Free Scrivener's Tale by Fiona McIntosh Page B

offer?’
    â€˜Eternity,’ she replied, a little dreamily.
    He didn’t show his irritation at her response but decided to refocus her and deliberately reached forward to pick up his coffee. He sipped slowly, saying nothing, waiting for her attention to return. It tasted terrible. He was off his game. As he knew it would, his silence won her notice.
    She blinked, looked at him. ‘What?’ she asked, sounding as though she had missed what he’d said.
    â€˜You wrote me a note. I have it here,’ he said, putting his glass down and digging in his pocket.
    â€˜I know what it says.’
    â€˜Will you explain it to me? Let’s return to the beginning. I mean, why you’re so frightened.’
    â€˜I’m not when I’m here with you.’
    â€˜Good. Why is that?’
    â€˜Perhaps you’ve noticed how he watches my every move? He doesn’t let me out of his sight.’
    Gabe shrugged. ‘Well, that’s because he’s your physician and responsible for —’
    â€˜No, Gabe. Can I call you Gabe?’ He wasn’t sure what to say but she’d taken his hesitation as permission. ‘He’s frightened of me leaving.’
    â€˜Leaving?’ He frowned. ‘Paris?’
    Angelina threw out her arms. ‘No, here.’
    â€˜My apartment,’ he qualified.
    She smiled as though he was simple. ‘This world.’
    He deliberately paused, allowing her comment to float around them for a few moments so that she could explain herself.
    â€˜Are you surprised?’ she asked.
    â€˜You demanded that Reynard not accuse you of being delusional. I have to wonder how you think you sound when you say something like you just did.’
    â€˜I realise what I say is hard to grasp. It doesn’t mean I am delusional,’ she replied without hesitation. Her gaze was unswerving. ‘I’m far more sane than Reynard, who, by the way, is out of his mind with fear. Especially today because I am now closer to my goal than I have been in a very long time.’
    â€˜Your goal. To leave Earth, you mean?’ he said, working at sounding reasonable. Yes, indeed, his skills definitely needed brushing up. This sort of interested tone used to come so easily.
    â€˜Not Earth, Gabe. This world,’ she corrected.
    â€˜Sorry,’ he said. ‘So your goal is to reach a point where you can exit this plane,’ he offered, believing that sounded catchy but also succinct.
    â€˜Not reach a point, but the person who would take me away.’
    â€˜Pardon,’ he said, more confused.
    â€˜I’ve been looking for someone.’
    â€˜And?’
    â€˜I’ve found who I’ve searched for.’
    â€˜Oh, good.’ Now he just sounded patronising. He wasn’t ready to dive back in like this. It made him feel and sound amateurish.
    â€˜You don’t understand, do you?’
    â€˜Explain it to me,’ he encouraged.
    â€˜I’ve been looking for
you
, Gabe.’
    He blinked with consternation. ‘For me?’ She nodded slowly. ‘But until yesterday you didn’t know me.’
    â€˜When we met I knew it was you I had been seeking.’
    â€˜Angelina, forgive me, but do you realise how odd this seems and why people are concerned about you?’
    â€˜I cannot help that.’
    â€˜Yes, but people like Reynard are trying to help.’
    â€˜He’s using you.’
    â€˜Why would that be?’
    She smiled and just for a blink he sensed an old cunning.
    â€˜Angelina?’ he prompted, waiting for her to explain.
    She glanced toward the door. ‘Reynard is becoming impatient.’
    He frowned. ‘I told him to wait.’
    â€˜Any moment the phone will —’
    The phone began to ring.
    He looked at it startled, then back at Angelina, who was staring out of the window again as if lost in deep thought. He resisted answering it and finally the machine whirred into action. He