There was a guilty note in Kit’s voice. Nick turned over the words in his mind, considered Kit’s tone, and when he couldn’t decide if Kit was being truthful or not, he considered the way his tail was lashing. “Alright.”
Kit’s eyes cut to Nick, laden with irritation. The only thing Nick could tell with certainty was that Kit seemed embarrassed. And when Kit tossed more leaves roughly into the pot and stirred, he guessed why.
“I think you smell nice,” Nick said.
Kit froze.Bull’s-eye.
Nick turned his face into the shirt Kit had leaned against and breathed in. “It’s pleasant,” he added. “I don’t know why shemade such a big deal about it. Maybe she was just winding you up?”
Movement returned to Kit’s tail. It hooked one direction, then the other. It was still making hooks by the time the kids all returned with their construction projects.
Nick joined them at the table, impressed by the collection of solid square frames. “All of these would work,” he said, placing them around a few different-sized pots. They were tall enough to shield the plant from the wind, but not so tall they’d block sunlight.
“Are we planting them now?” Mini asked, looking at Nick.
All the kids copied him, and even Kit watched Nick, as if he had the answer. A small bit of pressure settled over Nick as he looked back at Kit. He worried that Kit would be distraught if they planted the beans and they didn’t grow. And they were down to three. Nick tried to remember what the failure rate for coffee seed germination was but quickly realised there was little point in that—those numbers weren’t based on plants being germinated on a ship, in soil from another world.
“We have constant access to clean, fresh water?” Nick checked.
They all nodded.
“It’s going to stay sunny and warm the further we sail?”
More nods.
Nick was going to get rescued any day now—or escape once they were near land—so embarking on a long-term project like this didn’t make sense. But the idea that even once he was gone, Kit and the children would tend and grow the plants, that Kit might one day get to taste a cup of coffee—it was a soothing daydream.
“Let’s plant them.”
The children cheered. Kit produced the seeds, and they all watched as Nick buried them in three of the smallest pots andpoured water over them. He gave careful instructions about how dry the soil should be and how, on cold nights, the pots might need blankets.
Kit picked up two of the pots, but Nick stepped in, taking them right out of his hands.
“Mini, you’re in charge of the plants. Kit will put together the rota for their watch, but you bring them out.” Nick gave one to Mini and one to the child next to him.
“This way!” Mini took charge, and the children raced out with pots and frames and fresh water.
Kit watched them go and then looked back at Nick.
“She obviously saw you go by last time,” Nick said. “No sense in reminding her you’re on board.”
Kit nodded stiffly. “Lady Desre was upset by the others seeing her. She is…recovering once more.” And then Kit looked at Nick, hopeful, longing. Desperate.
Nick sighed. “Right. I’ll tell you what I know.”
???
They sat together at the table, the air smelling like warm soil and nature. Nick rolled up his sleeve, spending a long time staring at his arm. It was an unfortunately artistic section of Laurence’s work—the symbols were blended together, and Nick couldn’t confidently distinguish one from the other. His inner wrist began to throb as he stared, as if it were trying to translate his arms but couldn’t.
Nick eventually took one of Kit’s quills and drew a wide circle on his skin. “It was one of these,” he said.
Kit’s head cocked sideways. “What do you mean?”
“Remember the night of the party, how I told you this one itches when it translates?” Nick tapped his inner wrist. “Here, it was burning when she touched me, like someone was holding a flame to my skin. But there was so much going on, I’m not sure exactly which symbol it was… I’m not even sure how many symbols are in this circle.”
Kit’s tail began to lash. “You do not know what your own spells do?”
Nick wasn’t going to get into it about the student thing again; Kit was only going to think he was lying. “I don’t,” he said instead.
