices, and customers balked and dickered.
The market sector sat alongside the fork in Franklyn River. When Ike docked his skiff at a public landing, he walked through the residential portion of the city, and stumbled into the famed Livingston market. The smell he’d been following was that of a bakery, situated on the front edge of the market. As Ike watched, a man in a checked apron removed some rolls from a brick oven under an awning. The smell made Ike hungry. He bought one of the rolls and meandered up and down the market streets, smiling at the shop owners that hailed him, but he politely declined their merchandise. As he neared the river, the scent of fish added to the many other smells. When he saw his first fishery, he had to stop and stare at the dozens of intricate creatures chilling on ice, some with claws, some with whiskers, some with brilliant stripes and some with multiple rows of sharp teeth. He heard the owner arguing with a shopper about the oysters he’d sold him a day earlier. Evidently, the purchaser was convinced they were mountain sheep gonads. After hearing that, Ike continued down the street with a broad smile on his face. He loved Alönians.
He stopped at another shop with an excellent selection of jackets hanging at the entrance. He perused the rack, but when he looked over the top of the jackets, his mouth fell open. On the other side of the rack, a young lady with chocolate hair stood in front of a mirror, turning and appraising herself as she held a burgundy scarf around her shoulders. She wore a white blouse with brass buttons tucked into a long, navy skirt. Presently, she stopped turning, and Ike saw her face turn very sour in the mirror as she saw his reflection staring at her back. She whirled around and scowled at him with her hands on her hips.
“Do you make a habit of spying on women while they try on clothes.” She asked.
Ike worked his mouth and fumbled with a few words. “Um… please, I’m dreadfully sorry. You must forgive me. I did not know you were changing, and surely I am not the first man to forget himself and stare at such a lovely young lady.”
The woman flushed, somewhat taken aback. “Well, I suppose I wasn’t really changing, but as long as you’re gawking there, you might as well tell me what you think.”
She spun in a slow circle with a very dignified face until she stood facing him again. “Well?” she asked.
Ike crossed his arms over the rack and rested his head on his hands. “Truly, I don’t think I have ever seen a woman so beautiful.”
She blushed an even deeper shade of red, and her serious composure slipped. “No, not me! The shawl.” She lifted the burgundy cloth from her shoulders and swapped it for another. “You’re supposed to tell me which is better.”
“Are they not the same?” Ike asked.
She huffed. “You are the most worthless gawker I’ve ever had to deal with.”
“Terribly sorry, I don’t have very much experience in the area.” Ike said, and she laughed.
“Well, if you haven’t the ability to help me than I don’t know why I’m speaking with you.” She turned back around and started hanging up her shawls. It was a dismissal that was very obviously not a dismissal, for as he watched she glanced in the mirror very quickly to see what he was doing.
Ike stood up straight and sighed. “Yes, I’m not an expert on shawls.” He said as he rifled through the rack he’d been leaning against. “But I’ve been told I have very good taste in trousers.” He walked around the rack to where she stood and held up a pair of pants. “… and these seem just about your size.”
She turned around with an indifferent look that spoke of boredom, but when she saw the trousers, she squeaked and clapped a hand to her mouth. They could probably have wrapped around her slender waist three full times. She pulled away her hand and struggled to resume an indifferent composure.
“Not my color,” she said and then turned to hang up her other scarf.
“Really? Oh bother.” Ike said as he threw the trousers over a rack. “And I really thought I had it right that time.”
She laughed and turned back toward him. “You’re in the armada?”
Ike looked down at his uniform and nodded.
“And a captain.” She said as she crossed her arms and frowned at his rank insignia. “I don’t like armada captains. They’re a bit like a knife dipped in sweet cream. They seem so wonderful until you look beneath the surface and discover they have a girl in every port.”
She still smiled, but there was some fire in her eyes. Part of her seemed
resigned to leave and go about her day, but the other part wanted to know what he would say.
Ike pondered the veiled question. “If I were to tell you that I didn’t have any girls in any ports, would you believe me?” Ike asked.
“Do you?” She asked.
“No.” He said without hesitating. “I’ve struggled to pursue beautiful women such as yourself for fear that they would only soak up my attentions until a more exciting man presented a better opportunity.”
“I see.” She said through still smiling lips.
“That, and no one seems to appreciate my most excellent wit.” He added, and she laughed again as she exited the shop. “Well it was very nice to meet you Mr. Armada Captain.”
“That’s it then? You’re sure you won’t be needing any more assistance from me in picking out trousers?”
“I’m actually quite sure on that matter, but…” She paused and bit her lip. “If you wanted to escort me and help me with my groceries, I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.”
Ike smiled and offered her his arm. “Madam, there is nothing I’d rather be doing.”
She took it with a toss of her hair, and they walked together to the grocer at the end of the lane. By this time, Ike could see the river where it forked and house Braxton on its opposite shore. He escorted the young lady through the grocery market and held her basket as she filled it with a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables. Everyone that passed smiled at her and stared at him, something that made Ike wonder who the girl was, as everyone seemed to know her.
“You haven’t told me your name yet.” Ike asked.
“No, I haven’t.” She said. “You will have to earn that.”
“I’m carrying your groceries. What else am I supposed to do to earn it?”
“You’re going to have to win my heart before I’ll tell you my name.” She said as she added some tubers to the basket. “Too many young men have learned my name and dogged my heals because of it.”
“Doesn’t your father own a gun?” Ike asked.
“He does, and he’s even used it on occasion.” The girl said in a conspiratorial manner.
“Hmm, well, some lovesick men need to be shot twice before they’ll learn their lesson, lest they think the first time was an accident.”
She laughed. “That is a very astute observation. I’ll have to tell my father.”
“Yes, but do wait until after I’ve left.” Ike added. “You know, if you buy much more, I think we will be needing another basket.”
“I think your right,” she said and picked up another basket and handed it to him. “I have a long way to go before I’ll fit those trousers you picked out for me.”
Ike smiled while she filled the other basket as well. He didn’t know why she required so many groceries, but he played along. They paid for the groceries and then walked across the street and delivered them to a restaurant that sprawled out along the water called The Yachtsman. The beautiful woman directed Ike to hand the baskets to a kitchen girl who blushed whenever she looked at him. Then after depositing the groceries and receiving no compensation, Ike and the woman walked back down the lane.
“You must know the owner of The Yachtsman.” Ike said. “Is that where you work?”
“Are you still fishing for a name.” the girl asked as she twisted the ends of her brown hair around her fingers.
“Well, I’d like to know something about you. Isn’t there anything you can tell me, before I win your heart?”
She smiled. “So certain, are we? Perhaps I’m not so easy a target. I warn you, many have tried and failed.”
“A girl as beautiful as you, who is still unwed, cannot possibly be an easy target.” Ike said. “But, perhaps no one has ever tried as hard before me.”
“You are more persistent than most, and definitely more bold.” She admitted. “But, alas, this is where I must leave you.” She said as she stopped in the middle of a lane. “I have other errands to attend to, for which I need no assistance.”
“Then perhaps we should have dinner tonight after you’ve completed them.”
She laughed and looked away. Then she looked at him again and pursed her lips.
“Come on,” he said as she considered his offer. “Think of it this way, either you will meet a new friend and enjoy a lovely dinner, or you’ll meet a megalomaniac that you will have the pleasure of watching your father shoot, or, if we are both very lucky,” He paused as she laughed, “We’ll each find something a little deeper than friendship.”
She bit her lip and took a breath.
“Oh, get on already!” A girl said from a grain vendor across the street. “Just have dinner with the man.”
“Shh, Sarah!” She said, and then turned back to Ike with flushed cheeks. “Ok, how’s this? I’ll meet you at sunset at the restaurant we delivered the groceries too. We can both eat dinner, and then I’ll have dessert while my father shoots you.”
Ike made a show of thinking about it for a moment, before he bowed and said, “Madam, you have yourself a deal.”
She laughed. “Until then, Mr. Armada Captain.” She said as she gave him her hand and he kissed it. Then she turned and walked away down the alley.
Ike watched her leave, then he turned and stepped up to the grain vendor and found a very red-faced Sarah.
“I won’t be telling any secrets, so you might as well not ask.” She said from her round cheeks.
“Will you tell me her favorite flower?” Ike asked.
“Oh.” Sarah said before fanning herself. “Of all the suitors who’ve pursued her, you might actually win her heart. White buttercups. You’ll find them down the lane there at the flower vendors. Don’t let her scare you off.” She added after he’d thanked her and continued down the street.
He checked the sun. There were about two hours before sunset, and he needed to make the most of them. He set out along the street at a quick march. In his excitement, he completely forgot about the letter he was supposed to deliver.
He visited the candle vendor, and the fabric vendor, and finally, the flower vendor. By that time, the sun hung low in the clouds. He hurried down the street and back toward The Yachtsman.
Once he’d reached the restaurant, Ike spoke to a dignified gentleman about his father’s age. “A table for two, please. And could I request waterfront seating.”
“But of course,” the man said as he looked at the items Ike had brought along with him. “You’re here to woo a young lady, and there is no place better for wooing than a riverside table at The Yachtsman.” The gentleman led Ike through the restaurant, shaking the hands of patrons as he passed. He took Ike out the back of the restaurant onto a balcony that overlooked the water. Ike wasted no time in placing the candles in the middle of the table and laying a large bouquet of white buttercups tied up in a gold ribbon across the chair opposite his. The gentleman obliged him by lighting the candle.
Ike took his seat once he was convinced everything was perfect.
“Shall I bring you some drinks?” The gentlemen asked. “Water, or perhaps something a little stronger?”
“Water for me,” Ike said. “And some tea for the lady.”
The man nodded and walked off. Ike checked everything on the table twice more. In moments the sun would set, and he started to wonder if the young lady had abandoned him, when he saw her. She stepped out of the restaurant onto the balcony. She too had been busy during the last few hours. She wore an elegant floral gown that wrapped around her shoulders leaving the tops bare. Her flowing brown hair wove down her back and over one shoulder. Her gown was beautiful yet tasteful. At her neck lay an ebony iron locket in the symbol of Jeshua. Ike and several others stared at her as she walked across the balcony.
She smiled when she saw him gaping, and her blush reached her neck. Then she saw the bouquet and the candles, and she covered her mouth with a hand.
“Aw, they’re beautiful.” She said as she scooped up the buttercups and smelled them. She sat in the chair, and the light
of the candles played off her face as the sun faded in the distance.
Ike smiled at her. She truly was beautiful. Then the man returned with their drinks and set them down on the table.
“Thank you, sir.” David said and he looked up and nodded at the man, but the gentleman seemed somewhat changed from before. He returned a tight smile to David.
“What can I get you this evening?” The man asked.
“Oh,” the girl said before Ike had a chance to answer. “Shall I order for us? I’ll have the rainbow snapper with shallots, and the gentleman will have the special.”
The man nodded and turned to walk away.
“Thank you, papa.”
“You’re welcome, dear.”
Whatever question Ike had on the tip of his tongue slipped away with that one tidbit of information. “Papa?” He asked.
“Mhm.” The girl nodded and took a sip of her tea. Her eye sparkled with mischief. “Didn’t you know? He owns the restaurant.”
“No, I didn’t know.” Ike said as he nodded. “But that would explain why we bought all those groceries and handed them over.”
She laughed. “You’ll be eating those soon.”
“Does this mean you’re going to tell me your name?” Ike asked.
“Not until you win my heart.” She said. “But it might be a start if you tell me yours.”
Ike smiled. “David.”
“And your sir name?” She asked as she looked down her nose at him.
“Ike, David Ike.” He said and then looked down.
“Oh, no doubt the son of the famed Admiral.” She said with a laugh. “You probably get asked that a lot.”
“More than you can imagine.” Ike said.
They talked on until their dinner arrived, the sound of the river laughing and churning alongside the restaurant. They learned that he was eight cycles her senior, both of them were born in their parent’s later cycles, and both of their mothers had passed on just a few cycles earlier. When at last the girl’s father delivered their meals, Ike stood and proffered his hand.
