Servants and Followers (The Legends of Arria, Volume 2) (37 page)

“
That’s it?” Iibala
asked.

“
That’s
it, that’s all you need to do, for now. Nisa and I have a handle on
things, for now, despite the misfortune of your father.” The Old
Man remarked. “I will contact you if I ever need anything from
either one of you,” He said, quickly leaving before Iibala could
get another word in edgewise.

Iiba
la frightened
him, to be honest. She was an unknown quantity, or at least she was
a troublesome distraction at times, interfering with his work, or
trying to get more involved in it. She was even worse than Brigga
and Nisa had been, combined. She wasn’t a Follower of Doomba trying
to sabotage him, he was fairly certain of that, although he had
been wrong in the past, like when it came to Smidge. For now,
though, he would try to steer clear of her, and hopefully she would
steer clear of him. Perhaps he had thrown her off a bit, with his
refusal to acknowledge how bad things were with Sir Nickleby
getting hurt, although he did not want to throw her off entirely,
just in case he did need her help with…the Old Man groaned to
himself. It was so hard these days, trying to interact with
ordinary people. How did ordinary people go about doing it
everyday? Of course, they interacted with each other everday on a
regular basis, so maybe that might explain how commonplace it might
seem to them. He needed more practice.

Iibala
felt offended and misused, in some sense
, as the Old Man left her. She had wanted to get
closer to the Old Man and Nisa in the past, to understand what was
going on here with their stalking of Basha, but the more she found
out, the more she was disturbed by the fact that these were the
people who were guarding Basha and Oaka. Why couldn’t Basha and
Oaka have better guards, considering what they were up against? Why
couldn’t the Old Man and Nisa stop for a moment and realize that
what they were doing was wrong?

Iibala
didn’t have a clue what she would do if it was up to her to protect
Basha from Doomba’s minions, but for one thing, she wouldn’t do
what the Old Man and Nisa were doing! She would allow him some
freedom from constant surveilla
nce, and she would allow him to…Iibala groaned to herself.
She wanted some reassurance that everything was well, that it was
going to be all right, but nothing was well, was it? It was all so
wrong. She just wanted everything to be normal again, but then
again, nothing was ever normal, was it? It was all so very, very
wrong.

“
You welcome the
guests with a slight curtsy, and then you ask them to follow you to
the table with a nice smile,” The hostess said, leading Jawen down
the aisle of tables at the only restaurant in town. “Make sure to
pick out a table for them to sit at that has just been cleaned, or
looks nice and clean. People like that nowadays.” The hostess said,
stopping at a table.

“
You may pull out a
chair for the ladies, but not the gentlemen. Gentlemen like to sit
themselves down.” The hostess said. “Be sure to warn a lady if her
chair is going to be pulled out from under her with a question,
‘Would you like me to pull out your chair for you?’ Saves a bit of
a headache now and again with upset ladies. Are you listening,
Jawen?”

“
Yes, I am.” She
said, nodding slowly. It was going to be her first day working at
the restaurant after being hired yesterday. Not exactly her dream
job, but all of the shops were either not hiring or thought she was
not qualified enough to serve their customers. Basha would have
probably said something funny about now. The restaurant would have
to do for now. She wondered if Basha had ever tried to apply
here.

“
Pull out the chair
only after you’ve asked for their permission, and be sure to smile
and curtsy whenever you lead guests to their tables. Be sure it’s
nice and clean as well.” Jawen said, repeating the hostess’s
instructions with a sigh. Jawen had moved in with Sisila a few days
ago, after getting tired of hearing her father complain and insult
Basha. She was adjusting to living on her own, or at least moving
away from her family and living with a roommate in a cramped
cottage in the poorest part of town. She just had to get used to
it, until--until it got better, somehow.
Hopefully a good job might help, or at least a job of
some sort like this one.

“
Very good, Jawen,”
The hostess said, walking off with Jawen right behind her. “You
certainly are smart. Be sure to bring the menus from the hostess
stand as well, as the guests need to know what they’re ordering
just as much as you do. Some of the guests may say ‘the usual’ when
you ask for their orders, because they don’t know that you’re new
here and unaccustomed to taking their orders. You need to ask them
exactly what they mean by that if you have a hard time
understanding.”

The bell hung over the door--an
annoying contraption she knew instantly--rang and the hostess
cried, “Customer! You better go serve him or her this very moment!”
She shooed Jawen towards the front of the restaurant.

Jawen hurried forward and grabbed a
menu, curtseying and smiling at--Hastin, of all people on her very
first day. He looked particularly well, not groomed like he might
have been if he had expected to see her here, but perhaps he might
have known somehow, and was trying to downplay this fact. “Welcome,
we’re so glad you could join us for breakfast,” Jawen managed to
say without dismay, leading Hastin to a clean table with a smile
still fixed upon her face and wondering if Hastin was looking at
her bottom when she couldn’t see him.

“
Did you see the
mayor just now?” Hastin asked on the way over to the table. “He was
running around naked again this morning, until Geda caught
him.”

“
Hmm. No, I did not,”
Jawen said, not looking back at him.
“Though that probably was not a savory sight.”

“
You’re
right about that.”
Hastin sat down, and
she placed a menu down on the table without looking at him until he
grabbed her hand. “How are you, Jawen?” He asked.

“
Fine,” She said
sharply, slipping her hand out of his grip and holding on to her
smile. “Our special of the day--”

“
What are you doing
here?” Hastin asked.

“
Working.” She said,
and then continued, “Now, our special--”

“
Did your father kick
you out?” He asked.

“
No, he did not, I
left of my own accord.” Jawen gasped. “Where did you come up with
such a thing?”

“
Some of the boys
were talking. They said you were living with my sister. Is that
true?”

“
Yes, it’s true,
that’s one thing right.” Jawen scoffed.

“
How is she?” Hastin
asked, concerned.

“
Sisila is fine,
she’s managing,” Jawen said, glancing around to make sure the
hostess was not listening to them. “She keeps yourself busy, you
know, working on her sewing projects. It’s what she’s best at, her
job as a seamstress. We don’t really talk that much about Basha or
Oaka yet, it’s still too painful. She has been going out a lot by
herself lately, but I think she just takes walks around the park or
out into the fields to clear her head. Whatever she does, it seems
to help her.”

“
That’s good to
know.” Hastin said, slumping down a bit.

“
At least you do pay
attention to her,” Jawen mutted, and continued, “Our speical of the
day is two
…
”

“
It is not always
easy, you know.” Hastin said. “I haven’t been the best big brother
in the world, I’ll admit that, but Sisila has always been a bit of
a free spirit. You can’t control or tame Sisila
. S
he’ll just run wild
on her own. Dating Oaka was just like her. She wanted to move out
of the house on her own. Our father supported her because he knew
it was best, so that she would understand what it was like to be
free and independent. And it has helped her.” He said.

“
That doesn’t
justify
…
she has been abandoned.” Jawen said. “I had to help her when
Oaka left.”

“
Are you helping her,
or is she helping you?” Hastin asked.

“
Don’t mock me like
that.” Jawen said. “Our special for
…
”

“
I am not mocking
you.” Hastin said. “I am as concerned for you as I am for
Sisila.”

Jawen stopped. “Thank
you, Hastin.” She said softly, not quite believing it herself. She
had told Hastin that she did not love him just before the Courtship
ritual a few weeks ago, and he had left in a spate, but now here he
was—moon-faced at her, and she was blushing at him. Get a grip,
Jawen! She
mentally
yelled at herself. It had been a long ten days
since Basha had left, and she was worried for him more than she
could say as he remained lodged in her thoughts.

Though Hastin’s concern for her was
flattering, and he might care for her still, she knew that he was
looking for the chance to comfort her in a less than chaste way.
Basha would not approve if she strayed while he was away,
performing this quest for her. This was her quest as much as it was
his, not that she had asked for it--she had just accepted it. Jawen
would not stray, fall under Hastin’s sway, if she could prevent it.
She just had to remain strong for Basha, malakel it. How long did
she have to wait for him to come back?

The bell rang over the door again. “Oh,
Hastin,” She said, sighing to herself. “Hold on a moment, I’m going
to seat this customer, and then I’m going to take your order,” She
said.

Hastin blubbered,
“But I
…
”

“
No buts! You took
too long ordering, and now you’re going to have to wait!” Jawen
insisted, leaving Hastin and going to the front of the
restaurant.

“
Welcome, we’re so
glad you could join us today,” Jawen said, curtseying before she
grabbed a menu. “Our special for the day--” She started to say, but
stopped when she turned around to face--“Sisila!” She
hissed.

“
Hello, Jawen,”
Sisila said, her voice low and miserable with eyelids drooping.
“Could I speak to you for a moment?” Her hair was a mess, as if she
had just gotten out of bed.

“
Your brother’s
here.” Jawen said, wondering if Sisila might be interested in
seeing him today. “Do you want to go sit by him?”

“
No, I don’t want to,
I’ll only be here a moment.” Sisila said, a little stern as she
shook her head. “I wanted to wish you good luck on your new job,
and thank you for being a good friend these last couple of days.”
She said, not quite convincingly when she wasn’t
cheerful.

“
You’re welcome,
Sisila. Is there anything else the matter?” Jawen asked, worried as
she crossed her arms. “How are you doing today?”

“
To tell you the
truth, I didn’t sleep well last night.” Sisila sighed. “Yesterday
was sort of a bad day for me.” She said.

“
What’s the matter?
What happened?” Jawen asked.

“
I’m not sure if it’s
true.” Sisila whispered. “I heard something terrible and awful
yesterday morning, and I’m not sure if it’s true. I don’t want it
to be true, but she sounded so convinced, like she had
seen--”

“
What are you talking
about, Sisila?” Jawen asked, feeling like they were going around in
circles. “Who told you such a terrible, awful thing?”

Sisila looked up at her. “Iibala did.
But I shouldn’t--”

“
Iibala?” Jawen
gasped. “Sisila, don’t you dare listen to a word that woman has to
say.”

“
But I
didn’t
…”
Sisila started to say.

“
I don’t care what it
is, but whatever it is, Iibala is only trying to upset you.” Jawen
said, gripping Sisila by the shoulders. “It’s her way of getting
back at you for having a loving, caring relationship, like the kind
that woman can never enjoy.” Jawen scoffed at Iibala, shaking her
head. “Do you remember what she did to me? It was only a couple of
weeks ago that Iibala nearly drove a wedge between me and Basha,
but I will never forgive her for that. Don’t you dare believe a
word that woman has to say to you, she is only lying. You got me?”
She asked.

“
I got you,
but
I don’t think
…
” Sisila
started to say
.

“
Trust me, Sisila,
and stay away from Iibala.” Jawen said. “Promise me that. She is
only trying to use you for her own amusement. She loves inflicting
pain and misery.” Jawen hissed.

Sisila frowned and
sighed. “I trust you, Jawen, but I don’t think you understand that
this is different. This is
…
”

“
Believe me, I am
only trying to look out for your own best interests.” Jawen said,
rolling her eyes. Sisila was babbling, too flustered and frustrated
to even understand what was going on here. Jawen saw reason, and
reason told her Iibala was up to no good. “You’ve always had my
best interests at heart, right?” She asked Sisila.

“
Right. I’ve helped
you out before.” Sisila said, cautious.

“
Then promise me that
you’ll stay from Iibala.”