|
|
July 8, 1998
|
|
]
World's End Bar...
Yosannah smiles at something said at the
bar before she climbs off her stool. She makes her way toward Merlin
and says speaks quietly to him when she arrives at his table, "I ah..
I think when I met you I made fun of your name, but right now I'm
drawing a blank. Help me out here."
Merlin purses his lips and blinks at
Yosannah. "Oh. It's Merlin. I forget yours as well, I'm
afraid."
Yosannah smiles and holds out her hand,
"Merlin, that's it. Yo. My name is Yo."
Merlin says, "Oh! Yo. I remember that
name now. Yo, Yo." He accepts Yosannah's offered hand briefly.
"You're with Luke's kid, right? Well, sort of."
Yosannah releases Merlin's hand, "I ah...
Yeah. Luke's kid." She bites at her lip for a moment at the thought
but brightens abruptly, "So, whatcha up to?"
Merlin chuckles, "Not much. Drinking a
cup of coffee and relaxing a bit. Have a seat?"
"That'd be nice, sure." She joins him at
the booth by the door.
Merlin asks, "So, how have you
been?"
Yosannah sets her wine glass before her
with a shrug of her shoulders, "I'm uh," she considers, "fine,
actually."
Merlin makes the obvious comment, "You
seem surprised by this."
Yosannah smiles, "Lemme ask you this.
You know Luke's kid... how well do you know that family?"
Merlin says, "Luke and I were college
buddies. We competed a lot, got drunk a lot. Mmm. Got drunk a lot.
Stuff like that."
Yosannah nods, "I never met him. Luke,
that is. Are he and his kids very much alike?"
Merlin shakes his head, "I don't really
know Damen all that well. Luke and his father are nothing alike
that I can tell if that's any indication."
Yosannah runs her hands over her hair,
"Probably not, but hey." She takes a drink of her wine.
Merlin says, "Why do you ask?"
Yosannah smiles softly, "Damen's gone."
She makes flitters her fingers as if discipating smoke.
Merlin frowns, "Oh. Sorry to hear it.
What happened."
Yosannah says, "Nothing. Absolutely
nothing. Something about loving me too much." She sighs, "Blah blah
blah. Whatever, you know." She looks into her now empty wine
glass.
Merlin sighs, "Amberites aren't known for
their stability."
Yosannah smiles sadly, "You know, a good
friend tole me that as well." She pauses and reflects for a moment,
"You married, Merlin."
Merlin laughs, "No, no I am not. Like
Damen, I'm pretty bad with long term relationships it
seems."
Yosannah says, "You need a different
group of folks to hang out with. Get a new perspective."
Merlin says, "For the most part, I don't
spend much time with them. I spend most of my time on Earth. It's
quiet. It has it's boring moments - I'm something of an adrenalin
junkie, but other then that, it's what I do."
Yosannah says, "Yeah? I was born in New
York, you know."
Merlin hehs, smiles, "No kidding. The
real Earth?"
Yosannah has to reflect on that, "Well, I
suppose there is really no way to be sure. I mean, I think
so."
Merlin says, "What year is it
there?"
Yosannah considers, "It would be Summer.
1998."
Merlin nods, "Very well could be the
same. Are you still there now?"
Yosannah smiles, "I live in The Sun now.
Ever heard of it?"
Merlin says, "Mmmm, yeah. As a matter of
fact I have. Haven't been there in a few years. Somewhat Earth-like.
At least, a number of the names are the same."
Yosannah nods, "It's pretty Earth-like."
She slides her index finger over the rim of her empty glass, "So,
what have you been up to. 'Cause I don't want to talk about me
anymore."
Merlin says, "Not a great deal. I've
been writing software. Except it's done now. And I 've tested it,
and it works, and I'm trying to figure out what I want to do with
it."
Yosannah says, "You're a
programmer?"
Tarkus walks in, the door showing a dark
street littered with garbage just before it closes.
Merlin nods, "Yep. That what I did in
college."
Yosannah says, "Very
impressive."
isps of breath from Tarkus' face fade
away as the warmth of the bar angulfs him. He straightens his coat
with a tug, then looks direction to his right. With a smile he says,
"Yosannah, mind if I borrow Merle's attention for a
second?"
Yosannah looks up from her conversation,
"Oh. Hi, D.W." She looks back questioningly at Merlin and shrugs her
shoulders.
Merlin looks up at Tarkus, "What can I do
for you?"
Tarkus mutters to Merlin, bearly audible,
"... come...he...to engage... intelligent conversations,... doesn't
know how..." He removes a deck of cards and shuffles through them,
then returns all but one, which he sets on Merlin's table.
Merlin looks at the card then at Tarkus,
"Why?"
Tarkus smiles and says, "Whoops. I was
supposed to lave that last part out. He wants to talk and you can
meet him where the card takes you."
Merlin's brow furrows and he studies
Tarkus, "Why should I believe that this card leads anywhere but a
deep pit designed to trap me for some nefarious purpose. It wouldn't
be the first attempt."
Tarkus chuckles, "Stone doesn't do deep
pits designed for nefarious purposes. If he watned you, he'd send a
horde of thugs."
Merlin frowns, "I see." He looks at the
card again, mistrust upon his visage.
Yosannah looks at Tarkus, "Stoner wants
to talk to," she points at Merlin, "Him?" She sighs, "Tarkus, let
Stone know I'll take care of this, if you don't mind. Have a good
day."
Tarkus glances at Yosannah and squints.
But he nods and says, "Very well. Have a nice day, both of you." He
then turns toward the bar.
Yosannah turns her attention back to her
table.
Merlin nods to Tarkus but then regards
Yosannah as the man walks away, "Ahh, who was that?"
Yosannah says, "Tarkus is a schmuck and a
lap-dog wanna-be that follows around after my friend Stone." She
chuckles, "I wouldn't worry about it."
Merlin nods, "I see."
Yosannah motions to the card on the
table, "May I see?"
Merlin nods, "Feel free. Looks like it's
of some hallway or lobby area..."
Yosannah slides the card toward her with
her finger. She smiles and nods knowingly, "This is of the Gideon
Club. If you're curious but you'd rather not use the card you can
always drive there. It's about a mile up the street from my place in
The Sun."
Merlin's gaze finds hers and he smiles,
"Maybe I'll have to come see your place then."
Yosannah makes a meek attempt at hiding
her own smile. She wets her lips, "I'd like that." And then, "I'd
like to see you again."
Merlin says, "I'd like that. I'm around. If you ever get back to Earth, I live in Berkeley. I'm in the book -- look up Merle Corey."
Yosannah nods, trying the name on for size, "Corey. Okay. Thanks. I think maybe I will."
A letter from Damen...
My dearest Yosannah, There is a space in my heart that you have filled. With your love, your patience, and youre understanding. You came into my life filled with shadows and chaos, and filled it with light and love. And I thank thee for that.
There is a place in my mind that was missing. Memories forgotten, a past repressed - and with your help it was made whole.
But they are memories I cannot forgive. Horrors from my past that I must seek out and confront on my own. I cannot subject you to a life with someone who as committed such atrocities.
I love you, my own. But we do not belong with each other. We are two souls, the same, yet different. An accident of time and space.
Why does the world stive to keep lovers apart? Or bring them together when it is impossible?
You are free of me.
D.