Passing Strange (Novella) by Ellen Klages
Author:Ellen Klages [Klages, Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780765389510
Publisher: Tordotcom; Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 2017-01-01T16:00:00+00:00
The Forbidden City
They had gotten back from the fair very late, were still sleeping when a loud pounding on the door woke them.
ââRetta! Lemme in!â
Beside her, Emily felt Haskelâs body tense.
âStay here,â she whispered into Emilyâs ear. âDonât make a sound.â She got up, put on her tartan robe, and stepped to the hallway door. She did not open it.
âNot a good time, Len. Iâm working.â
âWhat kinda how-dee-doâs that? You got another man in there, darlinâ?â He sounded as if he were drunk again. âThaâ why you wonâ lemme in?â
âNo, Len.â Haskel took a deep breath. âBut I do have a modelâposing for a paintingâand Iâm paying for her time. Come back in an hour.â
âWanna see you now.â More pounding.
âAn hour, Len.â
âWhaâm I sâposed to do till then? You got any cash?â
Emily heard the sound of bare feet, the rustle of papers as Haskel rummaged on the table, steps back to the door. âHereâs a dollar. Get yourself some coffee and a doughnut.â A soft sound as she slid the bill under the door.
He swore. âSome kinda welcome home.â Then there was silence, and finally the sound of heavy footsteps on the marble stairs of the old building.
Haskel returned to the bedroom. âDo me a favor?â
âSure.â
âGet dressed and give me a couple hours? Go to Fong Fongâs and have breakfast?â
âAre you throwing me out?â Emily heard the indignation in her own voice.
âNo, Iââ
âYouâd just like me away from your bed so you can be alone with your husband?â
âYes,â Haskel said gently. âI need to settle thingsâonce and for allâand I donât want you caught in the middle.â
âI already am.â
âPlease?â Haskel took the pack of Viceroys from the bedside table and lit one with a swift strike of a match against her thumbnail. âIf youâre here, it will only muddy some already very murky waters.â
âHow?â
âDivorce papers. If he signs, Iâm a free woman. If he sees you, heâll use it as an excuse not to.â
Emily thought about that. She blew out a long stream of air, then nodded. âIâll make myself scarce, butâlook. I havenât askedâLord knows Iâve wanted toâhow is it that Iâm here, naked as a jaybirdâthe taste of you still on my lipsâand youâre someoneâs wife?â She crossed her arms. âWhatâs the story?â
âFair enough. I left home when I was seventeen and came out here. All the black sheep, right?â Haskel began to pace. âI found where the artists hung outâa bar called the Black Cat. I was tall enough that nobody asked any questions. Len was part of that crowd.â
She walked to the window, lit another smoke off the end of the first. âBelieve it or not, he was a poet. A good one, too. Heâd been publishedâin The Atlantic. That impressed me.â She sighed. âI was young, he was handsome. That partâs an old, old story.â
Haskel was silent, staring out at the courtyard. âHe was thirty when we got married; I was barely eighteen. We settled into a fleabag on Union Street with four other people, pooled everyoneâs money, made a pot of spaghetti last for three days, and drank bootleg wine.
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