When Rosa returned, the House of the ShadowHawk was in a stir. A dozen or so patrolmen wandered around Hawk Square, whispering. Another dozen had gathered on the first floor and were glancing up toward the floor above. Somewhere on the second floor, a loud commotion came from what sounded like a room.
Presently, a second-floor door flew open, and Gene emerged. He held a book in one hand and pressed the other to his forehead. Looking down over the railing, he frowned.
“What are you gathering there for?”
Gene was ordinarily a rather easygoing captain, but he could occasionally become difficult. At such times, the wisest course was simply to avoid him. Once his mood improved, he would never make an issue of their having done so. Just after speaking, however, he spotted Rosa. His face relaxed at last.
“Been to the library?”
“Yes.”
As the men scattered, Gene came down from the second floor. Then someone else stuck his head out of the room Gene had left and exclaimed in delight.
“Wow! The young lady’s here too. This place is finer than I expected.”
It was Luke. Charcoal dust or something similar had been smeared here and there over his face, and his hair looked as though he had deliberately tangled it. Yet he showed no embarrassment, running down after Gene to the first floor. Stopping before Rosa, he made a grand bow.
“A nameless poet visits an abandoned temple and beholds a flower of snow, like the frost of the north.”
Gene stared at him in disbelief.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Luke looked up.
“Well, I can see she’s from the north, and beautiful…”
Neups happened to be passing. He poked his head in.
“Flattery that obvious won’t work on her at all.”
Luke had meant to add “and cold-looking,” but swallowed it unobtrusively and replied, “That’s because you’re not a poet.”
“Poet, poet’s grandfather, whatever. Flattery doesn’t work. Our Lady Rosa isn’t that sort of person.”
This time Gene turned toward Neups.
“Since when is she our Lady Rosa?”
“Well, at least it’s a matter of survival. Don’t you want to stop eating horse-piss soup?”
Rosa too finally turned toward Neups.
“If you don’t want horse-piss soup, go clean the stove. You’re on duty today, aren’t you?”
“Me and Kasun. I’ll do it when Kasun gets here.”
“And if he doesn’t come, you won’t? Suit yourself. I’d enjoy a rest too.”
Bowing his head, Neups chuckled, then eventually disappeared toward the kitchen. Gene spoke.
“You’ve got those fellows obeying you well.”
“They’re only hungry.”
Rubbing his hands together again, Luke spoke.
“Ah, you’re feeding us too, I see. I’ve always dreamed of the fine food of the north. Fish and fried potatoes, for instance, or oatmeal stuffed into a sheep’s stomach…”
“Where have you heard nothing but the delicious things?”
Rosa turned and walked away. Despite her cold treatment, Luke was not discouraged at all. Raising both arms, he exclaimed, “What a fine place to live! So we get food far better than those trifles? Hurrah!”
Gene tapped Luke’s shoulder with the book he was reading.
“Forget any idea of lazing about talking nonsense. Do you think this is an inn?”
“An inn? Is that what you say when I hold such affection for this house, with its proud history and traditions, which is to become my second home?”
“Home, my foot. You’ll be here exactly three days, then get out. Understood?”
When Gene went away too, Luke chuckled to himself. Then he turned toward the men who had begun gathering and shouted.
“New comrades! New surroundings call for new friends! I’m Lucius Quinto, but you can call me Luke. I’ll be living here a very long time, so let’s get along. Now that you’ve stripped my bundles, do I look more like a patrolman? And I write a little poetry. If you ever want to send a love letter to a young lady you fancy, just say the word. Do you know Flora Celsus? I gave her a poem I dashed off with my toes, and she dined with me. Flora, who played the queen in The King of Mea. You know her?”
After a glance into the kitchen, where Neups was scraping the stove, Rosa went up to the second floor. Entering the room Gene and Tahyang shared, she found Nana, as expected, asleep in the middle of it, almost buried in Huka’s embrace. Standing beside her, Rosa brushed the hair from Nana’s face.
Lately, Rosa had spent half of each day at the library. There was something she sought. She would have liked to take Nana, but unfortunately children were not admitted. In the end, she had no choice but to leave her behind. As someone she had met at the library had pointed out before, it was thanks to Huka that Nana was safe in this place swarming with energetic men.
The patrolmen still feared Huka. Indeed, anyone would have feared a wild beast wandering around the house, especially one that sometimes turned savage when fighting.
Huka, on the other hand, had taken to Nana from the start. Perhaps he was looking after her rather than following her. Nana, who disliked animals, had a special fondness for Huka alone. Leaving the two together, Rosa had no concern that anyone might approach. Only Tahyang was inconvenienced. These days, whenever he went out into the city, he willingly left Huka for Nana. At times, he was more careful than Rosa about leaving the girl alone in the House of the Hawk, with all its men.
Of course, riding a snowlion in a great city like Delphinad came with many inconveniences. Huka could not be put in a stable, yet he could not be taken indoors either. But leave him alone even for a moment, and people terrified by his roar would faint or flee, causing a commotion.
A little later, Gene returned to the room. Seeing Rosa and Nana, he quietly closed the door and lowered his footsteps as he crossed it. Sitting on the bed, he took off his boots, unbuckled his sword, then loosened his shoulders and neck. Rosa spoke low.
“It’s inconvenient for you. I’ll take her away soon. Just a moment.”
Instead of answering, Gene smiled and remained seated. Quiet settled. A faint noise hummed in the distance. Yet in the room, the two people, the girl, and even the sleeping beast made no sound at all. Gene thought of the past.
Long ago, he had lived alone with his mother. She was a woman who would do anything for her son. Then, and afterward too. But in those days, Gene had been proud of her. Mother and son had lived in a single room, looking only to each other. In that tiny room, she kneaded flour dough for her son, mended torn shoes, and carved wooden swords. Little Gene sat in the corner, watching her. Smiling to himself, he would think how beautiful his mother was.
The warm quiet of this room suddenly recalled all of it. Rough, stiff Rosa was different from his supple mother. Objectively, and frankly, Rosa was not as beautiful either. But watching the way she looked at Nana brought back the tenderness he had felt then.
There were similarities as well. Rosa was strong, as his mother had been. Later, Gene had found his mother’s strength difficult to bear. Rosa’s strength still shone alone, somewhere apart from his world.
Perhaps the private space of a room stirred his imagination. Gene began looking at Rosa in closer detail: her unarranged hair, her pale but not fragile profile, her narrow, slender shoulders, her cynical lips, and her very beautiful eyes.
Wondering how long it had been since he had looked so closely at someone, Gene remembered a girl. The instant the doll fallen in a sea of blood crossed his mind, he shut his eyes. His heart went cold. He held his breath for a moment. Then Rosa spoke.
“There, good girl. Wake up.”
Waking, Nana sat up and leaned into Rosa’s arms. Huka rose and stretched as well. Gene opened his eyes again and looked at Rosa. She stood with Nana and smiled. It was a natural smile he had never seen before. Perhaps it was because she had been looking at Nana until that moment. In any case, it was the first.
Rosa spoke.
“We’ve been a nuisance.”
“No.”
“Who was that man earlier?”
“Luke. A poet.”
Ordinarily, Gene would have explained at greater length. Somehow his throat tightened, and the words would not come. Rosa took it for something else.
“Your voice is hoarse.”
“Ah. Yes.”
“I’ll make you a broth.”
Rosa went outside. Gene stared blankly after her, then lowered his eyes. A little later, he felt a gaze and raised his head. Nana was staring steadily at him.
“…”
No words passed, but Gene felt as though Nana were warning him of something. Then she left.
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