“Be damned if I know,” said Viv.
“Lemme see that book.”
Viv hesitated but then handed it over.
The gnome’s eyes widened as she scanned the cover. “Wow. Pretty lucky with that wave, weren’t they?”
“Give me that.”
“I will!” She lifted it away from Viv’s reaching hand. “So, you’ve been readin’ this? Any good?”
“Why, you planning to pick up a copy?”
Gallina grinned at her. “Nah, I get antsy when I read. You could read ittome though. What else we got to do?”
Viv thought about the chapter she’d left off on. “Uh, yeah, I don’t think I’d be any good at that.”
“I’ll make a deal with you.”
“Again with thedeals,” muttered Viv.
“You read me some of this, and I won’t mention this whole thing again. Ever.”
She gave Gallina a speculative look. “This whole thing? As in… ?”
“As in me savin’ your ass from a bony little guy in gray.”
Said bony guy didn’t twitch at the mention. By now, Viv had almost forgotten he was there. Almost.
After careful consideration, and a quick mental review of when things got really spicy, she said, “One chapter.”
“Three.”
“Two.”
“Deal.” Gallina tossed the book back, and Viv snatched it out of the air.
“I’m warning you, I’m not much of a storyteller,” said Viv.
“You gotta actually try though. I’ll know if you don’t.”
Viv waved the book airily. “Deal’s already made. Can’t add terms now.”
Gallina blew another raspberry at her, and Viv couldn’t help cracking a smile.
She settled back against the wall and arranged her wounded leg as best she could.
Clearing her throat, she began, haltingly at first.
“Raleigh spent most of her life at sea until she was tall enough to grip the wheel. Even then, she was so willowy that—”
“Willowy?”
Viv made an exasperated sound. “It means thin. Are you going to let me read this?”
“Are you gonna do voices?”
“No.”
