The Lost Mage (35 page)

“Oh. How are we going to figure out where this exact cave is?”

“I suppose we could search the park. I honestly don’t know if there are any caves there, but I think there are some rock formations, so maybe there are some small caves there.”

“When can we do that?”

“Tomorrow, okay? There’s no time to get up there today before work.”

“About tomorrow? I don’t want to make you mad or anything, but tomorrow night is when …”

“Is when those idiots will be opening another portal? Is that what you were going to say?”

“Well, yes. I’m not looking to go through the portal, but I have to stop them from bringing more demons to this realm. Maybe they don’t know what they’re doing.”

“We’re supposed to be working tomorrow night.”

“Do you think Sean would give us the night off?”

“Maybe. I guess I could ask Sarah to cover for me.”

“Please? I have to stop them from summoning more demons.”

“Fine, I’ll ask Sean if it’s okay.”

“Thank you, Nora.” Darakin leaned over and gave her a kiss. “If he gives us the night off, we’ll have plenty of time to look for the cave, too.”

“Hmm, maybe I’ll pack a picnic lunch for us to take up there. It’s supposed to be great weather tomorrow.”

“Mm, a picnic sounds good.”

“Have you ever gone on one?”

“Not exactly. But I was once hired to provide a gentle breeze to a young man who took a girl he was courting on a picnic.”

“That sounds kind of frivolous.”

“Don’t those with money engage in frivolous activities here?”

“Most definitely.” She laughed, thinking of the latest gossip paper headline she’d seen about a young socialite who’d just purchased a mansion for her toy poodle.

“How much does someone pay for something like that?”

“My payment was my own portion of the picnic lunch – to be eaten at a respectable distance, of course.”

“So how did the courtship work out?”

“I have no idea. Things got a little, um, personal between them and I left, per my agreement with the young man.”

“So you possibly let a young man … how would you say it – deflower a young woman? Wouldn’t that cause her shame or something?”

“No, why? Where do you get these ridiculous ideas from?”

“I don’t know. Romance novels, I guess.”

“Well, it doesn’t sound very romantic if having relations would cause one partner shame.”

“So, a woman doesn’t need to be a virgin when she marries in your realm?”

Darakin took Nora’s hands. “Nora, if I thought that, do you think I’d have been intimate with you when we weren’t married? I would never risk your respectability.”

“I guess I just keep thinking about how you look like someone from the cover of one of those books and then I assume that your world is the way it is in those novels.”

“In my realm, women and men are social equals. Intimacy is a gift from the gods, not something that would cause one shame. Men are considered better suited to heavy physical labor and most combat, except for combat magic, but women are considered superior in many of the intellectual fields.”

“Hmm.” Nora made a face that may have indicated begrudging respect. “Well, we’d best be on our way if we’re to get to work on time.”

When they arrived at the pub, Nora sought Sean out right away. “Sean, I’ve a favor to ask of you.”

“And what might that be, lass?”

“Darakin and I were hoping to take tomorrow evening off. I’ll get Sarah to cover for me.”

“Well, I suppose as long as you get Sarah to fill in, it’d be okay. Would you satisfy an old man’s curiosity and tell me what you’ll be doing?”

“You’re hardly old, Sean. As for us, we’ll be um, well there’s some sort of holiday custom in his realm … culture that he needs to go up to the park for. Since he’s likely to get lost and never be heard from again if he tries to go alone, I’d like to go with him.”

Sean laughed. “You’re probably right about never seeing him again. Go and have a good time, lass.”

“Thank you, Sean.”

Nora found Sarah, who agreed to fill in the following evening.

She then found Darakin and told him they were all set for the next evening.

He put his arm around her waist and gave her a kiss. “Thank you, Nora.”

To his confusion, Nora struggled out of his embrace. ‘What’s wrong?”

“It’s just that most of my tips depend on the customers thinking there might be a chance for them with me. If they think I’m taken, I’ll lose money.”

“Wait, you complain that I do nothing to discourage women you claim are ‘ogling’ me, yet you’ll let strange men think you’re available? How is that fair?”

Nora’s face showed surprise. “But we’re talking about earnings here, Darakin. Not some floozy with flowers in her hair who wants you to take her on the nearest surface, be it floor, table or bed.”

Darakin shook his head. “It still doesn’t seem right to me.”

Nora saw one of her customers looking for her. “We’ll talk about this later, love. I’ve tables to wait.” She plastered a smile on her face and went to take their order.

Darakin sat there dazed. “I’ll just never understand women.”

Sean, who was walking back to the kitchen, put a comforting hand on the mage’s shoulder. “No man ever will, lad. The sooner you accept that, the happier you’ll be in this life.” He chuckled and continued on his way.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Bright and early the next day, Nora and Darakin picked up the basket of food she’d packed and headed to the door.

Hey! Where are you going with that basket?

“We’re going to be out for a long time, Mrowley. Tonight, we’re going to look for the men who summoned me here.”

Yeah, yeah, but what about that basket? It’s got foodies in it, doesn’t it? What about me? I haven’t eaten,
he looked at the empty food dish on the floor that he’d finished moments before,
in hours.

“Yes, you have, you just finished a little while ago. The food in the basket is for our lunch.” He turned to Nora. “We should leave him some food since we’ll be gone all day.”

“Okay.” She went to the cupboard and filled his dish with dry food.

Mrowley ran into the kitchen and rubbed against her legs. “Oh! Look at this. Isn’t he sweet?” Nora pulled out the cream from the refrigerator and poured some in a bowl.

Mm! Cream!

As the cat licked furiously at the cream in the bowl, Nora tiptoed out and grabbed Darakin’s arm. “Quick,” she whispered, “While he’s preoccupied.”

The couple made their way to the door and stealthily opened it and closed it behind them.

“Phew! I can’t believe we have to sneak out behind the cat’s back.”

Darakin took her hand and they stepped outside.

Nora smiled at the sunshine. “’Tis a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

They rode the subway up to the park. Darakin, though he still harbored an extreme distrust of the mechanical dragon, was much calmer on the train now that he had a few trips under his belt.

By the time they got to the park, it was already crowded with roller bladders, sunbathers, joggers and others enjoying the sun.

“This is nice,” Darakin said, looking at the crowd.

“Oh, that’s right! You’ve never been here during the day, have you?”

“No. I had no idea it would get so crowded.”

“When you live in a city, there are few places to get sun and recreation. Most everybody comes here at one time or another.”

They found a big rock that was flat enough to sit on and have their lunch. Nora spread the sandwiches and salads out on the rock and handed Darakin a paper plate.

“What’s this?” he asked, turning the plate over.

“A paper plate.”

“Stone and metal are much better materials for plates, Nora, like the ones you have at home.”

“Yes, but these are disposable. We’ll just throw them away. No need to do dishes or lug them all over town all day.”

“It seems to me that your society produces a lot of garbage.”

“That we do. We’re getting better, but I wasn’t about to bring my dishes out here so hush and use the plate. Just support it so it doesn’t spill.”

When the two had their lunches in front of them, Nora said, “Now, I’ve told you all about my childhood and Ireland. I want you to tell me a story from your homeland.”

“What kind of story?”

“Well, don’t you tell stories to the children? You know, fairytales.”

“Oh, you want a story of fairies? I’m afraid they’re mostly sad. Fairies are not very nice.”

“Jaysus, no, not a story about real fairies. We call children’s stories fairytales. You know made up ones that are about magic and princesses and stuff.”

“Stories about magic in my realm are rarely made up. However, I’ll tell you the story of the creation of Krigil’s Void.”