Ellis had disappeared after dinner, wanting to “see to things.” He tended to handle people better than Nyssa did, and someone might recognize her. She hoped news of her alleged crimes hadn’t spread from New Taured’s capital to the coast, but on the off-chance it had, it was best that Ellis dealt with anything in the open.
“What is taking so long?” She picked up his suitcase and started to organize his scattered belongings. Socks, shoes, a blown spark plug from repairs conducted hastily on the road. His late father’s shop had been chaotically organized. She’d assumed because of long neglect, but considering Ellis’s habits, it was possible he had a genetic distaste for tidiness.
Could be problematic. Of course, Ellis can probably afford a maid or two.
Nyssa picked up one of his shirts. It seemed clean, if a bit wrinkled. Running her hands over the crisp linen, she eased the creases from the front, then folded it. She raised it to her face and inhaled. It smelled faintly of him, of the pine-oil soap he’d purchased at the beginning of their trip and the grease he used to lubricate his chair’s many moving parts. A smile pulled at the corners of her lips.
The door opened, and she dropped the shirt into the suitcase, her ears burning.
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that.” Ellis entered the room. The door clicked shut behind him. “You’re not my maid.”
“The mess gets to me after a while.” She shrugged, trying to subdue her blush.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Sorry. I grew up with people picking up after me, so I tend to be a little inconsiderate about leaving things where they lie. I need to get out of that habit.”
“I don’t mind, really.” She turned to face him. “Sitting in here doing nothing is driving me crazy. I need something to tinker with. Preferably a videophone or a radio to repair, but lacking those, tidying up suits me.”
He guided his chair to the end of the bed, flipped up the armrest, and slid his body from the chair to the mattress. She tried not to stare. The first time she’d seen him make such a maneuver, she’d offered her help, only to get a sharp look. After a bit, she’d come to realize his independence was more important to him than any perceived inconvenience.
Flipping a switch on the side of his chair, he triggered the folding sequence. The chair jerked and whirred then compacted itself into a silver-handled briefcase. Ellis had made this device and was quite proud of it. Nyssa suspected he might be as good an inventor as his deceased father. The idea of setting up a shop and working with him was interesting on an intellectual level.
Though there’s nothing intellectual about why I want to stay close. Shock me, I’m not going to turn into a love-struck school girl over him. I’m not.
“Do you think it will be possible to boardThe Juliet tomorrow?” she asked.
He scooted against the headboard and reached down to unbutton his shoes. “Without passports or tickets? Not likely. Those thieves might have inadvertently done us a favor, though. I went down to the hangar to see what I could find out, when the next airship would be leaving—”
“When?” Nyssa interrupted.
“If we still want San Azula, at least two weeks. If we’re willing to settle elsewhere, a few days. However, that’s not the main problem. The main problem is the wall of wanted posters pasted in the hangars.”
The blood drained from Nyssa’s face, leaving her lips numb. “I’m there?”
“Front and center … or you were, anyway.” Ellis reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He passed it to her. “The harm’s already done, though. Everyone working there would’ve seen it.”
She unfolded the poster. Her own face glared back at her. Does everyone think I look so … severe? “They’re only after me. I wish there were a way to beat the charges, convince them I didn’t do anything. Going on the run doesn’t make me look very innocent, does it?”
“Probably not. Still, we’re beyond worrying about that.” He folded his arms behind his head and reclined. “We need to get out of Freeport before someone recognizes you and starts asking questions. I doubt the police have sent fliers outside the country. They probably expect you to still be lying low in New Taured City.”
“But how do we get out if not by air? If we have to backtrack all the way to the next land border … that could take weeks, and what if they’re looking for the carriage?” She sat on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands. “You’d be so much better off without me. You should just go and let me—”
“Nyss, I’ve got this.”
“But if you weren’t with me—”
“I told you, I’ve got this.”
She looked up into his warm smile. “How?”
“We might have lost our personal tickets, but I still have our baggage tickets, and I paid to get the carriage onThe Juliet. They do search the baggage area for contraband, but I talked to the dockworker in charge of that today and slipped him some money. They won’t check ours now.”
Nyssa sat up straighter. “Can we trust him? What if he turns us in?”
“I told him there was another payment in it for him once we reached San Azula. Besides, I was vague about what I was smuggling, but I hinted it was something small, not really worth reporting. He definitely didn’t suspect I’d be smuggling myself. I figure we can lie low in the back seat, wait for it to be loaded, and then ride out the journey in the luggage hold. I sent a bellhop to buy us some food for the trip. Only three days, anyway, so while we won’t be
