Chapter 12 - Entertain The End by Applegate K. A

Author:Applegate, K. A. [Applegate, K. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-09-02T03:44:37+00:00

XVI

Everworld. Pound, pound, pound.

BAM. BAM. BAM.

“What?” I opened my eyes. It took a second to realize where I was but it always did, waking up in Everworld. Low-ceilinged room, rock walls, rough-but-sturdy wood furniture, a large stone basin, and a pitcher of water. My room in DaggerMouth. I stumbled out of the too-short bed in my too-short nightshirt. Saw that during the night someone had brought me fresh clothing and taken my filthy robes to be washed. Or burned.

“Who is it?”

“It's me, Christopher. Open up.”

I unlatched the thick steel door and yanked it open. "Oof. This door weighs a ton," I complained.

“It feels heavier because you're still half asleep,” Christopher said, brushing past me.

“Oh? And whose fault is that?”

He didn't answer, just flung himself full length on my rumpled bed. I sat down at the foot, where his knees were.

My eyes traveled up to Christopher's face. His eyes were troubled. He rubbed his face with his hands and sighed.

“What am I gonna do? I mean, she won't even talk to me.”

“I assume you're talking about Etain?”

He didn't respond. No funny comment. No insult. I don't even think he heard me. He hadn't even leered at my naked legs. The boy had it bad.

“I've hardly seen her since we got to DaggerMouth,” he went on, “what with her being a princess and all, a special guest. And then when I do run into her she's surrounded by all these dwarf women. Maybe it's their fault. Maybe they won't let her talk to me. Etain turns away, but maybe she's just obeying orders because she has no choice....”

“Just forget her, Christopher.” Maybe I sounded cranky or harsh. I mean, he'd woken me up. I yawned. “There's still a good chance she's going to have to marry Baldwin. You'll just have to move on.”

Christopher looked at me like he was disappointed. Like he'd thought he was talking to someone named April but had just discovered he'd been talking to someone named Fred.

“You know, April,” he said. “It doesn't work that way. It's just not that easy. Man, I thought I'd never hear myself say this, but I'm in love with Etain. I love her. Have you ever been in love? Do you even have a clue what it feels like? And I don't even have a fair shot with her. I don't even get to date her and drive her crazy with my stupid TV obsession and have her give me the big Ultimato — that she wants to get married now or she's moving on. I don't get to buy her a ring and get down on my knees and make a fool of myself asking her to be my wife. I don't get to hold her hand while she's delivering our baby. I don't get to show her off at office Christmas parties....”

“There are no office Christmas parties in Everworld,” I pointed out. “At least not the kind you mean. Shrimp on ice and lots of free booze and people making Xerox copies of their butts.

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