Chapter 28

“What?”

“Rescuing Damsels in Distress,” JW said.

“Where would you find them?” I said. “We almost were in distress. When the Navy came after us ... or who ever they were.”

John ... JW ... John Walter ... opened a drawer under the Navigation Station, took out several diaries and a pretty big stack of loose pages tied with a pink bow, “According to what he wrote, Damsels are to be found on Chaos.” He shook the ribbon stack, “Mom went with him.”

He handed me a single book. Accidental Crossroads. I looked for permission.

“Have at it,” John said.

So ... I opened the book.

I came home, such as it is, wounded in body but reasonably sound in mind ... I think. I attest to every single word as truth ... but I have to admit ... my adventures would make one hellofa movie. There are times I don’t believe a word.

I admit I feel sorry for Banker Shingle every time Lawyer Shingle opens that damn briefcase. It’s quite the tale and I’d better get to writing while I’m home. Sultry insists on going next time. And those damn interfering Powers that Be have said the same.

The lights were on, I had read the day away. I could feel the generator running down in the mechanical spaces. There was the hiss and sip of the water-maker and the slight rock of the waves from the wake of a departing freighter, bound for where only they knew. JW was watching me as I sighed and closed the book. I looked up.

“The ring? I had forgotten the ring.”

He flashed the ancient ring ... of a specific size and weight.

“I have it,” he said. “You do realize Cyn knows.”

“About these?” I waved my hand at the books and papers.

“Uh huh. She wants to publish them as fiction ... science fiction.”

“High fantasy, more like,” I said. “Any possibility she believes it?”

“The three of us rescued the portal.”

“Oh ... now I remember ... Frogmorton. Home.”

“Such as it was. We can no longer call it home.”

“Regardless, we grew up there.”

“I don’t believe that ... we grew up on this boat. Home is where you hang your hat ... that’s mine by the door. Yours is next to it.”

“There’s just two hats. Where is the third?”

“Wherever Cyn is. She doesn’t claim us.” He said, “We are old fashioned, staid, fuddy-duddy, conservative, set in our ways, miserly and “Not my kind of people.”

“She also said she was through with school.” He said.

“Hmm?” I replied.

“And that’s what I want to talk about.” He said, “Me too. I’m planning on Japan. I want to learn swords, martial arts, steath and tactics. Wanna go?”

“No. And you can’t take my boat. I mean ... you can take the Farr, not the CAT. When are you leaving?”

“As soon as Cyn comes for her money.”

“It’s here?”

“Yup.”

“I know she’s as smart as we are ... I wasn’t expecting common sense.”

“She hasn’t shown a lick of it since puberty ... but she does come home when she needs. I can’t say as I’m much better. I like sex ... I’m good at it ... well trained and practiced. You were always the anchor.”