The Iron Man [Serial]

Parting Ways

I might have expected upon waking the next day that Alpha wished to avoid me. If prompted to guess, I would have though maybe the light of day would make me regret that I'd expressed any amount of attachment in direct language rather than subtle hints. Yet, by breakfast I felt no different. Alpha seemed no different as he and Garin discussed communiques, or even as he passed a little cup of coffee to Prim and heard it praised as exactly the way Prim preferred his coffee-- boiled, medium sweet, cardamom and clove, with a dash of evaporated milk.

I did not expect Murphy to be in any way affected.

Murphy came to the campfire without dressing, appearing from the brush as he sometimes did and drawing Alpha away to speak in private. I watched them with purpose as they went to one side of the tent. I could not hear them or read their lips with accuracy, but they looked like they spoke Arabic. The gestures were clear enough, and my mind supplies the most probable words: "Are you well? I empathize. What can I do? Do you want a kiss?" All the while Murphy's fingers on Alpha's face, or stroking his hair.

Then Alpha told Murphy he had spoken to me.

Murphy's brow furrowed when he said that he already knew that. Then he saw me watching-- our eyes met -- and drew Alpha further away.

I realized that in the night Murphy also had seen or heard more than others intended. I also realized that Alpha must be well practiced at disguising his feelings.

I did not foresee Murphy's attempts to avoid me.

I did not even realize that was what it was at first. It was only that instead of Murphy telling me it was time to practice battle dance with Sina, she came to me herself and asked if I would practice with her. Such third-party notice filled my schedule. I continued learning formal combat choreography with Sina. Garin took me target shooting. Alpha let Dolores continue my swimming and diving training. Alpha guided my academic lessons as usual. I even received invitation from Prim that indicated Murphy had approved my accompanying him to the dance pavilion in Vila Eivissa where his acoustic engineering had been applied.

I think I understood then Murphy had been avoiding me. The partially-enclosed pavilion seemed like an ancient temple-- or somewhat like photos I had seen --with a large masonry stage and half-dome at one end of a rectangular court, and within the concrete court a raised wooden floor surrounded by tall columns that supported wooden rafters and roof tiled in clay. On the stage a many band members played string and percussion instruments, with some few brass and wind instruments. In the wooden pavilion many danced, and in the surrounding galleries and alcoves of concrete, brick and stone, others watched.

This was new, unlike what I knew to exist in London or even in the land of my birth. It was not a family gathering, and not a few locals playing in a tea house, nor a concert produced for the elite of the upper castes. I walked the pavilion with Garin and Sina and I saw individuals. I saw expression of movement that should have been obscene. I saw colorful swirling skirts and jackets.

I remembered our first day on Eivissa when Alpha had indicated Bes was one of the the island's gods.

I could not imagine Murphy not wanting to be the one to show me this. It felt wrong to me that he was not there asking me to dance.

I mentioned it the next day, when Murphy and I were again together. I had needed to go back into town for a fitting with Vlad. The others were busy, so Murphy agreed to go with me. He let me drive. I was still too inexperienced with operating the steamcab to converse at the same time, but when we were in the bespoke shop I spoke my concern.

"I missed you last night," I said.

Murphy glanced up from his chair near the mirrors, where he'd been flipping through a German picture novel about a monastery school. "I was working."

That answer was somehow unexpected. I considered a reply, as Vlad skulked about with his wedge of chalk, pawing at my jacket and making marks.

But, Murphy continued, "But I would have taken a break if you had asked me to dance."

I sighed realizing my mistaken assumption.

"If the gentleman would stand still," Vlad whispered.

Murphy had been among the band, and I hadn't noticed that. "I have become too accustomed to your making all requests."

Murphy laughed softly. "You have, J."

"So this recent distance has been fair treatment?"

Murphy's lips pressed nearly into a frown. "When I last gave you a choice about working with me, it was before you knew of certain other options."

I snorted at his intentionally vague language. In the mirror, I saw the slightest rolling of Vlad's eyes. "Options not truly available to me." I realized my words suggested Murphy's company was by default. "We can't help how we feel, only how we act, and I never said I wanted another partner."

"Neither did I."

I glanced down to Vlad, who had stooped to mark the buttonholes at the front of my jacket. "But you don't sleep beside me anymore," I said.

Murphy smiled and made a show of fanning himself with his book. "You're the one still sleeping in close quarters after the sea voyage." He had a point.

When we finished our business with Vlad, I drove us back to our camp. Alpha walked out to greet us. "We've had a ray from Alexandria plus new orders confirmed by wire."

"Alexandria?" Murphy asked, tilting his head as he quizzed.

"Hypatia." Alpha looked towards me. "If you'd excuse us, Julien, it's a matter between officers."

"See you later," Murphy whispered.

I nodded and climbed from the cab.