Tangle in the Dark - Kassidor

“Is that how she sees it?” Elmore asked.They had come to the garden fence. It was strung withbluebeans that were blooming just now. They could look outover the little brook that wound thru the flat of YoonbarlaVale. This house was above the floodplain now. When it wasbuilt, the brook ran to the edge of the patio stones, so it haddropped at least three feet in the three and a half thousandyears this house had stood here. “She feels abandoned. Shehas a lot to worry about herself. I’m one of the few who canunderstand anything of what she’s talking about.”“Thom can understand her. He wonders why she can’tunderstand him.”“I think she does,” Alan said.“Then you don’t think he’s on to something important?”“Ava’s pretty important and he’s been onto her a lot moretimes than I have.”“Spoken just like someone born at 61 Cygni,” Elmorespat.“You’re the voyeur here,” Alan said, “I never came andwaved any of this in your face.”“Thom had to turn somewhere,” Elmore said.“So what more do you want?” Alan asked.“I want to know what can I do for him?”“Tell him to come back out of those condensates now andthen,” was Alan’s advice. “He’s got a woman who’s prettyspecial.”“Stock advice, stock phrase.” He was silent again for77