The Sea's Rough Magic by Alicia Graybill

Author:Alicia Graybill [Graybill, Alicia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-28T06:00:00+00:00

)O(

He sat in a salon similar to the one in Dunbar's home, a cup of tea in his hand. When he raised the cup to take a drink, it smelled like rum and looked like rum but the taste was plain old China tea. He wasn't sure what to make of that. Worse, the tea seemed to satisfy him as much as rum did. He looked up to see McSwain enter the room in full pirate glory. McSwain carried a pistol in one hand and a bottle in the other. He began to wander about the room and smash various things, a small statue of a boy and his dog, a vase full of water and flowers, then a small painting of a fine lady. He glanced back at Aaron after that.

"Have ye naught t' say, Miss Molly?" He took a swig of whatever was in the bottle then shook it in his direction. "Speak up!"

"It's not real," Aaron finally answered though his voice sounded, to his own ears, at least, like James'. "None of it. Destroy what you like. Look, there's a new figurine."

Angus turned and struck the tiny ceramic sailing ship with the butt of his pistol. "Seems real enough t' me. Sure ye ain't touched in the head?"

Aaron shrugged. "So what if I am? It doesn't matter here. This world is all fancy and fog. It's the only place where you can't touch me and you can't hurt me if I won't let you. So I won't, not anymore, at least."

"Bah!" Angus spun about and marched towards Aaron, passing easily through all the furniture that separated them. When he got within a foot or two of Aaron, he swung the butt of his pistol at him. Aaron fought his instinct to duck back and the pistol never touched him, as if it passed through him or he passed through it. McSwain drew back suddenly, glowering at the weapon then at Aaron. "What the blazes?!"

"Care for a cup of tea?" Aaron asked him, setting his own tea aside and reaching to pour another cup for his guest. "Do you want poison with your tea?"

"No, thank you, I'll take mine plain," James Dunbar was suddenly seated across from him where Angus had been moments before. "You do realize that I expect you back any moment now?"

"Back?" Aaron asked, handing James the cup balanced on a delicate saucer. "Where did I go?"

James smiled that tiny smile that made Aaron's heart ache. "It's difficult to explain. Once upon a time, there was a little mermaid."

James' voice trailed off, muffled into silence. For a moment, Aaron strained to hear him then he grew aware that he was in total darkness. He could feel the deck of a ship moving beneath his feet, the slap and mutter of her sails in the wind telling him they were making good time. He felt a raindrop hit the back of his hand and wondered how he had ended up there.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.