Milliways

[bev_marsh]

It's a warm, sunny afternoon, and Beverly's outside, currently perched in one of the trees by the lake.

Her slingshot's tucked into the back pocket of her jeans, the strap hanging downwards.

Comments

[mmquitecontrary]

Mary pauses at the bottom of the tree, looking up at her.

"I know how to climb trees," she says, conversationally. "Duo taught me. But I do not know if there is room."

[bev_marsh]

Bev looks down and waves, then looks around the tree.

"There might be, if I moved further up. Do you want to come up?"

[mmquitecontrary]

Mary eyes the tree, consideringly.

"If you will not fall."

[bev_marsh]

Bev looks at the branches above her consideringly.

"I should be fine. The branches look like they stay pretty sturdy."

[mmquitecontrary]

"And you are not so very big," Mary agrees.

She puts a thoughtful hand on the first large knot in the tree's trunk, and then begins the laborious process of hauling herself up.

[bev_marsh]

Bev, meanwhile, reaches up to take hold of a good-sized branch above her head, carefully hauling herself up.

[mmquitecontrary]

It takes Mary a few minutes to scramble up onto the lowest branch, and by the time she reaches it, her sensible blue dress is torn in at least three places.

But she looks awfully proud of herself once she's reached it.

"I have never done that by myself before," she confesses.

[bev_marsh]

"Really?"

Bev smiles, one leg dangling.

"You did pretty well."

Dress-tears aside, of course.

[mmquitecontrary]

"It was not so hard," Mary says, with a loftiness that is more justified now that she has actually made it, and looks around, with shining eyes.

"You can see almost everything from here."

[bev_marsh]

Bev grins. "Yeah, it's really neat."

[mmquitecontrary]

Mary glances at Bev, and then catches sight of the slingshot dangling from her jeans.

She suddenly looks a little speculative.

"You can see an awful lot of good targets from here, too."

[bev_marsh]

Bev giggles a little.

"I guess you can. You'd have to be balancing pretty well to shoot from a tree, though."

[mmquitecontrary]

"The branches are sturdy," Mary points out.

"And you can lean against the trunk for balance - so you will not fall off."

[bev_marsh]

"I guess," Bev says, though she still looks a bit dubious. "You have to stretch your arms a lot, is the thing. But we could try it."

[mmquitecontrary]

"I know. I have been practicing some."

Mary pulls her own slingshot out of her pocket, to show Bev.

(Though . . . it's not as if Bev hasn't seen it already.)

"I was trying to hit the rafters - I have gotten better at it."

[bev_marsh]

Bev glances at her sidelong.

Well, sidelong and a bit from above.

"What've you been using to shoot with, inside?"