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 Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:14 pm
For one thing, if Rose had designed it, there would have been a lot more pink. "I suppose," she said ruefully. "I grew up in a house a little like it; but it was filled with post-modern stuff. The things around here - I can get lost very easily in Wakefield. I've had the staff had to rescue me about a dozen times. Some of it loses me, of course, I'm in literature and not a historian. Or an architect."
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:19 pm
"I was almost an architect!" Kevin said, the sort of exuberant response given when the speaker thinks he has seized upon a common conversation topic and missed the mark by several feet. There was very little for Kevin to say about the subject of his almost having been an architect and even less for Rose. Most of what Kevin could say on the matter he already had.
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:21 pm
"I thought about becoming an architect," Rose said ruefully. "Unfortunately, I didn't get very high marks in art."
There was a momentary silence as she sipped her tea; and she stirred it a little more, awkwardly, before saying: "You know, this is a terrible question, and I feel so embarrassed, but - have we met before?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:23 pm
"No," said Kevin. "At least, I think I would have remembered, on account of the hair." He felt very bad immediately after he said it. The last thing he wanted to do was bring attention to the fact he found her hair tone freakish. Mortified, he stared at his tea.
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:39 pm
Surprisingly enough, Rose went bright pink; then she started to laugh. "I'm sorry," she apologised, as if it was somehow her fault. "It's a normal colour from where I come from. I must look like some kind of mutant. It's not dye, I swear."
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:55 pm
"Oh, no, I didn't mean," he immediately blurted, even if it was quite clear that without intending to he -did- mean exactly that. "I'm sure it's normal where you're from."
Clearly, wherever he was from, it was neither the Fleet nor Gaia nor Rose's world but someplace far more mundane. He gulped at his tea. It was weak and disappointing against his tongue and settled badly in his stomach. Kevin's panic hid his distaste well. "It's very nice!" Even with all his other emotions, the sentiment sounded sincere.
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 12:11 am
"Thank you. It's Lady Grey," said Rose, obviously happy that he liked it; it was tragic. "I don't know if I let it brew long enough, though. - Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Kevin?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 12:58 am
Kevin reached inside his jacket and removed a letter. The envelope was grey in color and addressed simply: Kevin Peterson, 32 West Avenue, Aloc-on-Sauvon, OU. "A day ago, I receive this letter from my father which instructed me to come and see you to escort you to some sort of conference. He enclosed something for you in here." Kevin reached in the envelope and removed two folded sheets of white papers, the smaller of which he handed to Rose. Quote: Dear Rose, I apologize that I was unable to come see you in person, but I am presently engaged and cannot leave. I hope you understand. I've sent this invitation to you by way of a trusted source to request your attendance at the Conference. By the time you receive this message the Conference will be very near beginning, please leave with all haste and bring only Zevulon with you. Regards, D. A. R. Piett
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:19 am
Rose's eyes scanned over the letter. Then they grew as large as dinner-plates; for one, receiving a note from Djerod, and for the other -
"You're Djerod's son!?"
- But that was gone again; her shoulders had sagged in relief, and she actually had to press one hand to her eyes as she started to cry a little. She smiled at Kevin, apologetically, wiping her face furiously with the back of her hand. "I thought - Oh, I thought awful things. God, I have to go pack for Zevulon - oh, thank God, Djerod's alive."
She folded up the letter, dabbed at her eyes again, and walked over to Kevin's chair to give him an unexpected hug. "Oh, look at you! You have your father's eyes, you know - you look so much like him! He must be so proud of you."
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:43 am
Poor Kevin looked totally lost. "But I'm not..." His protestation trailed away with Rose's hug. He was fairly close to her age -- a good twenty years closer than Djerod no matter how you cut it. It took considerable strength of will for him to interrupt her affectionate display and say, "I'm not sure I'm what you think."
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:46 am
"Well, are you his son or aren't you?" She was far too happy to even think about the question; obviously quite crossed-up with relief, half-talking to herself as she rose from the hug. "Let's see; oh, dear, thank everything that Marne's with Ice; as for Dee - I can do better - where on earth is this conference? Did I wash Zevulon's jeans? - oh, thank you so much, Kevin. You have no idea."
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:48 am
"But I'm not sure you understand," Kevin continued to protest, "my father's name is Peter, not Jared. Kevin Peterson?" He failed to even distinguish between the dj and j sounds.
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:52 am
"Peter?" She momentarily stopped short; and then she laughed a little to herself, not at Kevin, but more a sort of gentle sigh at the situation. "I wasn't christened Rose, either; I think - I think I've always known your father by another name. I'm sorry. It must be awfully confusing for you. Peter! I like that. Very traditional."
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 11:09 pm
Kevin just sat there, looking lost and trying to avoid the rest of the tea. Awfully confusing was an understatement from an HR manager's point of view. "You know my father well?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 11:20 pm
"A little," Rose said, and she wove her fingers together awkwardly. "I mean - we've known each other for a while; he's been kind to me. He took me in after... It's a long story."
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