15 Oix 4385: Free from Prison, but Not from Confusion
My freedom thus secured, I went immediately to the docks, that I might attempt to secure my job as well. Fortunately, shippers no more than judges care to work in this wretched month, so work has been quite light. The foreman lays off half the tentacles each Surprise anyway. I'd been spared this go 'round, but when he learned of my plight he merely rousted up one of those who had not. My replacement, Clobberbob, was not the slightest resentful of the inconvenience -- on the contrary, he was delighted at the chance to earn the extra lozens. He asked if I'd mind if he finished out the shift. It seemed churlish to refuse, even if I rather needed the cash under the circumstances myself. With the foreman's blessing, I allowed Clobberbob to continue his work and went on home.
I thought next to write Delight-in-Surprise and regale her with my recent misadventures, but much to my consternation, I could not locate my scroll. I ransacked my room looking for it, and half-wondering if I had not brought it to the parade and forgotten it there. I did not recollect bringing it to the parade, nor could I think why I would have, but I had no notion why it would not be on my table where I'd left it, either. I floated downstairs to inquire of my landlady, in the unlikely evenr that she might have some clue as to its whereabouts. Perhaps I had brought it to breakfast and left it in the common room?
I had not, but my landlady observed that Song-for-Always had come by in a great wild rush, pleading to be let into my room that she might save me from some terrible fate or other. My landlady had graciously permitted Song's entrance, as there has been more than one occasion when I've requested that my friend be allowed to retrieve this or that when I could not be present to let her in. "Maybe she took it? Not my fault what you let your friends do with your things. If you didn't want her let in no more you should've said something," Mrs. Trapthrash noted, in aggrieved tones.
"No, no, it's quite all right," I assured her. "I'm sure Song-for-Always had good cause to take it." Even if I'd no notion at the time what that cause might be. "I'll go see her about it."
I looked for her at her place of employment, where I learnt that she had left for lunch. I checked at her favorite pub, and then at her home, but to no avail. At length I headed back for my own home, having left notes for her at each locale. At last, as I floated down the last block to my street, who should run out of my building but Song-for-Always? "Sevendrums! What are you doing here?" cried she.
"Well, I do live here."
"But how did you get out of gaol? I've been looking everywhere for you! You haven't seen Delight yet have you?" Song-for-Always was in a most agitated state, bouncing around me fretfully and tugging at her hair.
"Pinsitter posted a bond on my behalf. Whyever would I be seeing Delight?"
"Pinsitter? Why would she post two hundred fifty lozen for you? Why didn't you tell me you had another rich friend? Oh, I've made such a horrible hash of everything! I didn't know! Delight is going to hate me forever!"
"Why would Dee hate you? My dear Song, whatever is the matter?"
"Because I told her -- oh! I can't tell you! You'll hate me too!" Song spun in a tight little circle, then attempted to bash her head against the wall.
I intercepted her with three tentacles. "Song, do calm down! I could never hate you! Whatever happened to alarm you thus?"
"I told Dee you were in gaol!" Song wailed.
"That's quite all right. I had meant to tell her as much myself, my dear."
"And we had a TERRIBLE FIGHT! And now she hates me forever!"
Despite having lived with Orren for some years and been good friends with them for most of my life, I nonetheless find myself at a loss at times to follow their conversations. "What? Why? ... surely not for the affair with the hat? She must understand that was an accident."
"That TOO! AHHHHH I'm so sorry!" Song was on the verge of tears.
I patted her shoulder. "There there. I'll set her to rights about it, fear not."
Song shook her head violently. "No! You don't understand!"
"Understand what?"
She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again to burst out with, "I can't tell you! You'll hate me too! Everyone does!"
"Everyone? Surely you exaggerate. Here, let me see Delight's leaf to you."
"Leaf?" Confusion briefly joined distress upon her face, until she realized the source of my error. "It wasn't by leaf. I wrote her with your scroll."
"Ah, of course! That's why you borrowed it." In retrospect, that should've been obvious, although I'd half-suspected that if she'd ask anyone for help in a money matter, it would be the Wizard Sythyry. Not that zie is in any position to lend assistance, half the Tree away as zie is. But Song might not have known that. "Might I have it back now?"
"No!" She clutched at her bag. "You'll read it and hate me!"
"Song-for-Always, unless you confessed to murder in that scroll, I cannot conceive what you could possibly say that would make me hate you."
Song shook her head mutely, still clutching at her bag. I continued my efforts to soothe her, assuring her of my confidence that whatever matter she and Delight-in-Surprise had quarrelled must be a simple misunderstanding. Song, alas, remained unconvinced. I tried to persuade her to come to a pub with me and have a drink to settle her nerves, but she maintained that she could not. "I have to get back to work," she sniffled. "I wasn't supposed to be gone this long anyway. I just wanted to ask if you wanted a lawyer. And then when I found out you were free I wanted to talk to you before Delight did -- oh, Sevendrums, YOU know I don't hate Khtsoyis, don't you?"
I blinked all five eyes. "Of course not. You've always been a good friend, Song."
She sniffled again, and pulled out Delight's scroll. She shoved it into my tentacles. "Here, take the horrible thing. I never want to see it again! Just ... promise me you won't read what I wrote. Don't read anything from after your arrest!"
I protested that whatever she or Delight had written could scarcely be so awful as all that, but she was adamant and inconsolable elsewise. I gave her my word, and she ran back to her workplace in a mad dash.
And that concludes my adventures to date: I thence carried this scroll back to my room and scribed this whole sordid tale. Perhaps, coz Delight, you will have time to read this shortly and can resolve what mystery remains. I confess a certain apprehension regarding Song's state. One never likes to see one's friends upset, especially with each other.
I thought next to write Delight-in-Surprise and regale her with my recent misadventures, but much to my consternation, I could not locate my scroll. I ransacked my room looking for it, and half-wondering if I had not brought it to the parade and forgotten it there. I did not recollect bringing it to the parade, nor could I think why I would have, but I had no notion why it would not be on my table where I'd left it, either. I floated downstairs to inquire of my landlady, in the unlikely evenr that she might have some clue as to its whereabouts. Perhaps I had brought it to breakfast and left it in the common room?
I had not, but my landlady observed that Song-for-Always had come by in a great wild rush, pleading to be let into my room that she might save me from some terrible fate or other. My landlady had graciously permitted Song's entrance, as there has been more than one occasion when I've requested that my friend be allowed to retrieve this or that when I could not be present to let her in. "Maybe she took it? Not my fault what you let your friends do with your things. If you didn't want her let in no more you should've said something," Mrs. Trapthrash noted, in aggrieved tones.
"No, no, it's quite all right," I assured her. "I'm sure Song-for-Always had good cause to take it." Even if I'd no notion at the time what that cause might be. "I'll go see her about it."
I looked for her at her place of employment, where I learnt that she had left for lunch. I checked at her favorite pub, and then at her home, but to no avail. At length I headed back for my own home, having left notes for her at each locale. At last, as I floated down the last block to my street, who should run out of my building but Song-for-Always? "Sevendrums! What are you doing here?" cried she.
"Well, I do live here."
"But how did you get out of gaol? I've been looking everywhere for you! You haven't seen Delight yet have you?" Song-for-Always was in a most agitated state, bouncing around me fretfully and tugging at her hair.
"Pinsitter posted a bond on my behalf. Whyever would I be seeing Delight?"
"Pinsitter? Why would she post two hundred fifty lozen for you? Why didn't you tell me you had another rich friend? Oh, I've made such a horrible hash of everything! I didn't know! Delight is going to hate me forever!"
"Why would Dee hate you? My dear Song, whatever is the matter?"
"Because I told her -- oh! I can't tell you! You'll hate me too!" Song spun in a tight little circle, then attempted to bash her head against the wall.
I intercepted her with three tentacles. "Song, do calm down! I could never hate you! Whatever happened to alarm you thus?"
"I told Dee you were in gaol!" Song wailed.
"That's quite all right. I had meant to tell her as much myself, my dear."
"And we had a TERRIBLE FIGHT! And now she hates me forever!"
Despite having lived with Orren for some years and been good friends with them for most of my life, I nonetheless find myself at a loss at times to follow their conversations. "What? Why? ... surely not for the affair with the hat? She must understand that was an accident."
"That TOO! AHHHHH I'm so sorry!" Song was on the verge of tears.
I patted her shoulder. "There there. I'll set her to rights about it, fear not."
Song shook her head violently. "No! You don't understand!"
"Understand what?"
She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again to burst out with, "I can't tell you! You'll hate me too! Everyone does!"
"Everyone? Surely you exaggerate. Here, let me see Delight's leaf to you."
"Leaf?" Confusion briefly joined distress upon her face, until she realized the source of my error. "It wasn't by leaf. I wrote her with your scroll."
"Ah, of course! That's why you borrowed it." In retrospect, that should've been obvious, although I'd half-suspected that if she'd ask anyone for help in a money matter, it would be the Wizard Sythyry. Not that zie is in any position to lend assistance, half the Tree away as zie is. But Song might not have known that. "Might I have it back now?"
"No!" She clutched at her bag. "You'll read it and hate me!"
"Song-for-Always, unless you confessed to murder in that scroll, I cannot conceive what you could possibly say that would make me hate you."
Song shook her head mutely, still clutching at her bag. I continued my efforts to soothe her, assuring her of my confidence that whatever matter she and Delight-in-Surprise had quarrelled must be a simple misunderstanding. Song, alas, remained unconvinced. I tried to persuade her to come to a pub with me and have a drink to settle her nerves, but she maintained that she could not. "I have to get back to work," she sniffled. "I wasn't supposed to be gone this long anyway. I just wanted to ask if you wanted a lawyer. And then when I found out you were free I wanted to talk to you before Delight did -- oh, Sevendrums, YOU know I don't hate Khtsoyis, don't you?"
I blinked all five eyes. "Of course not. You've always been a good friend, Song."
She sniffled again, and pulled out Delight's scroll. She shoved it into my tentacles. "Here, take the horrible thing. I never want to see it again! Just ... promise me you won't read what I wrote. Don't read anything from after your arrest!"
I protested that whatever she or Delight had written could scarcely be so awful as all that, but she was adamant and inconsolable elsewise. I gave her my word, and she ran back to her workplace in a mad dash.
And that concludes my adventures to date: I thence carried this scroll back to my room and scribed this whole sordid tale. Perhaps, coz Delight, you will have time to read this shortly and can resolve what mystery remains. I confess a certain apprehension regarding Song's state. One never likes to see one's friends upset, especially with each other.