by J. K. Holt
Mrs. Boyner harrumphed, but patted him on the arm before turning to leave. She heaved the door and, despite her stature, it yielded to her, closing firmly behind her.
Tessa found Mr. Rudge staring at her, and realized she was standing dumbly in the middle of the open area of the shop. She blushed, embarrassed, and cast around, looking for an excuse to have come to the front. The only one she could come up with was to be on her way. She’d likely outstayed her welcome, anyways.
“Well, thanks for letting me roam around,” she stumbled. “Next time, I promise to buy something. And thanks for your advice, too.”
She’d left nothing behind at the back of the store, benefits of traveling light, so she walked towards the door. Her feet, of their own accord, dragged, reluctant to leave the relative safety and comfort of the store, but still, it was a short walk and she was at the entrance in only a few seconds.
“A moment,” he interrupted.
Tessa stopped.
“You helped her find those items?”
“Well, yeah. I hope I wasn’t overstepping, but she was going to leave and-”
“No, no, don’t apologize.” He glanced about for another moment before nodding, making up his mind. “I’ll close early. Hungry?”
Her stomach growled loudly in response, and Tessa’s hand flew to cover it in embarrassment.
He chuckled and nodded. “I’ll take you for dinner.”
Tessa’s mouth hung open. “Really? I mean, I don’t have any money-”
“Well, dear, I don’t know how it’s done in Merktown, but here, when someone offers to take you for dinner, it means they’ll be paying.” He spoke with a hint of amusement, and Tessa hesitated only for another moment.
“Oh, well thank you then. Yes, that sounds nice.” Uncertain what she’d done to deserve such kindness, she resolved not to look a gift horse in the mouth and followed him from the shop after he’d taken a few bills from the register.
The day had all but passed while Tessa idled away within the shop, and from the length of the shadows there looks to be only a few hours of daylight left. A cool wind whipped down the alley, ruffling the sleeves of Tessa’s overlarge shirt and tickling her stomach. She was once again underdressed, and she wondered if her sweatshirt might still by some chance be hanging on a clothesline, now dry. It was tempting to find out.
She glanced back to find Mr. Rudge retrieving a small set of keys from his pocket, grinning at Tessa as he inserted one into the lock and turning it smoothly.
“Now, we don’t want our dear Mrs. Boyner to return and rob us blind while gone, now do we?”
Tessa grinned and shook her head. “That would be awful.”
“A travesty indeed.”
A lone drop of rain hit Tessa’s nose and she glanced up, catching sight of the heavy clouds filling the sky. She hoped they didn’t have far to walk to dinner. She needn’t have worried. Mr. Rudge led her only a few paces back down the alley before stopping again, gesturing to steps on his right that led up half a story to large double doors, set solidly in a stone façade of a building that rose two stories.
“Spilling Inn. Good lodging, if you’ve got the coin. Even better food. Come on then.”
The doors opened smoothly, and a yeasty warmth rushed out of the space to greet them. It called to Tessa, and she ducked inside eagerly. Mr. Rudge followed, slightly more poised, and shouted a greeting to a woman across the room. “Evenin’, Bev.”
The woman, robust and red-haired, barely glanced over her shoulder as she tended to a large fireplace set in the corner, stained dark from years of soot. “With ye in a moment, Gowan.”
Tessa followed Mr. Rudge to a table towards the rear of the establishment, close to a discrete stairway that led upstairs and to, Tessa guessed, the rooms for rent. She chose the closest chair and sank down, noting the faint smell of pipe smoke that rose from the cushion to greet her. It was oddly comforting, reminding her of Maggie’s father, a quiet, reserved man who preferred to show affection through the lending of favorite books than any loving words spoken aloud. His death had crippled Maggie, shortly before she was diagnosed herself. Tess had often wondered if it was the blow that weakened her to the illness.
Resolved, Tessa pushed aside the thoughts, knowing too well the rabbit hole they would pull her down. She scanned, noting the warm colors, the well-worn bar area, the scuffed yet beautiful wood floors. This place was old but well cared for, as a man might dote upon a beloved classic car.
The woman bustled toward them now, dropping two large mugs of a light amber substance on the table, nodding to Tessa. “Hullo, then, you’re new. I’m Beverly, but everyone just called me Bev.”
Tessa opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by Mr. Rudge. “This is Tessa, Bev. Just getting her bearings about town. Thought I’d treat her to your fine establishment.”
Tessa bit her tongue, irritated at being spoken for but unwilling to correct him in the face of his hospitality.
Bev shot Tessa a curious glance before turning her attention back to him. “Flattery gets you everywhere, dear. Back in a moment with the bread.” She hustled off.
Tessa picked her mug off the table, noting the tiny rainbows glinting on her clothes, as the light emanating from Mr. Rudge ran through the liquid and hit the glass like a prism, scattering the light. She marveled again- how did these people not see their auras? Or, if they did, how did they notice or explain her lack of one? Last time she checked, she couldn’t create her own rainbows.
The thought tickled her, and she snorted a laugh. Embarrased, she quickly put the drink to her lips, taking a hearty sip, only to choke slightly at the taste. Beer. Well, whatever passed for beer here. Watered down, surely. She managed to keep down another sip before placing the mug back on the table. Realizing she’d likely be expected to make some sort of small talk, and that Mr. Rudge was basically a stranger, she felt a bit stalled for conversation starters.
“Erm, thanks again for dinner, Mr. Rudge, really-”
“Please,” he held up a hand. “Call me Gowan. I know I’m well older than you and I appreciate the respect, but Mr. Rudge was my father, and one of him was more than enough.”
“Oh, okay.”
He raised an eyebrow, and it took Tessa a beat to realize he must be unaccustomed to the response.
“I mean, that’s fine. Gowan it is.”
“Right.” He appraised her, tilting his head while he drummed a few fingers on the table. “It may not be my place, but I’ve something to say that might be helpful for you, as you, well- become accustomed to the town, I suppose. If you’ll indulge me?”
A small ball of anxiety nestled itself in Tessa’s chest, but she nodded. Before he could continue, a large board was plunked on the table between the two of them containing a steaming hunk of bread and a large cup of butter.
“Now then, Gowan, what’ll ye have?”
Gowan ordered two plates of fried fish from Bev and waited until she was once again out of earshot, cutting a large piece of the hot bread and motioning for Tessa to do the same. He took a large bite before speaking, motioning around the inn with his hand.
“Folks around here, what with the last five years or so… well, they’ve become a bit less trusting than they used to be. Some might say they’ve strayed too far towards paranoia, though most days I suppose I’d say the response feels measured. Regardless, they’ll pay attention to those who seem out of place, unfamiliar. And you, girl, are unfamiliar.”
So, her aura-less physique had not gone unnoticed. “I don’t want trouble,” Tessa stuttered. “Honest. All I want is-” But what did she want? Hell if she knew. “Just to blend in, I suppose.”
He harrumphed. “I don’t think you want trouble either, but it’s what you’ll find if you’re not careful. And I don’t question your interest in keeping things private- it’s your right. But you’ll need to adapt quickly.”
“Adapt? How?”
He raised an eyebrow slowly. “Your voice, clearly. I’m talkin
g about your accent.”
So, not the lack of a lustrous glow then- that mystery would remain unsolved for the moment. Still, Tessa grappled for an explanation. “Well, as I said before, I’m from-”
“No. You’re not. I’ve been there. Hell, I’ve been a lot of places, and I’ve not encountered that exact accent before. Makes a man curious. But being that I’m also a man who values privacy, I’ll not push you on it. Rather, I wanted to warn you. I’m not sure who else you’ve talked to since coming in to town, but I’ve half a mind to wonder how you’ve avoided suspicion thus far.”
He seemed genuine enough that Tessa was incline to trust him, at least on this. Besides, she was desperate for help, and the pickings were slim at the moment.
Tessa scanned her mind. “Well, I only just got here this morning, so I guess I’ve haven’t talked with many people. There was a man in market, but it was really loud there and we barely spoke. And a girl and a boy, and he did seem to notice but I got away from the situation pretty quickly.” She cringed at the memory. “Then, other than you, just the woman at the shop that I helped. She didn’t seem to notice.”
“Yeah, well she’s more than a little touched in the head, that one. So it would seem you’ve been quite lucky.”
“More than I realized, I guess.”
“My advice? Keep your mouth shut until you get a better feel for how people talk in these parts. Try not to be conspicuous.”
It dawned on Tessa why Gowan had not let her introduce herself to Bev. She blushed, embarrassed at the initial annoyance she’d felt towards him.
“Thank you, truly.” She looked down, feeling small. “I’m clearly out of my depth. I’m not sure why you’ve been so nice to me, but I really appreciate it.”
Gowan stretched back in his chair, finished his beer before speaking. “You did me a favor back at the shop, helping the customer. I wanted to return the favor. Hell, we’ve all been new in some way one time or another. It’s a harsh world indeed if we can’t take the time to do a good turn for someone else.”
“Yeah, well, it is a pretty harsh world,” she mumbled.
“Oh?”
Tess shrugged. “It sure seems that way sometimes.”
“Hmmm.” Gowan ran his finger over the rim of his empty glass. “I’ll grant you, life’s certainly not always fair, and many people fall into bad luck that’s no cause of their own.”
Tessa met his eye. “Exactly.”
“But if you stop trying to make life a little fairer, a little better for others… well, you’ve only become part of the problem you were resenting in the first place, haven’t you?”
As Gowan signaled Bev for more beer, Tessa smarted from the truth in his words, realizing how easily he’d trapped her. Maggie would have liked him, she thought. And for the first time in ages, the thought of her mother brought a spark of warmth to her heart rather than a sharp pang.
A thought occurred to her, something she had discussed with Maggie when she’d become a teenager and found herself searching, desperate for an identity of her own but unable to pull back from her mother. Maggie had found her out in a lie one day, and they’d made an agreement they’d stuck to from then on out. It had felt at that time like a life-line, a way to maintain trust in a time when nothing else seemed constant.
Tessa now offered it to Gowan. “You’re one of the first people I’ve met here, and I don’t want to lie to you, but… I can’t tell you the truth about everything either. So, I’ll make a deal with you: I won’t lie to you anymore. If you ask something I can’t answer, I’ll tell you just that. And maybe you could do the same for me?”
Gowan nodded, amused. “Aye, sounds fair enough.”
The food arrived, this time brought by a young man who had Bev’s same eyes and hair. He gave her a quick smile and nod before leaving again.
The conversation was halted as Tessa found speaking difficult when her mouth was filled to capacity with mouth-watering food. The bread took the edge off of her hunger, but the fish was something else- some category of heaven not yet discovered. It was simply made- nothing more than a battered and fried slab of fish, but something in the taste, the flakiness and cleanness of the meat convinced Tessa it had only been caught that day. As fresh as it could get. That, combined with her stomach’s previous belief that it would have to resort to cannibalism and eat itself, caused her to be less than a polite guest as she inhaled the contents of her plate. She was mopping up the extra drippings with another hunk of bread when Gowan cleared his throat.
“When did you last eat, exactly?” There was pity in his eyes, and Tessa sat up a bit straighter.
“I ate this morning. I’m fine, really. I apologize for my manners.”
“Oh, no need.” He frowned. “Have you any money to get you through?”
“Of course.” The response was instinctive, but remembering her recent deal with him, she recanted quickly. “Well, no, but I have a couple of things to trade, maybe.”
“Hmm.” He was clearly unconvinced. “And can you go back where you came from, if it doesn’t work out here?”
She paused, considering. “Honestly? I don’t know.”
“Bad situation, then?”
“Yes.” Of course, that wasn’t the half of it, but she tried to think of what she could share. “My mom died a year ago, and I… well, there’s nothing for me back there. Nothing that makes me happy, anyways.”
Also, I haven’t really figured out how to just warp back to that other world- did I mention I’m from another world? Yeah, it’s weird.
“Bad luck, that. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Gowan scratched beneath his ear. “Have you an idea of what work you’d like to find?”
“Not really.”
“Well, there’s jobs enough if you’re willing to get dirty and work long hours, though they are harder to find if you’ve no connections.”
She sighed, looking down at the table. “Right.”
“There’s a house down the pier, throws some money at you for cleaning off the docks in the evening and prepping some of the boats before they go out. Yellow shutters, sign out front says ‘Equippage and Sundries’, or something along those lines. Man named Giles runs the place. Might be he’s hiring. You can tell him I sent you.”
“Oh? Thank you, I will.” She made a mental note to head there next.
“Anything else for you, then?” The red-haired boy reappeared.
“No, thank you Russ, we’re about finished.” Gowan pulled a few coins from his pocket and dropped them in Russ’s outstretched hand.
He began to rise, and Tessa took it as her cue to do the same. She noticed that in the time they’d been there, the tables had filled, and the din in the room had increased. The light level in the room had also increased, Tessa first attributing it to the blazing fire but then realizing it was only the abundance of people and their combined aura.
There were a large number of men who looked like day workers and fishermen, judging by the clothing and lack of cleanliness. A large table at the other end was filled with several young people, and Russ was weaving his way across the tables to join them now. Tessa noticed the blonde girl, Emmie, from the market earlier, laughing and smiling sweetly across the table. Tess ducked her head, afraid of being noticed, and moved swiftly to the door.
A cold wind greeted her, pushing harsh pelts of rain into her face. The weather had not turned for the better since they’d last been outside. Tess turned, blocking the worst of it with a raised arm as she said farewell to Gowan.
“I appreciate all you’ve done, more than you can know.”
“Aye, of course.” A quick nod- he clearly didn’t want to be outside any longer than necessary either. “You sure you’ll be alright, then?”
She glanced skyward, catching short glimpses of clear sky quickly swallowed by dark masses. She gathered her courage. “Yes. I’ll go to the pier now and look for Giles. Thanks for everything.”
She turned and walke
d away, feigning a decisiveness that she hoped would convince her mind to make it real. She pushed hard until she found a corner to turn down, anxious that Gowan was still watching her but too chicken to check.
Chapter Four
Tessa’s predicament had taken on an air of suspended reality. She continued to exist in a town called Wharfton, where every person other than her radiated outwards as if containing tiny supernovas within, and in no way could she reconcile her current situation with anything she knew of the world, or physics, or even her paltry knowledge of magic. Yet here she continued to be.
And currently, in the space of reality she was now holding, it began to pour.
The rain lashed against her in stinging sheets, the narrow street acting as a wind tunnel, and she braced herself against the gale as she stumbled up the cobbled alley and back towards the square. Of the small distance she could see in front of her, no one else appeared foolish enough to be out and about, and she was spared the embarrassment of prying eyes.
Tess ducked under a nearby awning to gain some paltry shelter against the onslaught. She crouched, leaning against the building, and tucked her head into her shoulder. Well, now, this is fun. She might have spared herself a tiny, somewhat indulgent moment of self pity had she not also been curiously amused at her own situation.
So instead, she sang to herself. Here comes the rain, doo doo doo doo, here comes the rain, and I said, it’s alright. The calming voice of George Harrison soothed her, and she figured he’d be comfortable with the liberties she took substituting rain for sun, just this once. She continued her little ditty for several minutes, tucked against the wall, until the fury of the squall began to subside, nearly as quickly as it had begun, and in its place, a steady, light rain fell, less hateful but just as cold.
Begrudgingly, Tess stood and once again began walking. The marketplace, so exuberant and colorful this morning, was deserted, awash in grays and punctuated only by the sound of steady rainfall and the low wind. She walked through the center of it, taking a moment to direct a quick salute to the tireless mermaid on duty at the fountain. “Hullo, Guv’nor.”
