The Iron Man [Serial]

Arrivals

We stopped in Casteddu-- Cagliari in Italian --for the day. As we sailed into port, I was struck by the elegant pink and white birds near the city's lagoon-- flamingos Prim said. Alpha told us some of his grandfather's colleagues associated them with the sun god Ra, but I did not expect this meant the birds had any religious significance to the Sardinians who were now generally Catholic.

At the port there was paperwork, which Prim and Alpha handled. A clerk glanced at my identification. I felt relieved once we left the docks. After being smuggled out of London and being sheltered in a private port on Eivissa by the Catalans, I hadn't realized how nervous I was to pass through an official port or border.

"So long as we aren't obviously ill or carrying baggage, most of the island ports don't pay much attention" Murphy explained quietly, "they're most concerned for protecting their natural habitats and tourist trade. They don't even care what we wear half the time."

I nodded. This was strange to me, as one yet unaccustomed to international travel and who had my own shop searched by the Gendarmerie. It made me feel as if the Fashion Police were less of a threat than I imagined or that I'd been more obviously singled-out.

"We can talk about it later," Murphy offered. "For now you can continue to trust in me." He turned to Sina who had exchanged her previous light and brightly embroidered ladies thawb and head scarf for ones of black. "The both of you must tell me if you see anything of interest and not be too afraid to speak."

I did not recall a time I had been afraid to speak to Murphy, and though I had seen Sina quiet with others-- myself when we had first met --she did not show much deference to her cousin. "Good of you to say, Sir." I was no longer a pretend valet but a pretend secretary, which was to say polite strangers would assume I was a personal companion who merely posed as a hireling to an older and higher-caste man out of some imagined propriety. On the other hand, Sina in mourning attire, seemed a widowed member of Mr. Murphy's family who relied on him in the absence of a husband.

It was still a fairly common assumption that a traveling woman wanted for male protection, despite how many working women there were in every caste, as it was still an assumption a man needed to make an excuse for having too close a companion, while notable German doctors categorized so many forms of affection as natural. No one would speak the assumptions under the Pax, but they persisted, and Murphy was determined to use them to advantage in deciding cover stories. So long as we were not assumed to be secret agents and rebel kapareghora cover was for now more valuable to us than truth or acceptance.

We strolled through the Mediterranean port city set on hills, with its brightly painted multi-story buildings and occasional domed structures. Alpha and Prim were left to arrange for fresh food and water at the local public market. 

I accompanied Murphy and Sina to La Rinascente department store. I knew of large stores containing many smaller shop-like departments, such as Harrods or Le Bon Marché, though I had never had occasion to visit. The store was something of a marvel to me; a veritable palace for clothing and accessories.

The building also contained a lift, like a gilded cage on a cable operated by an attendant, and which we rode to an upper floor to locate the Ladies Wear department. After purchasing Sina a cocktail hat, we descended to the Jewelry counter where Murphy insisted on purchasing for me a tie clip.

"I prefer pins," I told him.

"Of course you do, but these are quite the proper fashion for one of your position," Murphy said, which was true.

"But, I cannot stab a masher with a clip," I said.

"Jules, you are packing more than enough as it is." Murphy slipped his left hand beneath my arm to pat my right side where I had holstered a pair of shears.

"Do not make me cut you." Belatedly I added, "Sir."

Murphy smirked down at me. "Oh, Jules, I am already looking forward to crossing sword with you."

I could not keep a straight face. It helped nothing that Sina commented, "He's not even met the family yet."

I heard Murphy sigh; I had turned from him to hide my face. "Sword dancers, every one," he said.

I found calm enough to return to the counter and ask the attendant to show us the tray of tie clips. I rather fancied the flamingo with legs crossed like a number 4, but Murphy saw there was a clip in the shape of a curved oriental sword.

Leaving the temple of shopping convenience, we purchased some stuffed flatbreads from a stall, then strolled through one of the city parks as we ate.  Even with the training, these days on the islands had seemed idyllic, and I felt as if I were up a tree with hooligans below and waiting for my other shoe to drop.

When we arrived back at the docks, Alpha and Prim were loading boxes onto the yacht. "Good day?" Alpha asked me.

"Murphy bought me a few tie clips."

Alpha grinned. "Would look handsome were you not tying your neckties into a bow."

"This and the Mix and Match allowance are small freedoms." I glanced to where Prim watched Sina step aboard the Hippocampus. "And your day?"

"Companionable," Alpha said.

"I'm glad."

"Philosophy tonight?"

"I think Murphy would rather Scipio practice."

"I imagine he would," Alpha said, "the training agrees with you, Julien. No one will notice what Murphy is doing with you beside him."

The compliment troubled me. "I cannot well guard him with eyes on me."

"Knowing when and how to draw attention also comes with practice."

I feared I would never be prepared.

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The attached media is a trailer for the BBC series The Paradise, two seasons of which I binged watched via Netflix for period research, which is partly why I fell a week behind on updates. It's a good show; adapted from the novel Au Bonheur des Dames by Émile Zola.

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