Chapter 57

Basta returned Claudia to the kitchen later that day. His timing was good because Mortola wasn't around. All the maids watched in curiosity as the girl hurried to take her place next to a relieved-looking Agnese. Claudia smiled when she reached her, allowing the happiness she was feeling to shine through. Dafne smiled too, knowing that her promise must have been fulfilled. She watched the girl speaking to Agnese in a hushed yet excited manner. She wished she could hear what she was saying. She had no trouble hearing Basta though. He was calling out to her,

"Come on little mouse."

"And where do you think she's going?" Orlanda said before Dafne could move.

"Out, with me," Basta replied, offering Orlanda a wad of notes he had taken from his jacket. Pietro wasn't with him to sweet-talk her, "Here. If Mortola asks tell her she's over at the church cleaning the toilets or something."

Orlanda accepted the bribe, shuffling it in her hands before smiling,

"I'm afraid you're a little short... In more ways than one."

Basta scowled at her,

"What do you mean short?" he growled.

"I mean this isn't enough," Orlanda said, waving the bribe-money in his face, "I want more."

"More?" Basta snapped, "That's the usual amount. I know because I asked around."

"Yes it is," Orlanda said, "But you insulted me last night so I'm charging you extra."

"What are you talking about? I never insulted you, you stupid..."

Orlanda held up a thick finger in warning,

"Careful. You don't want me to raise the price even higher. And you did insult me. I expect that you were too blind drunk at the time to remember it. Not that that's any excuse for name calling."

"What do you want from me?" Basta said frustratedly, "An apology?"

"An apology from you isn't worth anything," Orlanda replied with a sneer, "I want twenty five percent more than this."

"Twenty five percent?" Basta said furiously, "Forget it. I'm not going to let you rip me off. I've paid you and that's that," he beckoned impatiently to Dafne, "Come on. We're leaving."

Orlanda inspected her fingers, looking rather unconcerned,

"Enjoy your outing then. Mortola's certainly not going to happy when I tell her about it."

Dafne had been making her way over and froze as soon as she said this.

"You wouldn't dare," Basta hissed at Orlanda.

Orlanda smiled lazily,

"Yes I would. You know I would. And I will if you don't pay in me in full," she narrowed her eyes triumphantly, "Your choice Basta."

Basta curled his hands into fists. There was no doubt in Dafne's mind that he really wanted to hit Orlanda. But he didn't. He angrily caved into her demand.

"Alright fine!" he shouted, "Twenty five percent, but I'll pay the rest later. Dafne hurry up, we have to go before Orlanda wants the shirt off my back too."

Orlanda looked up from smugly pocketing her bribe money,

"Why would I want your shirt? I have no desire to see you topless."

"Likewise times a million," Basta shot back as Dafne reached him.

"Come on," she said gently, tugging on his arm as he stood glaring at Orlanda.

"Yeah let's go," Basta said with a sneer, "The sight of Orlanda is making me sick."

"Likewise times a million," Orlanda quipped as the two were leaving.

"Just leave it," Dafne hissed as Basta made to whirl back around, "We don't have time. Mortola might show up."

Reference to Mortola made Basta grab Dafne's arm,

"Quick then," he said, towing her along hurriedly, "We don't want that happening."

They left Capricorn's house through the back entrance so Dafne knew they must be heading to Basta's house.

"Where's your secret weapon against Orlanda anyway," she asked as they cut through the backyard, "Where's Pietro?"

Basta started to smirk,

"Oh probably still trapped on the phone with his wife," he said.

"I thought Pietro broke Nico's phone," Dafne said as they were climbing over the fence.

"He didn't break Ernesto's," Basta said, "Principessa called on his phone. Ernesto is her brother by the way. You might have seen him around. He wears red gloves all the time."

"Yes I know him," Dafne said as Basta took her hands to help her down off the fence, "He fetched Pietro for me last night so he could take you home."

Basta used his hold on her hands to pull her against his chest.

"Is that right?" he wrapped his arms around her.

Dafne nodded contently in his embrace,

"You wouldn't let me leave your side to find Pietro myself."

"Could you blame me little mouse," Basta murmured in her ear, "I don't like you being away from me."

"I don't like being away from you either," Dafne said with a sad smile, "You wanted me to take you home instead of Pietro. I hated that I couldn't when I really wanted to. Is that where we're going now?"

Basta nodded,

"Yes. Hopefully that lazy brat Nico has woken up and taken a hike somewhere. I'll kick him out if he's still hanging around. I want us to be alone."

"If you do kick him out, do it nicely," Dafne said, "I like Nico. He's nice."

"Well I'm nice too," Basta said competitively, "I just took Giulio his family. Let them inside the cage so they could hug him and everything. That's how nice I am," he scowled, "And was Giulio grateful? Not one bit. He even had a proper curse at me when I told them it was time to go. But what was I supposed to do. Leave them all shut in together? I was tempted, but I needed get to the girl back before Mortola found out and chucked a fit," he sighed, "Aren't you supposed to feel all tingly inside when you do a good deed? I'm not feeling it."

"How do you feel then?" Dafne asked.

"Ticked off at Giulio," Basta replied, "Ungrateful bastard."

"You did break his nose and abduct his children," Dafne pointed out, "You can't expect him to forgive you right off the bat."

"I don't care about his forgiveness," Basta said, "I only did it because you wanted me to little mouse."

"I know. Like I said before, I appreciate it," Dafne kissed him, "Do you feel tingly now?"

Basta smiled,

"A part of me is," he purred before quickly specifying, "That is to say my heart. My heart is tingling little mouse."

Dafne rolled her eyes at him,

"Oh really?" she couldn't help smiling, "Just your heart?"

Basta laughed nervously,

"Yeah. That's right."

"Well that's a problem," Dafne said.

Basta frowned,

"Why?"

"Because..." Dafne was blushing because she had the words already planned out in her head, "Because I want you to tingle all over."

Basta stared at her in surprise before he grinned,

"Well I think you had better keep kissing me to make that happen."

"Not here," she said as he leaned in help her get started, "In your house. I don't want anyone watching us like in the church."

"Suits me," Basta said eagerly, "Come on."

There was no trace of Nico when they got to the house but Basta pointed out his handiwork,

"See what's he's done to couch. It smells like it's been washed ashore from the sea. That fishy smell will be really hard to get out. I'll probably just rid of the thing."

"That might be easier," Dafne said, "It's not as if..."

She stopped. She had been going to say: It's not as if Silvio needs it to sleep on anymore.

"What?" Basta asked.

She shook her head,

"Nothing," she murmured, trying to smile, "How do you say the couch stinks in French?"

This caught Basta off-guard.

"Huh?"

"I forgot to tell you," Dafne said, "I discovered last night that you're quite a linguist. You were speaking three languages."

"Three?" Basta said, "Pietro said I was arguing with him in French. What was the other one?"

"German I think."

"It probably was," Basta said, "It's usually the one I start speaking when I lose track, er while I'm drunk."

"Why is that?"

Basta shrugged,

"It might be because Germany is where I've spent the most time in this world. That's where Capricorn and I were read out. A place called Dorsten."

"Really? I always assumed you were read out in Italy. You can speak Italian so well but I guess there's a reason for that. It's inbuilt into you or something. That's what you were telling me last night."

Basta nodded,

"Inbuilt? That's a good way of putting it. How did I manage to explain that to you if I was speaking three languages?"

"Oh you had gone back to speaking Italian by then," Dafne said, "Much to my relief because I had no idea what you were saying."

"Sorry," Basta said, looking embarrassed, "That must have been confusing for you."

"It was," Dafne smiled, "But completely amazing as well. I've never seen anything like it. Then again, I've never met anyone quite like you."

"You mean that as a compliment right?" Basta said brightly, "Your way of saying that you think I'm really great and unique."

"Well you're definitely unique," Dafne replied teasingly.

Basta pouted,

"But not great?"

Dafne laughed,

"You're great at some things," she said, "You're great at kissing for instance."

Basta's lips turned upwards in a smirk,

"Great huh, you think so?"

Dafne nodded,

"Yes," she took Nico's sunglasses off Basta's face, watching his amber eyes blink as they adjusted to the light, "I do," she leaned towards his lips expectantly, "So you better kiss me right now Tiger Eyes."

He did, very hungrily while she stood there enjoying every second of it, Nico's sunglasses dangling limply from her hand. She almost dropped them when Basta spun her around without warning, whipped her hair aside and kissed her neck. Dafne uttered a moan as a shiver rippled through her body. Basta chuckled. She felt the sensation of his breath on her skin as acutely as she could smell it. It smelt so sweet like a perfume.

"See, you do like it," he purred in her ear, "You..." he kissed her again, "Like..." and again, "This," and again.

She couldn't disagree. She turned her head to look at him,

"I know," she murmured and kissed his lips, "Do you think we can sit down?"

"Why? Am I making you go weak in the knees?" Basta teased.

Dafne rolled her eyes with a smile,

"I would say its more Mortola's doing than yours. I've forgotten how much it hurts to be forced to stay on your feet so long without a rest."

"Poor little mouse," Basta stroked her face, "We'll go upstairs and sit on the bed then."

"Why the bed?" Dafne asked somewhat amused.

"Well we can't sit on the couch," Basta pointed out.

"What about the armchair?" Dafne suggested.

"Both of us won't fit on the armchair," Basta said with slight irritation, "Look I'm not going to try anything on the bed if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm not worried about that," Dafne reassured him, "I just don't feel like walking up all those stairs."

"I can carry you," Basta offered.

Dafne shook her head,

"There's no point wasting your energy when the armchair is right here. I'll sit on your lap," she tugged him cheerfully in the armchair's direction, "Come on."

Basta chose not to put up a fight,

"Fine if that's what you want."

"Basta?" Dafne said as she was settling herself on his lap.

"Yes?"

"Do you think..." she suddenly became too shy, "Forget it, it's silly."

"What's silly? Tell me."

Dafne shook her head.

"Don't worry."

"No tell me," Basta insisted a little impatiently, "Otherwise I'm going to sit here thinking about what it is."

Dafne sighed,

"I was just wondering if you could... speak to me in another language. In German if you prefer German."

Basta looked puzzled,

"Speak to you... Why?"

"Because I'd like to listen to you," Dafne said embarrassedly, "That's all."

"But you wouldn't be able to understand anything," Basta said.

"I would if you repeated it afterwards in Italian... Please."

Basta eyed her with a conflicted expression before he sighed,

"That would be a problem little mouse. I don't know if I told you this but I can't tell the difference between languages. It's all the same in my head. We're speaking Italian right now aren't we?"

Dafne nodded.

"See I can only assume that. I mean we're in Italy so why wouldn't we be speaking Italian. But if you said something to me in French, I would start speaking French without even knowing I'd switched over."

"Even though the words for things change?"

Basta shrugged,

"To me little mouse is always little mouse regardless of how it comes out of my mouth. I know that sounds weird but that's the way it works. Switching languages for me is like breathing. You don't think about breathing. Your body just does it. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"I think so," Dafne said, "I at least get why it would be a problem for you to go back and forth between German and Italian if they're both the same to you."

"It's not just that," Basta pointed out, "You would need to speak to me in German first to get me to switch over."

"Which I can't," Dafne said disappointedly.

"Sorry little mouse," Basta stroked her cheek, "You're stuck with me speaking Italian."

"Unless," an idea popped into Dafne's head, "Unless I can remember some of the German you spoke last night. That would work wouldn't it?"

"It should. Can you remember anything?"

"Let me think," Dafne racked her brain, "Nothing's really..." a word suddenly floated into her head, "Dummkopf! Dummkopf!"

Basta frowned and said something in German. His tone sounded indignant.

"What did you say?" Dafne asked excitedly.

"I said don't call me an idiot," Basta growled, "It's not my fault you can't remember."

"But I did remember. You were just speaking German," Dafne said happily.

Basta looked taken aback,

"Oh I was?"

"Yes. I'm sorry if I insulted you but that's the only German word that came to me. It's what you called Ernesto. You called him that because he was laughing at you for being drunk."

"He was?" Basta scowled, "I like that. He gets drunk more often than I do, the idiot."

"Not idiot, dummkopf," Dafne said, laughing, "He's a dummkopf."

Basta smiled at her indulgently,

"Ja mein Mäuschen, Ernesto ist ein dummkopf."

"Mein Mäuschen?" Dafne said, "You called me that last night. I remember now. I think I know what it means."

"You do, do you?"

"It means little mouse. Am I right?"

"Yes you're right."

"Mein Mäuschen," Dafne repeated with a smile.

Basta nodded,

"Ja, mein Mäuschen," he took hold of her face and pulled her lips to his.

"Ja means yes doesn't it?" Dafne said afterwards.

Basta nodded.

"Then I'll use ja to switch you over to German. I'll say it twice."

"Alright then," Basta said, "Though I'd much rather kiss you than teach you German."

"How do you say kiss me in German then?" Dafne asked, "Tell me ja ja."

Basta smirked,

"Halt die Klappe und küss mich," the words came out as a growl.

"Halt die Klappe und küss mich?" Dafne repeated, "That's a mouthful."

Basta laughed,

"Yes it is, isn't it?"

Dafne shrugged,

"Well if that's what it is," she said, "Basta, halt die Klappe und küss mich."

Basta laughed again,

"Wie Ihr befehlt mein Mäuschen," he said before he kissed her, "Ich liebe dich," he said afterwards as he stroked her face.

"Ich liebe dich," Dafne said. She couldn't recall what he had said prior to the kiss, "What does that mean?"

"I love you," he told her.

Dafne broke into a smile, feeling rather touched.

"Ich liebe dich too Tiger Eyes," she said happily, "Halt die Klappe und küss mich."

Basta laughed again. She wondered if it was her pronunciation. Whatever it was, he still went to kiss her.

"Basta!" someone yelled from outside and knocked on the door just as loudly.

The sudden interruption had startled them both but now Basta was scowling in annoyance.

"Basta! It's me Cockerell! Open up!"

"No!" Basta yelled back frustratedly, "Get lost, will you!"

"But I have important news! I think you'll wanna hear it!"

"I'm busy!"

"Busy? What, you got someone in there? Is it Pietro? Who's on top and who's on bottom," Cockerell cackled, "Wait, don't tell me. I really don't need to know."

Dafne almost ended up on the floor as Basta jumped up and raced to fling the door open,

"Does she look like Pietro, you idiot," he snarled, barely allowing Cockerell time to look before he gave him a hard push.

Cockerell flailed back before hitting the ground with a thud.

"Ow," he groaned, craning his head to glare, "God Basta, can't you take a joke."

"Not that kind of joke," Basta snapped, pulling out his knife, "Now tell me the news before I castrate you."

"Dustfinger's found Silvertongue," Cockerell said as he sat up.

Basta's anger changed to surprise,

"He found him."

Cockerell nodded as he raised himself back on his feet,

"Yeah. He made contact a little while ago. Capricorn wants us to leave straight away," he rubbed his back wincing.

Basta meanwhile turned back to look at Dafne rather excitedly,

"Did you hear that little mouse? Silvertongue is practically ours."

To be continued...

Woo we've finally reached the point where the story turns into Inkheart.

Halt die Klappe und küss mich means "shut up and kiss me" lol. That's why Basta found it so amusing when Dafne was saying it. She thought she was saying kiss me politely when it was actually something a lot more aggressive. Wie Ihr befehlt mein Mäuschen means "as you command little mouse". I hope. Ziliverina?

Dorsten is where Cornelia Funke was born.