Chapter 2
Regrets
Carolynn and the captain were sipping wine, sitting on the sofa before a blazing fire that crackled away at the cold evening. They watched shadows dance on walls. She was bundled up in a pink velour robe while the captain was garbed in his usual clothes. Perpetually unaware of the temperature himself, he saw her shiver and levitated an afghan over her. "Thank you, Daniel. You know, I never would of thought of you as a cat person."
"I've always gotten along well with animals- often better than people."
"So what sort of animal did your Circe turn you into?"
He laughed. "So we're back to that. Remember Odysseus had an antidote before he drank Circe's potion, so he remained a man."
"I thought you'd say a poodle before the fire."
"Slander! You're the one who enchanted me to that, woman! I'd prefer you say wolf beside the fire; don't think I can be domesticated entirely."
Carolynn grinned at him. "Well, anyhow, I'm sure she was a lovely cat."
"She was a sight to behold trailing after me up the gangplank, one ear gone, scars everywhere, a terrible limp, but that plume of a tail straight up and proud. That foul tempered cat had fought far too much in her younger years, and even partially tamed she became a byword in Schooner Bay for cornering dogs."
"Hmm. A foul tempered cat with orange hair. Sounds like a perfect match."
"Foul tempered?"
"How about fiercely insistent on the respect she was owed?"
"That I'll accept, but without the sarcastic grin if you please."
At that moment Candy came running downstairs, barefoot and in her nightgown, a horrified expression on her face. "Mom, Captain, there's a dead thing in the bathroom!"
The captain immediately dematerialized, and Carolynn knew he was facing whatever upset Candy so. "What do you mean by 'thing?'" She said as she shot up the stairs with Candy, hand in hand.
"Maybe a mouse? It was disgusting!"
As they got to the bathroom, they saw a few drops of blood on the floor, and the captain tying up the trash. "Nothing to be upset about, ladies. I suspect we have a feline stowaway somewhere on board. I'll take this out, see what I can find, and perhaps secure Scruffy's doggy door."
"I'll mop up the blood on the floor."
"Mom, I've got to go!"
"Right. I'll get the blood up when you're done."
After the domestic drama, the captain rejoined Carolynn in the living room. "Couldn't find even a whisker, and I've secured Scruffy's door," he said as he sat beside her.
"I think you've jinxed us with all this talk of Circe. I've never been that fond of cats personally. They kill such helpless little creatures like birds and mice."
"They're efficient hunters if they choose to be. Did I ever tell you how Circe passed?"
"I was hoping for old age, but it didn't seem likely."
"She WAS getting old, slower, didn't hunt much anymore. It was the first time I left her when I went on a voyage, and I gave orders for the housekeeper to treat her like a queen. When I got back she was gone, and I was informed she'd been run over by a cart." He blinked back any suspicious sign of weakness. "I still wonder if she thought I'd abandoned her. I'm not even sure that's how she really passed. I suspect worse." He sat, mouth clenched, starring into nothing.
Carolynn waited, but he added nothing. After awhile, she said, "Daniel, come to bed with me."
"You forget how long ago all this occurred. Any pain has long since faded, so I need no mollycoddling."
"I'm no stranger to loss. Come with me for my sake."
Frustrated by his inability to even hug her and ashamed of having revealed his old attachment to a mere beast, he said, "I'll join you in a bit."