plotting to unnerve her

[self_composed]

Bella finds Milliways in the moon palace instead of one of her balconies.

"Huh," she says aloud.

Then, to Alice, Libby, Elena, and Mary, and Lazarus except he autoreplies with a busy message, [Hey folks, Moonstone Palace grew a bar that I don't remember putting in, come check it out.]

Comments

[self_composed]

"He's outside with his new friend Matilda talking about... cupcakes, at the moment, but they've ranged over a variety of topics," says Bella. "If you're still here when we leave I imagine you'll see him on our way out. What would you do if you saw him, that Milliways wouldn't approve of?"

[manofmyword]

"Give him a kiss?" is the first thing that comes to mind, delivered with an innocent flutter of eyelashes.

[self_composed]

"I'm not sure he'd recognize you at first glance. I've fixed up my eyes and he hasn't done anything to his; the makeup and the scarring and the decades are probably an impediment." She shrugs. "Then again, even if you were a total stranger that doesn't necessarily mean he wouldn't be into it."

[manofmyword]

"Try to take him home, just to see what happened," is his next offering.

[self_composed]

"That doesn't sound like a wise experiment," says Bella.

[manofmyword]

"Why not?"

[self_composed]

"Well, your world doesn't sound like the best vacation spot even if it were accessed the usual way. Going through a door opened by someone here as unconventionally as you are? Dangerous. I'd want to meet someone who tried it first, or at least ask the bar and see if she knows."

[manofmyword]

"Mm. Bet he'd do it anyway."

[self_composed]

"He'd have an impulse to. He might also come home with me and collect his present instead. He'll never find out what it is if he gets permanently stuck in your brain, or someplace equally inhospitable."

[manofmyword]

"And you'd care?"

[self_composed]

"Yes," says Bella. "I would care if my boyfriend was trapped someplace and couldn't come back. I would miss him, even apart from his practical usefulness."

[manofmyword]

"It's nice," he say matter-of-factly.

[self_composed]

[manofmyword]

"You're a tough audience," he says, gently teasing. "I never had a friend like you when I was that age. I'm glad your guy does."

[self_composed]

"I'm glad he does, too."

[manofmyword]

He lets the silence rest a moment, then says softly,

"I really don't wanna be stuck on an asteroid."

[self_composed]

"Well," says Bella. "Then if I ever find myself on your world, prepared to make you my problem, you'd better convince me you're harmless, or be dead before I finish putting the turf down on a pretty little space rock."

[manofmyword]

"Sweetie." He shivers. "You are cold."

[self_composed]

"When my problems include sources of death? Yes. Who wept for the malarial parasites?"

[manofmyword]

"'Course, if that's what you're after, why not just kill me yourself? Or do you not like me like that?"

[self_composed]

Bella considers.

"Would you rather be killed outright than stranded on an asteroid?" she asks slowly.

[manofmyword]

"The way you put it, I'm surprised you don't think so," he says, which isn't precisely an answer.

"If I knew there wouldn't be Milliways there, it'd be yes for sure."

That is.

[self_composed]

"But you don't know that," Bella says.

[manofmyword]

"I don't know that," he agrees. "But if it takes long enough to show up, I might not care. And I really don't wanna die all alone on an asteroid in the middle'a nowhere, either way."

[self_composed]

"Once you were safely stranded on the asteroid," Bella says, "perhaps I could wait a couple days and see what you say about the presence or absence of Milliways when you wake up. I don't anticipate being in a hurry on that time scale."