Chapter 9

"How did your search go today, Fredricx?" Ettie asked, preparing them dinner, which was going to be more scrambled eggs.

"Not well. I haven't found anything yet."

Ettie frowned at him with her eyebrows knitted together. Her tone changed. It wasn't as chipper. "Where did you inquire?"

"Roux Estate and construction for the Healing Church."

Nothing was said for a while. Ettie was clearly distraught, which could easily be seen by her jerky movements as she continued to cook. Her gestures were violent and careless. Objects jostled around her, teetering. This did wonders to settle Fredricx's stress. Instead of settling, a headache prevailed. Blood throbbed viciously through his face and arms, making him warm and therefore sweaty.

"Let me help, Ettie," Fredricx stood, placing one hand on Ettie's shoulder and the other on the plates that she was holding. "I can do that," he gave a gentle tug on the plates to signal for Ettie to let go, "Let me do it."

"I got it," Ettie let out a frustrated huff and gave a retaliated pull on the two plates. At this instant, Fredricx let go, and the plates left both of their hands and shattered on the floor. There was a gasp from Ettie.

"I'm sorry, Ettie," Fredricx offered softly with a sigh, "I'll clean it." He reached for a small hand brush and dust pan in a corner and began to sweep the pieces into the pan. Small porcelain pieces mixed seamlessly with the grime of the floor.

She grabbed their last two plates. "We don't have dinnerware to waste, Fredricx. These are our last two plates. It's not like we have the shilling to buy more, let alone a matching set," she sighed, plating food. They had pawned off the rest of their set a while back to pay rent last time it had been due. However, they never rebuilt the money to get their things back, and the rest of their plates had been sold.

"I know, Ettie. I just wanted to help," Fredricx attempted to express calmly. Eyes burning, He tipped the dustpan into their rubbish bin and sat down at the table.

"So now you don't want to help anymore?" Ettie demanded, sitting down two half empty plates of scrambled eggs. She stood, arms folded across her chest.

"I was just trying to get out of your way."

"You never help me with anything around here. I work all day like you, but I have to come home to more work. You come home and eat and then sleep. You never help, but sit in that stupid chair of yours. Like right now, you were watching me cook, but did you offer to help? No. Don't you think that I would like to rest every once in awhile? Then, when you finally decided to do something, the plates broke. Now, we only have two left. What are we supposed to do if those break?"

The pounding of the blood around his body did not stop, causing Fredricx's headache to intensify. "I said I was sorry, Ettie. I didn't mean to break the plates."

"That's the only thing you are apologising for?" she let out a disgusted sigh.

Fredricx shook his head and started at his food although he no longer felt like eating. Hopefully, Ettie would leave it well enough alone. The food was blander than normal. Fredricx had eaten too many dozen eggs over the last couple of months, but chewing was better than talking.

"Nothing to say?" Ettie pestered. She was finally sitting with fork in hand, "Answer my question."

At once, there was a sharp knock. "Mr. Fredricxon Vinge, open the door," the voice resounded.

Sighing, Fredricx stood, walked over, and opened the door. It was exactly as he fretted. He was staring down their landlord, a rather squat man that seemed to be built entirely of circles. Fredricx feigned an at least not hostile tone, "Evening, Mr. Bailey."

"May I come in?" Bailey asked, having already entered their apartment by ducking underneath Fredricx's arm, which had been pressed against the door.

"What can we do for you, Mr. Bailey?" Ettie squeaked, plastering a modest smile. She smoothed her wrinkled dress.

"I've come to collect your rent, Mr. Vinge."

Fredricx crossed his arms, "It isn't due for another three days. That was our agreement."

"Have you found another job yet, Fredricxon?" Bailey asked, letting out several tsking sounds. Obviously, he already knew the answer to his question.

"No, I haven't."

Bailey made another tsking noise, "What a shame. Then, I shall collect it now. I won't have you thinking that you can live here for free, now."

"With respect, Mr. Bailey, we have three more days," Fredricx insisted, "A lot can happen in three days."

"Do you have the money regardless of your current employment situation?" he asked, taking in everything about their apartment.

Fredricx pulled out their jar, which clearly wasn't full enough, and began counting shillings, half shillings, and even pence. Everyone watched. Ettie with concerned eyes, and Bailey with greedy eyes.

"We have 7 shillings," Fredricx sounded defeated, shoulders slumping.

"That isn't enough, Fredricxon," Bailey taunted, using tsking to echo his words, "You are still missing about half, which will not due. I'll need you out by tomorrow evening."

"What?" Ettie exclaimed. "We still have three days to come up with the rest."

"How?" he demanded.

Fredricx inhaled deeply before speaking, "Let me give you the 7 shillings right now. Give us a couple of more days to acquire the 5 more."

"Fredricxon, 12 shillings now or be gone by this time tomorrow," Bailey insisted, but then glanced over to Ettie with a particular malice. "However, I would release the debt if you let Ettie come with me for the night."

In an instant, Fredricx's fingers coiled, and using his arm like a loaded spring, his fist shot out. It immediately connected with Bailey's jaw, sending him to the floor with a loud thud that the neighbors surely heard.

Bailey sputtered backwards on the floor, gasping and vigorously shaking his head. "I'm going to get a policeman, and you both must be gone by the time we return." He stood and dashed away, leaving their apartment door open.

"What do we do now?" Ettie asked, looking particularly dumbstruck.

Fredricx clenched and unclenched his fist. He huffed out, "We pay Lucas a visit."

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Within half an hour, Fredricx and Ettie had collected some of their things, the important things anyway. Ettie had a basket worth of others' clothes with some of her clothes and their quilt piled on top, her beautiful vase carefully wrapped in her nicest dress. Fredricx carried his knapsack with their shilling jar, partial deck of cards, their two plates, and the rest of their authentic silverware. Fredricx also had a milk crate of his clothes and other odds and ends. Importantly, his pistol was holstered at his thigh.

With a final survey of their apartment, Fredricx opened the door for Ettie and closed it behind them.

"All of the things we are leaving," Ettie sighed as they trekked down Yharham's streets. "We don't even have our pillows, let alone our mattress."

"I'll go by tomorrow and see if I can salvage anything, Ettie," Fredricx answered. "We got the important stuff."

"I do wish Lucas didn't live so far away."

With a couple of minutes seeming like an eternity, they arrived at Lucas's apartment. His door faced into the street, which wasn't as safe during the Scourge, but was convenient for this moment. Without a free hand, Fredricx delivered a swift kick to the door, "Lucas. It's Fredricx." After a couple of moments of waiting with no avail, Fredricx knocked again with his shoe. "Lucas," he shouted.

Eventually, the door opened lazily, being operated by a sleepy looking Lucas, whose greyed nightgown looked particularly disheveled and hair was in a terrible mess. "What is it? I was asleep." he hissed at Fredricx. Blinking, his eyes moved to Ettie in the background, "What's going on?"

"Bailey kicked us out."

Lucas nodded, rubbing his eyes and blinking slowly at the two of them. "Wait," he started, "Bailey evicted you?" He sounded concerned unlike his initial reaction.

"Yes. May we come in?" Fredricx asked, reshifting the weight that he carried.

Sidestepping, Lucas allowed entrance into his apartment. "How did this happen? I didn't think your rent was due today."

"It wasn't. Bailey heard that I didn't have a job and decided to collect early. We didn't have the shilling."

"You can stay here until you find somewhere else." Lucas lit a candle, and the room lit up, shadows flickered as the candle did.

Lucas's apartment was smaller than theirs. It was dark and dank in the wrong places. He had a collection of overturned crates and cotton padding as a bed. A couple of blankets were strewn on top. He had a sort of kitchen. It was really counter space that held random food items. Clothes hung to dry by a clothesline attached to random places on the ceiling by bent nails. Across from the bed, he had a large trunk that likely held clothes and other personal effects, but on top, there were too many empty incense lanterns.

Lucas pulled off a layer of his nest of a bed and strung it out on the floor, which happened to be next to everything else in his apartment.

Ettie let out a sizeable sigh as she set down her basket, fished out their quilt, and laid it out on top of the padded layer from Lucas.

"Did you two eat dinner?" Lucas asked, glancing over to his counter.

"No," Ettie answered with a huff, "We had to leave it."

Lucas produced some bread that had seen a couple of days as well as some jam and handed Ettie a tin plate with the contents. "This is all I have right now," he coughed and coughed. When he was done coughing, he coughed more violently, heaving and whooping.

"It's much more than what we have," Fredricx replied. Ettie's face flushed, lip giving a pout.

"I'm going back to sleep. Blow out the candle when you are finished." With that, Lucas took a single step, landing in his bed of sorts.

Fredricx and Ettie sat on their quilt, taking turns holding the plate and munching. The bread was stale, and the jam was sour. However, it was better than being hungry. After a few silent moments, they had both finished. Lucas coughed from his bed.

While Fredricx took off his shoes, socks, suspenders, and shirt, Ettie couldn't be as comfortable. Trying to retain modesty, she removed her boots and apron. With another sigh, she laid down on her back. Her chest heaved, breath unsteady. "How did all of this happen?" she started to cry softly.

Fredricx had blown out the candle and was now laying beside her. "I don't know." In less than a week's time, Fredricx had lost his job at the shipyard and been evicted from their apartment. He had no job leads, but Ettie was working all hours of a day. None of this was enough. Before, he had been a soldier, respected and fulfilled. Shillings were no issue. However, now Ettie, the woman he swore to provide for, was lying on the floor of Lucas's, another man's, apartment. Water from damp clothes made small drops around them. "I don't know," he repeated. Fredricx had failed. It was easy to facade strength in the dark.

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