Heart 16 - Script of the Heart Page 14

  "I have my own tools," the boy said. "I can bring them over."

  "All right." Johns glanced at his timer. "Start in a quarter-septhour. Go get your tools, then come around to the sideyard gate and I'll let you in and key it to your Flair. Maybe you can plant … stuff."

  "Yes, sir!"

  It occurred to Johns that he should ask the kid's name, but the boy had already raced away.

  Less than thirty minutes later, Johns had settled Marti Samphire with his tools in the east sideyard. Yeah, his jaw tightened when he realized that from the huge bundles of weeds Johns had yanked out, it had been in even worse shape near the gate than his back grassyard. Obviously an eyesore to the neighbors as they looked down from their second story windows. The whole place an insult to those with a botanical talent, no doubt. Tough.

  Johns had puttered around in the house's stillroom, checking the plant no-times that kept cuttings and seeds as fresh as they went in, however many years ago. He could only hope that the seeds he found remained viable. He'd also found a long-gone forefather's design drawing of the estate, designating what should be planted where for sun and shade or whatever. Or what had been planted where. Perhaps.

  He copied the map and put it back in the archival no-time, then handed copy and map over to Marti. Saw the widest eyes from the boy who then choked and whooped. Waving the papyrus, he danced around. "This is fantastic! Real ancient design and notes from centuries ago. Can I show my Mom? Can I show my Master?"

  Waving a hand, Johns said, "Sure. The map is yours."

  "ZOW! And the seeds. The antique seeds." He stared at the packets. "I dunno that we should use these to plant this sideyard. Dunno if the botanical gardens have such seeds archived."

  "Use them," Johns said. "It's what I have."

  "I dunno. Maybe we can trade them up for something equally good here."

  Johns scanned the sideyard, couldn't really think what would look good.

  With a frown, Marti glanced up at him. "I don't think I'll plant these seeds here just yet. Would rather talk to Mom and Master."

  "All right."

  "In a coupla days, we'll get plantings in for ya." Marti promised.

  "Sure," Johns agreed.

  "I'll head into the back and do general cleanup, weeding and chopping and trimming," the boy said with relish.

  "All right. I'm hoping it will look good." Johns flicked his fingers. "Proceed. But don't interrupt me for the next, ah, fifty minutes or so."

  "Why not?"

  Impertinent question, but Johns answered it all the same. "I'll be taking care of the house." Cleansing and tidying spells. Or resting. Or looking at Amberose's script again. None of the kid's business.

  "Oh." A pause. "Why are you getting everything nice? You gotta woman? A HeartMate? Getting married?"

  Johns choked on his spit, coughed. "I—"

  "Mom reads the newssheets about you and it says you're seeing the newssheet guy's sister, Morifa Daisy. She coming here?" Marti scanned the area, shook his head doubtfully. "I dunno that anything we do'll impress her, a minor noble."

  But Johns had reeled back into the wall siding, an exclamation of horror emerging without thought, "No!" How could that rumor ever have gotten started? He'd … ah … he'd exchanged pleasantries with the woman in the greenroom a couple of nights back, barely said "greetyou."

  Marti nodded. "Good thing you're not bringing her here. This place'll take years before it impresses anyone from noble class or somethin'." He picked up a tool, and began work, using his Flair. "So why you doin' this?"

  "It was time," Johns said simply. Time, again. "Time to take care of my responsibilities."

  "For sure," Marti said, "You let this go too long."

  "I am aware," Johns said before he left the sideyard and went back inside to handle a good quarterly house cleansing.

  No, he couldn't visualize Morifa Daisy here. She'd certainly be disdainful, and trail toxic energy onto his land and into his home.

  On the other hand, despite what he'd told the Samphire boy, Johns could, had been thinking of bringing Giniana Filix here. Despite the fact she lived on a beautiful FirstFamily estate, she wouldn't be dismissive of his home and land.

  He smiled in pleasure and checked their bond again, found her, once more, thinking of her FamCat. His lips curved down. If she stayed any amount of time with him—and his mind and body had already danced in that direction!—Giniana would bring the cat. Both cats would arrive with her, and Johns was all too aware what disapproving cats could do to the interior of his home.

  He'd have to anticipate that, maybe go to the ritual room to handle a preventative cleansing-shielding-whatever. There must be notes from his FatherDam on deflecting cat piss, since she'd pampered and loved her miserable cat.

  But not today. He'd spent too much energy already, and would need more for his actual work.

  A last glance out the back windows, to see Marti working hard on the back grassyard close to the house. It already looked a thousand times better and would have taken Johns a couple of weeks to clear-up, if he'd had the desire. Well, he and Marti were glad of the trading services deal.

  And as light sifted through the leaves of the large trees, he could imagine the FamCats lounging in the lower branches, maybe taking one of the buildings as their own. Maybe he could palm the pink playhouse off on them as their own place, since he preferred the other buildings.

  All in all, the day had turned out well. He hoped the evening performance would, too, but didn't think he'd get the bump of excitement from feeling Giniana in the audience again. She'd be off on her own jobs.

  Too bad.

  But breakfast tomorrow! And definitely some loving tomorrow, maybe her afternoon break, if he had his way.

  CHAPTER 15

  GINIANA SET her afternoon break to begin with just enough time for her to walk from T'Spindle Residence, out the gate and across Bountry Boulevard to the public carrier plinth for the vehicle heading further into Noble Country and toward T'Willow's estate.

  Unexpected jitters traveled along her nerves. She'd have to ask for something, perhaps plead. She wasn't accustomed to that, preferred to completely rely on herself. Safest.

  She hated the idea of not being able to meet the price for Thrisca's treatment. Loathed that she'd circumvented Palli Willow to speak with the FirstFamily GreatLady herself.

  As Giniana walked through the gate up to the colorful T'Willow castle Residence, she met D'Willow herself. A tall woman with brown hair and smoky blue eyes, the FirstFamily GreatLady greeted Giniana with a wonderful smile that gave Giniana hope.

  D'Willow gestured to a path from the gliderway toward the neat trail that wound around the Residence.

  "Let's walk outside a bit, shall we? I've been inside and embroidering on a special robe, including a bit of time in my stitches, and would like some fresh air."

  "Lovely," Giniana croaked, strove to sound casual, hoped they'd move into shade so she wouldn't sweat too much. Sunlight seemed to reflect off the rich gold plastered walls of the Residence. Rather pretty, but she preferred the more subdued pale stone, smaller and more horizontal T'Spindle Residence.

  She let the silence grow between them, and thought that if nerves didn't plague her so much, she'd have liked being in the presence of and walking with this woman. This woman with the odd aura that could only indicate her most unusual Flair.

  As they stepped onto a narrow path between hedgerows straight and towering green on both sides that provided privacy, Giniana drew in a discreet and steady breath and said, "I am having a problem coming up with the fee, and my FamCat Thrisca is failing."

  Giniana had already given Dufleur D'Willow the report that Thrisca could not be Healed from the cough, a requirement before the FirstFamily GreatLady would take a person as a patient for her Time Healing. "I wanted to talk to you about options and, perhaps, solutions."

  "You aren't the first person who's contacted me personally about the time procedures and you won't be the last. I will
find a good option for you, but you must keep this meeting between us strictly confidential."

  "Of course."

  "I only consider financially helping those who take the extra step of meeting with me and whose outcome of not having the time treatment will be fatal. And I'd like to hear your ideas, first."

  Giniana must control her rapid pulse, slow it. "Perhaps it would be possible for you to, ah, shorten the time period between this procedure and the next, within a month, perhaps?"

  "I'm very sorry, I can tell you love your FamCat very much. It's a matter of my own Flair," D'Willow stated apologetically. "You must understand, as a FirstLevel Healer, that certain great Flair workings can deplete your energy for … well, in my case, months, after a proceeding. Though I do plan my sessions around Family demands, truly I am able to move several beings through time and back only on a very limited basis."

  "Which is why you made your treatments at quarterly intervals," Giniana said.

  "Exactly."

  Giniana knew she couldn't afford a private session at all. She deliberately moved her shoulders to release tension. "Perhaps we can negotiate payment plan? I have approximately three-quarters of the fee now."

  But D'Willow shook her head. "I'm sorry. My contract with my assistant, Palli, is that I make no financial arrangements. That is her provenance. I'll lose her, if I do." A regretful smile. "And she is fiercely organized, and not afraid of working with me, or time experimentation." D'Willow raised a hand and let it drop. "I went through twenty assistants in two and a half years before I found her. And she's a member of the Willow Family. I can't afford to lose her."

  Well, not exchange such a gem for a favor for Giniana.

  "On the other hand," D'Willow's voice lowered and she stared toward the end of the straight path, grimaced, "I think I was the most impoverished person to marry into the FirstFamilies. I understand what it is to need gilt."

  Giniana caught her breath, she hadn't known that.

  "We will find options for you."

  The hedgerows turned from groomed to spiky and thorny, like the conversation. This time D'Willow spoke first. "I know you wouldn't want me to delay this session since others are depending upon it—"

  "No."

  "I have other, private consultations, but, I think, I might be able to … flex the next appointment. Can your FamCat hold onto life another month?"

  Inhale and exhale. "I think so."

  "We could do that, and I could charge your appointment against the annual NobleGilt the councils pay me for practicing my Flair."

  Truly a solution for someone without any other remedy. "I … I'm shocked," Giniana said.

  "It would go on next year's Noble Gilt since I've fulfilled my salary for this year. In two and a half months you would have to show up the first day of the New Year, Samhain, say, at one minute after midnight, here at T'Willow's so the accounting would be proper."

  "Yes, of course," Giniana replied faintly. She should be near swooning with relief, but the magnanimous offer didn't take her like that. She'd be breaking the rules to get something she wanted, something necessary for her FamCat.

  She wouldn't be paying her way. More personally important, she'd be dragging this whole thing out by months. Her spirit quailed at that.

  Get it done, get it out of the way and finished. That's what she preferred. That's what she had planned on.

  And she knew herself, she'd continue to work as hard as possible to come up with as much of the gilt as possible. Pride would force her to do that. For months.

  A burden she wouldn't be able to shift seemed to land on her shoulders, bowing them.

  At that moment, the narrow path opened into a lovely grassyard and gardens. Two cats zoomed by, playing. Both stopped, nearly tumbled, and stared at Giniana.

  She smells like FamCat, said the smaller, rounder, dappled Fam, female.

  The dusty brown tabby male sat next to her. I smell her, too, and more. FamCat is the Oldest of the Old.

  They both did the open-mouth, tongues curled sensing-action in Giniana's direction.

  "Interesting," D'Willow said. "How old did you say your FamCat was?"

  "I know Thrisca grew up with my FatherSire, Teris Filix."

  "Oh! The great actor. We have many of his viz recordings."

  "Yes."

  "The oldest of the old," D'Willow murmured, looking at Giniana with the mist of time in her eyes. She valued old items and beings who'd moved through time, lived through time for years.

  Turning to look at the castle-like structure of her Residence, she said, "The Willows are a largish Family, and none of the Willows have trained or are training in medicine. We could use a Healer …” she paused, coughed delicately, "at your same rate of pay, of course."

  The GreatLady's statement simply took Giniana's breath. "I … I hadn't anticipated anything like this offer."

  D'Willow waved a casual hand. "It's an option. And Thrisca would be welcome to live here, too, of course."

  Perhaps more welcome than Giniana. She straightened her spine. She'd always given good service for the gilt paid her. "Thank you very much for your consideration. I'll think about it."

  "Surely."

  The woman's calendar sphere popped into existence, announcing, "Appointment with your HeartMate and T'Willow Residence in five minutes."

  "I'm sorry, I need to go," D'Willow swept out an arm. "Please feel free to explore the estate and the ground floor of the Residence." She paused, studying Giniana. "If you'd like to see the suites we could offer you as the staff Healer, please speak with the housekeeper. I've already informed her of the proposal I've made to you. And, of course, my offer of employment is good until Thrisca moves into the Time Procedure Room for this next session." Again, she paused. "I think you liked that solution better than the personal appointment?

  So much to think on, Giniana's mind fuzzed … at the wrong time. "Yes, though I need to consider all you've so generously offered me."

  The FirstFamily GreatLady inclined her head. "I'll need to hear within two days whether you'll want the private appointment so I can inform my other client in an acceptable manner."

  "Yes." Giniana swept a deep curtsy. "And thank you for discussing this with me. I'm very honored that you would think me, and mine, acceptable to live with your Family."

  With a nod and another smile, the GreatLady hurried down a more direct path toward the Residence than through the tall hedges.

  Giniana stood until she noticed the deep shade of the trees cooled her too much—she had sweated and now that chilled unpleasantly on her skin. She crossed to a bench in the dappled light and let herself be instead of thinking, so she'd be able to think clearly.

  Until she became aware that the two cats sat before her, ears rotated, whiskers quivering, radiating wariness at her.

  *I* am the TIME FamCat! snapped the female, mentally. I am Dufleur D'Thyme's FamCat. I am Queen Cat of this household.

  The male growled briefly. I am the WILLOW FamCat, Saille T'Willow, the GreatLord, is My FamMan. Then he stood, raised his tail high in pride, flicked it, as if knowing a serval cat, which Thrisca was, couldn't hold her tail straight up. I am alpha and Tom Cat of the Residence and this land and everyone answers to Me.

  The female sniffed but didn't contradict him. Whatever their relationship to each other, they presented a united front to Giniana.

  She answered them mildly, I live on FirstFamily GrandLord T'Spindle's estate ...

  We don't know him, projected the cats in unison.

  So he isn't important, the queen stated.

  Thrisca— began Giniana.

  That IS the name of the Oldest of the Old, I remember! the female informed the tom, who'd crossed to nose at the hedges now that he'd stated his dominance.

  Giniana continued, Thrisca and I do not live in the Residence where other Familiar Companions would. So far none of the Spindles had bonded with Fam animals, though Giniana thought they were on D'Ash's waiting list for compatible Fams when int
elligent creatures were born or came in from the wild. Thrisca and I live on a cottage outside of the Residence.

  The male abandoned checking out his territory to stand before Giniana. He waved his tail back and forth. There is no such place for peoples to live outside the Residence on My land. Outbuildings serve other purposes. All humans live IN the Residence, who cares for Us.

  "Ah," Giniana said. Her own calendar sphere pinged that she should leave now to catch the infrequent public carrier that ran through Noble Country and up into the busier part of Druida City. She stood and curtsied briefly to each FamCat in an excess of courtesy they would expect.

  They watched her walk away.

  Depression and grief dogged her steps as she left the Willows and boarded the vehicle. She hadn't been able to negotiate a fee and an appointment that fit in with her plans. How she'd anticipated that. Hubris and pride. She'd always believed that if she worked hard enough, planned intensely enough, she could solve all her problems, finesse every situation to her advantage.

  Not this time. And she knew exactly what her FamCat would say in this instance: "You are young."

  Giniana didn't feel young, but as if each septhour of every day weighed her down with life.

  Deciding to take the private appointment would be sacrificing her pride, her sense of being able to provide for herself without help, provide for her family, Thrisca. Giniana didn't think she could change one of the basics of her character so quickly.

  A different kind of grief went through her as she realized she loved her job, and her little house, and the Spindle estate, deeply admired the Spindles.

  What she knew of the Willows impressed her too, but they were a younger, more vigorous, more intense household. More demanding, less … mellow and ... sweet than the Spindles. Yet, working for the Willows could be a good option.

  The last resort, if she failed to raise the fee before the day of the Time Healing Procedure.

  Right now, Giniana would have to work harder, take every job she could, pray the Daisys would keep her on at night, and give instruction to Danith D'Ash.

  She had no doubt her relationship with Johns would suffer. He'd said he'd wait for her, but she didn't feel he meant that. Their affair would be nipped in the bud, never to bloom.