The Week of Ill Repute by Chudley Cannon
Disclaimer: Maguire's "Wicked" is still not mine, sadly enough. And Oz is still not his. So really, we're both just thieves.
Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews. This chapter contains a little too much of a weird thing I like to call "plot," which I confess to not really liking to write that much.
Chapter 2: What Befalls Those With Morals
Staying awake all night, Elphaba was finding, was not very difficult at all. While she admitted that, true, it would have been far easier if she could move or get out of bed and read some of the texts she had brought along with her, this was impossible. Glinda huddled close to her in the night for warmth and protection and one time Elphaba had gotten out of bed early in the morning when it was still dark. She had been sitting nearby, reading, when Glinda awoke from a dream as she often did (whether these dreams were good or bad, Elphaba did not know, for Glinda never spoke of them and called Elphaba "silly and aggressive" if she pushed too hard) and scolded her for leaving the bed.
So all night, Elphaba would remain in bed and she would not sleep and she could not read and all she could do was think. This suited her, as she was rather fond of thinking and thought herself to be even very skilled in the execution of it. Most times she thought primarily of Animals and their rights, or a lot of life sciences in general, or even the concept of religion and such despite how opposed she was to it, and recently she'd taken to dwelling on what she planned to say to the Wizard exactly. These thoughts could take on the order of hours and hours and would usually take her clear through the night.
This night, however, she could think of nothing but the blonde girl who lay nestled beside her.
And in that vein, the hours crawled along at a sorrowful pace.
The problem was, she reasoned, that one could not quite get comfortable when one slept with a tosser/turner/kicker like the one Glinda had turned out to be. Furthermore, the Gillikin had a penchant for making noises while she slept; mumbled phrases were popular as well as tiny, mewing sounds. Finally, the sleeping girl was burdened with lots of lovely hair that somehow found its way onto Elphaba's face or beneath her nose no matter how she tried to finagle her body to avoid it.
Really, how was one supposed to think productive thoughts at all under such circumstances?
So you love her, thought Elphaba. This is nothing new, in fact, I'm quite assured that you've felt this way for a very long time and just didn't realize the weight or its potency. Moreover, whether you were aware of this emotion or not (and I feel I've adequately established that you were), it doesn't change anything and there's no reason to behave differently. You're a logical girl, dear. Indeed, you pride yourself on your logic, and therefore you have most likely deduced that nothing will ever come of this silly infatuation. So stop running your fingers through her hair.
Looking down to see her long and slender fingers were indeed tangled within the creamy blonde locks that her mind had referred to, Elphaba snatched them away. Good. Don't you feel as though we're off to a good start?
"Yes, thank you," said Elphaba aloud to the dark, quiet room. She wondered if talking to oneself was a symptom of the disease or a side-effect of the cure. She wondered if it was both. She also wondered how much time had passed since Glinda had drifted off to sleep, and better, how much time she had before she was allowed to wake up Glinda and extract herself from this bed (which she had affectionately dubbed The Torture Chamber In Which Elphaba's Limits Are Tested).
Counting. One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand...
"Barren as a blank page!" cried Glinda as she looked out the window. The rainstorm was no more and the scenery had given way to bare stretches of sand and dirt, the wildlife sparse and hopeless looking. Out the window, the dirt swirled angrily from the unmatched force of the wind. The carriage itself creaked along, swaying from side to side as if just the right gust could blow them off course.
"Another reason why first-class tickets would have suited us nicer," she commented, looking at Elphaba for her reaction (or lack thereof, as this was Elphaba). "We would already be in the Emerald City and would have missed this ghastly windstorm!"
She waited expectantly for the dark, sarcastic quip that she knew Elphaba would toss her, the dry I'm-amused-by-your-stupidity-because-I-am-far-more-intelligent-than-you attitude she had come to expect from her roomie and traveling companion.
Nothing came. Elphaba stared straight ahead, appearing to watch the horses trotting out the front of the carriage.
Glinda frowned. This was new and peculiar. Perhaps Elphaba was having trouble thinking of a jibe that was good enough? That was all right; she'd make it easier.
"Well," she said, "call me stupid, but it seems as though the storm is getting worse!"
No response.
Glinda bit her lip. "Elphie, did you get any sleep last night?" she asked, concerned.
Elphaba glanced at her. "Yes, fine."
Glinda found this difficult to believe, due to the fact that every time she herself had woken up and shifted in the bed, Elphaba had appeared to be awake. There was the idea that perhaps it was just coincidental that they would wake up at the same time and there was probably some sort of ratio or percentage to the likelihood of that, but Glinda didn't have much of a head for numbers and didn't much care to figure it out anyway. At any rate, Elphaba was a good liar, but not that good.
Glinda nodded and grabbed her friend's hand, squeezing it. "I bet you're nervous about meeting the Wizard."
Elphaba scoffed and pulled her hand away. "Hardly."
"Elphie, it's okay!"
She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Glinda—" she began, before breaking off as she looked her in the eye.
"Yes?" replied Glinda, studying her best friend's hawkish features, the furrowed brow, the set angry mouth. And then it all sort of melted away and she relaxed and she looked... defeated?
She was not able to dwell on the peculiarity of this expression for too long because she was suddenly thrown forward into the lap of the man across from her as the carriage lurched and then stopped abruptly. The passengers of the carriage all shouted their dissatisfaction with being all over the place, because this action had unceremoniously put them all in a state of out-of-placeness.
"What the hell was that?" grumbled Elphaba, standing up and trying to get a good look.
Glinda admonished half-heartedly, "Elphaba," but she stood, too, and the seven other passengers in the carriage were saying things like, "What's the meaning of all this?" and "I've got to be in the Emerald City within four days – this better not delay us!"
Elphaba sunk back down in her seat wearily, closing her eyes. "Looks as though one of the horses hurt his leg and went down, and I suppose the rest of them just tripped over him."
"That's unfortunate," said Glinda, sitting down as well. "I do hope this doesn't hold us up for so long."
The passengers filed off the train to start complaining and hollering and talking at the driver, who was making helpless hand motions and gesturing at the horse as if to say, 'Well, it's not as though I asked him to make his leg go all lame!'
It was looking to Elphaba to be one of those long days. The carriage had broken down in the worst of spots where they hadn't remembered seeing civilization for a few hours, nor did it seem as though there were any nearby. They worried perhaps that the only sign of life for miles was the inn that they were ordained to stop at that night.
That, coupled with Glinda's damned habit of grabbing her hand, was making it a long, arduous day indeed.
"I wish I had thought to bring some of my books!" cried the blonde girl. "We've been studying spells that could, I'm sure, fix that horse's foot right up."
"Or get rid of it entirely," said Elphaba dryly. "In which case, he would not be much better off than he is now."
Glinda clucked her tongue in annoyance. "Must you always be so mean to me?"
"Where would intelligent, thinking individuals be without consistency, Glinda?" She watched Glinda pout, her adorable lower lip jutting out in woe. Elphaba sighed, standing up. "Let's go see what can be done."
They exited the carriage to join their travel companions in the dusty, abandoned outside world. The travelers were crowded around the horse, hands thrown up helplessly every so often as if to say, "Well, what to do?"
"Driver," shouted a man who was short and stout but had no Munchkin-like features, so Elphaba just assumed he was only unfortunate. "Let's leave the horse here; it's of no use to anyone!"
"You can't just abandon an animal like that!" cried a very excitable woman. "It's cruel!"
"Has anyone a rifle so we can put the thing out of its misery?" asked another man.
"Poor thing!"
"I'm beginning to wish you'd remembered your book," commented Elphaba to Glinda. "Settle this whole thing. We'll never get to Emerald City at this rate, and we certainly won't get back."
"Elphie."
"I feel as though it would be incorrect of me to die here," she continued, looking around their present state in distaste. "Not that I thought I'd go in a rich meadow filled with poppies, mind you, but I never—"
"Elphie."
"—thought I'd go in a wasteland such as this. And you! You, of course, are far too good for this—"
"Elphie!" Glinda tugged at Elphaba's elbow impatiently and her green friend looked at her, annoyed. Glinda pointed. "Someone's coming," she said meekly.
Indeed someone was, as a carriage-shaped silhouette crept up the horizon. As it moved closer at varying speeds, the crowd hushed and there were relieved whispers all around. When the carriage had become close enough to make out specifics, they noticed that it was drawn by twelve or so horses, and that the carriage itself was a large trailer of some sort. Emblazoned on the side was "Lacchus's Horse Trading."
Elphaba's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Well, that's lucky."
The driver of the carriage reined his horses in and pulled to a stop. He jumped off the seat, a spry older man with dark auburn hair and ruddy cheeks. His eyes were bright and large and childlike. "Greetings, travelers!" he shouted. "I am Lacchus by name and I deal in the business of horses – and other animals – and the buying and trading of them! What seems to be the problem?"
"We've got a horse with a lame leg," said their driver, approaching Lacchus and removing his hat. "I've got to get these folks into the Emerald City within four days..."
"Not a problem!" cried Lacchus so excitedly that even Glinda flinched. "Simply give me your horse and I'll give you one of mine. I'll have his leg fixed up the next time I'm in town!"
It was a wonderful idea and the men all set eagerly to work, helping the hobbling horse into Lacchus's carriage and then helping to drag the appointed horse down from the cart and hooking him to the travel carriage.
It was a bit smaller than most horses, although not small enough to be declared a pony, and rather sort of pretty in that it was a steel gray sort of color with a mane and a tail the color of snow. It also had a large, almost perfectly round patch of white on the chest, almost like a bull's-eye. "Oh, it's a small one, all right," admitted Lacchus with a boyish grin. "But I've not got one more hard-working or obedient. He'll get the job done." The horse stared at the ground, hiding its eyes and whinnying softly.
"Thank goodness!" shouted a woman. An impromptu celebration had broken out at the idea of getting on with the journey. Glinda leaned against Elphaba and rested her cheek against the bony upper arm.
"We'll still make it to the Emerald City in good time, right, Elphie?" But Elphaba did not look as relieved as she, Glinda, felt, nor did she look happy in the least. Her gray lips were set in a mean little line and her eyes were slits as she glared at first the new horse and then Lacchus, who was celebrating as well.
"Sir," said Elphaba in an even tone so sharp that the celebrations subsided and the travelers quieted, all looking at her. "That's no horse. It is, most assuredly, a Horse."
The hushed silence became loud, startled whispers, a commotion of questions. "Are you insane, girl?" asked the unfortunately short man. "Or don't you want to get to your destination?"
Elphaba ignored him and directed her question toward Lacchus, who was making decidedly "Who, me?" gestures. "What right have you," she asked coldly, "to put this Horse to work as though he were some common animal? Is he receiving wages for this?"
"Of course not," said Lacchus angrily. "It's just a horse."
"He is not. You, speak!" She gestured to the Horse, which Glinda noticed did look up in recognition. "It's all right, then," said Elphaba in those soothing tones that came and went with her moods. "Just show them that you can speak."
"This is absurd!" shouted Lacchus and the general consensus seemed to agree. "That horse can't speak, I say!"
But then the Horse said in a deep and rumbly voice, "I can speak just as well as you! Better, I should think!"
Well, that made the travelers gasp and shout and chatter, and Lacchus balled his hands into fists and glared so fumingly at Elphaba that Glinda worried suddenly that he might hit her. "There you have it," said Elphaba triumphantly. "The Horse does speak, and he is certainly not a working animal."
"Speaking or not!" shouted the short man, whom Glinda was beginning to notice had quite a fondness for shouting. "It can pull a carriage like any other common horse!"
"He, of course, can, I've no doubt," said Elphaba in calmer tones than Glinda suspected, judging by how the emerald girl's whole body was shaking. "But he should not have to, any more than you or I should have to. If he so chooses to, that is another business entirely, but I should think he would receive wages for such a job and it is just as easy to just secure an actual horse."
The Horse appeared almost to smile as he looked at Elphaba. "Wages would be nice," he said wistfully.
"Ridiculous!" spat Lacchus. "I'll not pay it anything."
"Then, I'll not pull this carriage," the Horse said defiantly.
"I think that's settled," said Elphaba, smirking.
"Now, listen, girl," said the short man. "We need that Horse to get us to the Emerald City, and I'll not have you filling its head with ideas of wages and nonsense. A Horse can and should pull a carriage just like any other horse."
"Sir," said Elphaba. "Thinking individuals should not be expected to undergo slave labor."
"Unless he's got another horse to lend us," said the driver, "we'll have to use this Horse. Otherwise, we won't get to the Emerald City."
Elphaba wrenched herself out of Glinda's grip to glare at the driver. "Well, I won't be going, then."
"Er, Elphie," whispered Glinda urgently.
"And he – I'm very sorry, sir, I did not catch your name," she directed toward the Horse, "—refuses to pull this carriage unless he is paid, don't you?"
"It is true!" cried the Horse. "And I am called Halivan."
"Pleased to meet you. I am Elphaba." She gestured to Glinda, who was worrying her lip in concern. "This is my traveling companion, Glinda."
"Of the Arduenna Clan," supplied Glinda half-heartedly.
"What is this!" The driver was simply beside himself. "Introducing yourselves? Making friends, is it? This horse – or Horse, whatever it may be, hasn't the right to decide not to pull this carriage. It will!"
"That's just the thing," said Elphaba dismissively. "It can decide. It is capable of decision. Its decision, as of now, is to not pull this carriage."
The driver fumed at her and then stalked away to mumble with the rest of the travelers, who were all giving her hateful looks. The driver asked Lacchus whether he had any other horses to supply them with and Lacchus shook his head.
"Driver," said one of the men. "How long should it take us to get to our next stop if we are short one horse?"
"Adding in the delay we already have, I'd say we won't get there until late tonight."
"Although I do not mean to speak for everyone," said the man importantly. "Perhaps that is best. The beast refuses to pull the wagon. Once we reach the inn, perhaps we can find another horse there. But as the situation stands presently, standing around is only offering us more of a delay."
The other travelers agreed with this.
"Excellent," said Elphaba, pleased. "Kindly unhook him, then."
The men did so, unhooking Halivan from the carriage. He trotted a bit ways away, thanking them profusely.
"And," said the driver, shaking hands with Lacchus for trying to help, as the horse trader moved back to his own carriage. "We may get there a bit faster than I thought, if the carriage is lighter. Which it will be, since we'll be traveling with one less traveler." And here he glared at Elphaba, as did the rest of their travelers.
"I? I've paid for my ticket like anyone else."
"It is you who has set us back so far in this delay! And I, as the driver, reserve the right to refuse service to you."
"You can't leave a person in the middle of nowhere!" cried Glinda, horrified. She grabbed Elphaba's hand.
"She's got a Horse with her, hasn't she? She's not without resources."
"Well, I'm staying with her!"
Elphaba blinked. "Get on the carriage, Glinda," she said quietly. "I'll meet you in the Emerald City in a few days."
"Certainly not."
"Go. There's no use in you being stuck here, as well."
Glinda sniffed haughtily. "I would not expect you to leave me here, and so you should hardly expect the same of me." She then put her nose in the air and looked away as if to settle the subject indefinitely.
"I don't care whether the both of you go, or just her," snarled the driver. "But you'd better get your belongings off my carriage, because we're leaving."
Elphaba glanced at Glinda and sighed, hurrying into the carriage. She gathered up their belongings and then exited, filing quickly past the crowd of travelers as they stared at her.
She, Glinda, and Halivan stood together as the travel carriage drove past them and then Lacchus's carriage drove past as well. They watched the two objects move off into the distance until they disappeared into the stretch of dirt and dust and sand.
"Now, I am sure there are farms nearby. Dirt farmers, I believe they're called. You find them in these places. We just need to look for one." Glinda seemed surprisingly upbeat, a startling contrast to the dull, sour look on Elphaba's face. "What is it?"
Elphaba's eyes locked on hers and they were so intense that Glinda's hand flew up to her mouth in surprise. "I asked you to get on the carriage," said Elphaba quietly. "Why do you insist on sharing my misfortunes?"
Glinda opened her mouth to reply and then promptly closed it. "Well, I..." she said after a few moments thought. "It wasn't fair of him to kick you off the carriage. And I... I mean, the thought of you out here alone, trying to get to the Emerald City... Well!"
"If you had stayed on the carriage, that would have ensured that one of us got to the Emerald City." Elphaba shook her head. "You should have done as I told you."
"No, because then we would be split up right now, and I attest that I should not want us split up!"
"Glinda—"
"I wanted to stay with you, Elphie! If I had gotten kicked off the carriage, would you have gone on without me?"
Elphaba closed her eyes. "Certainly not."
"There you have it, then."
They were both silent for awhile as Elphaba stewed in silent resentment and anger. She glanced at Glinda out of the side of her slitted eyes and frowned. "You are a stupid thing," she said finally. "Noble and stupid."
"Oh, Elphie!" Glinda unceremoniously threw her arms around Elphaba's neck, hugging her tightly. Elphaba was so startled that she could not return the hug, only stare unblinkingly at nothing. Glinda pulled away, a whirl of fresh-smelling hair whipping past Elphaba's face.
"Forgive me, ladies," said Halivan, stepping up toward them. Elphaba noticed that he was now standing on only two legs. "But I suspect that if we go westward, we will find the Yellow Brick Road."
"Oh, that's right!" Glinda smiled. "The carriages travel off the Yellow Brick Road, but yes, it should be to the west of us."
"I propose," said Halivan, "that the closer we travel west, the easier we will find a farm of some sort."
It was a good idea, and the three traveling friends set off to the west. Halivan urged Elphaba to let him do the walking and have she and Glinda ride him. She refused resolutely, but he wheedled her down, explaining that he wanted to help his new friends and that it was his way of thanking her for saving him from indentured servitude. So, Elphaba swung up on the horse and Glinda climbed up behind her. She, Glinda, insisted on riding side-saddle because any other way was improper.
And so, there they were, making their way across the barren land, Elphaba holding onto Halivan's mane and Glinda clutching Elphaba about the waist, her face buried in the long mane of black hair that flowed down Elphaba's back. The three travelers became old friends, and Glinda told long, lengthy stories of their exploits at Shiz and occasionally Elphaba chipped in with an anecdote or two. Halivan told them about his life, about his family that lived in the underground of the Emerald City, that he had been taken from them one day while traveling out of the city. He had been captured by Lacchus and had worked for the man for several months. His family, he knew, were rather worried and he was eager to see them again, show them that he was all right. Three children and a lovely wife.
They traveled late into the night and it was nearing ten o'clock when the Yellow Brick Road finally loomed into sight, far off in the distance.
"Oh, thank goodness," breathed Glinda, tickling the back of Elphaba's neck. "Civilization at last."
She was right, of course, for no sooner had they spotted the Yellow Brick Road than did they spot a small farm shack just beyond it. The three friends chattered in relief and happiness, knowing that their long arduous journey across the wasteland was coming to an end.
"I'm envisioning a kindly old woman who will know just what to do," remarked Elphaba. "I had not yet considered that it could be a fellow with a rifle and a temper."
"You do make the most grotesque remarks," said Glinda as Halivan brought them right up to the house.
Elphaba climbed off and held out her hand for Glinda to take. The blonde girl took her hand cautiously, sliding down the great Horse's flank with a squeal. Elphaba brought out another quickly to catch her and snaked an arm around her waist in a bustle of skirts. She looked down at the beautiful Gillikin girl, close enough to be kissed, lips perfect enough for it as well. Her eyes were wide and innocent, looking up into Elphaba's face and the green girl wondered briefly what she looked like to her friend, whether she was frightening, whether the extent of her feelings were written in stark white letters against her green skin.
Halivan spoke suddenly and Elphaba released Glinda rather hastily, turning her attention to their new Horse friend. "Might as well knock on the door, Miss Elphaba. I'll stay out here."
Elphaba was able to eat her words when the owner of the shack greeted them. He was a young man, scarcely older than she or Glinda, Gillikinese and tall and muscular with obscene amounts of beautiful gold hair and a very perfected look about him. He was polite and eager to help although he didn't know the area too well, being from Traum in the Great Gillikin Forest.
"At any rate, I am Drauc, the Harbellows Descending of Traum, Gillikin, and should you require help in reaching the nearest carriage stop, I shall endeavor to help the best that I can."
"We thank you," said Glinda. "I am Glinda of the Arduennas of the Uplands and this is Elphaba, the Thropp Third Descen—"
"How do you do," said Elphaba shortly. "We've a Horse companion as well; he wishes to come with us."
Drauc, who appeared to be on a bit of a delay as far as information processing came in, said, "How very nice to meet the both of you, Misses Galinda and Elphaba."
"It's Glinda. The 'Guh' is silent."
"How improper. The proper Gillikinese pronunciation is—a Horse, you say? Does it, in fact, speak?"
"He does, in fact," said Elphaba. "He also laughs and sings, as well, although I wouldn't request of him the latter as it is not one of his better geniuses."
Elphaba's brand of humor seemed lost on Drauc, whose only comment was, "Extraordinary. Do come in." This he directed only toward Glinda and Elphaba, as his small little house didn't seem to fit too many people in the front room, let alone a Horse.
The house, however small, was extravagantly decorated in rich fabrics and colors, with expensive furniture. There was a small front room comprising a dining room and kitchen, a sitting room to the right, and two bedrooms in the back. They all seemed to be furnished as lovely as a palace that had been condensed into only a few rooms.
He offered them tea on fine glassware and sat them down and explained how he had come to live in what was essentially a tiny cabin just off of the Yellow Brick Road when he was from a large estate on the outskirts of the Great Gillikin Forest. "You see," he said, "my father is the mayor of our village within Traum. He, at a rate slower than I would like, is becoming feeble and dying, and I am to take his place. Not only to become mayor, though; I should like for the Harbellows to have a place in all of Traum and that I should become the governor of Traum. This is why I am studying diplomacy and political relations once a week from a man in the Emerald City."
"What an interesting story!" cried Glinda, who had not cared a bit. "Then, you must know the carriage line from here to the Emerald City very well."
"This is true," stated Drauc. "But there is nothing to be gained from traveling to the inn tonight, for (as you well know), the inns stop accepting travelers after a certain time, and we are soon past that time. Hence, you will stay here for the night, although I worry that I do not have enough room for your Horse friend, of whom I admit fascination to meeting, having never met one such as... that is, you do not see many of them in Gillikin, and with the Banns in place, you very hardly see any at all in the areas surrounding the Emerald City."
"Such is misfortune," said Elphaba. "I should think that Mister Halivan will be quite fine sleeping in your sitting room, although he is too big for a sofa."
"I will adhere to the wishes of my guests," said Drauc gallantly. "I'll do up the guest room for you both if you will fetch your... Mister Halivan."
"What do you make of him?" asked Elphaba as she and Glinda started outside to find Halivan.
"He's the very picture of politeness," said Glinda. "And charming to the point of wonder. What do you make of him?"
"He's taking us to the carriage stop and letting us stay. I fear he may molest one or both of us."
"Oh, Elphie," admonished Glinda. "You do say the most detestable things."
Elphaba glowered a bit. The night was cool and breezy, the sky devoid of any points of natural light. "I do not like smarmy men, nor do I like those who cannot keep their eyes in their head anytime a pretty girl enters the picture."
The old Galinda may have said, "Well, can you blame him?" or "I should like to be thought of as a grade or more better than 'pretty'." But this Glinda only shrugged and said simply, "It is as it is. I have a feeling that the bastardization of my given name rather put him off."
Elphaba called, "Mister Halivan, are you about?"
"I'm here, Miss Elphaba," said Halivan, stepping out of the shadows on two feet and moving toward them. "How is our kind stranger?"
"Nearly too kind," said Elphaba. "But he has offered us a place to sleep for the night and deliverance to the carriage stop tomorrow."
"That is splendid."
"It is. And you'll be sleeping in his sitting room, on the floor, I suspect."
"Oh!" said Halivan. "I say, it has been far too long since I've had a place to sleep that wasn't a stable."
"Too long indeed," agreed Elphaba. "Come along. Our host seems especially eager to meet you."
Drauc, upon meeting Halivan, first attempted to bow and secondly offered a hand to shake and then seemed frightened by the hoof thrust out at him and dropped his hand quickly. Then he stumbled over words for a moment or two, trying to decide the best thing to say to the Horse and finally settling on nothing at all.
"He isn't usually this talkative," said Elphaba. "Mister Halivan, this is Master Drauc, Harbellows Descending of Traum. This is Mister Halivan."
"How good to meet you," said Halivan and Drauc virtually whimpered in response. "And how very kind of you to let us stay with you."
"It is nothing!" Drauc burst out in a high-pitched voice. "I do hope you find the floor comfortable!"
"Anything is more comfortable than hay. If it is all right by you, I shall retire." And he did so, lying down on the floor of the sitting room while Drauc watched in amazement, although at a certain point, only Halivan's hooves were visible from behind the sofa where they watched.
"Well!" said Drauc as they moved off into the kitchen. "He's an interesting sort, isn't he? How did you happen upon him?" He directed this toward Glinda, of whom he offered his arm. She appeared nervous, unsure of whether to take his arm or not.
"I don't know about Miss Glinda, but I am tired," said Elphaba hastily. "I think I shall retire as well."
Glinda let her arm fall to her side, sighing in relief. "As will I. Thank you for your kindness, Master Drauc."
"Not a bother!" said Drauc. "We'll head off to the carriage stop first thing in the morning." As the girls departed for the guest room, he gestured to the door right next to it. "I am right next-door, should you need anything."
"We won't," mumbled Elphaba under her breath as she and Glinda escaped into the guest room, shutting the door behind them. This room, similar to the rest of the house, was extremely well-furnished but small. The large double bed seemed to take up three-fourths of the room, but it was clothed in expensive silks of gold and crimson. The candles were lit around the room and there was an oak vanity where Drauc had put their traveling parcels.
"How are you faring, Elphie?" asked Glinda. She sat on the bed and studied the bed sheets. Lovely.
"I am not as tired as I should be, having not slept in more than a day."
Glinda pouted. "I knew you didn't get to sleep last night. You lied to me. And you really had better rest."
"I better had," said Elphaba with a shrug. "But sleep does not come at my willing it to; it comes when it damn well pleases."
Glinda shook her head, mildly scandalized. "I think I should just shuck all pretenses of being shocked by your tongue. Help me out of this." She stood and presented Elphaba with her back, of which the dress zipped all the way to the top. Elphaba closed the distance between them awkwardly, her breath a loud puff that came all too often. It was too dangerous, she supposed, standing here and smelling her hair and touching her skin and all that. She trailed her fingers along Glinda's upper back before grappling with the zipper. She slid it down to where it ended at the waist and then stepped backwards as though she had been poked.
Glinda turned and she was lovely, all fair-skinned and pink-lipped and eyes clear, wide, so in this respect, Elphaba felt momentarily breathless, as if looking at the girl was (to a ridiculous degree) too much. She shook her head, wanting to dispel the thoughts out her ears. Was this what Boq went through? Is this what had made him so ridiculous in manner? No, it was different, for Boq had been in love with the image, the Gillikinese Galinda who cared only for herself. While Elphaba agreed to it being a lovely image, it did not match the beauty that a thinking Glinda who thought of others presented. She was someone to be in love with.
Elphaba halted on her breath and stepped further backward, legs hitting an armchair, which she promptly fell into. Glinda retreated to the bed, clad only in her under things. She drew one graceful leg up to her corset-clad torso and appeared to be in thought.
"Why do you suppose he lives out here, all alone?"
"I suppose it is just as he said," said Elphaba off-handedly. "He is studying in the Emerald City."
"Well, then why doesn't he live in the Emerald City?"
Startled, Elphaba began to wonder the very same thing. Drauc's explanation had not been one at all. "Perhaps, being from Gillikin, he prefers a rural setting to a city swathed in green."
"Perhaps. I feel I am being infected with your paranoia. I do not like him and shall be eager to leave here."
"Well, I feel the same. Also, having not slept in nearly too long, I feel I should sleep, but will probably stay awake in hopes I can catch him skulking around, trying to glimpse you in your underclothes."
Glinda's cheeks burned crimson. "Oh, you do go on," she said, standing hastily and dressing in her nightgown. There was a small amount of relief that went through Elphaba.
They put out the lights and Elphaba dressed in the dark and then slid into the bed, the sheets smooth and cool. Across the bed, Glinda seemed miles away, as if Elphaba could stretch her arm out as long as it would go and still not be able to prod her spine. Oh, what a lovely spine it was, as well.
Somehow, though, despite their being miles apart, despite the room being perfectly warm and good, Glinda did slide in her sleep into Elphaba's arms. It was awkward and somewhat unexplainable, but Elphaba chalked it up to protection and therefore was okay. She was, of course, rationalizing.
And Glinda, of course, was not really sleeping and was only pretending, but Elphaba did not know this. And when Elphaba stroked her hair and hugged her tighter, she smiled secretly and Elphaba did not see this either.